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Timberwolves Roundup: Dieng gives back, fourth quarter woes

By Ben Beecken

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 28: Gorgui Dieng #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on during the game against the Washington Wizards on November 28, 2017 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 28: Gorgui Dieng #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on during the game against the Washington Wizards on November 28, 2017 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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As the Timberwolves head into a nice three-day break, let’s take a look at some various Wolves-related links from around the web.

The Timberwolves’ record stands at 15-11, which stands along at fourth in the Western Conference. Both the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets sit at 13-11, officially one game back of the Wolves.

It feels like a fairly gloomy 15-11, if there is such a thing for a franchise that hasn’t seen the playoffs since 2004. But fourth in the West is nothing to sneeze at, and other than a six-game winning streak early in the season, this team certainly hasn’t hit their proverbial stride yet.

In other Timberwolves news, ESPN’s The Undefeated ran a fantastic story detailing the work that Gorgui Dieng has done in his native Senegal. Recently, he’s partnered with the Minneapolis-based non-profit Matter to expand healthcare access and medical equipment to Dieng’s homeland.

Please follow the above link and read the article in it’s entirety. Here’s some of the great news, in short:

"“Over the last 20 years, because of the work that I do, I’ve seen a lot of dilapidated hospitals,” Marty said. “This one was among the worst. It was pretty small. I just remember seeing a lot of moms with kids that were sick, but the hospital didn’t have the resources to take care of them.…A 200-bed dialysis center was opened in 2016 through Dieng’s foundation and the aid of Matter and other donors. There is also a new neonatal center to help babies. Marty said that there are also Wolves season-ticket holders and Minnesota businesses that are aiding Dieng’s foundation."

The story also includes the note that Senegal recently asked Dieng to be its ambassador of tourism — clearly a great honor and an example of exactly how revered the Wolves big man is in his home country. One doesn’t have to look far to find additional examples of Dieng’s generosity and level of commitment to helping others. The Wolves, and Minnesotans as a whole, are lucky to have him.

Elsewhere, our friends over at A Wolf Among Wolves decided to take a dive into the numbers to see if Tom Thibodeau-coached teams have historically struggled in the fourth quarter, or if it’s an issue that is either a) somewhat fluky, b) tied to Thibs’ current personnel, or some combination of the two possibilities.

Their conclusion? Thibs’ Bulls teams were great in the fourth quarter early in his coaching career and decent towards the end of his tenure, but still leaps and bounds better than what his first 108 games in Minnesota have looked like. Drilling down further, it’s clear that the Wolves’ offense is far better than any that he had in Chicago, but those Bulls defensive units were other-worldly good at what they did.

Next: The frustration that is Tom Thibodeau's stubbornness

One final note: Howlin’ T-Wolf took a quick look at the most recent Iowa Wolves game, where Elijah Millsap continues to impress. We’ll be keeping an eye on the G-League a bit more here at Dunking With Wolves moving forward, so stay tuned for that.

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