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The Minnesota Timberwolves need a second starting lineup for bigger teams

By Tyler Aliperto

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 8: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers stand on the court on December 8, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 8: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers stand on the court on December 8, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 13: Montrezl Harrell #5 of the LA Clippers and Robert Covington #33 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reach for the ball during the game on December 13, 2019 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 13: Montrezl Harrell #5 of the LA Clippers and Robert Covington #33 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reach for the ball during the game on December 13, 2019 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Minnesota’s struggles with bigger lineups

Throughout the 2019-20 NBA season, the Timberwolves have had a lot of trouble when matching up against teams like the Lakers and 76ers who employ more traditional, two-big starting lineups.

Not only have they suffered on the defensive end in the post, as evidenced earlier by Robert Covington’s defensive RPM numbers, but they’ve consistently been out-rebounded down low and continue to allow way too many offensive rebounds and putbacks.

Minnesota currently allows the fifth-most offensive rebounds per game this season while grabbing the sixth-fewest amount of rebounds per game over their last 3 contests. It’s clear that the Wolves have really struggled to get after the ball on the glass this year — even when they do get stops on the defensive end.

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These struggles have lead to Minnesota giving up the second-most second-chance points in the entire NBA so far, predictably leading to a bottom-10 ranking in opponent points in the paint.

Long gone are the days of Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic holding down the power forward and center spots while averaging double-digit rebounds individually, and while we doubt many Minnesota fans are yearning for a return to those days, we could understand reminiscing on Love’s 31-rebound days given the current roster’s inability to box out.

While the added floor-spacing that comes from playing Covington as a stretch-four is a great offensive threat to add to the team, it’s become clear that the lack of size and strength in the starting lineup has caused the Wolves’ troubles on the glass and in the paint defensively.

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