Throughout much of the Anthony Edwards era, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been able to hang their hats on a strong defensive culture. But now, through the first two and a half weeks of the 2025-26 season, defense has been one of the areas this Wolves team has struggled the most.
As of Friday afternoon, Minnesota ranks a stunning 27th in the NBA in defensive rating, as well as 27th in defensive rebounding. This comes after they finished the last two seasons in a row no lower than 6th in defensive rating, and no lower than 13th and defensive rebounding. For a team that was so clearly defined by defensive toughness and their ability to get stops, this drop is especially concerning, and it really comes at the worst time possible.
It's obvious to much of the fanbase that defensive effort as well as rebounding are some of the biggest areas of concern right now, and the effort part of this is a big caveat. Playoff-caliber teams can withstand drops in shooting or stretches of less efficient offense. But what it's much harder to go without for an extended period of time is consistent battling on the boards or commitment to stay locked in defensively.
The Timberwolves' defense has been struggling
This trend to begin the season is especially concerning because it is throwing the team's identity out of balance. The Timberwolves are now having games where the offense is still flowing fine, but the defense is collapsing. I believe that what got this team ready to compete at a high level in the playoffs the last few years was retaining a defensive identity throughout much of the regular season, and that's not what we're seeing right now at all.
Add to that the fact that Minnesota has sometimes been able to use its strong defensive focus to help compensate for occasional offensive volatility, and it's obvious that this team is going to have a much smaller margin for error. The good news is, it's still early enough for things to change.
These early season struggles are not a full-season indictment. But with that being said, the warning signs are very real. Everyone from the fanbase to the players and coaches in the locker room know that defensive effort, presence on the boards, and a strong defensive IQ are all factors that got this team to where they are today. Those things will have to be improved upon if the Timberwolves are to reach a third consecutive Western Conference Finals.