For a team that has endured
losing for almost a decade, the Minnesota Timberwolves sure are
savoring the early-season success they’re experiencing right
now.
After a series of underlying
factors such as bad management, poor roster construction and player
fallouts, the Wolves’ success has been unprecedented (and sweeter
than ever).
They are currently 30-12 at the
halfway point of the season, which is the best mark in the West.
They are the first team in the Western Conference to reach 30 wins,
trailing only the Boston Celtics for the best record in the
NBA.
Minnesota is on a 60-win pace,
and they have the easiest schedule remaining in the entire
league.
They are also on pace to surpass
the franchise record of 58 wins in a season, which occurred in 2004
when they were led by Kevin Garnett (the best player in franchise
history), Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell.
The next goal for this Wolves
team? Win their first playoff series since that 2004
season.
After two decades of struggles,
what changed for the Wolves? Let’s break down their
turnaround.
DEFENSE
The Wolves currently have the
best defense in the league by a wide margin, allowing 105.8 points
per 100 possessions (the runner-up is allowing 108.3 points per 100
possessions).
They guard opponents unlike any
other team in the NBA led by three-time Defensive Player of the
Year Rudy Gobert at the rim. Surrounding Gobert are potential
All-NBA-caliber defenders at the wings in Jaden McDaniels, Kyle
Anderson, Anthony Edwards and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Although their offense is still
suspect and a work in progress, the team knows how to lock down the
opposition.
ALL-STAR-CALIBER TRIO PLAYING WELL
The Wolves’ trio of Gobert,
Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns have been terrific.
The team is led by Edwards, a charismatic and burgeoning
young superstar who has drawn comparisons to all-time
great shooting guards Dwyane Wade (due to their similar build and
playing style) and Michael Jordan (due to some eerie resemblances
in their aerial capabilities, footwork and bank shots).
Edwards constantly wows the
crowd with highlight-reel plays, and he gives the Wolves a true
alpha, leader and closer. He’s someone they can count on in the
clutch, delivering when it matters the most.
Bruce Brown, an adversary of the
Wolves during their last playoff run when he was on the top-seeded
Denver Nuggets, said that Edwards was the toughest guy he had to
guard all postseason. He also added that Minnesota was the toughest
team that Denver faced on their way to their
championship.
The Wolves followed up this
praise by beating the Nuggets in November and climbing to the No. 1
seed in the West.
The 22-year-old credited his
stint with Team USA in the FIBA World Cup for being able to play in
a system rather than just relying on isos all the time. Edwards was
the leading scorer of the USA squad that finished just fourth, but
the experience was invaluable for Edwards and prepared him for the
season.
Gobert is thriving once again
after a down season a year ago. The 31-year-old is turning heads
and serving as the anchor of the best defense in the league. He is
one of the front runners for the Defensive Player of the Year
award, which would be his fourth (and tie him with Ben Wallace and
Dikembe Mutombo for most all-time).
It wasn’t long ago that fans
were dubbing Minnesota’s deal for Gobert as one of the worst trades
in NBA history, but Gobert has bounced back beautifully as the
front office’s vision of playing him with Towns came to fruition.
Like Edwards, Towns is building
off a strong stint in the World Cup and has been rock solid for the
Wolves. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft is taking a
backseat to Edwards for the good of the team. After plenty of
losing seasons, Towns will do whatever is takes to win. He set his
ego aside and committed to being the best second option in the
league, which has had a huge impact on the Wolves.
There have been times when Towns
is asked to shoulder more of the offensive load (such as when
Edwards was struggling or absent) and he’s stepped up in those
moments. He has also been incredibly efficient, averaging 21.6
points while shooting 51.1% from the field and 43% from three-point
range.
HIGH-LEVEL ROLE PLAYERS
The Wolves’ trio is surrounded
by quality role players, including starters McDaniels and Mike
Conley. Both are nice supplementary pieces, with Conley providing
stability as a floor general and shooting to space the floor and
McDaniels giving them elite perimeter defense as well as spot-up
shooting and occasional shot-making.
Minnesota arguably has the best
eight-man rotation in the league, likely rivaled by just Boston and
Denver.
In the playoffs, where rotations
shrink and coaches tend to play their most trusted players, that’s
usually seven or eight players.
Off the bench, the Wolves have
big man Naz Reid, a 6-foot-9 super scorer who’s become a Sixth Man
of the Year candidate by providing instant offense. There’s also
Anderson, a reliable Swiss army knife and point forward who is a
playmaker on offense. Alexander-Walker does a little bit of
everything, serving as a back-up ballhandler to Conley, lockdown
wing defender and three-point shooter.
COMPETENT ORGANIZATION
A huge credit for the Wolves’
success this season goes to president of basketball operations Tim
Connelly, who is the engineer of this roster. His vision and willingness to swing for the
fences have paid off in a major way.
Chris Finch, who was hired as the team’s head coach in 2021, has
done a terrific job and is currently garnering some Coach of the
Year buzz for his efforts.
The same goes for new owners
Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, who went all in and weren’t afraid to
spend for a win-now team that wants to win.
After years of mediocrity, the
Timberwolves are finally heading in the right direction. A
small-market team that has exceeded all expectations, Minnesota has
been one of the feel-good stories of the season – and they are just
getting started.
