 By: Jonah Sprinkel
Last Sunday, the Minnesota Timberwolves may have begun the process of righting the ship with their 114-112 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Just before that, the team went one for six, including a winless four game road trip. For a team that had, or may still have, playoff aspirations, the Timberwolves must take advantage of the opportunities to make up ground when they arise. The next three games against Chicago, Atlanta and Miami are a prime example of an opportunity for this, but the Wolves must take it one game at a time. First up, the Bulls. What: Wolves @ Bulls When: 7:00 PM CT Where: United Center Where to watch: Fox Sports North Where to listen: 830 AM WCCO What to watch for The worst offense in the league: The Chicago Bulls cannot put the ball in the hoop Their best scorer, Zach LaVine, is currently out with an ankle issue. Outside of him, Lauri Markkanen is leader in points per game with just over 17. The team ranks last in the league in offensive rating, trailing the 29th ranked team by over 2 points per 100 possession. No other team trails the team ranked above them by more than 1.25 points per 100 possessions. If the Wolves can’t slow down this team, I give up. Point guard injuries: Both Jeff Teague and Derrick Rose missed time with ankle injuries. The duo continues to be listed on the injury report, though Teague is expected to miss much more time than Rose. So long as both remain sidelined, or even anything less than healthy, the point guard position will prove to be an exposable weakness for the Wolves, regardless of the opposition. KAT’s slump: Karl-Anthony Towns is and will continue to be the focal point of the Wolves offense. When the best player on a team goes into a slump, the team will be hard pressed to come up with a win. Through the last three games, in which the Wolves have gone 1-2, the Kentucky product is averaging nearly 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and a block with a 38/21/82 shooting split. The team was lucky to come out of OKC with a win, more lines like this from Towns and the Wolves will need more of that luck. Projected starters Minnesota: PG Tyus Jones, SG Andrew Wiggins, SF Robert Covington, PF Taj Gibson, C Karl-Anthony Towns Chicago: PG Ryan Arcidiacono, SG Kris Dunn, SF Justin Holiday, Lauri Markkanen, C Wendell Carter Injury Report Minnesota: Jeff Teague – OUT (ankle), Derrick Rose – Day-to-Day (ankle) Chicago: Zach LaVine – Questionable (ankle) Prediction The Timberwolves should be able to build on their most recent win and create a two-game winning streak. The Bull simply don’t have the talent to keep up with the Timmberwolves. At least that is the hope.
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12/12/2018 0 Comments Wolves at Kings: Storm the Castle Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports By: Seth Toupal
 Photo credit: Brad Rempel - USA Today Sports By: Dan Slaubaugh Whether you have seen Robert Covington play for two minutes, or watched every single o.ne of his defensive highlight tapes on YouTube, his impact on the court is obvious. When Covington was traded to the Timberwolves on Nov. 10, minds started racing about what this new era of Wolves would look like. Well, Minnesota fans, we are 13 games into the new era, the Wolves are 9-4 in those games, and things are trending upward. So what is it that Covington does so well to help the Wolves win? Let us dive in. Covington the spot-up shooter Need a spot-up bucket? Covington has you covered. The 6'9" sharpshooter is hitting a career-high 39.8 percent on catch-and-shoot triples. A below average three-point shooting team for much of their existence, the Wolves are experiencing a renaissance from downtown this season and Covington has been a big part of that. Since the trade, the Wolves are shooting 38.3 percent from deep - second best in the league. Before the trade, the Wolves ranked 16th in three-point percentage (35.7). Effective spot-up shooters are a premium in today's three-point obsessed league. Covington has helped transform the Wolves offense to a more modern-looking one with his knock-down touch and gives the Wolves exactly what they needed - a three-point sniper who doesn't need the ball to be effective. Covington the all-world defenderWhat we knew after the trade: Wolves were getting an All-NBA wing defender. What we didn't know after the trade: Wolves were getting a top three Defensive Player of the Year candidate. His ability to guard defenders one-on-one, switch, generate deflections, and help defense awareness has transformed the Wolves defensively. Before acquiring Covington, the Wolves ranked 29th in the NBA with a 114.3 defensive rating. Since acquiring Covington, the Wolves rank fourth with a 102.1 defensive rating. In that time frame, Minnesota has faced enough quality offenses (Blazers, Pelicans, Rockets, Celtics, Nuggets, Grizzlies) to the point where it's reasonable to suggest it sticks. With Covington on the bench, their defensive rating drops to 116.8 -- 1.7 points lower than the league-worst Cleveland Cavaliers. Basically, the Wolves are elite defensively when Covington plays and dreadful when he's doesn't.  