The emphasis all offseason for the Minnesota Timberwolves has been defense, defense, defense, which is based on head coach Tom Thibodeau’s reputation for playing stout on that side of the ball. The team struggled mightily to hold leads in the fourth quarter of games last season and gave up 109.1 points per 100 possessions last season — ranking 26th in the league.
The youth on this team has proven their offensive prowess, with Andrew Wiggins averaging 23.6 points per game and Karl-Anthony Towns racking up a 25.1 per night. Now the assumption was that defense would be the primary focus headed into training camp and the preseason for the Timberwolves. While that may be true, it is not the only focus on the organizations mind.
At the team’s media day, shooting was on the minds of many. One of the few critiques of the summer build was the real lack of dangerous shooting from deep for this team. Last season the team’s top players — Towns and Wiggins — shot 36.1 and 35.6 percent, respectively, from deep. The big names brought in over the summer also have fairly low shooting percentages from long range.
Shooting guard Jimmy Butler shot 36.7 percent with the Chicago Bulls last season and former Indiana Pacers point guard Jeff Teague posted a 35.7 percent mark from downtown. The Timberwolves as a team shot 34.9 percent from deep in the 2016-2017 season, ranking 20th in the NBA. So should this be cause for concern? And have they done things to combat the problem?
It was clearly brought to the attention of players, with coaches wanting everyone — from Tyus Jones to Wiggins — to improve and grow overall. Players like Gorgui Dieng are being asked to step up attempts while a jump from players like Wiggins and Towns is expected on more than just the defensive end. Trust in a player’s overall talent from the organization is shown by moves like giving Wiggins a max five-year deal offer instead of going for Kyrie Irving.
Two other free agents were signed in the summer — Jamal Crawford and Aaron Brooks — who can directly impact the team’s shooting. Crawford has played 17 years in the league and Brooks has nine to his name, as both are nearing the twilight of their careers. But they also have had exceptional 3-point shooting stints in their respective prime seasons, with Brooks shooting 40.9 percent in his 2013-14 season on the Houston Rockets and Crawford posting a 45.5 percent mark from his 2008-09 season with the New York Knicks. On their face, these signings strengthen the bench — which they do — but it also gives this team two veterans who know how to boost their shooting percentage when handling a hefty load of minutes.
Yes, the team is shooting for a different pace on defense; a pace that involves not blowing leads in the fourth quarter or ranking in the bottom half of the league defensively. But this team also needs to threaten teams from across the entire court on offense. The veteran signings that they have made speak to the coaching staffs awareness to the lack of consistency shooting threes.
This team has a very unique roster because they have a lot of playmakers on offense who are perfectly comfortable creating their own shot, passing it off or catching and shooting the ball. There are no egos or player that needs to shoot the ball or handle it to be effective. They all will fit in really well once they figure out each other’s rhythm during a game and when a player is hot and how to feed them the ball for maximum success. The next step is expanding the offense further away from the bucket.
The work that needs to happen for this team is growing the comfort level for this team outside the paint area and 18-to-20 foot range, expanding to outside the arc. Teague, Butler, Towns and Wiggins can all drive to the basket or pull up from around the free-throw line to hit shoots. Now they collectively need to add the corners and at the top of the key deep as part of their shooting fortes.
Giving up 109 points every 100 possessions is not going to get a team into the playoffs and the Timberwolves recognize that the defensive growth will be important. But this team wants to win playoff games too, not just get there. The Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers all can hit from deep when they need to and spread out the defense. Forcing a team to play the entire half court is just as essential as being able to defend it.
Make no mistake, the shooting of this team is on the mind of the Timberwolves. Now it’s time for these veterans to coach up the deep shot of this young team and help boost the offense, while coach Thibodeau tightens up the defense.
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