The new-look Minnesota Timberwolves are experiencing the early-season struggles that come with an influx of talent being put into a roster, often working out the kinks of chemistry and familiarity with each other's favored spots on the court.
Despite a 2-3 start to the season, and one that saw the Wolves humiliated in an area of expected expertise under head coach Tom Thibodeau, Minnesota has rebounded confidently with a pair of narrow three-point wins against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat.
“I've been on teams where we started 14-2 out the gate and still lost in the first round of the playoffs. You just never really know,” Jamal Crawford told Zack Buckley of Bleacher Report. “You go a week with winning, it's like things are the best in the world. You go a week where you struggle a bit, it's like the sky is falling.”
Crawford, a 37-year-old veteran of this team, has been around enough franchises to know the learning curves and how to go about the process — lessons he's been sure to inculcate his teammates from this early start.
“We're going through things for the first time, we're experiencing things for the first time in front of 20,000 people and the world,” Crawford told Bleacher Report. “You get an overhaul like we've had, there are going to be learning curves.”
Two close wins are a somewhat small sample size, but early in the season, they make all the difference when it comes to boosting confidence and team morale.
“Now we have a lot of people that know how to win, know how to close out games,” swingman Andrew Wiggins said after Minnesota's 125-122 overtime road win over the Miami Heat on Monday. “It's a plus for us. Every night we're going in thinking we're going to win the game.”
Follow Us
Subscribe