Like it or not, Minnesota Timberwolves need perimeter shooters

The Minnesota Timberwolves have some of the pieces to make great music together. Of course, the team has packed a lot of All-Star talent into one roster a bit haphazardly. After acquiring center Rudy Gobert, the team made some educated guesses about the best types of roster additions to help the team succeed this season. But it was all educated guesses.

The upgrade to the frontcourt seemed to satisfy the Minnesota Timberwolves’ interest in beefing up their rim protection and overall defense. That meant that the team’s executives could turn towards replenishing their perimeter shooting, which was depleted with the trade to get All-Star center Rudy Gobert. The team added several veterans to the roster, all of whom had
But if one player is off, the result is like a symphony orchestra with the featured violin playing off-key, the result is a performance that is unbearable.

Right now, thanks to the wave of injuries that have taken four key players off-line and onto the bench, the symphonic orchestra which was once the Timberwolves roster is playing more like a hobo jugs n strings band that needs to be tuned. Perhaps the most worrisome characteristic of this Minnesota Timberwolves team is their lack of perimeter shooting.

Over the last four road games, one win followed by three losses, how have these Timberwolves played from beyond the arc?  Their three-point shooting has gone as follows:

Timberwolves three-point scoring:

(past four road games)

1. Dec.   9 – Utah Jazz (W):                      14 of 25 (40.0 percent)
2. Dec. 10 – Portland Trail Blazers (L)  10 of 23 (43.5 percent)
3. Dec. 12 – Portland Trail Blazers (L)  10 of 27 (37.0 percent)
4. Dec. 14 – LA Clippers (L)                        4 of 22 (18.2 percent)
5. Totals –                                                    38 of 97 (39.2 percent)

The Timberwolves are not shooting three-point shots, are not getting better at shooting three-point shots, and are getting outgunned by opposing teams, their confidence in shooting those three-point shots, and their ability to sink them. Let’s take the same four contests, but look at the three-point shooting of the opposing team:

Timberwolves opponents’ three-point scoring:

(past four road games)

1. Dec.   9 – Utah Jazz (W):                      13 of 44 (29.5 percent)
2. Dec. 10 – Portland Trail Blazers (L)  13 of 34 (38.2 percent)
3. Dec. 12 – Portland Trail Blazers (L)   21 of 46 (45.7 percent)
4. Dec. 14 – LA Clippers (L)                       14 of 46 (30.4 percent)
5. Totals –                                                  61 of 170 (35.9 percent)

The accuracy is less important. Look at the number of three-point shots actually made. The Timberwolves have scored 114 points from their perimeter shooting. But even with less accurate shooting in the past four games, opponents have put up 183 points. That is a scoring differential of 69 points over four games or an average of a 17.25-point advantage to opponents in each game.

Two Timberwolves players who could be on the move

The Timberwolves added two veterans Bryn Forbes and Austin Rivers to address that need, but neither has shown any interest in shooting from the arc. Forbes has averaged over 4.1 three-point shots in his career (including the 2022-23 NBA season), but he has only been averaging 2.0 three-pointers per game this season. So too, Rivers has averaged over 3.2 three-point shots in his career (including the 2022-23 NBA season), but he has only been averaging 1.6 three-pointers per game this season.

Both players had time together playing for the Denver Nuggets under then Nuggets President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly. Connelly signed the pair to play for him with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but neither appears to be living up to their brochure. That is why I believe both could be on the move now that December 15, 2022, has arrived. Of course, the Timberwolves must find a trade partner who is interested in either or both players.

Stay tuned. The Timberwolves need to act pretty quickly to salvage this season.