Between star power, two-way balance, and experience, the Minnesota Timberwolves have nearly all the makings of a championship team. After bolstering their bench with Ayo Dosunmu, I think they have enough depth to make a deep playoff run. However, there's one thing that remains an undeniable concern with the Wolves, and it's their clutch time play.
Friday's game against the lowly New Orleans Pelicans is yet another example of this. Up 18 in the third quarter, the Wolves (somehow) lost by four points. On both ends of the court, the Timberwolves have problems during late games.
Despite ranking top 10 in offensive and defensive rating overall, the Wolves rank 17th in clutch time offense and 18th in clutch time defense. Overall, the Wolves are 12-12 in clutch games. For a team with championship aspirations, this is an undeniable flaw.
The Timberwolves' clutch time problems could be their fatal flaw
While this wasn't the case on Friday, the Wolves' struggle with turnovers down the stretch resulted in the second-most turnovers in clutch time minutes. Hopefully, the addition of Dosunmu eases this concern, but for now, it's still worrisome.
Anthony Edwards has been fantastic in clutch time games, but if he has an off-night, in the clutch, Minnesota's offense is lost. Notably, Edwards averages 3.7 field goals while nobody else averages 1.1 field goals. For better or worse, the Wolves' clutch time offense is Ant.
Julius Randle is shooting just 34.6 percent from the field in clutch time minutes. The Wolves simply need more production out of their co-star.
But let's be honest, the turnovers and decision-making are the biggest factors on offense.
Defensive engagement has been a massive issue for the Wolves. Poor ball containment, attentiveness, and rotations have plagued the Wolves. It allows their opponents to mount comebacks. Oftentimes, in the most important minutes of the game, Minnesota's defensive resistance is limited.
Now, the Wolves have had their bright moments in late games, including stellar wins against the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. Regardless, nobody would mistake them for a good clutch time team, and come playoff time, this could hurt them in a big way.
I'm fully aware that the Wolves have made back-to-back conference finals runs despite these clutch time problems. However, is it really fair to expect the Wolves to do this again? In any event, it should be a clear concern.
When the playoffs roll around, winning close games is vital, and the Wolves must do a better job of closing out games and keeping leads. Luckily, the Wolves have the personnel to solve this problem -- but if they don't improve in late games, it will clearly cost them.