It's no secret that the Minnesota Timberwolves must improve their roster to reach the next tier of title contention, led by the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. I'm not breaking any news by saying the Wolves have a difficult path ahead of them to reach this next level.
Both the Thunder and Spurs are nearly flawless rosters that are still young, with elite star power and depth. The last two playoffs have proved that the gap between Minnesota and these two teams is significant.
However, both teams have one notable flaw: 3-point shooting. In the Western Conference finals, the Thunder are shooting 34.9 percent from 3, and the Spurs are shooting 32.5 percent from beyond the arc. Furthermore, in the regular season, the two teams ranked 13th and 16th in made 3s, respectively.
Neither team is a bad 3-point shooting team, but at the same time, neither is a great shooting team. Without a doubt, the Wolves must prioritize improving their shooting to close the gap between them and the top two teams. Offsetting the elite rim protection of Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren also makes leaning into 3-point shooting vital to compete against these two teams.
The Wolves shot just 33.7 percent from beyond the arc against the Spurs in the second-round and it was certainly a major reason for their shortcomings.
The Timberwolves must improve their 3-point shooting to reach true title contention
The Wolves ranked 14th in made 3s this past season. With Donte DiVincenzo's Achilles injury, the Wolves will be further challenged to become an elite shooting team.
Nevertheless, the heavily discussed idea of trading both Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert would help them significantly improve their outside shooting. Furthermore, Anthony Edwards is one of the best 3-point shooters in the league.
Now, whether the Wolves end up keeping Gobert or get another center back in a trade for him or Randle, unless they trade for someone like Myles Turner, the Wolves won't have a starting lineup capable of running five-out looks. Having four high-level shooters in the starting lineup is perfectly fine, though. Likewise, ensuring that the bench is filled with shooters will be vital.
Trading Randle in a deal for a guard who can shoot is an ideal way for the Wolves to bolster their outside shooting. Additionally, Naz Reid sliding into the starting power forward slot is a clear way to internally boost their floor spacing.
Without a doubt, landing a guard who can provide on-ball creation and is comfortable spotting up, paired with Reid getting a bigger role, could help transform the Wolves' offense. To me, Kyrie Irving is the perfect guard to provide this skill set, though there are surely other options if they strike out on Kyrie.
It's also worth mentioning that the Wolves could benefit from simply shooting more 3s, as they ranked 17th in 3-point attempts this past season.
While the Timberwolves might not be able to catch up to the almighty Thunder and Spurs, improving their 3-point shooting is the best chance they have to close the gap.
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