Throughout a trying last two months, as …

Throughout a trying last two months, as the Timberwolves have put in place a system designed for future relevance over immediate success, Ryan Saunders has served as a beacon of positivity to try to make the inevitable hard times easier to stomach. He rarely argued with officials. He accentuated the positives in postgame press conferences. He fed a team in transition a steady diet of encouragement to try to quell the indigestion that comes from losing over and over again. The team has largely followed suit. Karl-Anthony Towns preached chemistry. Andrew Wiggins changed his shot chart. Jarrett Culver maintained his confidence despite clank after clank.