3 Game Takeaways from Mavericks at Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves are above .500 once more, and that is no small feat. For many NBA teams, the biggest factor in the overall success of the team is not the talent level on the roster on opening day. Rather, it is how healthy the team can remain throughout the long 82-game season, and how well the starting five are playing by the time the postseason competition rolls around.

The NBA has begun to schedule the same opponents in consecutive games. In some cases, that saves travel time and costs. On other occasions, it adds a dash of extra excitement to a follow-up game, a chance to exact revenge for a previous loss. Right now, the Timberwolves face the Dallas Mavericks again.

And as we learned in the first game, the Timberwolves roster is not doing such a great job of remaining healthy. This is a team that had to play back-to-back games without any help from:

1. Center Rudy Gobert (ankle)
2. Power forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns (calf)
3. Point Guard Jordan McLaughlin (calf)
4. Power forward Taurean Prince (shoulder)
5. Kyle Anderson (back)

And yet, despite the fact that the team is missing a mini-NBA All-Star game worth of talent, this team must play on. And the Timberwolves did play on, winning their third consecutive game against a formidable Dallas Mavericks team.  So what did we learn about the Timberwolves in this win?

Takeaway III: The Timberwolves can win back-to-backs

The Minnesota Timberwolves have not had great success in back-to-back games so far this season. But they were good to go in this one. Perhaps it was the offensive onslaught against the Chicago Bulls, a game that allowed the team to sit the starting five for the final two minutes of the game. The Timberwolves trailed after the first quarter but roared to life in the second quarter. Naz Reid’s first of two made free throws with 3:58 remaining in the second quarter tied up the game, and his second free throw gave the Timberwolves a lead that they would not relinquish.

Takeaway II: The Timberwolves shut down one of the most dangerous NBA players in the league

The Dallas Mavericks are always in a position to win a game, thanks to the dominating play of their 6-foot-7 230-pound point guard Luka Doncic. But the Timberwolves shut down Doncic, holding him to 14 points under his average. It wasn’t as though Doncic didn’t take shots in this one. He did shoot, but his 5 of 17 shooting was only good for 29.4 percent from the floor.  Did he make three-pointers at a solid clip? Not there either. His 3-of-8 shooting from the perimeter was only 37.5 percent, just slightly better than his season’s average.

That was a huge statement game for the Timberwolves, and a landmark to build upon in future games.

Takeaway I: The Timberwolves are getting their money’s worth out of Anthony Edwards right now

The Minnesota Timberwolves have a secret weapon of their own right now in shooting guard Anthony Edwards. Edwards ended the game just one assist shy of a triple-double. In this one, he put up incredible numbers: 27 pts / 13 rbs / 9 ast / 1 stl / 2 blk / 50 3P% / +/-  +20

Edwards has been growing rapidly this season. While he continues to improve his annual scoring average each season, the true value of Edwards’ game right now is in all of the other ways he is helping this team. From rebounds to assists, to steals, Edwards has taken on the Timberwolves’ role of a roll of duct tape. Whatever the team needs to patch together, Edwards is right there, willingly taking on that role, in the hopes of helping his team and teammates.

So far, his ability has been more than a match for his ever-increasing role. And it’s that phenomenal growth, and the red-hot surge of scoring from PG D’Angelo Russell, that will force the pair of Timberwolves guards into discussions for the Top-5 backcourts in the NBA this season.

A good win? Yes. But a great step forward by this team.