The Timberwolves seem to be in the same boat they were in a year ago at this time. Of course, in 2019, October meant the start of a new NBA season, not the end of an old one. But Minnesota is in a similar position, with a relatively fresh roster still trying to acquaint itself and a front office and coaching staff eager to find out exactly what it has.

If it looks like the Wolves are back at Square 1, it’s because they are, just with a different set of players.

If no progression has been made, you could frame Year 1 of the Gersson Rosas campaign as a waste. Or you could say Rosas and Co. evaluated what they had last year, determined that wasn’t going to work, and decided it was necessary to start fresh with pieces this front office deemed a better fit with the desired direction of the franchise.

There are plenty of people out there who would say a core of D’Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns, potentially Malik Beasley and the No. 1 overall draft pick puts Minnesota ahead of where it was last October. There are plenty of others who look at another year of evaluation and development and ask, “are we really going to have to watch another year of this?”

Probably so. The COVID-induced suspension of the NBA season — which effectively ended Minnesota’s campaign — did the Wolves no favors. The month left of the season was meant for evaluation and team building that never happened. A two week minicamp inside the Wolves’ team bubble was never going to make up for that.

“We had a hard stop to the season. We had a young group. We changed rosters. There’s ups and downs,” Rosas said. “We’re establishing a philosophy and an identity. … When you’re building a program and you’re dealing with young players, we’ve got the youngest roster, there’s good and bad days. And being able to keep that focus, being able to keep that vision and making sure that alignment we have from a leadership perspective is carried out every day on the court and in meetings and in the day-to-day stuff is incredibly important.”

In that sense, Rosas said head coach Ryan Saunders has been “a great partner,” adding that Saunders and his staff continue to work to develop players with a certain energy, creativity and positivity that Rosas finds “important.”

Rosas noted this process is “tough” and “frustrating.” The Wolves were worse than anyone could have predicted prior to last year’s trade deadline, and it didn’t win many games after that, either. There are certainly moves to be made this offseason, but unless the Wolves are somehow able to parlay that No. 1 overall pick and another young player or two into an established veteran, Minnesota will roll into next season with young players it frankly still doesn’t know much about.

The Wolves like some of what they’ve seen in Jarrett Culver, Naz Reid, Jaylen Nowell, Jordan McLaughlin and Jarred Vanderbilt. What can they count on them to contribute in 2021? To be determined. It’s tough to see this roster contending for much soon.

“We knew when you’re going into the process of building a program, it’s hard,” Rosas said. “I talked about it last year when I took this job that this first season wasn’t going to be about the record. It wasn’t going to show what we were doing. It was going to be more about our ability to establish a program, to establish an identity, to change the philosophy and bring the organization into more of a modern platform. And we’ve done that in a lot of ways. The record won’t reflect that. We won’t get wins for that on the scoreboard. We understand that. When you have a big-picture perspective and you understand that you’re trying to reset a program, you have to have that perspective in place. I’ve talked about it, and I’m fortunate I have a head coach that values the same thing.”

Saunders’ consistent positivity and next-day mentality was a must last season as the Wolves racked up losses, and could be valuable again next season. Minnesota remains focused on process over results. That process, from a team perspective, is focused on building up its culture.

That’s much of what the team’s camp the past couple of weeks was centered on. Competing and connecting, while also providing valuable instruction and letting those young players know where they need to make the biggest strides in order to contribute moving forward.

“The team that is the most connected, the team that has the most chemistry, will get a jump start on next season whenever next season starts,” Saunders said. “I think there’s a lot of documented teams that have been talented groups but, throughout the league, and not just in basketball, but in other sports, that maybe have a lot of talent but they aren’t the most connected group away from competition on the court or field. So I do believe that it plays a role. I don’t believe it’s the be-all, end-all, but I believe it plays a role, and that’s something we’re definitely focused on, facilitating those types of organic environments for these guys to connect.”

Still, there is more to culture than being buddy-buddy with one another. Heading into the WNBA playoffs, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve noted culture is “not all the niceties.”

“Chemistry comes from trusting one another and leaders holding players accountable,” Reeve said. “I don’t want the chemistry that’s good chemistry when you’re up 10 and you’re going to win. I don’t want that. I want chemistry when things are tough, in terms of how you respond to it.”

It’s fair to note that the Bahamas trip didn’t exactly bolster success in the Wolves’ 2019-20 season. The team talked a lot about culture last year during its strong start, but it wasn’t discussed much during its 13-game losing streak.

