Luka Garza is 'going to have an opportunity' with Wolves this season

Long stuck in limbo, Garza appears to have the best opportunity of his career to make an impact at the NBA level.

Oct 11, 2024; Des Moines, Iowa, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Luka Garza (55) defends Philadelphia 76ers guard Reggie Jackson (00) at Wells Fargo Arena. The Timberwolves beat the 76ers 121 to 111. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images / Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Wolves big man Luka Garza has been a man stuck in limbo the past couple years. Despite showing he's clearly too good for the G-League, he hasn't been able to get many minutes in the NBA while being stuck behind some of the best bigs in the game.

Garza, 25, has been a standout during the Wolves' preseason games. The 6-foot-10 big man averaged 16 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in five games of preseason action. He starred in the team's 132-126 loss to the Nuggets last Thursday, dropping 29 points and grabbing nine rebounds in 32 minutes of action.

"Obviously, I've continued working on my body, super high level. Really put an intention on kind of maximizing what God gave me. Just trying to squeeze out everything I can, in terms of the way I can move laterally, the way I can defend," Garza said when asked why he's more fit to be a rotational player this year.

Stuck behind Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert as well as Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid during the 2023-24 season, Garza saw a career-low in average minutes played (4.9) while putting up just 4.0 points per game and hauling 1.2 rebounds per game. Despite the limited minutes in the league, Garza wasn't called upon very much with the team's G-League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves. When he did appear in the G-League, Garza made a mark last season, averaging 36.7 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in three games.

"Obviously, I knew since I came to the league there has been all those narratives around my name, but I think each year I've continued to show strides and improvement in that area," Garza continued. "You know, that's a lot of work, is what I've been trying to do every single offseason since I got the league. Just developing that side of the ball. And I think, you know, that's why I'm a rotation player. You know, I feel like I can go out there, be solid on that end and, obviously, everything I could do on the other end, I feel like I can be a consistent guy in anybody's rotation. Just very blessed to be a part of this team and learn from guys like Rudy, and KAT and Naz."

Luka Garza on why he's more of a NBA rotation player today than when he came to the Wolves two years ago pic.twitter.com/7ceOwpjttQ

— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) October 18, 2024

Now with Towns in New York, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly sees more of an opportunity for Garza to shine for Minnesota this season.

"Last year, whether it was Karl or Rudy, we had elite play at the five position for 48 minutes. Now, after Rudy, Luka is the only five behind him, although we have another young guy in Jesse Edwards we like on a 2-way. I think Luka is going to have an opportunity," Connelly told KFAN's Dan Barreiro on Friday. "He is always productive and makes things happen. It's not by accident. The guy is in the gym two to three times per day ... His teammates trust him. When he is out there scoring, you can see their reaction -- they don't think it is a fluke because they see it all the time in practice. I think Rudy and Luka are the only two centers on the roster, which will potentially give him more opportunity to have more consistent playing time."

The Timberwolves kick off a highly anticipated 2024-25 season on Tuesday in Los Angeles, where Garza could have the first of many opportunities to shine.