Early Timberwolves analysis: So far, so good for the bench

Although we are only three games into the NBA season, the Timberwolves are playing at a new level. So far, they have shown reasons to be hopeful, however, they have also shown flaws that could hurt them over the course of season.

Talk about an exciting start to the season!

After a tough loss to the Spurs, the Wolves bounced back to defeat the Jazz and Thunder in a pair of thrillers. Although the win’s came with some red flags, including another double-digit blown lead in the fourth quarter against OKC, the Wolves are finding ways to get the job done early on.

Even though they have won back-to-back games, it’s hard not to point out the flaws in their game so far.

It is clear that the defensive struggles have yet to be fully fixed. At times you will find guys sagging too far off the ball and allowing uncontested shots and/or easy backdoor cuts. It’s also not a good sign that you can hear Thibodeau’s voice on television over anyone else’s who are on the court; communication is key in fixing the defensive struggles.

Let’s give it some more time before bringing up how key players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins are still out of position times than not. The bigger issue here is how both wins have come largely due to late game heroics. Jamal Crawford showed why the Wolves inked him this offseason with his late three that ultimately beat the Jazz. Then, Wiggins tossed up a heave that banked in after the Wolves blew another fourth quarter lead Sunday night.

Here is one of the best looks at Wiggins winning shot Sunday night.

Although it was a tough OKC team that came storming back, the Wolves can’t afford to keep giving up late leads like that. One of the Wolves main issues last year was their fourth quarter play. With the roster and talent the Wolves have this year, there is no excuse to be blowing late leads.

I know, a win is a win. However, you don’t see the powerhouse teams forced to hit late game shots after blowing leads more times than not, and this has been an ongoing issue in Minnesota.

And while it’s only been three games, allowing 105 points per game with a -1 point differential wont get the Wolves home court in the first round. Even though the Wolves have endless players who can put the ball in the hoop, allowing over 105 points per game should be a concern. Sure, it could be worse, but in order to defeat teams like the Thunder, Rockers, Spurs and Warriors, giving up 105 points or more wont cut it.

On that note, the Wolves have had no issue scoring. Wiggins and Towns have had no issues on offense thus far as both are averaging over 20 points per game, and, equally as importantly, they’re shooting efficiently. Wiggins has shot 49 percent from the field and 42 percent from three while looking more confident. He’s been been crashing the boards, too.

Towns has shot 59 percent from the field thus far as he proves to be a weapon all over the court. Take a look at these two dunks Sunday night by the duo.

https://twitter.com/thedailywolf/status/922262918384758784

Insane, right?

As a unit, the Wolves have been an average rebounding team. They rank 11th in the league in rebounding differential, out rebounding their opponents by 2.4 per game.

What the team has done pretty well so far is force turnovers. They rank 11th in the league, forcing nearly 12 turnovers per game. On the flip-side, they have done an even better job possessing the ball. The Wolves have turned the ball over 11 times per game thus far which is eighth in the league.

The final concern that many had about the Wolves was their bench. It’s tough to point out a lot about the bench players since Thibodeau hasn’t played them much. The Wolves rank 29th in the league in bench minutes at 14.5 per game. However, Crawford and Bjelica have shown their worth on the bench thus far as they have produced.

Crawford is shooting 47 percent from the field and 50 percent from three — and forget his corner three in the final 30 seconds to help lift the Wolves over the Jazz last Friday night. Bjelica has shot 57 percent from the field while hitting four of five attempted threes thus far. Besides them, there hasn’t been much time for the other bench players to contribute a whole lot.

The bench has averaged 24.7 points per game, ranking 27th in the league. That puts a ton of pressure on the starters to score more, as well as forcing them to play more minutes. On the boards the Wolves bench is 28th in the league averaging 10 a game.

However, the bench does rank sixth in the league shooting 47 percent from three, in large part due to Crawford. Even still, more production in necessary all around from the bench. Not only to relieve starters of minutes and stress but to also help avoid playing in tight games all season.

With 79 games remaining, the Wolves have plenty of time to fix their flaws. Three games is very early to start critiquing how they have played. However, in a conference as tough as the West, the Wolves need to show up every game and prove they are not just all talk.

Next: Brian's Breakdown: Patience is key for Timberwolves

At the same time, they must keep doing the things they have done well thus far to become a legitimate contender.