Saunders said the pillars for a successful pro sports culture is that you’re connected, play for one another, play hard and play together. The Wolves have rarely possessed those traits, but the goal of this regime is to change that. Saunders pointed to this year’s playoffs and noted there are teams that have gone through builds like the one the Wolves are (again) enduring, have built a successful culture along the way and are now flourishing. Maybe the Wolves will reach a similar point, though there is a lot of work to be done between now and then.

“We don’t want sacrifices for the sake of incremental wins. That does nothing for us in the long term. That doesn’t build that foundation and the future that we want to build. It’s rare,” Rosas said. “Coach gets that, he understands that. We’ve been in lock step in that plan, and we’ve got a lot more to do, but because of the work that was done last year, because of the work that’s been done this offseason, we’re going to be better off in the future.”

“They’re gonna lose.”

Not exactly the words you’d expect to come out of Sid Hartman’s mouth. The longtime Star Tribune columnist and WCCO radio host was, after all, the biggest Minnesota sports fan you’d ever come across — “homer” is the oft-used reference now. For most journalists, that’s an accusation. For Sid, it was a badge of honor.

Yet, not even Sid could muster up the optimism necessary to believe in the Timberwolves on a nightly basis. Those three words came out of his mouth seemingly every evening spent courtside at Target Center — usually before the end of the first quarter. Such a proclamation was a pretty sturdy limb to walk out on, but often accurate nonetheless.

Larissa and Lacey, those are the names of the two nurses who escorted Sid just about everywhere he went over the final few years of his life. Both of their numbers are in my phone. Because as hard as Sid tried at first to find them closer accommodations at Target Center, they were instead seated in an adjacent corner of the arena to press row during games. Meaning Sid was left to sit by me.

RELATED: Legendary Star Tribune columnist Sid Hartman dies at age 100 

So Larissa or Lacey would spend much of Timberwolves games looking over at the iconic sports columnist, waiting for the hand gesture that indicated he was ready to go home. Over the years, both women passed along their phone numbers so I could text or call them if Sid needed anything else during the games.

That, and helping Sid get to his feet for the playing of the national anthem, were the only true responsibilities stemming from a seating arrangement that largely left me laughing.

There was a Sid bobblehead stationed in the basement of my childhood home that my mom loved. Sports conversations with my grandpa consisted of him first asking me what I thought at the time about the Vikings or Gophers or Timberwolves, followed up by: “Well, Sid said this on the radio this morning …”

Last year, it was suggested to Gersson Rosas that, at his introductory news conference, that he thank Sid Hartman for attending. So, early in the proceedings, Rosas looked straight at an older gentleman with white hair who was seated toward the front and thanked Sid Hartman for coming.

Problem was, it was not Sid. Sid did not attend the news conference. He got the credit anyway.

We probably refer to too many people as “legends,” but Sid fits the bill.

So, sitting by him at nearly every Timberwolves home game was surreal, and, I now realize, satisfying. Games were just more entertaining when he was by your side.

The Timberwolves would give up an open corner 3-pointer and Sid would shake his head and mutter “no defense,” an astute observation.

The Wolves would miss a free throw and, with the frustration heightening, Sid would hammer his fists on the press table. Gotta make those.

Ten minutes into the first quarter, Karl-Anthony Towns would check out for the first time, and Sid would lean over and ask, “Why are they taking Towns out?” Sid often forgot that, unlike himself, most human beings actually need rest.

Sid would ask about 10 questions during the course of a game. His response to my answers was usually a simple “Huh?” Sid could still talk with the best of them. His hearing? Not so good, particularly not in the ear that faced my seat. But he developed a system over time. He would have a pen and paper on hand and pass them over so I could write my response down. He wouldd quickly read it and either nod or ask a follow-up question.

The back and forths slowed productivity, but it was well worth it. One former Timberwolves public relations member asked on a few separate occasions if I’d like to sit somewhere else. Not a chance.

Every time the Lakers came to Target Center, Sid would nudge me on the arm and, while beaming with pride, remind me that he brought the Lakers to Minneapolis.

Finally, the fourth or fifth time, I responded, “Why couldn’t you keep them here?” Sid heard that question loud and clear, and his smile subsided. “No stadium,” he said as he shook his head. Might have struck a nerve there.

Before he left most games — usually midway through the third quarter — he would ask what time practice was the next day, though he almost never showed up. The one time he did, he spoke to Tyus Jones. He always spoke to Tyus Jones, and always asked Tyus what it was like to play for Mike Krzyzewski. On this particular day, he informed Tyus that Coach K was a good friend of his — one of thousands, to be sure — and then proceeded to ask Tyus for Coach K’s number.

