The Minnesota Timberwolves took down a short-handed Miami Heat team in convincing fashion Saturday night by a final score of 106-90. Target Center was rocking and the Timberwolves were rolling. Here are three major takeaways from the Timberwolves' stellar victory in the home opener.

Emphasis on reboundingtimberwolves, rudy gobert, rudy gobert darkness, rudy gobert darkness retreat, aaron rodgers

We’re only two games into the season, but it’s very evident that the Timberwolves' size and length has its benefits. Through two games, Minnesota is tied for first in the NBA in rebounds per game at 54.5 rebounds per night. Last season, the Wolves ranked 23rd in that same category.

The trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid should be flat-out terrifying for opposing frontcourts as Minnesota consistently has two high-volume rebounders on the floor together. Saturday night vs. Miami, those three combined for 32 total rebounds. Teams today don’t easily match up with the size Minnesota puts on the court, especially given how versatile offensive both Reid and Towns are. The Wolves' usage of double-big lineups has its own unique challenges, but some serious benefits as well such as controlling the boards.

Kyle Anderson was key for TimberwolvesKyle Anderson, Minnesota Timberwolves

Prior to tip-off Saturday night, I asked Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch about the importance of Kyle Anderson when facing a challenging zone defense, something the Heat do on the regular. Finch shared that Anderson is their “most important connective tissue.” He went on to share how versatile Anderson is offensively for them when it comes to utilizing him “on the ball, off the ball, in the middle of the zone, on the baseline, at the elbow” against zones.

Quickly into the game, it became apparent that Anderson’s presence was massively important for Minnesota in exploiting Miami’s weak spots defensively. Anderson finished the game with 12 points on 5-of-6 (83.3%) shooting from the field and four assists. Let’s dive into how Anderson was utilized to be so efficient in leading the Wolves to success.

The first example was a result of a perfectly executed high-low and a great feed from Towns to the cutting Anderson:

The Wolves and Anderson then found success with him operating out of the middle of the floor. Anderson found Jordan McLaughlin, who attacked a poor closeout and re-opened space for an Anderson floater:

Finch even used Anderson as a short-roller by first setting a high screen against the zone then slipping down to the free throw line where there’s space to work. Anderson’s soft touch and skill set allowed him to get a floater to go:

Anderson’s ability to facilitate complemented his scoring capabilities as he operated frequently as a passer against Miami’s zone look. Here is an example of Anderson quickly touch-passing the basketball over to McLaughlin for a wide-open 3-pointer before the defense had a chance to rotate:

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Timberwolves fans are excited for this season

The biggest takeaway from Saturday night’s game was the atmosphere. Target Center was electric, a vastly different environment from a year ago. Last season, expectations were extremely high and, at times, so was the disappointment. Boos would rain down upon the court as the team never quite lived up to those lofty expectations. Fast forward to Saturday night, well, the crowd was unreal. Even pregame introductions had the arena rocking as flames, cheers and howls filled the air.

As the Timberwolves' lead grew throughout the night, the fans’ energy grew as well. The second half featured some of the loudest moments I can remember from my experience in Target Center, even louder than last season’s playoff games. From “Naz Reid” chants both during and after the game to a collective “Where is Jimmy [Butler]?” effort by the crowd, the fan base was not only ecstatic, but emboldened by the home team's on-court performance.

The belief in this team is returning. The Wolves are a talented bunch and the fans are buying in. This season could be a big one for the Minnesota Timberwolves as they look to turn back the clock in an attempt to cement themselves as true title contenders for the first time in a very long time.