Behind the Minnesota Timberwolves' early-season success has been an unbelievably stout defense. With a ton of questions coming into the year, Minnesota aimed itself at finding its identity on the defensive end of the court. Opening the season, the Wolves were holding teams below 100 points routinely, but that’s not been the case as of late.
Over the last five Timberwolves matchups, teams are averaging 114.8 points per game. With the Wolves allowing 117 points in their loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night, Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley were quick to call out the team’s defensive efforts.
Mike Conley calls out Wolves' attention to detail
Since arriving in Minnesota at least year's trade deadline, Mike Conley has been a real positive both on the court and off it. As a leader, the Wolves have leaned on his play down the stretch of games on multiple occasions this year, but his voice in the locker room might even outweigh his play. Postgame on Wednesday, Conley acknowledged the Pelicans' talented group, but placed an emphasis on the Wolves’ defense for their shortcomings.
“Zion is a tough cover. BI is a tough cover, but a lot of it was on our lack of attention to our game plan,” he said. “We were trying to send guys certain ways and we just didn’t accomplish it out there. That’s on us. We didn’t execute the game plan.”
Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram both impacted the Pelicans’ win in efficient manners. Ingram scored 19 points on 7-of-11 from the field, walking into open pull-up humpers while seemingly unbothered by the Timberwolves' conservative pick-and-roll coverage.
Zion presented a whole host of problems himself. Even more efficient than Ingram, Williamson rattled off 27 points on 11-15 shooting. His touch, finishing and handle were on display as the Wolves failed to keep him out of the paint all game long.
While Ingram and Williamson are a talented duo, the league doesn’t offer a lot of easy matchups. Seemingly every NBA franchise has a guy or two right now that can go off any given night. The Wolves’ defensive makeup has to return quickly if they want to stay atop the Western Conference.
Rudy Gobert stresses the little things
Not only was Minnesota executing the defensive game plan early in the season, they were also making timely plays. Whether that be diving on loose balls, forcing turnovers, pressuring the ball handler or securing rebounds, the Wolves were doing it all to begin the year.
Wednesday night was a wake up call for the Wolves amidst all of their success. Postgame, Rudy Gobert was asked if he feels that the defense has slipped recently.
“It does. It does,” Gobert answered immediately. “Yeah, our focus on the little things we need to do to win, the last few games, we don’t feel that. When you get success sometimes, you forget what got you there.”
As the Timberwolves' anchor and vocal leader on defense, Gobert’s voice matters. Known for holding others accountable, his disapproval of the team’s recent play speaks volumes.
On Wednesday night, the Pelicans seemingly outworked the Timberwolves, winning the rebounding battle 41-28. Two of the Wolves' five starters went the entire night without securing a single rebound. The Pelicans' gang-rebounding efforts played a large part in closing out the Wolves’ offensive attack while Minnesota failed to get stops of their own.
Minnesota isn’t panicked
While it’s easy to ride the highs and lows of an NBA season, it’s important to remember its arduous length. Over the course of 82 games, teams will have their share of ups and downs. While the Timberwolves’ vets kept it real regarding the team’s recent play, there isn’t a sense of serious concern.
“We just got to find that swag we were playing with earlier, especially defensively,” Conley said. “What’s got us here is everybody doing their job defensively.”
As the Wolves look to restore their early-season defensive dominance, they’ve given themselves some cushion thus far. One of only two teams in the entire NBA with single-digit losses, Minnesota has time to reach its full potential.
Follow Us
Subscribe