You’re never too old to stop sourcing.

Over the years, Sid would call me over when he’d see me in a Twins or Gophers football press box, usually to ask questions about the latest Timberwolves happenings. “St. Paul” was my nickname … pretty sure that’s what he called every Pioneer Press reporter he recognized.

I’ve heard a number of stories from colleagues at various outlets over the years about Sid’s competitiveness — and lack of friendliness in the reporting realm, to put it kindly — but those weren’t on display by the time I met him. Perhaps becoming a grandpa softened him up a touch. He was still competitive, no question, and he couldn’t wait to see if you saw the scoop or interview he scored in his most recent column.

But in his final years, he embraced younger reporters, and didn’t shy away from telling someone when they were doing well or wrote a good story. The man read everything. In those moments, it was obvious how he built so many strong relationships over the years. Pair that with his relentless effort and intensity, and just as sure as Sid was that the Timberwolves were going to lose, we all knew this:

Sid was going to win.

The next month could inform Timberwolves fans if their team is a playoff contender in 2021.

Largely, it comes down to this: Do the Wolves pick No. 1 in the NBA draft, or not? The draft, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said Wednesday, will be “a big data point” as to how the team approaches the remainder of the offseason.

“Whether we’re adding young talent or a trade happens and we’re adding more ready-to-play players who can contribute now,” Rosas said, “I think that’s a major inflection point of what happens there.”

That’s not to say Minnesota thinks it can’t climb the Western Conference standings if it only adds rookies in the draft. The Wolves like what they have in their young core, from Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell to role players ranging from Malik Beasley to Josh Okogie to Jarrett Culver. But Rosas noted Wednesday that group needs time to develop and grow together.

It is a good bet it could score at a high level starting next season, but likely isn’t in a position to defend at a playoff level in the near future. Another data point, Rosas said, will be free agency, looking at how the Wolves manage their internal situations — such as potentially bringing back restricted free agents in Beasley and Juancho Hernangomez — but also adding other pieces in free agency.

“What we can add to the team, and giving coach (Ryan Saunders) some more defensive personnel to improve that side of the ball so we can be a more balanced team,” Rosas said. “Because, in reality, if you want to be a playoff team in this league, you’ve got to be a team that’s balanced. You’ve got to be either super elite on one end, top three, and be at least middle of the road, or top 15 in the league, on the other.”

Minnesota was far from middle of the road defensively last season; the post-trade-deadline Wolves ranked 29th out of 30 teams in defensive rating. Nearing the top 15 next season would require adding several contributors with strong defensive skills this offseason. Perhaps such a player could be acquired on draft night using one of the Wolves’ three top-33 draft picks, including No. 1 overall.

What are Minnesota’s picks worth? Rosas said current NBA players can be evaluated based on where they would go in an average draft, an exercise many teams practice. That helps teams as they evaluate their rosters and needs.

Should the Wolves make such a win-now move to trade picks — likely including the top pick — for a proven NBA player, they likely would be charting a more aggressive course for the remainder of their offseason, as well as making themselves a more attractive free-agent destination.

Sometimes the No. 1 pick in the draft is a can’t-miss prospect who looks set to significantly improve an NBA team from Day 1, but that doesn’t look to be available in this year’s draft. So if they stand pat and add three more young players, that’s a strong signal that their days of contention are still a year or two down the road.

“I would say there’s two big inflection points there,” Rosas said, “to decide where we’re at going into next year.”

Rosas said having a firm draft date set — it will be held on Nov. 18 — helps get trade talks going. Without it, there is no sense of urgency to make a move.

How urgent is Minnesota to make a move toward Western Conference contention? We’ll know within the next month.

By MIKE SCHNEIDER

From tribal lands in Arizona and New Mexico to storm-battered Louisiana, census workers who go door to door were unable to reach all the households they needed for a complete tally of the U.S. population, a count that ended abruptly last week after a Supreme Court ruling.

Community activists, statisticians and civil rights groups say racial and ethnic minorities are historically undercounted, and shortcomings in the 2020 census could set the course of life in their communities for years to come.

The count determines the number of congressional seats each state gets, where roads and bridges are built, how schools and health care facilities are funded, and how $1.5 trillion in federal resources are allocated annually.

“An undercount in our community means schools are overcrowded, hospitals are overcrowded, roads are congested,” said John Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

The census ended last week after the Supreme Court sided with President Donald Trump’s administration and suspended a lower court order allowing the head count to continue through Oct. 31.

