Wolves gameday

8:30 p.m. at San Antonio • AT&T Center • FSN/ESPN, 830-AM

First up for 2017-18: the hurting Spurs

Preview: With a revamped lineup that now includes three players who averaged better than 23 points per game last season — Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and newcomer Jimmy Butler — the Wolves open their season with legitimate playoff expectations. … The Wolves have lost 11 straight to the Spurs, and that includes an 0-4 mark last year, with the Spurs rallying from significant deficits in three of them. … The Spurs will be without star forward Kawhi Leonard and point guard Tony Parker. Out because of a quadriceps injury that kept him out of the preseason, Leonard averaged 30.3 points in four games vs. Minnesota last season. Parker still is recovering from a torn quad suffered during the playoffs last spring.

Players to watch: It will be interesting to see how Towns (25.1 points and 12.3 rebounds per game last year) and Wiggins (23.6, 4.0) adjust to playing with three new starters in Butler (23.9, 6.2), Taj Gibson (10.8, 6.2) and PG Jeff Teague (15.3, 7.8 assists). … Spurs F LaMarcus Aldridge, who signed a three-year, $72 million extension this week, is the top returning (healthy) starter, having averaged 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds last year. F Rudy Gay, who was limited to 30 games last year by an Achilles' tendon injury, moves to the Spurs. He averaged 18.7 points last year.

Numbers: This is the fourth straight season the Wolves have begun on the road; they are 3-8 all-time in road season openers. Ten players have scored 20 or more points in their Wolves debut.

Injuries: Spurs F Kawhi Leonard (quad) and PG Parker (quad) are out.

Kent Youngblood