The Minnesota Timberwolves are 15-8 as we’ve eclipsed the second quarter of the season. Our 34 voters chimed in with their grades and thoughts! Welcome to…
Canis Pulsus Vol. 45 – Quarterly Report 1 (‘25-’26)
(Note: Canis Pulsus Vol. 45 data was collected through 12/5 before the Los Angeles Clippers game)
Anthony Edwards
A- (47.1%)
Ant’s recent heater has been special. Despite that early season injury scare and the clutch time collapses in Phoenix and Sacramento, he has been playing as good as anyone can hope.
Full voting results:
Julius Randle
B+ (38.2%)
Julius started the season off as one of the best players in the league. Since then, he’s cooled off considerably. It’s been a good year overall for him, but hopefully he bounces back soon.
Full voting results:
Rudy Gobert
B+ (35.3%)
Many fans and pundits thought that Rudy would drop off significantly this year, but he’s continuing to contribute at a level we’ve become accustomed to seeing from him. He’s still raising the defensive floor of this team and helping the Wolves win early season games.
Full voting results:
Jaden McDaniels
A- / B+(35.3% each)
Slim has been spectacular this year. His offensive output has stalled after a red-hot start when Ant was injured. He just had a superb game against the Clippers so hopefully he’s about to ramp back up.
Full voting results:
Donte DiVincenzo
B (35.3%)
The newly minted full-time starter has had his fair share of moments this season so far. He’s raining down three pointers at a remarkable right. His 39.7% mark on over eight attempts has been huge for the Wolves, though fans would probably like to see more defensive consistency out of him.
Full voting results:
Naz Reid
B- (35.3%)
Naz Reid has had an up-and-down start to the season. He’s been finding his offensive rhythm more lately, but hopefully he can bring more to the table on the other end of the court.
Full voting results:
Mike Conley
C (29.4%)
The steady decline of our favorite old guy has been sad to see. Though he’s still shooting the three-ball at a respectable rate, Mike has been hunted more and more often on the defensive end. Aside from being a spot up shooter and occasional half-court initiator, he doesn’t offer too much anymore.
Full voting results:
Terrence Shannon Jr
C+ (26.5%)
Wolves fans haven’t seen the version of TJ that they were planning on seeing. An early season foot injury seems to have thrown things into a tailspin for him, but he’s starting to bounce back. We just need more consistency moving forward.
Full voting results:
Jaylen Clark
B+ (21.2%)
Meanwhile, Jaylen Clark’s ascension into being an every night player has become more and more evident. He’s almost always going to inject a jolt of electricity to his team when he’s on the court, making play after play.
Full voting results:
Rob Dillingham
C- (32.4%)
Rob was supposed to be learning how to become a floor general under Mike Conley’s tutelage, but sadly he seems to be absorbing 38-year-old Mike’s abilities, not 28-year-old Mike’s abilities. It feels as though Rob’s confidence in his own ability is at an all-time low. He’s trying on defense with mixed results, but his inability to shoot the ball or make consistently smart decisions has been paralyzing.
Full voting results:
Bones Hyland / Leonard Miller / Joan Beringer / Joe Ingles / Johnny Juzang
Incomplete
Coaching staff
B (29.4%)
There’s been some consternation about Chris Finch’s ability to get his team to close games this season. For what it’s worth, there’s truth to that. But that said, the Wolves have closed out just as many close games as they’ve dropped. Now whether or not these games should be close is another question.
Full voting results:
Front office
B (29.4%)
Not too much to judge here. They have yet to make any moves and aside from unsourced ramblings about interest in guards like Ja Morant or Trae Young, there doesn’t seem to be a move in the immediate future.
Full voting results:
Ownership
B (26.5%)
The new jersey rotation has been a hit. Most players and fans seem to enjoy the theater lighting at home games. It seems like a good start for the Lore-Rodriguez ownership era so far, but this is just the beginning.
Full voting results:
Will the Wolves make the play-in tournament?
No (Earn top 6 seed) (88.2%)
The narrative around the team may seem like the ship is about to sink, but when it’s all said and done, they’re closer to the number two seed than they are to the play-in tournament. Things seem to be going just about according to plan.
Full voting results:
Will the Wolves make the playoffs?
Yes (100%)
Previous answer: Yes (75.9%)
Full voting results:
What do you hope the Wolves accomplish during the next quarter of the season the most?
Increase effectiveness and consistency of defensive effort
Most of the answers here fell into one of three buckets. Resolve the point guard situation, be more consistent from opponent to opponent, and stabilizing the defense. All valid points. The latter most received the most votes though, as the Wolves have swung from being a bottom tier defense, to a top tier defense within a game.
With a quarter of the regular season over, my feelings on the direction of the Wolves are…
Slightly optimistic (61.8%)
Preseason: Very optimistic (63.3%)
Preseason always seem to be the high time for optimism. A few untimely injuries and loud losses have shifted the vibe a bit, but only a small handful of voters aren’t optimistic on the team.
Full voting results:
The first progress report has the Wolves sitting at a 2.92 GPA. Would your parents be proud of you, or sadly disappointed (Like mine would) of just under a B average?
