After another five-game losing streak, the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-111 win over the Portland Trail Blazers was invigorating to watch. It was a perfect representation of how this team performs when all of its players click simultaneously.
A few things, in particular, stood out as part of a blueprint for how the Wolves can continue to win in close games this year.
KAT got going quick
After last week’s loss against the Utah Jazz, Anthony Edwards pointed out that if Karl Anthony-Towns moved quicker after getting the ball, he would be more effective in scoring and playmaking because teams will have less time to send a second player to help guard him. That was music to the ears of Timberwolves fans and Ant fans alike. Ant simultaneously acknowledged that KAT is the best player on the floor almost every night while also giving an astute analysis of how Towns can better pick apart a defense.
Even though the Wolves suffered a tough loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the game following Ant’s comments, KAT certainly seemed to be moving quicker and making faster decisions with the ball when he was able to score. Towns had a brilliant spin move on Jarrett Allen in the post right after getting the ball from Patrick Beverley and ran the entire length of the court twice to get two easy fastbreak layups.
KAT brought the same fast pace into the Portland game, and the Blazers could not do much to stop him. He used his size and quickness to get into the paint and draw fouls. Towns shot ten free throws, which is well above his current season average of 5.6 free throws per game.
From my eye test, this seemed to be in part due to KAT’s quick movements, which gave the defense less time to adjust and resulted in Portland making more mistakes while guarding him. This dynamic was evident on a fastbreak in which D’Angelo Russell passed the ball backward to KAT, who already had a full head of steam. Nassir Little attempted to wrap him up and stop the easy shot, but he was too far behind. Instead, he allowed KAT to go to the line for an and-1.
KAT also did a good job of taking advantage of mismatches in the post before a double team could effectively trap him. He backed down Robert Covington in the first quarter, then spun to face up towards the hoop and take a short fadeaway, rather than driving further into the paint where Jusuf Nurkic was waiting to double him at the rim. KAT also swiftly took advantage of a mismatch with three minutes left in the 4th quarter when somehow Damian Lillard got switched onto him. Towns caught a pass from DLo at the free-throw line, then quickly backed Lillard down and took an easy turnaround shot from five feet away.
If KAT can continue making quick decisions when he gets the ball, he will make it even harder for players to double-team him and force defenses to make more mistakes while guarding him. Moreover, if this added quickness unlocks KAT’s game in a new way, we may already have to consider Edwards for future Timberwolves coach once his career is over.
Role players hitting their threes
The Timberwolves shot an impressive 38.9% from beyond the 3-point line in their win against the Trail Blazers. This efficiency is something they need to recreate throughout the season to continue to win against good teams. As of Dec. 13, the Wolves have attempted the second-most 3-point shots out of any team in the NBA (1,133). And they are second in 3-point attempts per game behind the Utah Jazz.
Unfortunately, the Wolves have only made 33.5% of those attempts, putting them at 22nd in the league.
However, that percentage has been trending upwards since the beginning of the season. The Wolves shot 32.5% from 3-point range in October, 33.5% in November, and 34.4% so far in December. They are beginning to find their shot. Based on the history of the players on their roster, their team 3-point percentage should continue to rise.
The chart below shows four Wolves players who are currently underperforming their career averages by 3% or more:
The law of averages suggests there is a good chance that all four players will increase their 3-point shooting percentage to near what it has been throughout their career. Doing so would significantly boost Minnesota’s overall efficiency from 3-point range and help them win even more games. Additionally, Jaden McDaniels made 36.4% of his threes last season, so we should see his efficiency jump even more than the other players listed above throughout the rest of the season.
DLo’s icy veins
When it comes to winning in the NBA, there are few things that any team needs more than a confident scorer who can hit clutch shots in the last few minutes of a game. Russell has been that cold-blooded player for the Wolves this season. DLo hit two huge 3s on two consecutive possessions in the last five minutes of their game against the Trail Blazers. DLo currently ranks third in the NBA in total clutch points this season with 51 and fifth in clutch points per game at an average of 4.3.
Clutch shooting isn’t anything new for DLo. He has had ice in his veins since the day he was born. But it is nevertheless an essential part of Minnesota’s blueprint for winning this season. If you were unaware of Russell’s clutch play before he came to the Timberwolves, watch this fantastic mixtape to educate yourself on the temperature of his blood.
