Timberwolves

The Wolves Are An Elite But Flawed 3-Point Shooting Team

Photo Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Since the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired Rudy Gobert, their offensive spacing has had flaws. Bringing in a play-finishing center who only shoots at the rim and lacks on-ball abilities makes it difficult to structure optimal perimeter play.

Despite these shortcomings, the Timberwolves have consistently ranked at the top of the league in 3-point shooting during Gobert’s three seasons in Minnesota. To compensate, they’ve used the rest of their roster to overhaul perimeter shooting talent.

While the Timberwolves rank third in the NBA in three-point percentage (3P%) at 38.3%, a deeper look at the numbers highlights how they’ve still struggled to overcome their frontcourt limitations and find consistency.

Through 47 games played, the Timberwolves rank first in the NBA in above-the-break (ATB) 3P% at 39.6%. However, they rank 26th in the corners at 35.9%.

The Timberwolves are dominant at shooting above the break. Their 39.6% would be the best mark in the NBA since the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors team that finished 73-9. Still, Minnesota’s spacing has remained congested due to its inability to take advantage of teams neglecting to guard the corners. It’s all based on how the defense reacts to their threats.

It starts with how the Timberwolves position their players offensively. The Wolves also don’t have many true free-space lineups because one of Julius Randle, Gobert, or Jaden McDaniels is almost always on the court. The court is often spaced out unless Randle or Anthony Edwards is looking for a mid-range touch. Even with the workarounds, there are still flaws in how they align themselves.

It starts in the corners, where McDaniels spends most of his time.

McDaniels is tied for seventh in the NBA in corner 3-point attempts this season with 94. However, he’s shooting only 29.8%. Because he hasn’t reliably hit 3s throughout his career, teams don’t respect McDaniels when he’s in the corners. Opponents dare him to shoot corner threes while focusing more on larger threats like loading up on Edwards’ drives.

Throughout his career, McDaniels has shot 220 of 597 (36.9%) from the corners, demonstrating that he’s a viable option for his catch-and-shoot corner 3-point looks. However, Minnesota’s changing offensive identity has put much more strain on his ability to knock down these open shots consistently. Finch will mostly use McDaniels in the corner as long as he is in Minnesota.

Fortunately for the Wolves, their second most-used corner spacer, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, is shooting 33 of 70 (47.1%) on corner 3-point attempts. Alexander-Walker is a more reliable corner 3-point shooter. However, his secondary role as a ball-handler often takes him out of the corners more often than McDaniels. Therefore, Minnesota still needs McDaniels’ corner 3-point shooting to space the offense.

The Timberwolves still do not do enough from the corners this season to take defenders away from the middle of the floor.

The Timberwolves generate the 10th-most corner 3-point attempts, with 10.3 per game. Therefore, they create plenty of opportunities but don’t properly capitalize on them.

If teams don’t respect McDaniels or Randle as shooters, it will shrink the floor for the offense. That will make it more difficult to generate paint touches in the half-court, making Edwards work even harder to remain consistent throughout the season.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves have the best above-the-break 3-point shooting percentage in the league for a second consecutive season. Still, they only rank ninth in volume, attempting 28.6 per game. However, their many pull-up and catch-and-shoot options make them one of the league’s most dynamic threats from the top of the arc.

Edwards is the engine, shooting 167 of 391 (42.7%) from ATB. He has the third-most makes and the second-most attempts in the NBA. Naz Reid is behind him, making 73 of his 166 3-point shots (44.0%). Among players who have attempted 150 or more ATB threes this season, Reid ranks third, and Edwards ranks seventh in 3P%.

Randle and Donte DiVincenzo have brought an interesting dynamic to Minnesota’s 3-point shooting. Randle is shooting 14 of 52 (26.9%) from the corners and 57 of 167 (34.1%) from above the break. Even though Randle is the worst of Minnesota’s core rotational players in above-the-break 3-point percentage, his 34.8% is a respectable percentage league-wide. He offers enough to make open looks but not enough to draw defenders his way.

DiVincenzo is out with a toe injury but has shot 17 of 52 (32.7%) from the corners and 86 of 226 (38.1%) from above the break. DiVincenzo has done his job as the more established 3-point shooter the Timberwolves coveted. Still, there is a hole left with Minnesota’s corner 3-point shooting.

It’s vital to have ample 3-point shooters in the corners to take advantage of the closer 3-point shot. However, it can also be a perfect spot to put a lesser 3-point shooter to maintain enough of a threat to knock down shots while providing them a reliable spot on the court offensively.

That’s why they’ve kept McDaniels in the corner.

On the positive side, McDaniels is having a career year from above the break, shooting 32 of 81 (39.5%). He’s on pace to eclipse his career-high of 37.8% from the 2022-23 season. Unreliable shooters like McDaniels create a lot of offensive variance, but Minnesota still needs him to find that balance in the corners.

There is growing optimism that younger players like Rob Dillingham and Josh Minott, who have broken into the rotation, can mitigate some of Minnesota’s corner 3-point shooting woes. It is also the projected spot for Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark once they are ready for NBA minutes. The Wolves would create a less demanding role by putting them in the corners as they break into the league.

Ultimately, Minnesota’s offensive corner 3-point instability is directly linked to Edwards’ inability to drive to the basket regularly this season.

The Timberwolves have put up similar numbers to last season, ranking first in ATB shooting. Still, their dropoff from 40.8% to 35.9% in the corners is concerning, given their offensive volatility. With just under half of a season left to play, they can still improve offensively. However, the Timberwolves have many adjustments they can make to work around their shortcomings to become a better overall 3-point shooting team.

Timberwolves
Will We Ever See A “Stepped Transaction” Again?
By Tom Schreier - Feb 11, 2025
Timberwolves
The Wolves Can Turn Julius Randle’s Player Option Into An Asset
By Andrew Dukowitz - Feb 8, 2025
Timberwolves

The Wolves Must Use Their Quiet Deadline As A Vote Of Confidence

Photo Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

It has become increasingly difficult for NBA teams to keep things in-house, particularly around the trade deadline. With myriad sources buried within every organization, word travels quickly […]

Continue Reading