We’re eight games into the season, and the Minnesota Timberwolves own a 4-4 record – good for ninth in the Western Conference. The Wolves have a long list of early-season issues. Third-quarter woes to lack of will and want-to have the team’s fanbase groaning, and many of them are getting close to their wit’s end. However, Minnesota has one significant issue driving poor play thus far.
The starters.
“I think it starts with the want-to,” Chris Finch said after the team’s national TV loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. “They gotta want to not try to force themselves on every play. I think there’s a little bit of that going on at the moment. They gotta try to execute and make the right play. Whatever the defense is giving us, we got to take that. There were times we were trying to direct our offense and couldn’t get into much.”
On a team with four All-Star caliber players, directing the offense is key to unlocking their full potential. With the ball being sticky and players needing to define their rolls, the offense hasn’t flowed as freely as Finchy would have hoped.
This is where D’Angelo Russell needs to step up.
When the Wolves decided to trade for Rudy Gobert, DLo should have been the most thrilled player on the team.
Russell has not had the same impact on the teams he’s been on since he left the Brooklyn Nets in 2019. The chemistry the Nets forged during the 2018-19 season made them must-see TV. They finished 42-40 and made the playoffs for the first time in four years. Suddenly, the Nets ran New York that year.
At the head of it all? Russell and Jarrett Allen.
DLo and the Nets were at their best when Russell ran the pick-and-roll alongside Allen, resulting in two easy points. Couple that with lethal shooters like Joe Harris and Caris LeVert and the Nets were very hard to contain.
More than anything, what made DLo and JA fit so well was their chemistry and ability to read each other’s game – something Russell and Gobert have yet to consistently possess this year.
The play above sums up Gobert’s looks in the paint this season. Rudy (7’1”) was wide open with nobody in his path and bobbled what looked to be a routine catch and flush. While this play may be hard to watch, as the Wolves continue to get more games under their belts, awful plays like this will become rarer.
“Just stick wit’ it man,” said Anthony Edwards when asked about staying patient amidst a slow start to the season. “It’s early. What is it, Game 6, Game 7? Something like that, it’s still early. I think in December, you can come back and ask me that question, and we’ll see where we’re at.”
It’s okay for the players to blame their chemistry issues on the number of games they’ve played together. However, the lack of fighting and want-to on both sides of the ball is something a team truly passionate about winning should never experience. Guys should always go out playing every game like it’s their last, something they have not done well to start the season. However, Tuesday’s showing was a step in the right direction.
The Wolves showed some life, something that’s been hard to come by so far, and despite them losing 116-107 with their floor general having an off night, they still gave Phoenix a run for their money.
“Carelessness, bad spacing, poor execution, certainly some heightened defense by Phoenix. But we’ve got to be better in those moments,” Chris Finch said. “Whatever the defense is giving us, we’ve got to take that.”
Taking what the defense gives the Wolves, or lack thereof, has been one of the main stories so far this year. With all of the talent oozing off this Timberwolves roster, there is bound to be some confusion as to who will be a ball mover and who will be a ball scorer.
DLo has proved so far just how crucial he is to the Wolves starters, and with his 2 of 8 (25%) from the floor and only 4-assist game he put forth vs. the Suns, it’s clear this team goes as far as DLo goes. However, not all the blame should be hung over Russell’s head. Although he is an essential part of the Timberwolves’ starters – everyone needs to step up.
“Our starting five was all negative, minus-18, minus-12, minus-14, and they whole starting five was plus-20,” said Edwards. “That’s crazy, and our bench is plus, plus, plus. The starting five is… we’ll figure it out.”
The Wolves starters “figuring it out” needs to happen now as the team is entering November. They’ll be facing tough competition almost every night.
The reaction from both Ant and most of the Timberwolves’ fan base surrounding the starters is warranted – they have not been playing well together. However, the key to unlocking the Wolves’ starters begins with Russell. If he can reach an All-Star level, which he did in Brooklyn, he can take this Minnesota team to new heights.
