3 Things We Learned About Timberwolves After Second Game of Season

For the first time since 2021, the Timberwolves have begun a new season with a 2-0 record. After they dismantled the Heat 131-106 in their season opener Wednesday, the Timberwolves did the same to the Magic on Friday, winning 115-93.

You will probably remember the 45 points Edwards laced on the Heat for a long time. Or maybe you will remember the 50 three-pointers Minnesota attempted, the fifth-most by a team in a season opener in NBA history.

But during Friday’s game, Minnesota’s offense wasn’t historically great. Edwards shot 5 of 23. LaMelo Ball went 4 of 13. The Wolves had eight players in double figures but shot 43% from the floor as a team. 

Still, the Wolves remain unbeaten this season, and both games have followed similar themes. 

Here is what we have learned about this team so far.

1. The high-level defense looks real

The high-vaulted offensive ceiling that Minnesota erected this summer by bringing in Ball was the Wolves’ most exciting piece of architecture entering the year. That excitement only grew after Edwards’ onslaught, and Ball’s 21 points complemented his new co-star against Miami.

But below that ceiling lies the foundation upon which Minnesota’s success this season will truly balance. And that foundation will be how well the Wolves defend on a night-to-night basis.

So far this season, the Wolves’ defense has been sturdy.

Orlando shot 44% from the floor against Minnesota, 21% from deep, committed 16 turnovers to 22 assists, and recorded a 93 offensive rating (21.2 points worse than its regular-season average last year).

Collectively, the Wolves swarmed the Magic as they tried to make passes around the arc. Minnesota scrambled and flew around the court at a rate that did not show up often enough last season. There was no weak link or no one player giving less effort than another. Against the Magic, the Wolves defended with a combined level of energy, intensity, and focus that has formed into a staple of their early defensive identity through two games.

And when the Wolves have forced misses, they have done a surprisingly good job corralling those missed shots into their possession. 

Given Minnesota’s lack of size outside of Rudy Gobert, Chris Finch harped on his players during training camp to work together on the glass. Finch wanted to see players who traditionally weren’t high-level rebounders to improve this season. Still, Finch expected rebounding to be at the top of his team’s list of weaknesses.

Instead, it's been the exact opposite.

“It’s the pursuit of the ball on both ends of the floor,” Finch said postgame in Orlando. “We were one of the worst teams in terms of … watching rebounds last year, and not actually pursuing the ball. And this year, we’ve been able to switch our mentality to be more of a pursuit team.”

Through two games, the Wolves have outrebounded their opponents by 35. They have allowed 12 offensive rebounds while corralling 38 themselves. Against Orlando, Jonathan Kuminga, Joan Beringer, and Gobert each grabbed nine rebounds. Ayo Dosunmu and Jaden McDaniels both had six. Ball had five. Edwards and Terrence Shannon Jr. both had four.

Finch has his players gang rebounding, working hard to ensure the high-intensity defense they are playing with is not mitigated by demoralizing offensive putbacks and kick-out threes. From the start of possessions to the end, the Wolves have been defending like a team that takes great pride on that side of the floor.

2. Jonathan Kuminga knows exactly how he fits

Kuminga has been at the forefront of Minnesota’s defensive success. He has been the nails holding this structure together. He has only played two regular-season games in a Wolves uniform, but Kuminga already clearly understands the role that he needs to fill with this team.

Offensively, Kuminga’s fit has looked very natural. He's hit 2 of 3 from deep in both contests, which has kept the defense honest. And for a player whose best skill set is crashing downhill, enough floor spacing to make the defense guard him is typically good enough. 

Kuminga recorded five assists against Orlando. He has shown a willingness to keep the ball moving and has made a handful of well-timed passes to Gobert while attacking the rim.

Defensively, Kuminga has brought non-stop energy. Finch commended the way he battled against Giannis Antetokounmpo on Wednesday, despite Miami’s new star scoring 35 points. Against Orlando, Kuminga continued to battle on defense. He moved around the floor quickly and remained engaged—both on and off the ball—throughout the game.

Kuminga said during training camp that he didn’t have much to prove. Instead, he wanted to focus on the little things that impact winning. That sounded great, but he still needed to turn those words into action.

Kuminga essentially signed a one-year deal with the Wolves, but instead of trying to prove himself the way players typically do by looking to score a ton of points, Kuminga is thriving in his complementary role. That bodes well for the Wolves now. It could also lead to Kuminga staying in Minnesota past this season.

3. This team doesn’t need to live or die by 3-pointers

Finch was surprised to find out his team attempted 50 threes in their season opener. Doing so, and connecting on 42% of them, led to an enthralling way for Minnesota to kick off its new era.

The Wolves want to improve their three-point volume this season, which they almost certainly will. Last year, they ranked 17th in threes attempted per game. But Minnesota can’t simply rely on three-point shooting—spurred by long-range bombers Ball and Edwards—to be the pulse upon which their season beats.

Inevitably, Minnesota will have nights when its long-range shot doesn’t fall. It happened to Edwards and Ball Friday in Orlando. 

Last season, that type of shooting performance could very well have derailed the Wolves’ execution level elsewhere. Far too often, Minnesota let its offensive woes decrease its compete level on defense. And when that happened, we saw complete game power outages.

That happened because the Wolves were an immature, moody team. But early on this year, Minnesota looks to have matured.

Against Orlando, the Wolves didn’t have Edwards’ elite shot-making to give them a jolt. They also didn’t have the excitement and buzz that come from opening night to puff up their sails. But the Wolves still dominated the Magic because they remained focused, energized, and purposeful on defense. Minnesota's supporting cast also picked up the slack on offense.

The Wolves hit their first bit of adversity against the Magic, albeit small in the grand scheme of the season. The offense from their leaders was inefficient, but that didn’t derail the team’s level of intent elsewhere. We will see if that will hold up when they face greater adversity throughout the season. But for now, Minnesota’s maturity level through two games has been encouraging.

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