On Sunday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves moved up to 3-0 on the season with a blowout win over the Toronto Raptors. The Wolves won their first three games by 20 or more points. LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga both fit in seamlessly with the squad. Simply put, the vibes were amazing, and the new-look roster was meshing better than anyone could've expected. This was a continuation of a summer filled with good vibes and team bonding.
Yet the question remained: How would they respond when adversity hits them? A Monday night loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the announcement that Anthony Edwards will miss roughly two months with a knee injury tested this question. And while it's just one game, things looked brutal against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.
Sure, the Wolves only lost 119-114, but the vibes were indistinguishable from the start of the season, and it was the bench, not the starters, that got the Wolves back in this game. The ball movement dissipated, and multiple players were forcing difficult 3-pointers. Of course, the most viral moment that highlighted the Wolves' bad vibes was Ball and Kuminga yelling at Rudy Gobert during a timeout.
The Wolves were looking like clear title threats just days ago, and now, between Edwards' injury and the team chemistry looking rough, they are drowning in doubt. Shortly before the season, Chris Finch even said: "We traded moodiness for giddiness. Now, the Wolves feel as moody as ever.
The Timberwolves' good vibes feel like a distant memory now
I do want to give the Wolves the benefit of the doubt to some extent. Shockingly finding out that your best player is going to miss significant time after he just had a 47-point game is a tough pill to swallow. It also changes the team's style of play significantly.
However, the Wolves can't afford to be down in the dumps any longer. Unfortunately, injuries happen. You have to stick together as a team and overcome them.
I mentioned the sideline altercation with Gobert earlier, and there's no denying that his poor play has been a factor in these bad vibes. Over the past two games, the 7-foot-1 center has shot 0-for-13 from the field. Gobert has struggled to finish with force around the rim; he's dropped catchable passes, and he's let these offensive struggles affect his defense.
In addition to the Ball and Kuminga altercation, Edwards yelled at Gobert during the Cavs game after he batted a ball to Peyton Watson and gave up on the play. His teammates have lost trust in him and are clearly frustrated with him. These frustrations are more than understandable, and frankly, I have no issue with Gobert's teammates calling him out.
Gobert needs to start producing to regain his teammates' trust and get the Wolves' offense going. For now, though, things just feel ugly.
Having said all of that, these problems aren't the end of the world for the Wolves. In an 82-game season, every team faces some adversity, and nearly every team has moments when viewers ask: What the heck is going on with these guys?
This is coming early on in the season for the Wolves, and they can't afford to let it derail their season. They must lean into the power of friendship, and their improved chemistry that they talked about all offseason. Likewise, the ball movement and intentionality must improve on offense. Otherwise, this team is in for a brutal stretch until Edwards returns.
There are plenty of basketball-specific concerns that I have explored and will continue to explore from this stretch, but there's no denying that the vibes need to get better.
Whatever way you slice it, the Timberwolves have some soul-searching to do as they navigate life without Edwards.
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