The Minnesota Timberwolves are 2-2 after the opening week of the 2024-2025 campaign. All four matchups had their good and bad aspects, but considering the toughness of their schedule and the fact that they have a lot of new members, 2-2 seems like a pretty good place to be. It was good to see Chris Finch pacing in front of the bench again after recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon. Additionally, the fans have real optimism for the first time in ages. Minnesota sold 11,000 season tickets for the first time since its inaugural season in 1990. Results are expected, so here’s what went well, not so well, and atrocious.
Timberwolves’ First 4 Games: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Good
Three-Point Shooting
The Wolves shot 41.8 threes per game in their first four contests, the seventh most in the NBA. They are making 16.5 of those attempts per contest, putting their percentage at 39.5%, which is the fifth-best among all teams. Their stars have been especially efficient: Anthony Edwards is shooting 41.5%, and Julius Randle is shooting 62.5%. Other contributors have been Naz Reid (44.4%) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (66.7%), and although Donte DiVincenzo has struggled, he will likely improve over the next few games. Consistent shooting from role players will make Randle and Edwards More comfortable as playmakers. Furthermore, Edwards is shooting over 40% while taking over 13 threes per game. While Minnesota would like to see him attack the baskets, proving that he can consistently make triples will make it significantly easier for him to get penetration. The same is true for Randle.
Edwards and Randle
Opening night against the Lakers was a rough night, as Edwards had to put the team on his back, and Randle was unwilling to take many shots. Chris Finch noted that he wanted to see more aggression from Randle, who responded by scoring 33 points two days later. Overall, Minnesota’s two stars have been fantastic to start the season. Randle is averaging 23.3 points per game with eye-popping shooting splits, along with 5.0 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game. Ant, meanwhile, sits at 30 points per game. There was a moment at the end of the Raptors game where he and Julius got down the floor first on a fast break. Randle gave the ball to Edwards for a colossal throwdown. It’s only been four games, but these look like two All-Stars who can lead this team to a playoff run.
The Bad
Mike Conley
The Timberwolves brought in Rob Dillingham to be their future point guard. Although he has not played yet this season, people are excited to see him out on the floor. With how Mike Conley has been playing, they might get their wish. The 17-year veteran has struggled to find his rhythm early in the year. He is averaging 7.5 points per game while shooting just over 20% from the field. He only scored 10 points once, and he shot 2/9 in that game. Conley was crucial to Minnesota’s success on both ends of the floor last season. He needs to be more solid if they hope to find success this season.
Defense
After having the league’s best defense last year, they have been shaky at best to start the season ranking 13th in defensive rating. They are allowing 111.5 points per game, which is 12th in the league. Also, they are only forcing 11.3 turnovers per game 29th in the league while ranking last in points off turnovers. Their lineup is far too talented and experienced to make this a consistent theme throughout the season. It’s understandable to have trouble at the beginning, considering their new additions and strength of schedule. Be that as it may, The Timberwolves’ offense has been under a lot of pressure because of their inability to get stops. They are under enough pressure as it is, particularly the new guys. Chris Finch and company need to have a strong showing in the upcoming week, especially in games against weaker opponents.
The Ugly
Turnovers
It’s not just the inability to turn opponents over, which was noted in the previous section. They are tied for 20th in the league with 16.5 turnovers per contest. It’s not getting better either; Minnesota had 20 turnovers against Dallas and only forced 9. This season, The Mavericks, the Thunder, and the Nuggets all average less than 12 turnovers per game. Those are potentially the three biggest threats to the Timberwolves in the Western Conference. It’s safe to say that Minnesota will not finish as a top team in the West if this trend continues for the whole year. Hopefully, the turnovers will decrease as Mike Conley and Donte DiVincenzo, the point guards, begin to play better. If not, well, fans might get a little frustrated while watching this team make the same mistakes over and over again.
