Timberwolves notes: Taurean Prince not afraid to speak his mind

With a few days off before playing Milwaukee on Friday, the Timberwolves got to the task of watching some film as a team.

Guard Jaylen Nowell said there was "a lot of film" that the team was digesting and learning from after their consecutive losses to San Antonio and Phoenix.

During those sessions, there's one player who speaks up and is "the leader in the film room" — Taurean Prince.

"He's just calling everybody out," Nowell said. "Whoever it is, whether it's the No. 1 guy or the No. 15 guy. He's calling everybody out, and that's where you get the respect from everybody."

Added center Naz Reid: "He's telling you what you've done wrong or right or giving you an example of what you should do. He's a great teammate, great vet. Nobody like him."

That's emblematic of the leadership Prince has brought since joining the team last season.

Coach Chris Finch said Prince's voice was an important one dating back to last season, even though that was his first with the team. Finch said Prince can be a "calming influence" for his teammates.

"He's really good in the film room, picking up little things, helping guys," Finch said. "His demeanor is nice and calm. He's been in our system now and he's really comfortable. You can see the way he plays, he's really comfortable in what we're doing, so he can lend some expertise there."

Even though he's just 28, Prince is in his seventh season in the league, giving him more experience than most of the Wolves roster.

"I've been a leader for a long time," Prince said before the season began. "I'm also well aware. I have great self-awareness. I know when to impose and when to kind of just talk less, I guess you could say. I think everyone is a leader in their own way if given the opportunity."

Reid said Prince is somebody who is in constant communication with teammates during a game and when he's on the bench, and communication is an area the Wolves have said they need to improve.

"TP's our guy. Especially for the second unit, he's somebody that leads by example," Reid said. "He does all the right things, even off the court. … He's a special basketball player as well."

"There is no other way to it, he's telling you what you've done wrong or right or giving you an example of what you should do. He's a great teammate, great vet. Nobody like him."

The Wolves entered Friday's game with the 27th ranked defensive rebounding percentage (.683). This statistic still languishes toward the bottom of the league despite Rudy Gobert leading the league in rebounding with 14 per game. Gobert averages 9.3 defensive rebounds per game, which ranks third in that category.

Finch said the Wolves need better rebounding from their guards, which is something the Wolves also needed last season.

"The box-out habits from the perimeter players, they're getting marginally better but they got to get significantly better," Finch said.

So far this season, Anthony Edwards has increased his defensive rebounding from 4.8 per game to 6.1 while D'Angelo Russell has increased his average from 3.3 to 4.1. Of other players in the starting lineup, Jaden McDaniels' rebounding has decreased from 4.2 to three. Karl-Anthony Towns, who no longer has to carry the responsibility of being the main rebounder with Gobert in tow, is at a career-low 8.3.

Gobert and Edwards both entered the game as questionable because of illnesses, but both were "good to go," according to Finch, and in the lineup. The Wolves had every player that's currently with the team available to play.