Leonard Miller may not have a role yet defined for him with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the 33rd pick offered a glimpse of the production he can bring to the lineup on Tuesday.
Miller produced 22 points, 15 rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 138-111 win over Maccabi Ra’anana of the Israeli National League. He went 10-of-14 from the field, including 1-of-3 from 3-point range, in 27 minutes off the bench.
His 15 rebounds were the second-most in a game this preseason. He hauled in eight on the offensive end, which helped the Timberwolves hold a 19-12 advantage in second-chance points.
“The first part about being a good offensive rebounder is you have to go all the time, and he does,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “He has a nose for the ball and pursues it. He gets a lot of 50-50 balls that are in or around. We just desperately need that.”
Miller was a walking double-double last season with the G League Ignite. He was tied for ninth in the league in that category, largely thanks to his exceptional rebounding ability. He hits the glass hard on both ends of the court and has seemingly an endless motor.
“I just go get it,” Miller said. “I feel like either you want it, or you don’t. With the competitive spirit that they have, they just go. (I) try to attack the glass, that’s what I do, so I guess it is how you see a lot of boards. … I feel like either you got it or you don’t.”
The 19-year-old falling to the second round was viewed as one of the biggest surprises in the draft this year. He has an overall ability that can affect games in various ways. He can handle the ball and is very active as a cutter on offense, and he can defend multiple positions.
The team is still figuring out where he’ll fall into the rotation. However, Miller appears to be a player the Timberwolves will need to get on the court in some capacity because of the way he can make an impact on both ends.
“You can see he has some real, natural feel with the ball in his hands,” Finch said. “He is fearless, and we like that. … He shoots it well and has got a good foundation to improve that shot. There is a lot to work on there, but he is an exciting young player and a really good kid.”
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