Timberwolves: Should we be concerned about the defense?
The Minnesota Timberwolves started the season with a top-10 defense, but over the last 15 games, that hasn’t been the case. Should we be concerned with the defense moving forward?
The Timberwolves have played with multiple coverages on defense, which will be important come April. Even if some of the sets fail, it’s important to know what will work in the playoffs.
The Timberwolves were 10th in the NBA in defensive rating on Dec. 1. While that was only 16 games in, it was still impressive to see how drastically this team improved from the 2020-21 season (28th).
Despite the defense falling apart as of late, Minnesota still ranks 15th in the NBA in defensive rating (110.0). However, over the last 15 games, Minnesota has dropped to 24th (115.7). What’s even more concerning is they’ve played some pretty shitty teams.
If this stretch happened in December, when they played teams like the Brooklyn Nets or the Utah Jazz, there’d be a lot less worry.
Minnesota has done a good job using their length to get steals and blocks. They’re one of the peskiest teams on defense, ranking third in blocks (5.8) and fifth in steals (8.7).
You could argue that the Timberwolves have hit a wall, and they’re just fatigued. While I do think fatigue is a factor, Minnesota has been shifting their focus to a more offensive mindset.
At the beginning of the season, we were discussing if we should be concerned about the offense.
What a turn of events.
November stats:
- Points per Game: 109.3 (11th)
- Field Goal %: 43.3 (25th)
- 3-points %: 33.5 (21st)
- Offensive Rating: 108.0 (18th)
Last 15 games:
- Points per Game: 113.2 (5th)
- Field Goal %: 44.7 (25th)
- 3-point %: 34.7 (19th)
- Offensive Rating: 118.5 (1st)
To be honest… I am shocked at their shooting efficiency, given how good their offensive rating and points per game are. The last two games against the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors didn’t help, but still.
Minnesota has focused most of their attention on offense, which is a reason the defense has taken a step back. What separates the Timberwolves from the Phoenix Suns is their inability to play both sides of the ball at an elite level.
If the offense falls apart as it did at the beginning of the season, then we should be nervous. As of now, I’m only slightly concerned about the defense.
The reason it hasn’t looked as good is because of fatigue, and they’re a better offensive team.
When the playoffs start, Minnesota will need to have a top-5 offense and an average defense if they want to make any noise. For now, let’s just enjoy the ride because this Timberwolves team is a lot of fricken fun.
