Takeaways from Timberwolves West Coast Battles
The Minnesota Timberwolves opened up December basketball with a crucial streak against the West Coast. After hosting the Lakers at home, they flew to LA to face the Clippers and then play two straight games at Golden State. Before the four-game stretch, the Timberwolves were struggling at a 9-11 record. Needing a major switch of momentum, they found success, going 3-1 with their only loss being the second game against the Warriors. With the first three games being blowout victories, there is a ton of good to take away, showing Minnesota may be finally coming into their own.
The first positive is how well-rounded the team played, beating both LA teams by 28 or more, while Anthony Edwards had just 24 points combined in those two games. Besides Edwards, nine other players on the roster eclipsed double-digit points in one of the two games. The roster was able to show off its full depth and proved that it does not have to rely solely on Edwards every game. With consistent play from Julius Randle and full team effort, Minnesota is a tough team to handle.
Another positive is the defensive prowess that the Timberwolves showed. In the first three games, they held the Lakers and Clippers to 80 points and the Warriors to just 90. They did a fantastic job at shutting down stars, holding Anthony Davis, LeBron James, James Harden, and Steph Curry to 15/57 from the field, shooting just over 25 percent in their three wins. Minnesota’s identity is their defense, which was the reason they caused so much havoc in the playoffs. If they can consistently limit superstar players that is a major advantage when the postseason rolls around.
The one area where the Timberwolves lack is the offensive power and pace of play. Even in major blowouts, Minnesota did not reach 110 points in any of the four games. One of the biggest downgrades from the Karl-Anthony Towns trade was losing a lethal scorer and limiting the spacing of their attack. Based on their slow pace of play, they rely heavily on efficiency and the defensive end to produce wins. This leaves the team slightly susceptible for a team to come in and make them uncomfortable by forcing the Timberwolves to speed up and keep up scoring-wise.
Their style of play worked against the West Coast, at least in this stretch. It was a convincing three-game stretch that was spoiled by the second half of a doubleheader against Golden State. The way the Warriors have been playing thus far, it is still an incredibly impressive week to go 3-1 and increase their record to 12-11. Now back with a positive record, the Timberwolves need to continue to gel and compete to get themselves back at the top of the Western Conference.
