The Minnesota Timberwolves' loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday was yet another disappointing game as Minnesota blew an 18-point lead. After the game, Rudy Gobert spent over seven minutes talking to the media. His message was clear: the Wolves' effort and accountability must improve. There were many quotes with this same message, but this one stood out to me.
"There's just no effort. We've seen that many, many times this year, last few years since I've been here. We always know it's coming, and when it comes, there's no sense of urgency. No accountability. So I think at some point, if the players don't have accountability, someone else gotta have accountability for the players. I'm just talking straight effort," Gobert said.
The Wolves' defensive engagement is unacceptable
It's hard to gauge effort, and frankly, it's my least favorite thing to talk about. However, if you've watched the Wolves closely this season, you'd know that their effort and energy have been wildly inconsistent. Toward the end of the game, the Wolves' energy disappeared, and they blew a lead.
Poor off-ball defense and sloppy rotations have been key issues for the Wolves all season long. During Friday's game, the Pelicans netted 44.1 percent of their 3s, and the Wolves' defense played a big role in this hot shooting night. Yes, the Timberwolves still have a top-10 defense overall, but their defense is nearly the root cause.
In fact, the Wolves are 15-0 this season in games where they have a defensive rating of 105.5 or less (OKC-level defense). They're 2-12 in games where they have a defensive rating of 119.8 (Brooklyn-level of defense).
Gobert couldn't directly say it, so I will -- Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle must amp up their defensive intensity and set the tone as leaders. They're both fantastic offensive players, but their defense on a nightly basis is flat-out unacceptable. Whether it's ball-watching, lazy closeout, missed rotations, or a general lack of resistance, Ant and Randle show a clear lack of interest in playing defense.
The Wolves' defense is 11.6 points per 100 possessions better with Randle on the bench, and 8.5 points per 100 possessions with Ant on the bench. According to Cleaning the Glass, these numbers rank in the 2nd and 6th percentiles, respectively. The frustrating part is that when they're engaged, Edwards and Randle can be really good defenders.
When talking to the media, Edwards and Randle generally deliver basic, uninspiring messages. Edwards is just 24 and has shown flashes of being a great leader, but it's clear he needs to grow in this department. Credit to Gobert for stepping up as a leader and demanding some accountability from his teammates.
Finch shouldn't be blameless
Fans have been quick to blame Chris Finch as well, arguing this lack of engagement shows a disconnect between him and the team. I think there's some truth to this, especially given how this continues to remain an issue. For what it's worth, Rudy later said accountability starts with the players, but the coaches also have to provide a sense of accountability.
"It starts with ourselves, but it seems like we don't have that. So I think at some point, from the coaches, yeah, from the coaches. It's not an easy position for a coach to take guys out of the game. It's not something you want to do. But I think if the players don't show any effort, at some point, no matter how talented we are as a team, if you don't have that, we just can't be a winning team," Gobert said.
Not exactly a glowing endorsement of Finch and company. For a team with so much experience, the Wolves' constant effort and accountability problems are alarming. To Rudy's point, it first and foremost starts with the players. However, the coaching staff needs to be better in this department as well.
As is the case with many post-game press conferences, Finch blamed the players. He noted that he wasn't impressed with Rudy's rim protection and hinted at the Wolves' not paying attention to the game plan when asked about Zion Williamson's big night.
Maybe the players simply have to be better at the end of the day -- they are the ones who go out and play the game. Nevertheless, when these problems persist, you have to wonder if there's a disconnect between Finch and the team.