5 Flaws that could crush Timberwolves' playoff dreams
By Tyler Watts
4. Too many turnovers
Extra shots and possessions are massive in the playoffs. Defenses will stiffen and everything will be tougher. Minnesota is near the bottom of the league in offensive rebounds and turnovers. Those giveaways often result in easy buckets for the opposition.
Minnesota commits 14.5 turnovers per game. The Suns and Magic are the only two projected playoff teams who are worse. The opposition scores 16.4 points per game off those turnovers, which puts the Wolves 17th in the NBA.
Minnesota is 18th in offensive rating and may struggle to score in the playoffs. They averaged just 105.4 per game in the 2023 postseason, which was 11th of the 16 qualifiers. The Timberwolves cannot pair their offensive issues with a high volume of turnovers if they plan on making a deep run.
Their three best players are all a bit turnover-prone. Rudy Gobert has a negative assist-to-turnover ratio, and Karl-Anthony Town is barely positive. Anthony Edwards leads the team with 3.1 giveaways each night, and fellow starter Jaden McDaniels also averages more turnovers than assists. Minnesota must take better care of the ball if they want to win their first playoff series since 2004. It starts with their best player, but everyone needs to step up.