ST. PAUL -- After another non-competitive loss that pushed the Minnesota Timberwolves’ roller-coaster season back below .500, coach Chris Finch was asked about the inconsistency that has plagued this team through 27 games.
The Timberwolves (13-14) appeared to find their way with their twin-tower lineup of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, winning five straight games against relatively depleted rosters. But that was followed up by a three-game skid, with two of those defeats being blowouts.
Then the Towns-less Timberwolves won three of their first four games and everything seemed to be fixed, only to then lose consecutive games in Portland, the latest of which was a 133-112 blowout loss Monday in which Minnesota was blitzed by the Blazers’ three-point shooting.
Throughout the season — with the wins and the losses — the Wolves’ biggest issues such as turnovers, defensive intensity and a lack of rebounding continue to pop up after they think they have solved those problems. The Timberwolves team that shows up one night will likely not be there the next.
“That’s indicative of a team that’s 13-14. You’re pretty much inconsistent by nature,” Finch said. “At this point, I don’t know if there’s a magic button to push.”
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Finch believes it all starts with the team’s sharpness at the game’s outset. That’s been the greatest indicator of Minnesota’s success. He’s said that all season. Generally, when the Wolves win the first quarter, they win the game. That sharpness wasn’t there Monday. The defensive rotations weren’t good. Offensively, Minnesota missed layups and free throws.
“It looked like it was readiness to play,” he said of Monday’s primary issue. “When you miss that many free throws and layups, it really comes down to were you really ready to play?”
Too often this season, the answer to that question for this team has been no. Many onlookers will hear and see that quote and question if it’s the coach’s job to get his players ready to play. But that is disputed by many in the profession. For instance, legendary Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said readiness falls on the players.
“I don’t remember playing tonight. No Knute Rockne speeches. It’s your job,” Popovich said after a loss in 2016. “If you’re a plumber and you don’t do your job, you don’t get any work. I don’t think a plumber needs a pep talk. A doctor botches operations, and he’s not a doctor any more. If you’re a basketball player, you come ready. It’s called maturity. It’s your job.”
More recently — about a year ago — then-Kings center Tristan Thompson told reporters that he has never required a coach to inspire him.
“The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I’m … retiring,” Thompson said.
The Timberwolves came ready to play on a consistent basis last season, the primary reason they won 46 games. But through the first third of this season, it’s looking more and more like that readiness was a product of the effort of Patrick Beverley and Jarred Vanderbilt more than anyone remaining on the current roster. Those two were starters who made sure the team came out of the gates firing on a nightly basis.
The effect of their absence in this year’s lineup was not properly considered. Relying on youngsters such as Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels to fill a similar role has proven fruitless thus far. Great rosters don’t necessarily need a player to light the match. They’re full of professionals who come ready to work every game, or at least close to it.
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But this team thus far is proving it does not belong in that category. So it likely will need at least one player to step in and provide inspiration.
And if that responsibility somehow ends up in the hands of an NBA head coach, well, then the Wolves are in trouble.
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