Timberwolves are continuing to forget what makes them great in the first place

Since trading for Rudy Gobert in 2022, the Minnesota Timberwolves have had a clear identity: defense. In each seasonwith Big Ru, the Wolves have posted a top-10 defense. That's once again the case this year, as per Cleaning the Glass, Minnesota ranks seventh in defensive rating on the year. 

However, their defense has been wildly inconsistent and flat-out awful at times. Unfortunately, the Wolves have been in a defensive slump (again) over the past few weeks. Currently, the Timberwolves are on a four-game losing streak, and their poor defense has been on full display, especially during the last two losses against the Chicago Bulls and Utah. 

The Wolves' poor defense predates their four-game losing streak, though. In fact, over the past two weeks, Minnesota ranks 22nd in defensive rating via Cleaning the Glass -- the Wolves are 2-5 in this stretch. At the same time, their offense remains stellar, ranking fifth in the league.

For the Wolves to reach their lofty championship aspirations, they must be more consistent on defense. 

The non-Rudy minutes have been a big problem

Gobert is a historically great defensive anchor. He alters opposing players' mindsets when attacking the rim while erasing the mistakes of his teammates. With Gobert on the court, the Wolves have an exceptional 108.3 defensive rating. When he's off the court, though, they have an abysmal 123.7 DRTG. This equates to the second and 30th-ranked defensive ratings, respectively. 

Without Rudy, Jaden McDaniels is generally overtaxed as a point-of-attack stopper, and the Wolves don't have the rim protection needed to make up for the team's frequent mistakes on the perimeter. 

The Wolves' non-Rudy minutes have been a clear problem all season long -- but the team's defensive problems are deeper than this. 

The Timberwolves' struggles are connected to their best players

Frankly, it starts with the Wolves' two best players: Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. Both can be good defenders when they want to be, and on the ball, they've generally been pretty good. Notably, opposing players are shooting below league average when defended by Ant and Randle.

Nevertheless, their off-ball defense has been subpar (to put it kindly) and inconsistent. 

Both of the Wolves' stars consistently ball-watch, are late to closeout, make rotations, and are often out of position. This creates a negative ripple effect for the rest of the team and constantly leads to open shots. Overall, it looks like the Wolves struggle to communicate, a problem that an experienced team should never have.

Now, of course, Edwards and Randle aren't the only players who struggle on defense. Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo are below-average defenders as well. Regardless, it's hard to argue that Edwards and Randle aren't the main culprits of the team's recent defensive shortcomings.

And the frustrating part is that they both have the tools to be two-way monsters. 

The numbers paint a clear picture of the defensive struggles of Minnesota's stars. Notably, the team is 10.8 points per 100 possessions worse on defense with Randle on the floor (3rd percentile) and 7.7 points per 100 possessions worse with Edwards on the court (9th percentile). Terrence Shannon Jr. is the only Timberwolves player with a worse on/off swing.

If you want to blame this on a heavy offensive load, that's fine -- I'm sure that plays a role. Nevertheless, the Wolves need to be more consistent on defense, and their best players must buy into this side of the ball on a nightly basis.

Whatever way you slice it, the defensive output from the Wolves' two best players is unacceptable, and it's hurting the team.