To those who do not follow the Minnesota Timberwolves closely, it may just look like this season has been one steady, consistent disappointment. While the results still pale in comparison to last year's dream season, it has been plainly obvious that there has been a fair amount of progression and improvement for this group in certain areas.
Of course, there are still several question marks, and things do not get any easier for this team with the news of Donte DiVincenzo's injury. But we would be disingenuous to say Chris Finch's team is dealing with all the same problems they had a few months ago.
On Wednesday morning, Finch went on KFAN 100.3 to talk with host Paul Allen about the latest developments with his team. When asked about if he likes how the Timberwolves are progressing at the moment, Finch had plenty to say.
"I do like how it's progressing," he said. "I think offensively, we look way better. We're scoring easier, we're generating better shots, we're playing with pace, guys are moving the ball, they're understanding spacing ... For me, it's just about closing games now."
Finch on the team's progress despite the 22-21 record:
— Will Eudy (@WillCEudy) January 22, 2025
"Offensively we look way better, we're scoring easier, we're playing with better pace ... Jaden's playing really well ... Naz looks like he's back with his scoring confidence ... Now it's just about closing games."
The Timberwolves' clutch time offense must improve
This is unquestionably Minnesota's biggest issue right now, and it is great to hear Finch say it out loud. Just for the lowest-hanging fruit example, the Timberwolves have two losses to the Memphis Grizzlies by two points each in the last 12 days. The Wolves allowed the Grizz to rally from down six and nine points in the fourth quarter in those losses, and those two games are the only two of Memphis' season where they have been down by six or more in the fourth and won.
Think I'm just picking out two specific examples? Go check Minnesota's clutch time stats on offense. Per the NBA's official statistics, the Timberwolves rank 29th in the league in clutch time offensive rating, and they currently hold the third-worst net rating in the clutch. It is clear that when things are close at the end, Minnesota is constantly in danger of blowing a lead or simply giving their opposition enough chances to pull out a win.
The Timberwolves have played the most clutch games of any team in the association this season, being involved in very few blowouts. In their 28 total clutch games, they hold just a 12-16 record. That stat is the cherry on top of what is clearly this team's biggest challenge right now.
In recognizing this truth, Finch broke down why the Wolves are struggling to close games. "A variety of things," he said. "Mistakes, execution, shot-making down the stretch. We've got to be a little bit better in all those categories. But we've been playing well. We've been able to control large parts of these games, and hopefully we can start finishing them off."