The Minnesota Timberwolves could be one of the NBA's best teams in the 2024-25 season, but they keep freezing up in the clutch. This is surprising because the Timberwolves have some decent players and a superb coach in Chris Finch.
Their clutch-time struggles have become well-documented this season as they blow close games. A little glimpse into the clutch stats shows a concerning trend that might keep biting the Timberwolves.
Before the 2024-25 season, Anthony Edwards was rapidly developing as one of the best closers in the league. This season, he has been excellent in games, but he has underperformed in the clutch. He has a 38.9% usage rate, but he has shot only 38% from the field across 39 clutch games.
It is not an Ant-exclusive problem because the rest of the team is also struggling in the clutch. This is a worrying trend because most of Minnesota's games are close.
Related: Alexander-Walker Wants Timberwolves To Focus On The Games
The Concerning Clutch-Time Numbers From The Timberwolves
Minnesota has played the most "clutch" games out of any team in the 24-25 season with 43. They are also the team with the most losses, 25 defeats in clutch games compared to their 18 wins.
That is not a statistic the Timberwolves will be proud of. It is a far cry from how the team performed in the late-game situations during the 2023-24 season when they were ranked 10th with 21 wins in clutch games.
Why can't the Timberwolves win clutch games? pic.twitter.com/lPyWpij2hf
— No Dunks (@NoDunksInc) January 21, 2025
In the clutch minutes, they have been underwhelming on both ends of the floor. Minnesota has an offensive rating of 103.8 and a defensive rating of 112.8 in the 43 clutch games. That is concerning because they could have won more games if they executed better on offense and defense.
Veteran point guard Mike Conley Jr. has already voiced concerns about the team's offense during late-game situations.
"We're not executing. Not all five are on the same page, and we get scrambled. We got guys running to the corner, some are running into each other, and getting turnovers or bad looks," Conley said after the March 17 loss to Indiana. "That's not all on coach, that's not all on the plays, and the players out there to do it to the best of our ability. We just didn't do it when we needed to."
Everyone Needs To Be Locked In To Get The Wins
This has become an unfortunate trend for the Timberwolves this season. They could have won more games, but the players did not execute well during the clutch minutes.
Coach Finch must also create better plays for the team because some of his sets are not working. As Conley said, he is not all to blame, but he should also be accountable for his mistakes.
Will continue screaming it into the void but if the Wolves want more Anthony Edwards successful clutch possessions they need to run more actions for him.
Not sure how to slice the blame pie between him, coaches and teammates but this feels quick fix-ish
pic.twitter.com/BkoCnrNuR3
— Jake Paynting (@HowlsAndGrowls_) March 20, 2025
Minnesota is much better than their record suggests, but they should be able to close games properly if they want a good shot at reaching the Playoffs and performing well in them.
It is not all on Edwards or coach Finch, as the Timberwolves must put in a collective effort in their games. They can get more significant wins by doing this by being more united. If they can do so in time for the postseason, Minnesota will be a dangerous team to play against for any team.
Related: Ant Edwards Recalls How Finch Lit A Fire Under Timberwolves
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This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 4:35 AM.