The Minnesota Timberwolves arrived in Minneapolis late last night after a 120-102 loss to the Rockets in Houston. They were playing against a losing team with a potent offense sans Jimmy Butler after he tore his meniscus during that game.
It could have been a recipe for disaster.
Minnesota played well in the first quarter, but were outscored 38-29 in the second. The ball movement was good, and Jeff Teague, Andrew Wiggins and Taj Gibson were productive, but the defense was leaking points to former Wolves Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn and the rest of the Chicago Bulls roster.
But a turnaround on defense and a resurgent Karl-Anthony Towns helped Minnesota outscore Chicago 62-42 in the second half, and may have created a blueprint for the team’s success without Butler going forward.
“It was a long day for us,” said Tom Thibodeau. “I liked the way we started the game. We struggled in the second quarter, but we were able to work through things in the second half, and it was a good win for us.”
Thibodeau highlighted rebounding as a key indicator as to whether the Wolves were replacing Butler’s production.
“Jeff getting seven, Gorgui getting nine, Bjelly getting seven,” said Thibodeau. “Those things are huge. We know Karl is gonna rebound, Taj is gonna rebound. But you don’t replace Jimmy individually, there’s no one that does what he does.”
He also pointed to Gibson and Crawford, who will have to step up as veteran leaders with Butler out.
“Veteran leadership is huge, just because of the toughness factor. And even with Jimmy, he (Taj) added a lot from that standpoint. But Taj gives you everything,” he said.
“Like oftentimes, there’s no stat in the box score that says how many times he’s sprinted the floor. But what that does is it opens up opportunities for everyone else. He gets some, but more often than not, he’s creating space for other people.”
Three-point shooting was also a revelation. The Wolves finished with 35 attempts from beyond the arc — a season high. They only made 11, 31.4 percent, including five from Crawford, who got hot at the end.
But it was the method that Thibodeau emphasized.
“With the double-teams, whenever you can get two on the ball, and Karl commands a double-team, Wig commands a double-team, and usually with Jamal, they wait and see a little bit. And then if he hits a couple, they start double-teaming him, and he’s very good also at getting the ball out of the trap,” said Thibodeau.
“So we have to make sure we get to the right spots, so we can get that pass out. Once you get that first pass out, usually the second pass will get the right shot. So that’s what we’re trying to take advantage of.”
And then there was Teague. Much maligned for his inconsistency this season — and because he replaced the popular Ricky Rubio, while Minnesotan Tyus Jones played well when he was injured — the former All-Star has played well since the team’s loss to Houston at Target Center before the break.
He had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists against the Bulls, and seems to have found his groove now that he’s healthy.
“He’s been really aggressive, probably for the last seven or eight, nine games. He’s healthy again, and when he’s healthy, there’s not many guards that have the type of quickness that he does,” said Thibodeau.
“So he’s got a great mix going right now of penetration into the lane to create easy offense. He’s looking for his shot, making the defense play honestly. He’s been doing a heck of a job for us right now.”
Yes, it was a win over an Eastern Conference team with a losing record. But Minnesota may be forming a blueprint to make the playoffs without Butler. Pass out of double-teams and hit open 3s. Grab rebounds. And, above all else, guard your man.
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