Luka Garza is ‘staying ready’ in second season with Minnesota Timberwolves

DALLAS — Luka Garza has been a two-way player for much of his professional basketball career.

It started with Detroit, which drafted him in the second round out of Iowa in the 2021 NBA Draft. He now is in his second season with Minnesota, playing the same back-and-forth game.

While most two-way players divide their time between the NBA G League and the NBA, Garza has played mostly with the Timberwolves this season.

“Each year has looked different,” he said during a recent trip to Dallas. “Last year, I started in the G League, went to training camp, and started the season there.

“Then, we had some injuries with the Timberwolves with Karl-Anthony Towns going down, Rudy (Gobert) being iffy midway through the year, so I ended up staying with the Timberwolves the bulk of last year toward the end.”

Last season, he played 28 games for the T-Wolves, averaging 6.5 points and 2.3 rebounds. In 2021-22, he played 32 games for the Pistons, including five starts, and averaged 5.8 points and 3.1 boards.

This season, he’s appeared in seven games for Minnesota and is averaging 2.1 points and 1.1 rebounds.

After playing 16 games in the G League as a rookie and six last season, he’s played only three games this season for Iowa, where he’s averaged 36.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, and three assists.

Despite not getting substantial minutes in the NBA, this extended run with the T-Wolves has proved invaluable because he’s around veteran big men like Gobert, Towns and Naz Reid.

“As a young big in this league, there’s really no better team to be on in terms of the guys in front of me and I get to compete with,” Garza said.

“Karl-Anthony Towns is a really skilled big who can shoot the ball with the best in the league. And then you’ve got Rudy Gobert, the most impactful defensive player in the NBA, and Naz Reid, a dynamic, versatile big man who can handle, shoot. I’m constantly getting better being around them, watching them, and learning what they do on the court.”

Garza terms his role with Minnesota as an “emergency big,” someone who can step in should Gobert, Reid or Towns get injured.

“I want to help this team any way I can,” he said. “I’m learning, working, and staying ready for when that opportunity comes. There’s always an opportunity for somebody one through 17 each year. It always happens.”

Before Minnesota hired him as head coach in 2021, Chris Finch had spent a decade on NBA benches as an assistant. So, understandably, Finch has immense respect for grinders like Garza who do all the little things each day to continue showing improvement.

“We see him as a third big rotation player in the NBA for sure,” Finch said. “Super skilled, he has a lot of confidence that he can shoot 3s and score in the post. His playmaking has gotten better and his defense.”

The culture Finch has instilled in Minnesota and his coaching style have clearly resonated. That absolute buy-in is one reason the T-Wolves have been among the best in the Western Conference this season.

Finch’s approach to offense, in particular, is similar to what Garza saw as a Hawkeye.

“There are so many things I respect and love about Coach Finch. One of the biggest things he gets players to buy in on is the way he runs his system,” Garza said. “The offense we play gives you so much freedom. He gives you that with the responsibility to play the right way.

“That resonated because that’s exactly the way Coach (Fran) McCaffrey was. He’s real and honest and always going to tell you how it is.”

And even though he’s now almost three full years removed from his final season at Iowa, Garza still can’t believe his name occupies the rafters above the Hawkeyes’ home floor. He was, after all, a first-team All-American, Big Ten Player of the Year and national player of the year as a senior in 2021 who later had his No. 55 retired at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“Yeah, that’s one of the most amazing things that’s ever happened to me. Fifty-five is the number my dad wore. That’s why I wore it,” Garza said. “So, when that number went in the rafters, it was not just meaningful to me, but meaningful to him, just a testament to all the work. It’s still something I can’t quite grasp, and don’t think I will for a very long time.

“Iowa’s just a really special place and will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Not only does Garza credit his veteran teammates for teaching him what it takes to be a successful NBA big, but he also credits them for welcoming him with open arms since day one. In fact, he and Reid go against each other in practice, play one-on-one and even play pickup games during the summer.

“These star players, these All-Stars, were so incredible giving their knowledge and helping the young guys,” Garza said. “All three guys have helped me in a lot of different ways and I’m really thankful for them.

“The high tide raises all boats and I feel like because I’m around that level of talent, I’m only going to continue to get better and learn more. Even if I’m not getting as much on-court time to experience and learn, I’m learning vicariously through them because they’re sharing what’s happening out there.”

In his nearly two seasons with the T-Wolves, Garza has earned the respect of his coaches and teammates for how he approaches being a professional, which manifests in various ways.

“He’s so invaluable to our culture. He’s a tone setter for our young guys in all that extra work (he does) the day of game, how businesslike, how hard he works, how coachable and how positive he is,” Finch said. “That’s really important for young guys who are struggling with the first time maybe never playing (regular minutes) in their career. They look at him and (see) he keeps it all positive. There’s a lot of things we love about Luka.”

Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas