After practice on Tuesday, Chris Finch said the Minnesota Timberwolves need to re-discover their strengths as they close out the season.
“We know the recipe that works, and we’ve got to stick to that,” he said. “I told the guys, ‘If we don’t know who we are at this point in time, we’ll never figure it out.’”
“But we have figured it out,” Finch continued. “We know it works. We got to go back to that. Both sides of the ball, there’s a pathway for us to be successful.”
Perhaps that’s the most frustrating aspect of Minnesota’s season: They play like bona fide contenders when they do what works. However, they can lose to anyone when they deviate from their best attributes.
With nine games remaining, the Wolves fully acknowledge this reality. Minutes after Finch talked Tuesday, Julius Randle spoke about finding their intensity.
“It’s on us as a group,” he said regarding the team’s occasional lack of effort. “I think it’s just a trickle-down effect. If you see one guy that don’t care to contest or be the low man or be in a gap to help (both of which are related to protecting the rim in the Wolves defense).”
“[When] we were winning and playing at a high level,” he added, ”which was not really that long ago, it’s because we were playing for each other.”
On Wednesday, exactly 24 hours later, Naz Reid echoed a similar sentiment regarding effort on defense.
“I think it’s a little bit about focus and a little bit about attention to detail, effort,” Reid said. “It’s about going 100%, not 80%.”
Naz then added the importance of finishing the season with the right mindset, regardless of the opponent.
“It’s huge. It’s big to have that kind of mindset, intensity, and grit,” he said. “We just have to go out there and have the same focus and mindset, it’s kind of a buildup up for the playoffs.”
Is it more frustrating that the Wolves know the issue with their recent 1-3 skid is due to a lack of effort? Or would it be better if they claimed blissful ignorance?
The stats highlight their lack of intensity in their last four games compared to their eight-game winning streak.
Over their last four games, their assist-to-turnover ratio fell from 2.35 to 1.89, which indicates a dip in ball security.
Their defensive rating also suffered, rising to 112.1 from 108.6. Another sign of their decrease in effort is their defensive rebound percentage dropping to 71.5% from 72.3%. That means that opposing teams were offensive rebounding on 28.5% of the opportunities.
Minnesota’s statistical drops may not seem that consequential. However, most NBA games are won on the margins, and with these effort stats.
The Wolves’ offensive stats didn’t fall by much during the slide, largely due to their 134-93 thumping of the New Orleans Pelicans on March 21. However, that highlights that Minnesota’s recent losses resulted from the lack of defensive intensity and effort, as the Wolves have acknowledged.
It may be frustrating for fans to see two sides of the Wolves, depending on which game they’re watching. However, Nickeil Alexander-Walker shared his perspective on Minnesota’s Jekyll and Hyde nature.
“Ehhh, it’s tough because you understand that guys are human,” he said. “Not every game is easy to step up for.
“Could be tired, could be achy, could be hurting, off the court family, whatever the case may be,” he added. “So I definitely understand it. At the same time, as a competitor, you just want to win.”
Alexander-Walker has been one of the most consistent players this season, so his perspective is telling and perhaps the most honest. The players are human, and many of Minnesota’s best players are young, which could make them more susceptible to having those off nights.
“I try not to look too much into it,” he said. “I couldn’t say I’m disappointed in my guys…maybe you could say we have good days and bad days.”
With only three weeks left in the regular season, the Wolves have identified their core issue. They know the identity they need to have, and they know effort waxes and wanes.
Playoff seeding is still at stake, so how the 2024-25 season finishes and is remembered could depend on how many good days or bad days remain.