The U.S. Census Bureau says that overall, it reached more than 99.9% of the nation’s households, but in a nation of 330 million people, the remaining .1% represents hundreds of thousands of uncounted residents. And in small cities, even handfuls of undercounted residents can make a big difference in the resources the communities receive and the power they wield.

Also, a high percentage of households reached does not necessarily translate to an accurate count: The data’s quality depends on how it was obtained. The most accurate information comes from people who “self-respond” to the census questionnaire online, by phone or mail. Census officials say 67% of the people counted in the 2020 census responded that way.

In any case, census takers, who go door to door, fell short of reaching all the households that hadn’t filled out the census form in many pockets of the country.

In large parts of Louisiana, which was battered by two hurricanes, census takers didn’t even hit 94% of the households they needed to reach. In Window Rock, the capital of the Navajo Nation on the Arizona-New Mexico border that was ravaged by COVID-19, census takers only reached 98.9%.

According to the Census Bureau, census takers reached 99.9% of the households they needed to contact in most of the 248 census areas the bureau designated across the U.S. They fell short of 99.9% in Quincy, Massachusetts; New Haven, Connecticut; Asheville, North Carolina; Jackson, Mississippi; Providence, Rhode Island, and Manhattan, where neighborhoods emptied out in the spring because of the coronavirus.

Rhode Island is one of about 10 states projected to lose a congressional seat, based on anticipated state population figures in the 2020 census. It could take as few as 30,000 overlooked people for the nation’s physically smallest state to revert back to having a single House district, said John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, a nonprofit watchdog.

The early conclusion of the census “is really going to stymie our efforts, not only to maintain that second district but also to have fair representation in our state legislature,” Marion said.

Jackson, Mississippi, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba blamed the coronavirus, which curtailed in-person outreach efforts that could have made a difference in hard-to-count neighborhoods. The mayor isn’t sure having an extra two weeks would have made a huge difference, but he says not having a complete count is significant: Jackson loses $1,000 each year for every person not counted.

“All of this has long-term implications for city planning, for how we address our needs, and for ensuring that we are fairly represented in the state house and in Congress,” Lumumba said.

There are also concerns about the quality of the data obtained. The second-most accurate information after self-responses comes from household members being interviewed by census takers. When census takers can’t reach someone at home, they turn to less-accurate information from neighbors, landlords and administrative records, the latter of which have been in widespread use for the first time this year. Information was obtained by these methods for almost 40% of the census takers’ caseload, according to the Census Bureau.

“Do not be fooled by the Census Bureau’s 99% myth. If there was ever fake news, this is it,” said Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, one of the civil rights groups that challenged the Trump administration’s census schedule in court.

Census Bureau director Steven Dillingham said Monday that a first look at the data collection operation indicates “an extremely successful execution.” He noted that the 67% self-response rate this year was higher than the 66.5% reached during the 2010 census.

How much time the Census Bureau has to crunch the numbers is still being fought in courts and in Congress. Civil rights groups and others are pushing Congress to extend the bureau’s deadline for turning in apportionment numbers for congressional seats from Dec. 31 to the end of next April.

The Trump administration said the Census Bureau needed to end the count early to meet the Dec. 31 deadline. But top officials at the Census Bureau said as recently as July that it would still be impossible to process all of the data by the end of the year. They’ve since changed their tune, and on Wednesday said in a conference call with the news media that the deadline can be met by working around the clock and with technological advances in computer processing.

In areas that were not counted, Census Bureau officials said they will use a statistical technique called imputation, which uses the characteristics and size of neighboring households to fill in the gaps of homes with missing data.

Groups suing the administration over the timetables said the deadline for turning in apportionment numbers was moved up to accommodate an order from Trump to exclude people in the U.S. illegally from the numbers used to divvy up congressional seats among the states. Sticking to a Dec. 31 deadline ensures that data processing remains under the administration’s control, regardless of who wins the presidential election.

A panel of federal judges in New York ruled that Trump’s order was unlawful, but the administration has appealed to the Supreme Court. A second panel of federal judges in California on Thursday ruled that the order was also unconstitutional, and the Trump administration on Friday said it planned to appeal.

“This census isn’t over,” Morial said. “We will continue to fight in the courts, Congress and the court of public opinion.”

___

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP.

These are the times for which Sachin Gupta lives. The Timberwolves executive vice president of basketball operations was the brains behind ESPN’s Trade Machine function that NBA fans use daily to concoct potential deals. Minnesota fans are no exception, and ideas and deals have been dreamt up for weeks since the Wolves landed the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft on Nov. 18.

Minnesota possesses three picks in the top 33 of a draft where evaluations for each prospect and boards for each team are bound to drastically differ. That opens the door for a wide array of trade possibilities — hello, Gupta.

