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Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 goals for the rest of the season

By Adam Ziobrowski

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - DECEMBER 10: The Minnesota Timberwolves huddle before the game against the Dallas Mavericks on December 10, 2017 at 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - DECEMBER 10: The Minnesota Timberwolves huddle before the game against the Dallas Mavericks on December 10, 2017 at 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

5. Staying Healthy

As obvious as this goal is, it is one of the most crucial.

Clearly, no one asks for injuries nor is it something you can always prevent. Freak things can happen at any time. (See: Boston’s acquisition of and subsequent injury to Gordon Hayward.)

However, the Wolves need to do their best to stay as healthy as possible. Everyone knows how thin the Wolves are with their lack of bench minutes and production. They are dead last in the NBA, averaging 13 minutes per game and are 27th in points per game as a unit.

Sure, Jamal Crawford can provide instant production, and Tyus Jones has been playing well. But besides them, there isn’t much else with Nemanja Bjelica still out with a left foot sprain.

What’s the correlation between bench minutes and needing to stay healthy? It’s simple: the talent is on the bench, however, the overall production is not there.

If anyone on the team is to be lost for an extended amount of time with an injury, such as Bjelica, it could be (and has been) difficult to find the “next man up.” That is, unless the bench starts producing more overall. It is hard with limited minute,s however, you never know what can happen. That means if and when opportunity calls whoever is asked to fill the role of whoever is injured, they need to give it everything they have for the sake of the team.

Looking long term, it is even more crucial to stay healthy. Most of the starters are already playing close to 40 minutes per game, therefore the vast majority of the team’s production comes from the starters.

As for the bench, it is just as important for them to stay healthy even though they are last in minutes per game. The Wolves will need all hands on deck as they look to make the playoffs as well as make a run.

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