It’s the dawn of a new era for the Timberwolves. With Karl-Anthony Towns giving nine years of his career to the franchise, it’s hard to imagine the team without him. But they did get Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo in return, both of whom will be crucial in their title pursuit. Moreover, the Wolves will need to adjust to the massive change very quickly as they play their first preseason game tonight against the Lakers. And we will see a glimpse of the new look Timberwolves tonight, as one of their two latest recruits will be in action.

Well, while Donte did not get the opportunity to share the court with his Villanova buddies in New York, he will get the chance to make his Wolves debut right away. Yes, he is reportedly going to be a starter against the Lakers. However, the position he will be playing has not been revealed yet. But Donte is not bothered by the fluidity of his role in Minnesota. “It doesn’t matter. I’m a basketball player. Our team is full of basketball players, so whatever Finch throws out there, I think the IQ of this team, the versatility of this team makes anything possible.”

Meanwhile, the star who switched teams with him, Julius Randle, will not join Donte on the court tonight as he has been ruled out of the game. Well, he has not played an NBA game since January because of the shoulder injury he suffered mid-season. And he also underwent surgery that limited him to playing only 46 games last season.

But Randle is expected to return to the court soon as he has recovered from the surgery. And he is excited to begin a new journey. “You want to be somewhere where you feel wanted. I feel wanted here… [The trade] was a breath of fresh air.” But tonight, he will be cheering his new team on from the sidelines.

Lakers vs. Timberwolves missing star power as Anthony Edwards joins the list of unavailable players

While there will be excitement for Donte’s debut, the preseason opener will lack some major star power. Apart from Randle, Anthony Edwards will also not suit up for the game. Maybe that is why Donte has been bumped to the starting lineup right away as he will be replacing Ant-Man at the two spot. And that would be a major change as Donte is more of a sharpshooter who shot 40.1% from three last season.

Meanwhile, Edwards is a more versatile player who loves to utilize his athleticism to dominate his opponents. So, it will be quite a change of pace for the Wolves offense.

With Ant-Man out, their starting lineup will look something like this: Mike Conley, Donte DiVincenzo, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, and Rudy Gobert. Meanwhile, the Lakers are also heading into the game extremely shorthanded as both LeBron James and Anthony Davis have already been ruled out for rest. Are you excited for the game despite several stars’ unavailability?