“We’re grateful to be at the top of this draft, and that’s a very valuable asset, and we’re very excited about who we can pick there, but certainly the trade possibilities start with us,” Gupta said Wednesday. “So I think there’s a lot of calls, inbound and outbound, and internally we’re batting around a lot of different ideas. Our assistant GM Emmanuel Rohan, this is right in his wheelhouse, also. We work closely together on exploring all sorts of ideas with all 29 other teams. We work through it. We’ll have discussions with everyone, whether it’s around (the) No. 1 or 17 or 33 (picks). We’re very actively having and will have discussions. Yeah, with my background with trades, it is a lot of fun, and I’m excited about the possibilities that may be presented to us.”

Gupta said the Timberwolves would be ready to select a player No. 1 overall in the NBA draft today, if they had to. But information from measurements to medical information continues to flow in, so evaluations can certainly change.

In terms of trades, Gupta said the Wolves “have a sense” of what the top pick has been worth historically, but also noted every year is different, and “the value is determined by the market.” Perhaps it isn’t worth what it would be in years when there is a Zion Williamson on the board, but the Wolves wouldn’t be open to trading it if that was the case.

A fair comparison to this draft is the 2017 NBA draft, when Boston dealt the No. 1 pick to Philadelphia for the No. 3 pick in that draft, plus a protected future first-round pick. The 76ers took Markelle Fultz — who was considered the draft’s top prospect — at No. 1, while Boston selected Jayson Tatum two picks later.

In a year without a consensus top player, gathering more future assets to move down a few slots may make sense for Minnesota. With three weeks until the draft, all options are still on the table.

“We do have a strong sense of generally what it’s been worth in the past, and that helps set a bar,” Gupta said. “But we’re having conversations, and by those conversations, we’ll get a better sense of what (the pick is) worth. Those conversations are happening and will continue to happen, and we’re wide open, but I know we’re very happy picking at the top. But certainly teams are inquiring, and we’ll get back to them.”

CAP CRUNCH

While the Wolves don’t have much in the way of salary cap space, Gupta said Minnesota has enough space under the luxury tax so that it can re-sign restricted free agents Malik Beasley and Juancho Hernangomez, while also signing a free agent using the mid-level exception.

Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley was charged Thursday with felony threats of violence and fifth-degree drug possession stemming from a Sept. 26 incident at his Plymouth home, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced.

According to the criminal complaint, officers were called to Beasley’s home that afternoon and spoke with victims who stated they were on a Parade of Homes tour with their child when they pulled up to Beasley’s roped-off residence, assumed it was closed, pulled over and decided to look for another home to view.

The complaint states victims heard tapping on the car window and saw Beasley pointing a firearm at them, telling them to get off his property. As they drove off, they saw Beasley pointing a rifle at them.

The complaint says officers obtained a search warrant for Beasley’s residence to locate the rifle and searched for marijuana after detecting an odor. Officers found three firearms — one matching the description of the rifle, according to the complaint — and more than 835 grams of marijuana. Next to the marijuana in the basement were three notebooks, one of which contained rules for smoking marijuana in the home.

The complaint says surveillance camera footage obtained via a search warrant showed Beasley grabbing the rifle from a closet at 2:50 p.m. and walking out of his garage. At 2:58 p.m., Beasley walked back into the garage and put the rifle back in the closet.

Montana Yao, 23 — referred to as Beasley’s wife by the county’s attorney’s office — also faces a charge of fifth-degree drug possession.

The complaint says Yao admitted that all the marijuana was hers in a police interview, and that she purchased it from a medical marijuana store, though she could not provide the store’s location. Yao also did not have documentation indicating that she could have medical marijuana, per the complaint.

In a joint statement, Beasley’s attorneys Ryan Pacyga and Steve Haney said “we are cooperating with the law enforcement investigation and will carefully review the discovery and charges in the coming days.”

Beasley’s first court appearance is set for Nov. 19. The Timberwolves traded for Beasley, 23, in February. The starting shooting guard is a restricted free agent. The Wolves issues a statement saying they are “aware of the charges” and “take these allegations seriously and will let the legal process run its course.”

On Wednesday, Timberwolves executive vice president of basketball operations Sachin Gupta said Minnesota had enough space below the luxury tax to re-sign both Beasley and fellow restricted free agent Juancho Hernangomez.

Back in September, days after Beasley’s arrest, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas noted that he and Wolves coach Ryan Saunders had talked to Beasley and were going to be “here for him through this process.”

