Hitting the Hardwood

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Mitchell HansenWeb Editorial Associate Twitter

When Kris Dunn entered the NBA after being drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 5 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, he joined a team as a 22-year-old guard who was older than a handful of his new Wolves teammates.

And during his rookie season, he found himself turning to those younger players for advice on how to avoid the rookie wall in his first professional year.

“Throughout my rookie year, you know there is going to be some ups and downs. I knew that and my family knew that. Throughout my life, I have been going through ups and downs,” Dunn said. “The downs, you just have to battle through it. I might not get the minutes that I want, the shots that I make, but you just have to fight through it.”

Throughout his first season, Dunn has primarily served as the backup point to Ricky Rubio, averaging 16.9 minutes per game. Through 68 games, Dunn has averaged 3.9 points, 2.3 assists, 2.2 rebounds and just under one steal per game.

“Every rookie gets a little tired. It’s a long season. You’re not used to playing 82 games, but he’s been fighting through a lot. He’s a warrior. He plays hard every possession,” Andrew Wiggins said of Dunn. “There was a point in time (in my rookie season) where I just couldn’t feel my legs anymore. I was tired. But it’s different now, I feel prepared and feel good.”

Dunn has shown flashes of what he is capable of throughout the season. But as of late, Dunn has seemed to be finding his groove as his rookie season approaches an end.

In his last three games, Dunn has averaged 11 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals and one assist in 29.2 minutes per game. He is also shooting 53.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three. That three-game span was highlighted by a career-high 17 points and four rebounds in Saturday’s loss in Portland.

“Just come in and work, that’s what he has to do. That’s a part of learning about what being a pro is. We have good veterans that are around who have been through it and he has done a good job with that. It’s just being a pro, understanding what goes into it,” Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I think when you establish a routine and how you prepare for each day, that’s why you don’t want anything to change. You can find an excuse every night in this league if you choose, but it’s about understanding what goes into it each and every day.”

Like many rookies, there have been ups and downs to Dunn’s first season in the NBA. But Dunn is focused on proving himself as a guard in the league.

“Getting to the NBA was probably the best day,” Dunn said. “Now, it’s time to stay here.”

Tuesday night’s game in Indiana marks the seventh road game in the last 10 contests for the Wolves.

On Thursday, Minnesota returns home for its final multi-game homestand of the regular season, hosting three Western Conference opponents in five days.

The Wolves will host the Los Angeles Lakers at 7 p.m. Thursday, will face the Sacramento Kings at 7 p.m. on Saturday and will host the Portland Trail Blazers at 6 p.m. Monday at Target Center.

The Wolves wraps up a three-game road trip on Tuesday night when they take on the Pacers at 6 p.m. in Indiana. The game will be aired on Fox Sports North Plus and 830 WCCO. 

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Hitting The Hardwood | Kris Dunn Finding His Groove

Mitchell HansenWeb Editorial AssociateTwitter

Towns, who is in his second NBA season, and Wiggins, who is in his third year in the league, are both having career years for the Wolves this season.

Following Tuesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, Towns is averaging a career-best 24.6 points, career-high 12.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists this season. Wiggins is averaging a career-best 23 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists this season.

As a duo this season, Towns and Wiggins are averaging 47.6 points per game, which ranks seventh-best among scoring duos in the NBA.

Towns and Wiggins are also the top single-season scoring duo in Wolves history. Kevin Love (26.1 points per game) and Kevin Martin (19.1 points per game) previously held the record of 45.2 points per game in the 2013-14 season.

Part of the reason for the increase in scoring is trying to fill the void of Zach LaVine after he went down with a torn ACL in his left knee on Feb. 4. Another part is also due to the always-evolving skillsets of Towns and Wiggins.

“We’re getting better every game,” Wiggins said. “Me, KAT and Zach (LaVine) were the main primary scorers on the team. Now that Zach’s out, we need to step it up more obviously. The ball is in our hands more and we need to do more with it.”

Towns and Wiggins are having another stellar season for Minnesota. And let’s remember, these two are still 21 and 22 years old.

Muhammad Getting In The Groove Off The Bench

Since he broke into the league in 2013, Shabazz Muhammad has spent a majority of his time in Minnesota coming off the bench and serving as the Wolves’ sixth man. 

This season has been no different. And Muhammad has yet again thrived in his role.

Muhammad has scored 20-plus points coming off the bench 21 times in his career, which ties Sam Mitchell for most in Wolves history.

In his fourth season in the NBA, Muhammad is averaging 9.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in just under 20 minutes per game. In his last five games, Muhammad has averaged 15.2 points and 3.2 rebounds.

Muhammad is embracing the role of being the spark off the bench for the Wolves this season, and his numbers are certainly showing that.

The Wolves are back in action on Friday night when they take on the Los Angeles Lakers at 9:30 p.m. in Los Angeles. The game will be aired on Fox Sports North and 830 WCCO. 

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Hitting the Hardwood | Towns, Wiggins Duo One Of The NBA’s Best

When Zach LaVine went down with a torn ACL in his left knee on Feb. 3, the Minnesota Timberwolves knew they needed everyone to step up to help fill that void.

Along with the contributions from others, Ricky Rubio has stepped up big for Minnesota. And right now, the sixth-year point guard might just be playing some of the best basketball ever in a Wolves uniform.

