The Timberwolves need Jarred Vanderbilt on the court
When Jarred Vanderbilt picked up his fourth foul and departed the game with 7:13 left in the third quarter, Minnesota led 64-50. He came back to start the fourth with his team up just two.
In the three minutes he was on the bench in the fourth, the Wolves’ eight-point lead fell to three.
Individual on-off numbers are not really reliable indicators of performance — there are too many factors that affect what happens when a player is on the floor. But in the case of this game, the eye test confirms what Vanderbilt’s plus-five mark on the night suggests: Minnesota needs him.
“He’s just a warrior for us in all capacities,” Finch said on Wolves Live Postgame. “ taking chunks out of him, he’s crashing the glass, they’re full-body checking him to the floor. I looked about three or four times he’s down there on the ground and I don’t know what happened, but he gets up and fights again.”
When Vanderbilt was on the court, the Wolves had energy and purpose. They defended the rim and created extra opportunities for themselves. When Vanderbilt was on the bench, the Wolves were listless and allowed easy offense.
Minnesota succeeded defensively in the first half with a strategy of doubling Embiid and recovering to shooters. Starting in the third quarter, they somehow allowed Embiid to get one-on-one looks and gave open threes, mostly off Embiid passes out of the post.
That’s not all about Vanderbilt, but Minnesota only seemed capable of getting stops when he was out there. With Patrick Beverley out, Vanderbilt has a difficult balance to strike: Play with the hustle and intensity this team needs while avoiding whistles that remove the Wolves’ last remaining energy guy.