Zach LaVine has been confirmed as the starting shooting guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves by interim head coach Sam Mitchell.
The move is another indication that the Timberwolves want to build the franchise around the younger players on the roster as they prepare to put their faith in the likes of LaVine, Karl-Anthony Towns and NBA Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins.
It also means that Kevin Martin will be asked to provide a scoring option off the bench ahead of the new season as they look to improve on a 16-66 record.
"I feel like I proved myself throughout training camp," LaVine told reporters. "I've had a really good training camp, and I'm just out to prove something."
LaVine made just two of his 11 shots and scored eight points as the Timberwolves started their pre-season schedule with a 122-99 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.