This is what happens when a scheduled loss turns into an unscheduled pummeling. The Minnesota Timberwolves were always pushing the proverbial up a steep and rocky hill when their best defender in Jaden McDaniels, their best wing shooter in Taurean Prince, and their best energy-injector in Jordan McLaughlin were out, but even then this was a major misfire.
The missing trio can plug some of the holes that the Wolves found leaking in this one, but they can’t fix everything. There was enough talent to get in the ballpark of a middling Golden State Warriors team. In reality, there was enough firepower to turn this scheduled loss into a gritty win. This team, as it stands, just doesn’t have that kind of grit in them.
The game ends 137-114. Sure, you can point to the fact that Minnesota competed and even spent tiny glimpses looking dangerous throughout the second, third, and fourth quarters, but this game was put to bed in the first eight minutes of game time. The Wolves sleepwalked into a warzone and promptly faceplanted onto a landmine.
There is no point flipping through every page of this novel, it was naught but a short and brutal story. Laziness, sloppiness, a complete dearth of attention to detail, and a bunch of underperforming leaders. If something could go wrong, it did. If someone could attempt a shortcut, they did. If a coverage could get blown, it was. If an offensive action could fizzle, it fizzled.
There was nothing scheduled about that.
D’Angelo Russell: 4/10
Kind of fell back into the bear trap that he spent the first part of this season trying to squirm out of. Just when it seemed like he was free, his leg was snagged again and the claret started to pour once more. The 3-point shooting was better than it has been thus far, but the rest of his night was mostly a horror show.
He dribbled too much when he had the ball, he missed a fistful of lob opportunities to Rudy Gobert, he was slow-footed and dimwitted defensively, and he never really found the same give-a-shit factor that we’ve seen of late.
Worst of all? He was far from the biggest culprit out there.
Finished with 15 points (50.4% TS), 2 rebounds and 6 assists in 31 minutes — -50.1 net rating.
Austin Rivers: 6/10
He guarded Stephen Curry like the clouds guard the sun. There were times where it really was overcast and Rivers’ incessant energy and relentless off-ball chasing kept the cloud cover prevalent. But the sun is fucking hot and fucking enormous. The sun will find a way to shine and if you get too close to that fucker it’ll scorch you into an insubstantial pile of ashes. Curry still got his, even with Rivers’ most valiant endeavors.
And, without much to write home about in regard to his offensive game, Minnesota’s veteran guard wasn’t able to fully grasp this game by the throat.
Finished with 5 points (57.1% TS) and 2 rebounds in 29 minutes — -41.5 net rating.
Anthony Edwards: 6/10
He is on a tiresome carousel right now. The highs are insanely high. The second half proves that. All of the physicality, thirsty scoring and insane talent was there as bright as a summer’s day. There is something to be said about how often Chris Finch calls his number and runs plays that end with Edwards facing a switched big or a smaller and weaker guard, but mostly they shouldn’t need to force-feed him sets. He is good enough to dominate within the flow of an offense. We know that.
But sometimes, without those sets, he flounders. He waltzes like a slow melody through a night that required some fucking heavy metal. While Minnesota’s house of cards toppled and crumbled in the first half, he was barely seen. He did attempt seven field goals in the first 24 minutes (making just two) but none of them had the same sort of snarl that they did in the second stanza. They were jacks for the sake of jacks. Sometimes it feels like the Wolves go as he goes, and when they’re lacking snarl they need him to bring it. They need him to bring it every night.
Finished with 26 points (59.5% TS), 4 rebounds and 4 assists in 36 minutes — -39.0 net rating.
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