While I see Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels in my most beautiful dreams, Paolo Banchero only sees two of the best defenders in the NBA in his worst nightmares. Just when the narrative began to slip, and the Minnesota Timberwolves had lost three of their last four games, the top team in the Western Conference since November 19th put a good old-fashioned ass-whooping on the Orlando Magic. Yes, the Magic were without fringe All-Star candidate Franz Wagner, leaving Banchero to fend for himself. But the Wolves can only play the matchup in front of them, and they beat the crap out of the 8th-best team in the East. In doing so, they created a blueprint for dismantling teams this season.
Before their 113-92 win over Orlando, the Timberwolves (26-11) went 8-6 in 14 straight games against teams with above-.500 records. When the competition intensified, Minnesota’s defense loosened ever so slightly. They turned the ball over more, and doubts started to creep in. Were the Wolves legitimate contenders this season after a hot 20-5 start? They answered that question by punching the upstart Magic in the face.
The Wolves have been weakest in the first quarter all season. But on Tuesday, the Wolves got 11 points from Karl-Anthony Towns and Gobert to give them a 33-16 lead after 12 minutes. The two All-Star hopefuls dismantled the Magic in their own special ways. KAT bombed 3-3 from deep, and Gobert dominated the paint. Gobert was 5-5 from the field and 1-1 from the free-throw line. He also gobbled up six rebounds and added a block in his nine minutes of pristine first-quarter work.
McDaniels got back on his first-team All-Defense track. He smothered the 6’10”, 250-pound reigning Rookie of the Year, holding Banchero to 1-7 in the first quarter and 8-22 in the game. Add in solid outings from Kyle Anderson and double-doubles from Mike Conley and Naz Reid, and the Wolves played their best all-around game in weeks. And they did so with Anthony Edwards sitting for much of the first half with foul trouble.
After dominating the first quarter, Minnesota upped the pressure in the second. They took an insurmountable 67-37 lead into the break, the least amount of points the Timberwolves have allowed in a half all season. It was clear that the big bad Wolves had come to town and were in the mood to bully their smaller, inferior opponent. That needs to be Minnesota’s attitude going forward this season. They are big, strong, and formidable. They can also out-physical any opponent on any night when they want to.
The Timberwolves flexed their way to 60 points in the paint compared to Orlando’s wimpy 38-point output. But it would surprise most people to learn that the Wolves and their duo of 7-footers are only 17th in the NBA in points in the paint. However, they make up for that by giving up the fifth-least points in the paint to their opponents. The Zoomer Monstars had stolen Towns’ early-career explosiveness. But he threw down a dunk on Moritz Wagner so thunderous and disrespectful that Minnesota’s entire bench pointed in horrified glee at the lesser Wagner well into the ensuing timeout. ThunderKAT™’s return as a post-up monster and athletic freak who can also maintain a 50/40/90 shooting split should put the fear of god in every opponent’s front line.
Minnesota didn’t have the same physicality against the league-leading Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, but for good reason. Due to travel issues, the Wolves spent the night in Orlando and didn’t arrive in Boston until about six hours before tipoff. The road back-to-back also meant the Timberwolves were without their enforcer as Gobert sat with a sore hip. And their conductor, Mike Conley, took a much-needed game off. What the Wolves lacked in physicality, they more than made up for in grit and determination. That almost got them out of Boston with a huge win.
As we near the halfway point of the NBA season, the Minnesota Timberwolves are hanging tough as one of the best teams in the NBA. But their message to the rest of the league needs to be clear. With a lineup that includes Edwards, KAT, Gobert, McDaniels, Anderson, and Naz Reid, the Timberwolves must remind the league what happens when they come to town. Minnesota can’t hesitate to take the fight to other teams and beat them up on a nightly basis. When push comes to shove in the playoffs, the Wolves need to be the team doing most of the pushing and shoving.
