When the Wolves traded Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, and the No. 7 overall pick for Jimmy Butler, they did so with the idea that Butler would become the team’s most valuable player. On Wednesday night, Butler proved that merit as he missed his second straight game with an upper respiratory issue as the Wolves again lost by 20-plus points without him. The 122-101 loss to Detroit was an irresponsible dismantling, and a flashback of sorts to 2016-17.
In a nutshell: The Wolves team that took the floor in Detroit was duplicitous to the Wolves team that lost 13 of their final 16 games to end last season.
Beginning with the offense, the ball movement was objectively awful. If the ball could be moved to Andrew Wiggins or Jamal Crawford before being turned over, the possessions often proceeded to end with difficult isolations that did not come through at a rate that could keep pace with a Pistons team that got whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted.
One of the league’s worst defenses last season was back in full force, handing out free baskets for the second night in a row. After the Pacers shot 66.7 percent from the field on Tuesday, there was a hopeful sentiment that the Pacers just got “hot.” This game allowed fans to glean an idea far worse — the defense has not improved at all.
The glimmer of hope lies in Butler. He will be back. While his presence had not shown boldly in the stat sheet — he’s averaging only 13.3 points per game in the first three games — his positive externalities that appear when he does play became abundantly clear.
No player seems to have worn the ill effects of Butler’s absence — and the positives while he does play — more than Wiggins. After only scoring 7 points in Tuesday night’s loss to Indiana he again deviated from the torrid start he had begun on alongside Butler.
Wiggins’ box score — which looked good with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting — is inherently emblematic of the reversion back to last season. There have always been the “big stats on a bad team” narratives with him and tonight’s performance felt like more of those same empty calories. A double-double from Karl-Anthony Towns was equally underwhelming. Particularly so while the Wolves defense was nonexistent and Towns’ role in that folly remained a key variable.
From front line to back line, the Wolves defense did nothing to impede the Pistons. Detroit, a team who traditionally opts to slowly pick apart opposing defenses with pick-and-roll action, was able to consistently get out on the break against the Wolves. Andre Drummond and Jon Leuer rebounds often turned into outlet passes that quickly became layups before the Wolves could transition all five players back on defense.
It was a quick and swift death for the Wolves as they allowed Detroit to go on a 43-21 run in the first half that juiced their lead to 19 points by halftime. While that type of deficit is rarely made up, this Butler-less team seemed to deflate to the point that a resurgence felt impossible. The veterans clapped their hands and Tom Thibodeau yelled, but the youth of Towns and Wiggins prevailed in the demise.
Butler being out actually presented an opportunity. A chance to say, “This is alright, we got it.” The opposite happened. If it wasn’t already known, this Wolves team hinges on Butler not only for production and facilitation but for will and focus. The 21-year-old Towns and 22-year-old Wiggins do not possess the latter skills. At this juncture of their careers, they react to adversity ineffectively. Just as it was last year, their plan is to take matters into their own hands. This sentiment sounds similar to “This is alright, we got it,” but is confused as it misses the principle of we.
When Detroit would go on a run, Wiggins would react by quickly opting to isolate after little or no ball movement. Towns was largely the same. Again, he frenetically tried to swat away shots that were out of his reach and would put his head down on drives in desperate attempts to draw fouls.
It was almost as if this was what Detroit planned for — letting the (still) young Wolves beat themselves. Whether this was the objective or not, it worked. Consistently, the Pistons waited for a Wolves mistake and capitalized in the form of a fast break layup or crisp ball movement that would render an open three. Detroit shot 15-of-34 from deep (44.1 percent) and 32.3 percent of its possessions were in transition.
There continues to be a contagion of sorts when the Wolves begin to drag. One player wavers and instead of being picked up by their teammates, the dysfunction is mimicked. To boot, the drag is infectious for the opponent. A couple of easy buckets in lieu of poor defense leads to an energy that becomes communicable up and down the roster.
That game was diseased and the Wolves will remain infected until their most valuable player returns from his illness.
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