When dissecting what makes Covington so good defensively, it's not just his length, lateral quickness, and instincts, but also the contagious energy he brings. And the team is feeding off it. Karl-Anthony Towns - who's 12th in blocked shots this season and trails only Rudy Gobert in contested shots - and Andrew Wiggins have been noticeably more engaged defensively, as has the rest of the team. That engaged energy has propelled Covington to the top of the leaderboards in both steals and deflections. "Robert makes plays. That's what he does. He's First Team All-Defense for a reason," Towns said after Minnesota's comeback victory over Houston last Monday. "He does things that a lot of people in this league can't do, not from a physical standpoint, just an IQ standpoint. He has that itch for the ball, especially on the defensive end." Everyone has stepped up their game on defense, and while it's important to give credit to the entire team because basketball is a team sport, Covington's charisma and leadership was the oil change Minnesota's engine needed to excel. Just imagine how motivating it is to watch your teammate meet centers halfway in the air and rip away potential dunks!  Given Minnesota's defensive transformation defensively with him, there's a case to be made he should be the leader in the Defensive Player of the Year race. The domino effect of CovingtonWhile the team boasted a top-five offense last year, they weren't gelling through the team's first handful of games. Towns deserved more touches. Wiggins looked uncomfortable as ever. Rose provides a spark but sometimes can get a little shot-happy. With Jimmy gone, there's a clear hierarchy now, and it starts with Karl-Anthony Towns at the top.
We're back to witnessing how elite Towns can be offensively on a nightly basis. The man can just take over games at will. Since the trade, he's averaging 22.5 points and 12.9 rebounds on 51.2 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from three. Reiterating from above, part of what makes Covington valuable offensively is his ability to contribute without having the ball, which allows for more touches for both Towns and Andrew Wiggins. Per NBA.com, the Wolves have been more efficient offensively since the trade -- averaging two more points per 100 possessions. Towns has especially benefited in a post-Butler era, as his workload AND efficiency has increased - averaging 16.4 attempts per game on 51.2 percent shooting compared to 14.9 attempts on 45.9 percent pre-trade. The Wolves ceiling over the next five years rests on the shoulders of Towns and Wiggins. It's those two who will be making a combined $54+ million/year through 2022-23. It's those two who have the most upside. So, putting them in the best environment possible to reach that upside seems only rational, right? Right. At that, Covington and Saric are more than willing, and capable, of helping them reach it. "We've got so much love for each other", Towns said after the Rockets win. Figuring out how to make Towns and (especially) Wiggins tick is crucial to the team's future. "Love", aka great chemistry, is a good start. I don't think I could actually run out of good things to say about RoCo. He allows Tom Thibodeau to sleep peacefully again free from nightmares about constant defensive lapses. He's made Towns a happy man again. To the Wolves franchise, he has injected life.  USA Today Images By: Jonah Sprinkel The Minnesota Timberwolves just keep winning. Since dropping five straight games in early November the team has posted a 9-3 record with wins over Portland, San Antonio and Houston. Based on how this season started, the last month of success is comparable to the Warriors 28 game winning streak. Ok not really but you see my point. The Wolves are flourishing both offensively and defensively. Those words haven’t been true since Kevin Garnett patrolled Target Center. Despite all this winning the team still sits a half game back in the Western Conference playoff race. With the team in Portland tonight, there’s an opportunity to gain some ground. But, can the Wolves win on the road? What: Wolves @ Blazers When: 9:00 PM CT Where: Target Center Where to watch: Fox Sports North Where to listen: 830 AM WCCO What to watch for The Wolves since 11/23: Karl-Anthony Towns & Co. are not just playing “winning” basketball. They are currently playing some of the best basketball in the entire league. Since the win over Brooklyn on Nov. 23, the Wolves are the only team with a top-five offensive and defensive rating. They also possess the second highest net-rating in that time span, trailing only Boston. Though they only played one team at or over .500, this should instill some confidence in a squad that has been lacking in said department. The Blazers since 11/23: The Blazers recent stretch does anything but mirror the Wolves. They have gone 2-5 with losses to Golden State, LA