MINNEAPOLIS - No team played in more “clutch” games last season than the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Wolves appeared in 46 such games during the regular season, defined by the NBA as those within five points in the final five minutes.
Diving deeper into those numbers, there wasn’t much good news for Minnesota. The team went 20-26 with a net rating of minus-8.4, 23rd in the league. Its offensive rating - 106.4 points per 100 possessions - was 9.3 points lower than its overall season average. Its defensive rating (114.8) was four points higher than the season norm.
According to Cleaning the Glass, the Wolves’ expected win-loss record was 53.7 based on their underlying metrics.
They finished with 49 wins, largely because of late-game struggles. Had they reached 53, they would have earned the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs instead of No. 6.
Minnesota was a worse team in the final five minutes than it was in the first 43. For all their talk this training camp about pushing the pace and recommitting to defense, late-game execution remains an area that needs major improvement to stay competitive in a deep Western Conference.
The season opens Wednesday night at Portland.
“We really struggled much of the year with crunch time,” President Tim Connelly said. “We’re a team that … we had a lot of lulls in our ability to get things done late. I thought we answered a lot of those questions at the conclusion of the season.”
There’s good news behind the numbers. Their late-game woes ultimately didn’t cost them. They still advanced to the Western Conference finals and had only one of their four losses in clutch time (Game 4). Otherwise, Oklahoma City simply overwhelmed them.
The Wolves went 4-1 in the five clutch games they played in the postseason. They now have a body of work to review and learn from.
“Certainly we went through a lot of lessons,” coach Chris Finch said.
Edwards on the ball
Since early in his career, All-NBA guard Anthony Edwards has said he wanted the ball in his hands during crunch-time moments. He got his wish the past few seasons. But he quickly learned that teams often double-team him in those scenarios, forcing him to give up the ball in key moments. Sometimes he did. Other times, he forced shots.
He shot 42.6% in the clutch last season and 32.3% from 3-point range - both well below his 39.5% season mark. Those results shaped his offseason, during which he worked on developing a post-up and midrange game. Edwards hopes operating in those areas will open the floor in new ways for him and his teammates.
“It’s going to be hard to gauge it because we haven’t played games this year, so I’ve got to see how teams are going to play me,” Edwards said. “Most teams double-team me in the clutch anyways, so I’ve got to get off the ball. But I think playing closer to the rim would be the answer (to improving those numbers).”
Point guard Mike Conley said there’s been a shift in how Edwards approaches those situations in camp - moving from creating his own shot to creating the best shot for the team.
“His command of the offense is something that has been the journey for him, his understanding of what works for our team,” Conley said. “Not necessarily what always works for himself individually. So late game, you’re going to have the ball, you got to have three or four different simple plays or different things that you can get to different actions that can make our offense run smoother, or you get a good look, or somebody else get a good shot. Those are things that I’m seeing him be more vocal on.”
“I think before he would just hoop and be amazing the way that he plays the game, but him thinking the game more is going to help our late-game offense.”
Edwards off the ball
Finch wants to vary Minnesota’s late-game approach, which means playing through Julius Randle more in the clutch given his playmaking ability. He also mentioned using more Conley–Rudy Gobert pick-and-roll action in those moments. That’s been a staple of the Wolves’ offense when they need to generate a quick shot, though not something they have often relied on late.
“(We’re) leaning on the things in the past that paid dividends for us,” Finch said.
Finch added that the team must improve its clock management and execution in two-for-one situations late in quarters. They also need to handle momentum swings better in the final minutes.
“Just poise and patience, understanding that situationally just because, let’s say somebody hits a three on you, you don’t got to hit a three back,” Finch said. “You got to play out the entire string.”
Deep West
The Wolves have had a relatively smooth training camp, and that has typically led to good things under Finch. Their continuity two years ago helped spark a 56-win season.
But the Western Conference is deep. Few teams are entering this season with any intention of tanking. At the top, the defending champion Thunder return all of their weapons from last season’s title run. The Nuggets retooled with the additions of Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown and Jonas Valanciunas, giving Nikola Jokic a deeper roster than he has had since Denver’s championship three years ago.
The Clippers, Lakers and Warriors all remain in the mix as the league’s old guard - with stars like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler - out to prove they’re not finished yet.
The Rockets now feature Kevin Durant and rising star Amen Thompson, while the Spurs may hold the league’s future key with Victor Wembanyama alongside a talented young backcourt.
The Wolves figure to be in plenty of close games this season. Late-game offense isn’t easy to replicate in training camp; the pressure can’t truly be simulated. But Minnesota now has familiarity, continuity and playoff experience to show it can improve from last year’s shortcomings.
They will need to if they want to be true contenders.
“Our guys are certainly fueled by competition,” Connelly said. “We’re not going to duck anybody. We can’t wait to see where we stand up in this kind of historically stacked Western Conference.”