The Minnesota Timberwolves lost to the Wizards in a not-so-competitive game which Washington pulled away in the third quarter.
The Timberwolves played a stellar defensive game in the first half only to completely lose any sense on that end as soon as the second half hit.
The Timberwolves lost to a bottom-10 team in the NBA – and given the wide score differential, it seems as though everyone is frustrated with the result. Here are some reactions to the game.
1. The Timberwolves aren’t going to make any noise this season. Period.
The Timberwolves are really, really bad. It’s tanking-level team bad – you would have never guessed it would have gotten this poor with the talent that exists on the roster – but here we are.
The Timberwolves might be the unluckiest team of the past half-decade (at least so far this year). Team frustration is high, and a new coach is going to take time to adjust. Chris Finch literally did not know he was going to be a head coach a week ago.
2. The Timberwolves need spacing.
Generally, you wouldn’t think that the team that has a generational offensive-minded center would need to improve upon their spacing. But the Timberwolves trotted out Ricky Rubio, Josh Okogie, and Jarred Vanderbilt in their starting lineup. All three of those players are below average shooters – Anthony Edwards and Towns are not saving that. Minnesota needs to find a short-term solution to improve upon their shooting – and the answer might be Jaden McDaniels.
McDaniels, shooting 37 percent on long-distance attempts this season, was selected with a first-round pick in the 2020 draft, and has really impressed in his few minutes this season. He has done enough defensively to warrant at least attempting to play him alongside Towns in the starting lineup. Right now, though, they need to find a solution while Beasley is suspended.
3. The Timberwolves need more veterans.
The Timberwolves are the youngest team in the NBA – and that youth really shows during some stretches. The Timberwolves go through spells consistently where they can’t buy a bucket. Improving the complementary players around their two stars – Russell and Towns – the Timberwolves might be able to find some success. There are a lot of experimental players trying to find their spot in the NBA – and that’s okay – but when you’re trying to make a playoff push, it just is not going to be as successful as Gersson Rosas and co. want.
The Timberwolves next game is against the Phoenix Suns tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. CT. Check back here for pre-game analysis as well as our twitter during the game.