Timberwolves' jaw-dropping talent is evident even in practice

Remember that college basketball team you fell for, the one that played great defense? With the players slapping the court and earning their coach a reputation as a defensive mastermind?

An NBA team would score 150 on them, then decide whether to take the floor for the fourth quarter.

The Timberwolves' latest surge should bring the casual fan back to Target Center and Wolves broadcasts, and should provide a reminder that pro basketball players combine skill and athletic ability like few others. They're magicians without the need of illusion.

Monday night, the Wolves beat Portland 124-81 at Target Center. Even in this less-than-marquee matchup, the Wolves made a dozen plays that would make a college team's season highlight reel.

In the third quarter, Jaden McDaniels, a 6-9 forward, executed a crossover that would have made Allen Iverson blush, went to the rim with his left hand, switched to his right and made a layup while drawing a foul.

In a recent game, D'Angelo Russell pulled his "rip-through" move, drawing a foul beyond the three-point line while getting his arms entangled with a defender. Off-balance, he tossed a shot toward the basket and swished it.

In another recent game, Anthony Edwards drove the lane, leaped off his sore left knee, cocked his arm to dunk with his right hand, saw a defender approaching, switched to his left hand … and dunked anyway.

NBA players have always been ridiculously skilled. What has changed is the effective size of their stage.

Thanks to Stephen Curry and his disciples, the scoring zone has been extended to 30 feet. NBA players not only make the three-point shot look easy, they are willing to take it when defended.

Watch the Wolves' bench players work or play a pickup game after practice, and the guys who can't get on the court for an NBA game are hitting shots that no college coach would allow his players to take.

Asked to name the Wolves' most spectacular practice player, Jaylen Nowell said, "Josh Okogie. He's out there hitting fadeaway threes, all that type of stuff. It's just the role he's playing right now. He doesn't get to take those shots in games, but he has a lot of stuff in his bag."

Okogie is a dynamic and relentless athlete. He was a first-round pick. He has trouble getting into NBA games. If you can't shoot efficiently in the NBA, you'd better be Dennis Rodman.

Asked if he still marvels at the skill of his players, Wolves coach Chris Finch said, "Absolutely. Every single night. You can't take it for granted. You see guys like [Karl-Anthony Towns], just some of the things he can do. You don't really get to appreciate some of these guys' talents until you coach them every single day, even if you're watching them from another team. We get a front-row seat to watch the best basketball in the world."

Towns was named the Western Conference player of the week on Monday, before the Wolves played the Portland Trail Blazers at Target Center.

He's a KAT of nine skills, or more. He's 6-11, 248 pounds and is making more than 40% of his three-pointers. He's a deft passer, runs the break, drives by closeouts and — it's hard to stress how remarkable this is — leads a playoff team in three-point and effective field-goal percentage.

Charles Barkley likes to chide Towns for not playing near the basket.

Barkley is a great entertainer whose strategic takes are mired in the '90s.

Towns should probably shoot more three-pointers. Because — stay with me here, this gets bogged down in complicated analytics — three-pointers are worth three points.

I asked Nowell which Wolf is best at H-O-R-S-E.

"Me," he said. "I like to shoot from behind the backboard, It never fails."

Someone mentioned that Edwards can make three-point shots with his back to the basket. "Give me like three or four days of practicing that," Nowell said. "Give me 20 shots a day, maybe 60 total, I'll probably have that in my bag."