You may not be pleased with the outcome of the Minnesota Timberwolves lone preseason game at Target Center, but don’t allow the team’s only loss in their five-game preseason schedule to dampen your mood. There was plenty to appreciate even in a loss where the Timberwolves were beaten by ten points.
This one was never about winning. Preseason games are designed to allow NBA teams to shake off the cobwebs, knock off the rust, and experiment a bit with the rotations and schemes to see what works, and what doesn’t. While the Timberwolves did not win the game, the team flashed brilliance even in the jaws of defeat.
Chris Finch: “I really felt it was going to be clunky like that. I told the guys the best thing about it was we got a lot of things on film. … We have to let the offense breathe a little bit. Everything was trying to do way too much.”
— Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) October 15, 2022
After falling behind by as much as 17 points, the Timberwolves did manage to recover in the second half to inch back to within ten points of the Nets. So what silver linings did I discover in this one? I found three that are worth sharing:
III: Gobert is really good
The Timberwolves really had this game as the first real opportunity to compete with both Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. Neither has had the chance to synch up and build chemistry. But I have to say, from what little I witnessed from their ability to compliment one another on the basketball court together, I did thoroughly enjoy what I saw.
But even on his own, Gobert gives the Timberwolves an upgrade on both offense and defense. Just watch how he grabs the offensive rebound off a missed Jaden McDaniels shot and scores:
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 15, 2022
The difference maker in this one is that the Brooklyn Nets were able to sink their three-point shots with phenomenal accuracy. That will not be the case every night. Gobert was solid in 30 minutes as he scored 16 points, hauled in eight rebounds, and even came up with four steals. That’s not bad for a guy who continues to work on playing on the Timberwolves roster.
II: Slo-Mo will compete for the NBA Sixth-Man of the Year Award
The truth is that Kyle Anderson comes in and simply delivers. That’s exactly what the Minnesota Timberwolves need, particularly on a night when so little is going their way.
Things are in total disarray and Kyle Anderson is still just out there making really nice…
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