The Minnesota Timberwolves were defeated by the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night, 119-100. With the loss, the Wolves’ record drops to 1-5, with the lone victory having come against the Marc Gasol- and Mike Conley-less Memphis Grizzlies. Though there is more than enough time for president-coach Tom Thibodeau and his players to turn things around, it’s safe to say that the 2016-17 campaign is off to a disappointing start.
Offensively, the Wolves performed well enough to win, shooting roughly 43 percent from the field as well as 3-point range. Andrew Wiggins, who made 5-of-6 attempts from long distance, led the way with 36. Karl-Anthony Towns put up 21, Zach LaVine posted 17 and Tyus Jones added 12 to go with seven assists, five rebounds and five steals.
Defensively, however, the Wolves were porous. The 119 points allowed marks the highest output tallied by an opponent this season. Brooklyn shot over 55 percent from the field (42-of-76 FG, 12-of-33 3PTM-A) and had seven players finish with double digit scoring totals. Brook Lopez led the way with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting.
Poor offensive execution ultimately led to the Wolves demise, as Brooklyn went on a 15-6 run during the final five minutes of regulation to end the game.
“Well, 110 points is more than enough to win,” Thibodeau said afterward, as was reported by The Star Tribune. “Unless we correct the defensive end, it’s going to be a struggle. That has to become a priority by everyone, otherwise nothing positive is going to happen.”
The Wolves’ defensive rating — 103.4 points allowed per 100 possessions — currently ranks 16th. Entering Tuesday’s game, opponents were scoring at the rate of 101 points per 100 possessions, which had been the league’s 10th best mark.
Fans should feel encouraged about Wiggins knocking down 3-pointers as well as he did against Brooklyn, if only slightly. He’s worked hard to improve in this area and we are seeing positive results. Albeit a small sample, Wiggins, who shot just over 30 percent from 3-point range in 2015-16, has made 66.7 percent (12-of-18 3PM-A) of his attempts from beyond the arc so far this season.
But as well as he shot from downtown, Wiggins struggled to finish around the basket.
An odd shotchart, indeed.
So far this season, Wiggins has made 41.7 percent (15-of-36 FG) attempts taken within the restricted area. By comparison, Jabari Parker is 33-of-50 (66%); Paul George is 18-of-28 (64.3%), and Kawhi Leonard is 15-of-23 (65.2%) on qualifying attempts.
Last year, Wiggins made 64 percent (288-of-450) of such shots. So, perhaps it’s only a matter of time before he starts finishing around the rim with more effectively.
The Wolves have a chance to bounce back with a win over the Orlando Magic later tonight. The opening tip is scheduled for 7:00 PM local time (6:00 PM EST).
[Star Tribune]
