We’re a little more than a week into the NBA season, and that can only mean one thing. IT’S TIME TO F—ING PANIC BECAUSE THE TIMBERWOLVES ARE PLAYING SOME WEIRD BASKETBALL. For the fifth time in five years under Chris Finch, the Minnesota Timberwolves are off to a less-than-stellar start.
After losing in the conference finals in five games for the second consecutive season, the Wolves’ hype kept rolling. Anthony Edwards worked every day on his mid-range shot. Naz Reid and Julius Randle re-signed to giant contracts. Tim Connelly and Chris Finch kept the core of the team together, save for Nickeil Alexander-Walker. And fans let their dreams run a little wild with visions of the Larry O’Brien Trophy parading down Nicollett Mall.
The season started with an Anthony Edwards masterclass, but the Wolves had to come from behind to beat the Portland Trail Blazers in the opener. Then they let Luka Doncic blitz their once vaunted defense for 49 points and the first loss of the season against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Then, Anthony Edwards strained his hamstring three minutes into game three against the shorthanded Indiana Pacers. The Wolves secured their second win of the season despite being without their star player. Minnesota’s halftime lead evaporated against the Denver Nuggets. It had a late fourth-quarter rally die at the hands of an Austin Reaves floater at the buzzer to drop the Timberwolves to 2-3 to start the most anticipated season in franchise history.
It’s still October, but is it already time to hit the panic button for the Timberwolves?
The first five games of the season haven’t been pretty. Minnesota’s minus-5.5 net rating is 21st in the league. Their defense, which has been the team’s strength for the last three years, is 25th in the NBA. Both of the Wolves’ wins have been sloppy, grind-it-out, four-point wins against inferior opponents.
Rudy Gobert looks like a shell of his former DPOY self. Mike Conley is doing his best with what he has left in Year 19. Naz Reid is lost on both ends of the court. And the young Wolves, meant to help take the team to new heights, have yet to take the next step. Anthony Edwards has a mysterious hamstring strain that could sideline him for as many as 8 games, the longest consecutive streak of missed games in his 6-year career.
In the ultra-competitive Western Conference, losses can pile up quickly, and a team with title aspirations can find itself in the play-in tournament — or worse — if it’s not careful.
On the bright side, if there is such a thing, there’s plenty of hope for the Wolves after a dreadful first week. Minnesota’s three losses have all come against playoff competition. The Lakers won 50 games last year and split the season series. They were missing LeBron James in the first matchup and LeBron and Luka in the second, but losing to the Lakers isn’t anything new. The Nuggets also won 50 games last year and took the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the second round of the playoffs. They retooled the bench, and Nikola Jokic is still the best player in the NBA until Victor Wembanyama comes for his crown.
Two of the three losses came without Edwards in the lineup. Although the Timberwolves won the first half against Denver and most of the first half in the second loss to the Lakers, not having their best all-around player and go-to scorer is going to make winning that much harder for the Wolves.
In the two games and three minutes he’s played thus far, Anthony Edwards looks like an MVP candidate. He scored 41 points in game one against Portland and followed that up with 31 points, four rebounds, and five assists in the first loss to the Lakers. He scored a quick five points against Indiana before bowing out with a hamstring injury.
In his limited appearances, Edwards looks fully in control of his offensive game, from attacking the rim to his improved midrange game. He’s still one of the most lethal three-point shooters alive. You’d like to think that if Ant were healthy, Minnesota would have at least beaten the Lakers on Wednesday night.
Aside from Ant, Julius Randle is playing some of the best basketball of his career. In his second season in Minnesota, Randle is off to a flying start, averaging 26.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 54.9 percent from the field and 46.4 percent from three. His defense is generally lacking, as to be expected, but Randle has picked up where Ant left off as the focal point of Minnesota’s offense.
Jaden McDaniels has also taken a leap on the offensive end. In Year 6, McDaniels is averaging 18.8 points per game and shooting 38.1 percent from three. McDaniels looks more comfortable with the ball in his hands and has begun attacking the rim with speed and power to start the year. With Ant, Randle, and McDaniels all healthy at the same time, they could form a powerful big three going forward.
The saving grace for the Timberwolves — and the reason I’m not ready to hit the panic button yet — is the upcoming schedule. Six of Minnesota’s next seven games are against teams that missed the playoffs last year and are expected to miss the postseason again this year.
Their next seven games are against the Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Utah Jazz, and Sacramento Kings. Even without Anthony Edwards, it’s not unreasonable to think the Wolves could win six out of their next seven games and climb to 8-4 before the Nuggets return to Target Center in mid-November.
Even after the Nuggets game, the schedule favors the Timberwolves with games against the Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns, and the Kings again before the first rematch with the Thunder. If things go according to plan, the Wolves could start the season 14-7, and all of this panic could be a thing of the past.
Things going according to plan is not exactly how the Wolves operate. They could just as easily go 7-14 while losing to bad team after bad team, Ant misses more time than initially expected, and the Wolves could be in a battle for the 10th seed and a play-in spot by Thanksgiving.
It’s not time to panic just yet. But if the Wolves keep playing sloppy, lethargic basketball, and drop a few more winnable games, they could see themselves with a 5-8 record with Denver knocking on the door. If (when) that happens, then it’s time to panic.