It’s been a rugged couple weeks for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
First came the losses to Orlando and Houston, then came injuries to Jimmy Butler and Jamal Crawford. After that came a 2-2 split, but all of that was without Butler and Crawford.
But through all that, and even before, the Wolves have performed at home. The two wins over the last six weeks had all been at home. Nineteen of their 31 wins were at home.
And after Saturday, they made it 20 home victories and 10 in a row at Target Center.
In Butler’s absence, the Wolves looked like a team that could compete, to a certain degree, with anyone in the league – including the Golden State Warriors.
They stayed active and involved against Golden State – and Portland the night before – leading most to assume things would go back to normal when they returned to the Target Center on Saturday.
They had to feel good. Coming into Saturday’s game, they had yet to lose three games in a row at any point this season. To add to it, they haven’t lost at the Target Center since Dec. 12.
This is major for a few reasons.
It shows that their improved ability to compete whether Butler is in the game or not. Of course, every player in their locker room will prefer to have Butler out on the floor, but the two wins at home in his absence not only kept the winning streak alive, but also proved how far the team has come.
And when considering Butler’s 4 of 14 night from the field, and the play of guys like Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, it’s easy to see the progress this team has made.
“Like a bum. I couldn’t buy a basket,” Butler said when asked about his return to the floor. “But hey, there are other ways to change the game.”
He did that and has done that all season. His short-term help was through the defense he played and the 14 shots he made at the free throw line.
But the long-term contributions are much bigger.
The Wolves are winning games they’re supposed to win at home, like the one over Brooklyn on Saturday. They’re winning some tougher games, like the home victory over Toronto.
And maybe most importantly, they’re not letting losing streaks happen.
“It takes a certain maturity level,” Crawford said of the recent success. “Thibs always does a great job putting us in positions, but the players are starting to sense it and that’s a lot of fun.”
Players like Butler and Crawford have been part of successful NBA teams like this before. Guys like Towns, Wiggins and Jones – all three of whom played pivotal roles in Saturday’s win – have yet to experience an NBA playoff game, or even a winning NBA season.
That’s why the on-court influence of guys like Butler and Crawford can be so valuable. The inexperience of the younger players might have forced the process to take a while, but it’s clear that the consistency is starting to come.
On Saturday, Wiggins played some of the best defense of his career and was the fourth-quarter closer. He held up his end of the bargain after Butler told the media Saturday morning that he wanted Wiggins to keep the scoring production up, even after Butler returned.
Meanwhile, Jones closed the game for the struggling Jeff Teague, and Towns had a three-minute stretch where he grabbed seven rebounds. That, along with his 16 points, were major factors in the win, but all he wanted to talk about was the team defense after the game.
“I didn’t do nothing,” Towns said. “Our defense, my teammates playing defense the way they did is the reason why we won this game.”
After Saturday’s win, the Wolves head back out on the road, where they haven’t been quite as consistent. In fairness to them, only four teams in the entire league have better road records than home records, but it’s something they want to improve on regardless.
The Spurs – the team they’re chasing for the third spot in the West – are the only other team in the league with 30-plus wins and a losing road record.
But the signs of improvement are there. Even if they’re mostly coming at home right now, the fact that they can win so consistently in one place should eventually carry over to the road. The more mature the young Wolves get, the more consistent they’ll become.
And with another three-game losing streak averted, a chance to add a brand new winning streak is now available.
Listen to Tim on Wolves Wired!