“Malik is family, and we talked about family. It’s not only when it’s easy or it’s good, but when it’s hard and when it’s tough. I don’t think anybody wants to go through what’s happened here,” Rosas said. “We don’t control these situations, we don’t ever want to be a part of them, but having talked to him, I know he’s gone through a lot in a short period of time. The reality is, we’ll let the legal process take its course, but we’re here for him. He’s family, we’re going to support him, we’re going to do the best we can. But he’s got some things he’s got to take care of, the legal process has some things that have to be processed, and we’ll go from there. But we’re a family, and we work through things together.”

Karl-Anthony Towns owns an old, rare bottle of Hennessy that he only opens on special occasions, and this was one of them.

His mom — Jackie Cruz-Towns — had been in a medically-induced coma for weeks as she battled a serious case of COVID-19, but things were improving. The medication she received seemed to be working, as did the family game-nights in which a camera was set on Jackie so communication could continue.

Eventually, a doctor had a conversation with Towns about waking his mother up. They would slowly start to wean her off the sedatives the following week before beginning to remove tubes.

“I never wanted to feel comfortable because I felt comfortable would lead to something bad,” an emotional Towns said in a video posted to his YouTube page Monday evening. “They brought hope. They brought a lot of optimism.”

Finally, there was cause for a celebratory drink. Then his phone went off.

It was Towns’ father — Karl Towns Sr. That sent off alarms, because all of the family’s calls throughout his mom’s battle had included the entire family. This time, his dad was only calling him.

“I realized it right away. I knew something was off and I could feel something was off. And my heart was just jumping,” Towns said. “I answered the phone and he just looked stressed. And I said, ‘What’s wrong? What’s wrong?’ And he was just like, ‘She’s gone. She had a stroke during the night and she’s gone.’”

Cruz-Towns suffered a stroke on Easter weekend, the effects of which were so devastating that doctors no longer saw a path to meaningful life. Cruz-Towns was 58 years old.

Towns wanted to give his mother — who’d already fought for so long — a last chance, noting that “God works in miraculous ways.” But a couple days passed and no miracle arrived, and Towns was forced to make the most difficult decision of his life. On April 13, it was time to say goodbye, time to pull the plug.

He told his sister and his father, and then made what he called “the most difficult calls of my life.” First, he called his mom’s sisters, and then, her mother — his grandma.

“[I told her], ‘You lost your daughter. I did everything as your grandson I could do to protect her, and I’ve got to let her go,’” Towns said. “It was difficult. It was very difficult, because she was just screaming on the phone. … She was just going hysterical. That was the most difficult call for me, because there is nothing worse than losing your kid.”

Towns arranged opportunities for those close to his mom to get the chance to say their goodbyes through video calls, then the plug was pulled. Cruz-Towns’ family was with her as she passed through those video calls. They talked to her and laughed about old stories Towns’ sister, Lachelle, shared. Finally, 25 minutes after the plug was pulled, they were cut off by someone from the hospital who informed them Jackie had just taken her final breath.

“With laughter,” Towns said. “There was no other way Jackie would’ve wanted it. She didn’t want people to cry for her, she wanted people to laugh. She was sent off with laughter.”

Towns hurts every single day. He is grateful for the time he had with his mom, but admits he’s jealous of his older sister.

Lachelle had his mom in her life for 41 years. Both of her children got to know their grandma. Towns is 24, childless and just now figuring out his life.

“But I’m just happy I had the time I did, because it made me who I am,” Towns said. “I can live with that. I’m always going to be jealous for the little things — they’re big — but I’m glad, even in a way I’d wish it’d never happened, my kids get to meet her through me, because I am the most like her of anyone.”

Towns delivered a video message back in March, when his mom was in a coma, to discuss how the situation was unfolding with his mom and encourage people to take the virus seriously. Monday marked the first time he’d spoken publicly since her passing. He’s leaned on friends and family during the grieving process — “She was everything to all of us,” he said.

“But the least I could do was pick up some of her pieces and try to rebuild the puzzle, and then fill in the other holes with just my own puzzle pieces,” he said. “I think I’ve been both numb, but also feelings go in and out.”

Holidays are difficult. Mother’s Day, her birthday, his dad’s birthday. They all brought memories, as does every other day.

“There’s a lot of adjectives you could use for emotions but for me I just know when people ask me how you’re doing, it’s a day-by-day thing,” he said. “I just don’t know. I don’t know what the next day holds for me. I just know that right now I gotta keep it together and try to find the smile and fun in life.”

Just like his mom always did. Towns said he wants to “be the one that brightens the room, just like her.”

