On today’s episode, Harrison Faigen of SB Nation joins the show to discuss the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Wednesday night meeting between the two teams that saw the Wolves fall
to 2-3.
— The Timberwolves’ defense has been utterly terrible five games into the season. They rank 28th in defensive efficiency, a far cry from their sixth-place finish last season and first the season before that.
— There were a multitude of mistakes on the final play that allowed, including Rudy Gobert allowing Austin Reaves to get by him, Jaden McDaniels being unable to navigate the screen, and Donte DiVicenzo being a step late with the help defense.
— Chris Finch admitted after the game that the defensive call should have been to switch on any screen and took responsibility for not calling the best coverage.
— The Timberwolves need to figure out their defensive issues fast. The team has other areas going wrong, but it’s impossible to fix those areas if the defense is going to play well below its talent level.
— While the Wolves may seem like an unserious team, a lot of teams’ fan bases probably feel similar about their own team. While the Wolves need to quickly improve their play, it is not uncommon for even good teams to have putrid five-game stretches.
— A nice win for the Lakers, who were missing LeBron James, Luka Dončić, and multiple other rotation players. Without their two star players, any win the Lakers can win helps immensely to keep pace in the crowded Western Conference.
— In many ways, the Lakers are still in a gap year. They will continue to put a competitive team on the floor, but are shifting from being a LeBron-led team to one that is built around Dončić and Reaves.
