On Wednesday, the Wolves lost to a Bucks team without its two stars.
Souhan: Timberwolves leave a reminder of their erratic selves and head into the All-Star break
In a surprising victory Thursday over Oklahoma City, they showed depth and talent. But their other side showed just the day before.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
February 14, 2025 at 4:53AM
On Thursday, the Wolves blew out the best team in the NBA.
While that juxtaposition would seem to make no sense, it does reflect the persistent and often frustrating reality of the 2024-25 Timberwolves.
They’re talented and deep enough to win just about any game.
They’re erratic and injured enough to lose just about any game.
Their 116-101 victory over Oklahoma City on Thursday night at Target Center highlighted their roster depth and, perhaps, their mental toughness.
Had they lost Thursday, they faced the possibility of a seven-game losing streak just as the Western Conference standings become daunting. Instead, they head into the All-Star break with a reason to believe, and with hopes their injured players will soon be available.
With 68% of the schedule gone, the Timberwolves remain a work in pain and progress.
They’ve endured late-summer roster upheaval, an ownership dispute and way too many injuries.
They’ve watched from afar as Karl-Anthony Towns has thrived in New York.
Here’s what we (may) know about this team:
- The roster is better than the record.
The Wolves’ injuries have forced young players into the rotation. The young players have cost them games but have also shown great promise.
Think about this accumulation of talent: Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, Mike Conley, Donte DiVincenzo, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Rob Dillingham, Jaylen Clark, Terrence Shannon Jr., Leonard Miller and even the venerable Joe Ingles.
Shannon and Clark play with force as well as skill.
The organization’s ability to acquire and develop talent currently outshines the record and the team’s quality of play.
- Conley remains important.
Dillingham can be spectacular, but the Wolves still need savvy and organization. That means they still need Conley.
Entering Thursday’s victory against Oklahoma City at Target Center, the Wolves were 2-5 when Conley didn’t play.
- 23 and him.
Anthony Edwards remains 23, and we continue to see the benefits and ramifications of building a franchise around a very young player.
On Wednesday night, in a should-win game against an undermanned Milwaukee team, Edwards followed his latest scoring binge by going 10-for-33 from the field and 4-for-17 from the three-point line.
In this case, the statistics don’t lie. Edwards settled for too many quick three-pointers, failing to create for his teammates or fight his way to the basket, even when the Wolves were in the bonus.
He’s not, despite all of his accomplishments, a finished product.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having his MVP season at the age of 26. Naz Reid, at 25, is a polished ballhandler, three-point shooter and finisher. Maturity matters.
- Bad luck and trouble.
The fan angst over the trade for Randle and his inability to fit into the Wolves’ offensive scheme was understandable … until he started playing well and fitting in, in December and January.
He remains out with a strained groin, and Wolves coach Chris Finch on Thursday did not sound like he has confidence Randle will return immediately after the All-Star break.
There is a chance the Wolves’ injuries will strengthen them by the end of the season, having forced the kids to play meaningful minutes. But that theory holds water only if Randle and DiVincenzo return in time to assimilate, and if the Wolves are healthy — and good — enough to land a top-six seed.
- Naz and J-Mac.
Reid and McDaniels were, to quote Finch, “spectacular” on Thursday night. Their stat lines were impressive; so were their forceful play and versatility.
The Wolves will need more of that from them. After the break, the Wolves play at Houston, at home against Oklahoma City, then at Oklahoma City and the Lakers.
They could use that stretch to assert their relevance, or to fall out of contention for a top-six seed.
- New arena?
The Wolves have the worst home record of the top eight teams in the Western Conference.
Perhaps because fan disappointment over this team’s struggles has robbed Target Center of the magical feeling that was pervasive all last season.
Thursday’s crowd was relatively small, and quiet — until the Wolves brought the fans out of their seats.
“There’s no more learning about ourselves,” Finch said. “We’ve got to go.”
Minnesota will carry the memory of knocking off the NBA’s No. 1 team into the All-Star break.
