The Minnesota Timberwolves create tons of turnovers
The Minnesota Timberwolves have taken positive steps on defense since December. And the biggest reason is the number of turnovers they’re causing.
In recent games, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been forcing their opponents into a lot of turnovers. And I mean a lot. Over their last four games, the Brooklyn Nets committed 19, the Los Angeles Lakers had 24 and the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks had 16 a piece. This trend isn’t just recent, however, as it’s been happening all season long.
When the Northern version of the Miami Hurricane’s turnover chain began way back in the Timberwolves second game of the season, I thought it was going to be an aberration in the season to come. During that contest, they forced the Utah Jazz to give the ball away 19 times, a number they’ve matched or exceeded on 11 other occasions this year. By continuing to last for the first two and a half months of the season, they’ve given us a large enough sample size to believe it’s likely to be sustained for the rest of the season. And that’s a welcomed bit of good news for the Timberwolves’ defense.
Because Minnesota has struggled to prevent teams from making their shots (last in the NBA with an opponents field goal percentage of 47.9), their best chance at success has been to prevent them from taking shots in the first place. By forcing 16.4 turnovers per 100 possessions (third in the NBA) the Timberwolves limit the opportunities their opponents get at putting the ball in the hoop.
The turnovers begin almost as soon as the jump ball is won, as Minnesota ranks third in the NBA by averaging 4.0 forced turnovers in the first quarter of games this season.
In route to setting a franchise record by scoring the first 17 points of the game against the Indiana Pacers on New Year’s Eve, the Timberwolves came up with five takeaways before the Pacers even got in the scoring column:
On the Pacers very first possession, Karl-Anthony Towns does a great job of swiping the ball away from an unsuspecting Myles Turner. This activity by Towns is a huge reason Minnesota improved their defensive rating by .7 points during the month of December.
More from Dunking with Wolves
- The dream starting 5 for Minnesota Timberwolves 5 years from now
- Anthony Edwards’ latest accolade is a great sign of things to come
- In an OT thriller, Team Canada snatches Bronze from Team USA
- Timberwolves start, bench, cut: Mike Conley, Shake Milton, Jordan McLaughlin
- Which Timberwolves roster additions have upgraded the bench?
While turnovers aren’t necessarily indicators of a good defense, they can be byproducts of good defensive possessions. And the Timberwolves fit that mold perfectly.
Nobody in their right mind would call them a good defensive team, but the unquestionably have possessions where they lock down the opposing teams. This is part of the reason fans can become so frustrated with this team because they have all the potential in the world to dominate on both ends of the court.
Fortunately, the good news is they are having these positive defensive possessions more frequently as the season wears on. Because of the high opponents turnover rate, Minnesota doesn’t allow teams to get a shot off 16.4 percent of the time, third in the league.
The Timberwolves don’t just turn opponents over a high rate, they morph those lost possessions into positive results for their own team by ranking second in the league by scoring 18.9 points off turnovers:
After Tyus Jones gets his sticky paws on the ball, he’s able to throw a no-look pass to a streaking Jimmy Butler. After Butler catches the ball and spins toward the hoop, he scoops it to a trailing Karl-Anthony Towns for the nasty dunk all over Corey Brewer.
Scoring after steals is Minnesota’s specialty. According to Clean the Glass, the Timberwolves’ rank first in transition points added per 100 possessions after steals. That’s good news for a team who isn’t known for pushing the pace.
Even if it isn’t always a breakaway dunk, Minnesota does a great job of being patient after turnovers, running their offense and getting a good look at the basket. This patience is learned over time and is a result of the veteran leadership on their team.
Opposing teams are beginning to take notice of the turnovers Minnesota is creating and it’s becoming a big part of their game plan.
Next: Towns is having a better season than you think
Whether it’s Butler, Jeff Teague or Jones creating the turnover, the Timberwolves know exactly what to do with it afterward. This trend will most certainly continue, transforming it into the norm instead of a blip on the radar. As the turnovers continue and Minnesota improves consistency in other aspects of their defense, watch out for them to take the next step in the NBA.