Clippers, Denver, San Antonio and Dallas. In that span they’re a bottom-five defensive team with a middle of the pack offense. Though in this stretch Damian Lillard is averaging 29 points, seven assists, just over 4 rebounds on 45 percent from the field on 40 percent from deep. If the Blazers lose, it’s no fault of his. Karl-Anthony Towns: Since Nov. 23 Towns has averaged nearly 25 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, a block and a half as well as a steal and a half. All this on a 51/38/82 shooting split. These aren’t the most impressive numbers. When KAT checks out of a game the Wolves offense drops off by over 12 points per 100 possessions. While the team’s defense does improve slightly in the same scenario, in 237 minutes on the court the Wolves only allow 99 points per 100 possessions. This defensive rating would rank first in the league by nearly three points. Projected Starters Minnesota: PG Jeff Teague, SG Andrew Wiggins, SF Robert Covington, PF Taj Gibson, C Karl-Anthony Towns Portland: PG Damian Lillard, SG Seth Curry, SF Maurice Harkless, PF Al-Farouq Aminu, C Jusuf Nurkic Injury Report Minnesota: OUT – Jerryd Bayless (knee) Portland: Probable – CJ McCollum (ankle) Prediction If CJ McCollum plays this game should be much more competitive. If not, the Wolves should easily take advantage of Seth Curry as a defender. However, some of that burden will fall to Andrew Wiggins who is the basketball player equivalent to playing Russian roulette with a 15-shot revolver. 14 out of 15 times, you’re going to get a whole lot of nothing. The Blazers are favored by 2 and the Wolves have a 2-8 record outside of Target Center. Blazers, 112-109.  By: Seth Toupal
Tonight the Wolves host Houston in a matchup of last year's first round playoff series. Gone is Jimmy Butler, and the Wolves are 7-3 in their last 10 games due largely to a vastly improved defense and clutch baskets by Robert Covington. The Rockets are floundering despite continued brilliance by James Harden. This Rockets roster is clearly feeling the loss of key depth pieces from last year's Western Conference Finals run. Regardless, they still pose a difficult challenge for the Wolves due to their high tempo style of play. Can the Wolves get back to .500? Can the Rockets get back over .500? What: Rockets @ Wolves When: 7:00 PM CT Where: Target Center Where to watch: Fox Sports North Where to listen: 830 AM WCCO What to watch for: Towns vs. Capela: Last year Capela dominated Karl-Anthony Towns on both sides of the ball, averaging 18.8 PPG in the regular season and 15.8 PPG in the playoffs. But Towns has been playing much better since Jimmy Butler was traded. Will he be able to hold his own against Capela? Or will Capela run wild and keep the Wolves from driving to the hoop? Which Bench is Better?: Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni has repeatedly pointed to the Rockets lack of depth as a big reason for their slow start. After losing Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute the defense has taken a step back. The Rockets main bench threats include Eric Gordon and Gerald Green have struggled to hit shots so far this year. If the Wolves starters can keep up with the Rockets, Derrick Rose and the Wolves bench have to make up ground when they are in the game. Will Andrew Wiggins Please Step Up: Andrew Wiggins has had a massively frustrating season so far this year. His offensive numbers are down in every category, and the thought that with Butler gone he could go back to what he was most comfortable at offensively has also not panned out. Since recording back to back 23-point games on 11/14 and 11/16, Wiggins has scored over 14 points once and is averaging just 13.3 PPG in his last 10 games. Wiggins has to be better, and every game he isn't makes his extension look that much worse. Maybe playing the Rockets will break him out of this funk? Wiggins averaged 15.8 PPG in the playoffs against Houston last season, so it's now or never for Wiggins to get back on track. Projected starters Minnesota: PG Jeff Teague, SG Andrew Wiggins, SF Robert Covington, PF Taj Gibson, C Karl-Anthony Towns Houston: PG Chris Paul, SG James Harden, SF James Ennis III, PF PJ Tucker, C Clint Capela Injury Report Minnesota: OUT - Jerryd Bayless (knee) Houston: QUESTIONABLE - Brandon Knight (knee) Prediction This Rockets team is still trying to get on track. In previous seasons the supporting cast proved too much to handle for the Wolves. But this year Harden is having to handle more of the load and the Rockets defense has not been able to force stops enough. The Wolves defense has been sensational in their last 10 games which leaves me optimistic that the Wolves can get back to .500 with a win. Look for KAT to be his usual self and a 30-point game for Derrick Rose may be in store tonight as well. More threes per game also matches up well against Houston's offense. Wolves 108, Rockets 101 :) Seth is host of The Scoop on KLGR Radio out of Redwood Falls, Minnesota. Listen to episodes of The Scoop here. |
