Coming off a thrilling win the night before, the Timberwolves lose the second night of a back-to-back in San Antonio
First things first, I know some will ask “Why the harsh title when the Wolves only lost by ten on the second night of a back-to-back?” Quite simply, the Minnesota Timberwolves had a bad game all the way down from Chris Finch and the coaching staff to a non-garbage-time rotation that has now featured a total of 10 players all season.
Coming off of a difficult game last night against the Denver Nuggets, the Wolves were bound to be tired, especially the nine-man rotation of Anthony Edwards, Mike Conley, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, Naz Reid, Joe Ingles, Rudy Gobert, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Donte DiVincenzo who have eaten up all of the minutes this season. Those nine players have experienced the first time since 1972 where a team has played less than 10 of its rostered players in its first five games.
With coach Chris Finch doing his best Tom Thibodeau impression, the expectation was that tonight — again, the second night of a back-to-back — would be an opportunity to test some young legs in Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr, among others.
Well, those two did get minutes. They got three minutes each at the end of the game despite the Wolves spending the large majority of the fourth quarter down 15.
Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
Preseason standout Josh Minott did claim Joe Ingles’ spot in the rotation for the night but that was not nearly enough to change the general exhaustion level of a team that looked like it was jogging in mud with a backpack made of concrete and the weights of a coach’s expectations.
Tonight should have been a night to ease the starters’ load and to experiment with the depth that the front office has lauded for the past few months. Instead, it became a missed opportunity and an exercise in futility.
There are two situations here. Either Chris Finch was simply hoping that his starters could will the team back into a game that went out of hand in the third quarter or, far more dangerously, he does not trust anyone down the bench to make an impact. If six of the Wolves’ 15 roster spots are non-factors in the eye of the head coach, you have a big, big problem.
Beyond the disappointments, the coaching staff provided, the clear lack of rim protection beyond an up-and-down Rudy Gobert continues to be a huge element for a team that no longer has the identity of being and playing big. Until proven otherwise, the Wolves’ biggest need may just be a backup center. It’s hard to overstate how huge it would be to have a bench five in the ilk of Mo Wagner, who the Magic will likely not trade for fraternal reasons.
Along those same lines, it’s also becoming harder to look at Naz Reid or Julius Randle as being able to handle any of their minutes at the five. Naz has been a catastrophically bad defender from the eye test, allowing frequent cuts to the rim and getting completely lost in the full court. Randle is simply clearly a full-time four.
Jaden McDaniels has also simply not had his best foot forward. An altercation with Jeremy Sochan, who killed the Wolves all night to the tune of a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double, will make headlines, but Jaden is shooting under 24% from three and is averaging a career-high in fouls. He’s taking fewer free throws per game than he did in his rookie year. His cumulative plus-minus is -7.8 through 6 games. Last year, it was +2.2 across 72 games.
Jaden McDaniels vs. Jeremy Sochan pic.twitter.com/TfXMvVwBEQ
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) November 3, 2024
Adjustments were always going to take time, but it’s weird to see it from players who are largely in the same role they were last year. Let’s talk about the Wolves of last year really quickly.
The Timberwolves of last year had a top defense in the league from start to finish. They saran-wrapped opponent’s guards and left big men inside to fend off the league’s best rim protector. It was the identity of the Wolves. It was their lifeblood. It kept them running, both emotionally and physically. They took pride in it.
The Wolves of this year sit at a disappointing 16th in defensive rating league-wide. They are somewhere between 13th and 18th in every meaningful defensive statistic from turnovers forced to rebounding rate to second-chance opportunities allowed.
The Wolves have been an average team so far this season. That is not to say that that is anything bad, or even disappointing considering the changes this team weathered as late as a month ago. It is just a little harder to stomach than expected.
Now that the extended explanation for the title is over, let’s get to the good.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker continues to prove his worth and is likely building up a strong market for his services as the ultimate three and D wing. Despite having only six points and missing all four of his 3-point attempts, he was, as always, doing all the right things.
Donte DiVincenzo had what feels like his first good game as a Wolf, tallying 14 points and 3/5 shooting from deep. After five games of less than stellar efficiency, this should be a shining silver lining after a difficult start.
Julius Randle also missed every three he took, but finished 8/15 for 21 points in what continues to be a baffling development: Julius Randle is good and fun to watch.
Neither rookie scored any points, although rookie 8th overall pick, former Spur (for about three minutes) Rob Dillingham tallied two assists.
The San Antonio Spurs are not a bad team, and it was a great performance from a newly numbered Keldon Johnson and old man Chris Paul that took the Spurs completely out of the Wolves realm in a third quarter that saw the Spurs lead balloon to 13. Victor Wembanyama continues to be one of the most confusing players to watch, as he had two blocks on Rudy Gobert dunk attempts that felt not only improbable but actively surreal.
Up Next
The Wolves return home from their quick one-game road trip to play the Charlotte Hornets back at Target Center on Monday. The game begins at 8:00 PM CT with fans being able to watch the game on Fan Duel Sports Network North.