“If I was to say how I’m coping and how I’m healing from this, I’m trying to heal myself through others,” he said. “Trying to do as much as I can for my sister and my father. Trying to take care of my friends and I’m trying to heal myself through them. It’s helped, but I think that one day, and I know it’s creeping up, I feel it every day, it’s gonna creep up and I’m going to have to find a way to deal with it, actually. That’s why I wanted to do this (video). I thought this would be therapeutic for me to admit that these things are real and how I feel is real and being able to try to find some normalcy.”

The National Basketball Players Association voted Thursday to support the notion of starting this coming season on Dec. 22, the date that the league has been targeting in its talks about how and when to get teams back on the floor for a planned 72-game season.

The vote, conducted by the NBPA’s board — which has a player rep from each team entrusted to speak on behalf of his teammates — is just another part of a lengthy process. Among the primary matters still to be determined: how much escrow will be taken from player salaries because of the shorter-than-usual season, and how the league and the players will navigate testing and other health and safety issues amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

All that has to be worked out before the plans for next season truly become official.
“Additional details remain to be negotiated and the NBPA is confident that the parties will reach agreement on these remaining issues relevant to the upcoming season,” the union said in a statement.

Talks between the NBA and NBPA on those and other topics are continuing, though there is obvious urgency to finalize things. The NBA draft is scheduled for Nov. 18 and the plan presented to players — and now approved by the team reps — calls for training camps to begin on Dec. 1.

Free agency would almost certainly have to be wedged between the draft and the start of those camps, the league year would have to open, trades would have to become permissible again and some players need to be presented with deadlines by which they will have to either accept or decline options for this coming season.

The NBA wanted the Dec. 22 start date over a mid-January notion for many reasons, revenue being foremost among them. A 72-game season, by league estimates, would allow for $500 million more in revenue than a season of no more than 60 games — the mid-January option — would have provided.

The Dec. 22 start also means that the NBA’s traditional Christmas schedule of games will be possible, something the league and its broadcast partners wanted. The season is also expected to conclude before the start of next summer’s Tokyo Olympics, meaning NBA player participation in those games remains possible.

The Timberwolves can’t predict the future of the coronavirus better than anyone else, at this point. But they do know this to be almost certainly true: If they do have any fans when they open their season at Target Center next month, it will be very few.

So the Wolves started reaching out to season ticket holders in recent days to inform them that the team is preparing to start the season without fans in attendance.

Timberwolves chief operating officer Ryan Tanke noted the Wolves have watched as the Twins went through a baseball season without fans, and the Vikings announced this week they won’t attempt to increase attendance at U.S. Bank Stadium as the virus numbers surge in the Midwest.

“We wanted to get out in front of communication to our season ticket holders, who have been so patient with us through this,” Tanke said Saturday.

The Wolves will defer existing season ticket plans to the 2021-22 season, and the two-year flat-rate, loyalty pricing promised to fans will now apply to the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.

“That way it gives them the clarity in the long-term relationship we have with them,” Tanke said, “while certainly not forcing them into an unpredictable season that they themselves may not be comfortable with.”

Minnesota continues to work with NBA and local officials, and if it becomes feasible and safe to welcome fans into Target Center, season ticket holders will have first dibs on those tickets. Tanke doesn’t see a flip switching where fans can suddenly start flooding into the arena but noted a gradual increase in attendance is possible as the season progresses. Should that come to fruition, the Wolves have plans and a “socially-distant arena manifest” ready to utilize.

“We’re prepared,” Tanke said. “This time has allowed us the opportunity to create a lot of different scenarios in which we’ll be able to increase capacity when safely able to do so.”

That there won’t be fans in attendance when the Wolves season begins next month is disappointing to a sector of fans with renewed excitement about the franchise after the team traded for D’Angelo Russell in February and also possesses the No. 1 pick in this week’s draft. There’s a possibility that, under normal circumstances, the arena would have been full at the start of this season.

“It’s certainly disappointing,” Tanke said, “but everything has to be putting the safety of your fans, your players, your staff, everything has got to be safe (first).”

Until then, Tanke said the Wolves will continue to find other ways to connect with fans through various outreach efforts — which includes virtually bringing season ticket holders “in the huddle” this week for the draft — and an added emphasis on expanding the Fox Sports North television broadcast, “just to keep people connected on a deeper level.”

Tre Jones’ game has been questioned since he first picked up a basketball.

That’s life when you grow up as Tyus Jones’ little brother, and everyone wonders — and quite frankly, doubts — whether you can live up to your older sibling’s stature.

