Player grades from Minnesota Timberwolves’ loss to the Atlanta Hawks
By Ben Beecken
The Minnesota Timberwolves hung around and had a chance to win on Monday but ultimately fell to the Atlanta Hawks on the road.
125. 97. 86. Final. 108
The Minnesota Timberwolves were short-handed for their Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee against the Atlanta Hawks, and despite playing hard and hanging around until the final minute, suffered yet another loss.
The Hawks committed a whopping 24 turnovers but also grabbed 14 steals and turned the Wolves over 17 times on the other end of the floor.
The Wolves got a huge game from D’Angelo Russell but the rest of the team struggled mightily offensively. The defense was active, but after the Wolves pulled to within six points on a couple of occasions in the final minutes of the game, Minnesota simply couldn’t stop the Hawks.
The effort and energy from the Wolves without Karl-Anthony Towns, Juancho Hernangomez, or Ricky Rubio was notable and significant; it just wasn’t enough.
It’s too bad, because the Hawks didn’t play all that much and it was certainly a winnable game. But alas, the Wolves record now stands at 3-9 with at least a handful more games upcoming without Towns available.
Minnesota Timberwolves Player Grades
D’Angelo Russell was great, finishing with 31 points on 11-of-22 shooting, seven assists, four steals, and three rebounds. He was 6-of-13 from beyond the arc as he tried to shoot the Wolves back into the game late. Overall, it was a good performance from Russell, although he had a quiet third quarter as the Hawks built a double-digit lead. Then again, Russell can’t be expected to do it all by himself.. Guard. Minnesota Timberwolves. D'ANGELO RUSSELL. A-
C+. Outside of back-to-back 3-point makes to get the Wolves within a couple of possessions midway through the fourth quarter, Malik Beasley turned in a clunker. He finished with 15 points on 5-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-10 from beyond the arc. Beasley only attempted one free throw and his only non-3-point make was a dunk in transition early in the game. He also had five rebounds, three assists, a block, and a steal.. Wing. Minnesota Timberwolves. MALIK BEASLEY
B. Jarred Vanderbilt earned his first career start and played a solid game overall. He put up eight points and eight rebounds and also contributed three assists, three assists, and a block. There were a couple of rough sequences, including in the second quarter when Vanderbilt tried to grab a rebound that was headed out of bounds off of Atlanta that led to a turnover and then messing up defensive coverage on the other end right afterward. But Vanderbilt plays hard and adds a physicality and athleticism that the Wolves frontcourt doesn’t otherwise have.. Big. Minnesota Timberwolves. JARRED VANDERBILT
B-. Naz Reid had another nice stretch of play in the middle of this game, but nine points and two rebounds in 28 minutes as the starting center simply will not cut it. His best-case role is as a 15-minute-per-game backup to Towns. Otherwise, he is exposed defensively and on the glass, and occasionally gets lost in the wash offensively as well.. Center. Minnesota Timberwolves. NAZ REID
JOSH OKOGIE. B. Josh Okogie started but only played 22 minutes, leading one to wonder if perhaps his injured hamstring was giving him problems. He only contributed four points, two rebounds, and two assists and didn’t quite look like himself. Still, it was nice to have him contribute to partially bottling up Trae Young, who turned the ball over six times and only attempted eight field goals. (Yes, Young did damage at the free throw line and did a solid job distributing the ball, but it clearly wasn’t how he wanted to play and it allowed the Wolves to hang around and generate turnovers.). Wing. Minnesota Timberwolves
C. Anthony Edwards played 30 minutes off the bench, presumably in part because of whatever was ailing Okogie. The rookie shot just 5-of-16 and had 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists. He had a couple of nice drives to the basket and made a pair of 3-pointers, so hopefully that means Edwards is on an upward trajectory towards how he played over the first few games of the season.. Wing. Minnesota Timberwolves. ANTHONY EDWARDS
Other Minnesota Timberwolves Players
Jarrett Culver had his best game in what feels like two weeks. He had seven points, five rebounds, and three steals in 19 minutes off the bench and played solid on both ends of the floor. This type of performance is exactly what the Wolves need to get from him a nightly basis.
Ed Davis played a solid game, providing more defensive resistance than Reid and pulling down four rebounds in 14 minutes. He also had four points and two steals.
Jaden McDaniels played his first non-garbage time minutes and hit a 3-pointer, but that’s about all he did. He was 1-of-4 shooting, with three of his attempts coming from beyond the arc, and he had only a single rebound in 12 minutes.
Jordan McLaughlin mostly struggled as the backup point guard in this one. He had four points, four assists, and two rebounds in 19 minutes but shot only 2-for-7 from the field and was 0-of-3 on 3-point attempts.
Next. Malik Beasley is worth the money for the Wolves. dark
Up next for the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Wolves are headed back home to take on the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. We already know that both Towns and Hernangomez are out, although presumably there would be a chance that Ricky Rubio could be available to play. Stay tuned.