In the early going of the season for the Minnesota Timberwolves, several key problems have been revealed both at a team and at an individual level. As a squad, the Wolves have had huge issues in taking care of the ball as well as in defending in transition. Both areas have burned them and made them much more volatile than they were last season.
Anthony Edwards has also touched on how his team has had a difficult time maintaining their edge when facing a less-talented opponent, struggling to retain that fabled chip on their shoulder. That problem is something that may still require resolving, but one thing is for sure: the Timberwolves took a big step in the right direction when it came to their turnovers and opponent fast break points in their win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday.
The Wolves committed just 11 turnovers in Sacramento, on top of allowing just eight points in transition to the Kings. This was clearly a performance where Minnesota took a step in the right direction on two of their most concerning on-court issues. But just as these problems were addressed, another one seems to become more glaring as well.
The Timberwolves are giving up too many paint points
Minnesota build as large as a 20-point lead against Sacramento, but gave up a late run that forced the game into overtime. They obviously still took home the win, but part of the reason the game even got into overtime was the Wolves was surrendering too many points in the paint, a concern that is becoming a trend for their season.
Over the course of 13 games, the Timberwolves rank 27th in the association in opponent paint points per game. They are giving up 52.3 points in the painted area every night out, putting them ahead of just the Lakers, Pelicans and Bulls.
That is a worrying number for any team, but especially one that employs Rudy Gobert as its defensive anchor. Not to mention a team that had as incredible a defensive ceiling as the 2023-24 version of the Timberwolves. The roster is of course different now, but Minnesota still has the pieces to stop their opposition from consistently scoring at the rim.
This will be the next big thing to keep track of for Wolves fans. If Chris Finch can re-optimize this team's defensive scheme to allow Gobert to be the rim-protecting monster he is, Minnesota will be one step closer to reaching their sky-high potential.