Timberwolves: Bench success and what it means for the playoffs
The Minnesota Timberwolves bench has been one of their greatest strengths this season, but what will this mean come playoff time?
I can’t remember the last time the Timberwolves had a decent bench. In the past, Minnesota has lost a lot of games because of its reserves. The bench unit has been so good this season, that there have been games where they’ve outplayed the starters.
There were a few players earlier this season who struggled to catch a rhythm, namely Malik Beasley, Jaden McDaniels and Taurean Prince.
- October: 23rd, 31.2 PPG, 41.3 FG%, 40.0 3P%
- November: 17th, 32.9 PPG, 39.3 FG%, 30.4 3P%
- December: 17th, 32.9 PPG, 40.1 FG%, 35.0 3P%
- January: 11th, 37.9 PPG, 44.8 FG%, 31.0 3P%
- February: 3rd, 42.9 PPG, 47.6 FG%, 41.7 3P%
- March: 1st, 54.6 PPG, 53.1 FG%, 45.2 3P%
As you can see, the Timberwolves improved every month, both in the rankings and points per game. A large reason this unit has improved is because of those three aforementioned players.
Over the last few weeks, Jaylen Nowell and Jordan McLaughlin have stepped up big time. Just the other night against the Portland Trail Blazers, we saw firsthand what Nowell could do when given a bigger role. With no Prince, Beasley, Patrick Beverley and Anthony Edwards, Nowell went on to score 22 points in 24 minutes.
McLaughlin has been a catalyst for the Wolves’ offense off the bench, making winning plays, not turning the ball over and being a pest on defense
StatMuse should apologize to McLaughlin for disrespecting him like that, he’s way better than Chris Paul.
McDaniels has shown glimpses of what he looked like over the summer in Las Vegas. His shooting has come full circle, but he needs to learn how to foul less.
Prince and Beasley are shooting the shit out of the ball. When they’re on, they’re on. In February and March, Minnesota has efficiently shot the ball from deep, and those two are a huge reason for this.
A special shoutout to Beasley for breaking the Timberwolves’ 3-point record against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Naz Reid does Naz things. He’s transformed his body and as a result of this, his rim protection and explosiveness have been fun to watch.
The bench is playing great, but what does this mean for the playoffs?
Unfortunately, a few of these guys will lose playing time. Chris Finch has already done this with Nowell, and we’ll likely see Minnesota play an eight-man rotation because they’ll be relying on their starters more.
If I had to make a prediction, I would say Prince and McLaughlin would be the two players cut from the rotation.
That’s not to say we won’t see them play in a playoff series. We could see Prince or McLaughlin if they’re looking for a spark or if there’s foul trouble.
It’s great to see the bench playing well, but once the playoffs begin, it’ll be a clean slate. The season isn’t over, and they will have an impact on whether or not this team grabs the sixth seed.
