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As the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline drew to a close, many teams made considerable changes. The Portland Trail Blazers solidified their rebuild, while the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets exchanged superstars. While all the headlines were dominated by incoming deals, there were some teams that were completely silent. One of these squads was the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves seem to be happy with their squad, as they continue to be on pace to make the playoffs. However, that might not be so smart, as the field is strong in the West. In that context, not getting a good wing defender could become the Timberwolves’ biggest mistake at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline.
Timberwolves’ biggest 2022 NBA Trade Deadline mistake
To fully grasp the need for some help on perimeter defense for a Western Conference team, especially one that is on track to reach the playoffs, we need to understand the full context of the situation for the Timberwolves. With a 29-27 record, the Timberwolves occupy the seventh place of the conference — a game and a half back of the Denver Nuggets and two and a half games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers in eighth place. These are fairly thin margins. The Wolves can go up and go down quickly via just one good or bad stretch of basketball.
Most potential opponents in the playoffs for the Timberwolves have great wing options that Minnesota cannot defend with this roster. For instance, the Los Angeles Lakers will likely remain in the play-in tournament, even with their recent slide. They should be playing better in the coming weeks so they might even challenge the Wolves for the space around the seventh seed. They have LeBron James and while there is still no such thing as a LeBron- stopper, the Timberwolves would need to at least contain him to even have a shot to win against the Lakers.
The Clippers are an even bigger issue, as they have two excellent wing options. Of course, not much is known about the timetable of return for both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, but if they are ready, they will play in any play-in or playoff series for the Clippers. Similar to James, they really cannot be fully stopped, even though George has a history of struggling in the playoffs. Still, the Timberwolves can't expect to contain Kawhi and PG3 without a reliable defensive wing.
Other than the two Los Angeles teams, there is also the threat posed by the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans got stronger at the deadline, dealing for CJ McCollum out of Portland. While he can be contained by the defense of Patrick Beverley, their best offensive player remains Brandon Ingram, who is having another fantastic season. He is too tall for Beverley and too mobile for Towns, so he will definitely create issues for the Timberwolves in a potential play-in bout.
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If the Timberwolves make it out of the play-in tournament, they still have concerns playing against some of the teams in the West. The Jazz have Bojan Bogdanovic, and since the Wolves are among the worst in the NBA in terms of defending against the three-ball, that could be a huge problem for them in a potential playoff series. The Golden StateWarriors have former Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins and while he is not the main point of attack, he has shown that he can punish opposing defenses that are not fully prepared.
When it comes to the current roster, the two best defenders on the Timberwolves are probably Patrick Beverley and Karl-Anthony Towns, possibly joined by center Naz Reid and forward Jarred Vanderbilt. Unfortunately for the Wolves, Beverley is way too small for most forwards in the West. He is also 33, which might not fully impact him, but he is still going to have less and less energy to bully opposing guards. Towns is the absolute superstar of this team and it would be smart to get him some rest defensively, but there is also the issue of his immobility. He is not completely immobile, but he cannot be put on forwards like James or Leonard, which would smoke him in a heartbeat.
Clearly, the Timberwolves need one player that could be the container of wings and paired up with Beverley locking up guards and Towns holding it down in the middle. They should have that type of production from Taurean Prince, the guy the Atlanta Hawks trusted to contain LeBron James a few years back when DeMarre Carroll left for the Toronto Raptors. Unfortunately for the Wolves, Prince does not seem right in any context and he was even considered in a trade for Thaddeus Young, before Young was dealt to the Raptors.
All of this is not to say that the Timberwolves are doing something wrong, per se. However, with a glaring hole on their roster, they might need to consider adding this type of player going forward. Thankfully, they have time with their young core to strengthen their squad, but when it comes to this season, not getting a defensive wing might be their biggest mistake at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline.
