It has been a rough week in Timberwolves land. Two lackluster performances against the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns dropped them to 5-7 heading into a game in Memphis on Friday night.
Six of their seven losses this season have included deficits of at least 18 points and they are still trying to find that same intensity and competitive fire they had for much of last season. It’s been hard to swallow for Wolves fans who were so eager for this team after the playoff run last year and the trade for Rudy Gobert this summer.
About the only thing the Wolves appear to have going for them right now is that it is not yet the middle of November. But all is not lost. While Wolves fans tear their hair out, clamor for D’Angelo Russell to be benched and Karl-Anthony Towns to be traded, it might be time to take a deep breath.
Yes, it has been ugly. No, it wasn’t expected to be this much of a struggle. But there are 70 games left in the season and, as hard as it may be to fathom right now, there are some things to consider that may help you back off the ledge.
It feels like the right moment to calm down and point to some reasons to keep watching this team. Let’s get to it.
The passing is improving
One of the biggest issues in the first two weeks of the season was the lack of ball movement as the new-look starting lineup of Russell, Towns, Gobert, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels got used to playing together. Coach Chris Finch used the term “sticky” for when isolation and selfish play kept the offense from flowing as it is designed.
The Wolves have been better at moving the ball in November. They rank sixth in the league in assist percentage this month and are creating more open catch-and-shoot opportunities. They are also moving without the ball a little bit more to get shots at the rim. That has helped them put up a 59.9 true shooting percentage, good for ninth in the league.
? @KarlTowns ? pic.twitter.com/hc4OL1IyvW
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 10, 2022
The Wolves are still hitting just 35.5 percent of their 3-pointers this month, tied with Toronto for 21st in the league. But the shots they are getting are of higher quality than they were in the early part of the season, and the Wolves hope those better looks created by ball movement will result in more made 3s going forward.
The improvement in passing and shooting has been offset by an 18.6 turnover percentage, which is 27th in the league. They are giving up more than 26 points per game off of turnovers, which is 28th in the league. They turned the ball over 19 times for 32 points on Wednesday against Phoenix.
“If we have an average amount of turnovers (against Phoenix), we have an offensive equivalent to the best in the league, in terms of shot quality certainly as well,” Finch said.
Gobert coming around
He seems to be playing with a little more pop than he had in the first week of the season. Whether he was tired from EuroBasket or limited by the confusion that comes with playing in an unconventional starting lineup, Gobert was not as overpowering and tough in the early going as he was in Utah.
In his first game back after missing two while in health and safety protocols, Gobert’s legs looked good, and he is starting to throw down some dunks with authority.
Rudy is indeed BACK! pic.twitter.com/swe8DYu0bT
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 10, 2022
One of the concerning things about Gobert early was that he was not playing with force the Timberwolves needed. Whether it was dropping passes or not squeezing the ball hard enough to hold onto defensive rebounds, Gobert’s early growing pains as he acclimated to a new city and new system were obvious. His dunks seemed tentative and he was occasionally getting out-worked on the glass.
But even after only playing 11 minutes in the first half against Phoenix because of foul trouble, Gobert still finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots. He ran a couple of…
Read More: Trying to find some reasons for hope in the Timberwolves’ ugly start