“Everybody compares him, questions it, like, ‘Oh, are you as good? Are you going to be able to live up (to him)?’ ” said Debbie Jones, Tre and Tyus’ mom.

That would cause many young players to melt. Tre Jones used it to flourish.

“I think with Tre, he just adapts to that and almost embraces that comparison and embraces that challenge. It’s just one of those good traits of him. He never worries about any of that stuff,” Debbie said. “It’s always the other people coming at him with it, and he just adapts and does his thing.”

He’s done so at every level.

This is the same guard who played for Apple Valley’s varsity team as an eighth grader, serving as a role player on a team for which his brother starred. Four years later, it was Tre who had established himself as the state’s clear-cut best player, carrying the Eagles to consecutive Class 4A state title game appearances.

Comfortable in either role, Jones’ college career followed a similar trajectory. He rehabbed a hip injury entering his freshman year at Duke, then conducted an offense that featured the likes of NBA first-round picks Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish. The next season — before which he rehabbed another hip injury — those three stars were gone and it was Tre Jones’ show, and all he did was win ACC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors.

“You don’t win (those) … if you aren’t ‘The guy,’ ” Debbie noted.

Zach Goring, Jones’ high school coach at Apple Valley, sees the point guard’s career following a similar route in the NBA.

“At least early on in his NBA career, where he’s surrounded by incredible talent and can really just focus on handling the ball, making good passes and really guarding the opponent’s point guard and just being really solid,” Goring said. “And then as he gets into the NBA, let it develop, kind of like the second year at Duke, when his offense really came around he was much more aggressive. He’s come a long way, and it’s going to be really fun to watch where he ends up.”

Jones is ranked 30th on ESPN’s “best available” list heading into Wednesday’s NBA draft. It’s not rare to find the Duke product ranked anywhere between 20-30 on player rankings, despite his sensational sophomore season. Those doubts and questions will forever persist.

In a conference call last week, ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas said he thinks Jones will be taken in the first 20-25 picks.

“I think he’s a really good player, and he’ll be a really good NBA guard because he plays at both ends of the floor,” Bilas said.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said on NBA TV that he’d take Jones “in a heartbeat” if he were selecting, calling Jones “the best point guard in the draft.” That’s lofty praise considering LaMelo Ball — one of the top three prospects in the draft — is also a point guard.

But Krzyzewski has a hard time finding a knock on Jones. His athleticism has shined ever since the 6-foot-3 guard got back to full health. He bumped his 3-point shooting percentage 10 points up to 36 percent as a sophomore. He’s one of very few point guards who can actually defend the ball, and, Krzyzewski said, he’s a leader.

Jones has won everywhere he’s been, and his former coaches don’t think that is any type of coincidence.

“He’s the best leader. He’s a winner, and he’ll fight you and he can play right away,” Krzyzewski said. “Everyone will love to play with him, because he passes the ball and he defends the ball. If you defend the ball, the other four guys have an easier job, because the guy being defended is worried about the defender, not trying to get your guy the ball. Then, on offense, he moves the ball up the court. If you run, you’re going to get it.”

Jones is mentally tough, too, unfazed by criticism and unafraid to earn his role. Jones said the years in which Tyus played for the Timberwolves while he was in high school gave him a front-row seat to the pro game he’s about to enter.

“I think that really helped me get an advantage just because I see how it can be in the NBA, how offenses are run in NBA, how spacing is, how calling is different from refs,” Jones said. “There’s so many different things in the NBA compared to the other levels of basketball I felt like I picked up on throughout those years.”

And he’s ready to apply his knowledge. Jones said he’ll be a leader on the floor, particularly on the defensive end, blowing up opposing pick and rolls with his length and anticipation.

“I’m going to compete. I’m going to work extremely hard. I’m going to always be working hard on myself making sure I’m ready for the moment and also I’m ready for what the team asks of me,” Jones said. “I’m going to work hard, compete, and at the end of the day, I want to win. So I’m going to do whatever the team asks me to do for us to win.”

That’s always proven true, whether it’s grabbing 18 rebounds or burying six triples, as he did in separate state championship games, or purposefully missing a free throw, grabbing the rebound and nailing a long jumper to force a game into overtime against rival North Carolina. Every time there’s been a question or challenge presented, Tre Jones has answered the call. Don’t expect that to change at the next level.

Tyus Jones has long said Tre will end up being the best Jones brother. We’re about to find out if he was right.

“I can’t wait,” Debbie Jones said. “People always question him, and it’s going to be one of those things, another situation, where they’re going to be like, ‘OK, he is the deal.’ He embraces all of that. I think it’s going to be super fun.”