The Minnesota Timberwolves picked a bad time to drop two straight following their embarrassing 101-93 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Monday. However, they may have some bigger underlying issues moving forward.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau has not been shy about calling his team out for their alleged “lack of toughness.” According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, power forward Taj Gibson took exception to Thibodeau's comments.

“If you’re playing in this league and you have 40-something wins, you’re a tough team. It’s not about grit. It’s not about physicality. It just comes down to misses and strong rebounds and knowing your coverages.”

Gibson's comments should come as no surprise given the position he plays and role on the team. It could be assumed that he was among the players that Thibodeau may have been calling out. Regardless, it is clear that tensions are beginning to boil over in Minnesota.

The Timberwolves had been one of the better teams in the elite Western Conference up until the injury to shooting guard Jimmy Butler. They now find themselves trying to hold onto the eighth and final spot in the playoff picture.

Thibodeau has caught some flak throughout the 2017-18 NBA season for his criticisms of the team's toughness and the way he has gone about unloading heavy minutes on his starters. If Minnesota were to somehow miss the postseason, there would be plenty of speculation regarding whether or not they made the right decision in giving Thibodeau all that power.

Fortunately, the Timberwolves have a good chance to get back on track with a homestand against the lowly Atlanta Hawks. With just seven games remaining in the season, Minnesota is ultimately in control of their own playoff destiny coming down the stretch.