TheMinnesota Timberwolves find themselves with a 3-2 record through the first five games of the NBA season, including wins over Eastern Conference playoff teams in the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Toronto Raptors, while suffering an overtime loss to theCleveland Cavaliers and falling short against theGolden State Warriors in their last contest due to a44-point outburst from Stephen Curry. The Timberwolves are featuring a different look with a new roster featuring LaMelo Ball at point guard after
shipping out Julius Randle in the off-season. With the early returns of the new roster still uncertain, the big question is: “Who are the Minnesota Timberwolves?”
It’s been a battle-tested season for the Wolves early. Facing the new-look Heat with Giannis Antetokounmpo to open the season was a performance for the ages, filled with optimism to see how Ball would impact an already dynamic offense. The Wolves did not disappoint as superstar guard Anthony Edwards dropped in a whopping45 points on 55.2 percent shooting from the floor and a scorching 52.9 percent from beyond the arc on 17 attempts. He complemented that with 10 rebounds and two steals with the team’s second-best plus-minus at +25.
LaMelo Ball helped play spoiler against the Heat as well in his 28 minutes, pouring in an efficient21 points while hitting five of his 13 attempts from deep alongside six assists to take down the Heat 131-106.
The next two games followed a similar path as the Wolvesdominated the Magic on the road in Orlando, defeating them by 22 points, and then crushed the Raptors at home in Minneapolis (albeit without Kawhi) by 23 and handcuffed Scottie Barnes to an abysmal0-12 shooting night.
They followed those performances with a disappointingovertime loss to the Cavs, largely in part due to a lackluster performance from Rudy Gobert, and a loss to theGolden State Warriors due to a slow start and Curry doing Curry things and Edwards being out due to a lingering right knee injury. The Timberwolves have shown they are capable of high-level offensive outbursts and stifling defensive performances. How have they gotten there?
According toNBA.com, the Wolves have the fourth-best offense in the league on a points-per-game basis,averaging 120.4 over the five contests. This places them behind the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Houston Rockets, who are first, second, and third in the league, respectively. They are also posting anoffensive rating of 114.8 for the eighth-best mark in the league while shooting47.3 percent from the floor and 38.4 percent from distance.
A large reason for this top-10 offense has been the dominance fromAnthony Edwards, notching 33 points per game on 48.1 percent shooting overall and 40 percent from three on 11.3 attempts per game.TJ Shannon Jr. has also been a positive mark this season as he’s gotten a longer leash, averaging 14.2 points per game on 40 percent from deep, while other staples such as Ayo Dosunmu and Jaden McDaniels have continued to play well and keep building on impressive playoff runs from last season. NewcomerJonathan Kuminga has also been a bright spot, shooting a blistering 47.6 percent from three on 4.2 attempts per game. They’re all doing this collectively without marksman Donte DiVincenzo as he continues to rehab an Achilles tear he suffered against the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs last year.
The defense, which is anchored by four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, is second best in the NBA according to defensive rating,posting a 102.5 mark, right behind the Raptors with a league-best 97.9. This puts together an impressive 12.4 net rating, which is the fourth-best mark in the league. They’re also limiting opponents to45.3 percent overall and33.6 percent from three-point range, which positions them in the upper half of the league.
Putting it all together, both through the eye test and the objective numbers, everyone should know who the Timberwolves are: a team that can dominate on both ends of the floor while maintaining both a very high floor and a championship-level ceiling, all while figuring out another roster that was shuffled yet again.
In a small sample size, the Wolves have shown they have what it takes. However, they will need to continue to tread water in a loaded Western Conference as Edwards will be out for at least the next two months after it was announced he underwent asuccessful right knee arthroscopic surgery to clear out some debris. It will be an interesting stretch without Ant for an extended period of time, and the Wolves will need to cement their identity and playstyle a lot quicker than imagined.
We know who the Wolves are through the first five games, but who will they be without Ant for now, and will they have the same dominance that’s been displayed when he returns?
