The Timberwolves' clutch time net ratings are absolutely shocking

There have been plenty of noticeable trends over the course of the Minnesota Timberwolves' season. Early on, what was most noticeable was the team's struggles in defending the fast break, overall inconsistency on the defensive side of the ball, and tendency to play down to lesser-talented opponents.

It was these problems that gave the Wolves a hard time for much of the first month of the season, sending them to below a .500 record overall and ultimately culminating in Anthony Edwards' locker room moment where he got brutally honest about the team's struggles. That candid moment gave Minnesota the right kind of motivation to clean up their issues, and as we know spur them on to a four-game winning streak.

But just as the Timberwolves were beginning to find a groove, Sunday evening's loss to the Golden State Warriors served as a reminder that there is still more work to be done before this group reaches their potential. As we look at other areas the team could currently use some improvements, the advanced statistics paint a pretty telling picture for us.

Timberwolves reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press Jace Frederick provided some numbers on social media that show us Minnesota is still struggling to execute at the end of close contests. Heading in to the Sunday matchup with Golden State, Mike Conley was the Timberwolves' leader in clutch time net rating at +13.3. However, coming in at second was Julius Randle at -12.0. That is simply a staggering difference.

Mike Conley holds the Timberwolves' lone positive clutch time net rating

Of course, that means that Conley is currently the only player on the roster registering a positive net rating during clutch time (which is defined as the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime, while the score is within five points either way). Every other player has brought a negative impact to the floor during the most crucial parts of a game, according to their net rating.

Not only that, but we have to consider just how much worse the numbers are for the rest of the roster. If Randle is at a -12.0 while Conley is at a +13.3, some quick math tells us that Mike Conley is performing 25.3 points better than the next-best player on the team when it is winning time.

There are a few takeaways we can draw from these ridiculous numbers. Number one being the simplest one, which is just that the Wolves have to find a better process at both ends of the floor during the end of close contests. That much seems extremely clear. If they can do that, Conley will no longer look like the only competent player on the floor in these moments, at least according to this specific stat.

But then number two is finding a way to maximize Mike Conley's obviously composed performance when plays need to be made in the closing minutes of games. Frederick also posted that the Timberwolves have a record of 5-2 when Conley plays in clutch time, and a 1-6 mark when he does not. Perhaps step number one is simply getting him on the floor in those moments, and figuring out all the rest later.