Timber! Wolves treys are falling like red pines at a lumberjack festival

Can we lobby the Minnesota Timberwolves to fix their issues, and then sit back as the team corrects those mistakes? Probably not. But just days after pointing out the Timberwolves roster’s lack of three-point shooters, suddenly the team has taken the message to heart and begun to shoot from the perimeter at an almost frenzied pace.

The problem was not that the Timberwolves’ accuracy at perimeter shooting was so lacking as it was so infrequent. The final stats of games repeatedly showed the Timberwolves fewer three-point shots than their opponents were making. That’s a huge problem. Three-pointers are, as the name says, three points scored per basket. And for every opponent shot made at that distance, the Timberwolves must either keep pace with their own three-point shooting or shoot and make 150 percent of normal baskets.

That was not happening, and the final score reflected that concerning trend.

Treys are falling like red pines for the Timberwolves now

But then two things happened. The first was the sudden explosion of PG D’Angelo Russell’s long-range artillery. The month of December 2022 began with a whimper, as D’Lo shot just two of six from the perimeter. But over the last five games played this month, he has averaged 4.8 of 8.8 three-point shots per game, a phenomenal 55 percent shooting rate.

But it did not end there. Rather, he ignited more of the same. In the past two games, backup center Naz Reid has scored on five of seven shooting from the perimeter. Backup point guard Austin Rivers has scored eight of 11 in the past two games from the arc. Even shooting guard Anthony Edwards has hit on six of 14 from long-range over the past two games.

The efforts of so many players on the Timberwolves roster culminated in their latest win over the Chicago Bulls. In that game, the Timberwolves’ three-point shooting scored on 23 of 43 treys. That total of made three-pointers in this one exceeded the total attempted threes in quite a few games this season and is by far their best total of three-point shots made this season.

The Timberwolves backcourt has been especially productive at their long-range shooting of late. Not just D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards, but Austin Rives has exploded of late in his perimeter shooting. The Timberwolves have lost their All-Star frontcourt for the time being due to injuries. But their backcourt is stepping up in a very big way.