The last few years saw the NBA slowly shift from their slow deliberate halfcourt-oriented roots into a league littered by rangy shooters (that trickle all the way to the frontcourt positions regardless of size) and a blistering pace that churns out points in a hurry. As a result, scoring has risen to ridiculous levels – particularly from beyond the arc. The most recent proof of this is the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Minneapolis franchise allowed their 1,000th three-pointer of the season against the Miami Heat on Friday night, a feat that catapulted them to second place in NBA history.
The Minnesota Timberwolves just allowed their 1,000th 3-pointer of the season. They're the second team in NBA history to do so, joining the Milwaukee Bucks who allowed No. 1,000 last night in Philadelphia.
— Danny Cunningham (@RealDCunningham) April 6, 2019
Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is a little hard to tell considering that the other night, the Milwaukee Bucks – the team with the best defensive rating – beat them to the punch by allowing more than a thousand three-pointers (and counting) as well.
Be that as it may, the Timberwolves have bigger things to worry about than allowing outside shots. The team made it to the playoffs last year after missing it for 13 straight seasons prior thanks to the super team of sorts they assembled by acquiring Jimmy Butler and Jeff Teague. They abandoned the experiment early this season after Butler's fiery tirades became a distraction (and viral), and coupled with repeated injuries to point guards Teague and Derrick Rose, the continued inconsistency of Andrew Wiggins, and this all became catalysts to the door being slammed in their postseason hopes.
Where the Timberwolves go from here is a mystery with $106 million in guaranteed money this summer allowing very little wiggle room to plug in leaks via free agency, so it's certainly worth keeping an eye on how Karl-Anthony Towns and co. respond.
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