In his first 44 games prior to LaVine’s injury, Rubio averaged 8.6 points, 8.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game.

In the 16 games since the injury, Rubio has averaged 13.1 points, 11 assists and 4.4 rebounds a game.

And in the Wolves’ last three wins, Rubio has outperformed some of the NBA’s best point guards. Rubio tallied 15 points, 12 assists and six rebounds against Chris Paul and the Clippers last Wednesday, he finished with 17 points, 13 assists and four rebounds against Steph Curry and Warriors on Friday and went off for 22 points and a franchise record-breaking 19 assists in Monday night’s win over John Wall and the Wizards.

“Those are big-time plays. I think those assists that he’s throwing, everyone’s looking for a pass,” Karl-Anthony Towns said of Rubio. “When you have a person like that, you just find an open spot on the court and put your hands up because you don’t even have to say anything, he’s seeing it already.”

Although there have been some ups and downs this season for Rubio, the Spaniard is having a career year this season.

Rubio is averaging 9.8 points, a career-best 8.9 assists (tied for 5th in the NBA), 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game this season.

Rubio has always been able to pass the ball unlike many other guards in the NBA, but he has also become a serious scoring threat for the Wolves as of late. This season, Rubio is shooting career-highs in field goal percentage (40.1 percent), two-point percentage (45.2 percent) and free throw percentage (86.8 percent).

“We are playing great basketball against great teams right now. We aren’t just competing, we’re winning games. That’s what this team was supposed to do. It’s a great feeling when you go out there and you know you can beat anybody,” Rubio said.

“It feels great. I’m in my sixth year here and haven’t felt that since my rookie year. The fans have been great. But right now, they are awesome and we are giving them a great reason to come here and cheer for us.”

There have been many players and many factors that have fed into the Wolves playing well in the second half of the season. But Rubio is in the middle of all of it, playing great basketball for the Wolves. Maybe some of his best basketball yet.

With Monday’s 15-point win over Washington, Minnesota has now won four straight games at the Target Center and nine of its last 14 games.

“Winning or losing, we are garnering experience. Every time we do something well, we do something great. Every time we do something bad, we learn and try to do better next time,” Towns said. “The discipline that we need to win big games against big-time opponents is something that was growing and it took time.”

The hot streak couldn’t come at a better time in the season for the Wolves, who are in the middle of the hunt for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Minnesota, who trails the Denver Nuggets at the No. 8 seed in the West by 3.5 games, will have the tough task of playing 11 of its final 17 games on the road to end the season.

But with the way the Wolves are playing, mainly against Western Conference playoff teams, that 3.5-game gap behind the Nuggets could continue to shrink in the upcoming weeks.

“Right now, we can’t make any mistakes. Every game matters a lot. We can’t focus on other teams, we just have to focus on what we have to do,” Rubio said. “We just have to go out there and play every game like it’s our last.

“We’re learning. . . It seems like we are playing some of the best basketball in the league right now.”

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Hitting The Hardwood | Is Rubio Playing His Best Ever?

Andrew Wiggins broke into the NBA in 2014 as one of the most anticipated prospects in that year’s NBA Draft.

Wiggins, who was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers and later traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, became one of focal points in the Wolves franchise at the age of 19. 

Many had high expectations for Wiggins, while many still do. That’s a lot to ask of any player, of any skill level.

Well, Wiggins has lived up to all of that hype so far in his NBA career. And he’s finding his way into the history books already in year three.

In his third season, Wiggins is enjoying a career-best year. And if you saw videos of Wiggins working out last offseason, you understand why. The dude has worked extremely hard on his game.

As we sit at the All-Star break, Wiggins is averaging 23.2 points (18th in the NBA), 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 37.2 minutes per game. All career-highs.

Wiggins is also shooting the ball better than ever, especially from three. He’s shooting 35.5 percent from deep (up from 30 percent last year) and is shooting 46.3 percent from the field. Both are career-bests. Yes, there’s a trend going here.

In the 57 games this season leading up to the All-Star break, Wiggins has played some of his best basketball yet.

In his last 15 games, Wiggins is averaging 27.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 50.5 percent from the field. Since his teammate Zach LaVine went down with a torn ACL on Feb. 3, Wiggins has stepped up, averaging 29.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals in eight games. He has been shooting a lights out 52 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from three during that span.

To add to all of that, Wiggins has most recently been adding himself to some impressive lists in Wolves and NBA history.

On Feb. 14 against the Cavaliers, Wiggins passed Isaiah Rider (4,315) for eighth on the Wolves’ all-time scoring list. Wiggins currently has 4,384 points in 220 career games.

To put that into perspective a little bit, Kevin Garnett, who is the Wolves’ all-time leading scorer with 19,201 points in a Minnesota uniform, scored 3,999 points in his first 220 career games.

Also, Wiggins, who turns 22 years old on Feb. 23, trails only LeBron James (7,067), Kevin Durant (5,967) and Carmelo Anthony (5,405) on the list of the most points ever scored prior to his 22nd birthday.

Who are the players Wiggins is ahead of on that same list, you ask? Kobe Bryant (4,240), Dwight Howard (4,210), Tracy McGrady (4,187), Chris Bosh (3,773), Garnett (3,662), Kyrie Irving (4,623), Anthony Davis (3,558) and Shaquille O’Neal (3,500). Just a few notable names on that list.

Wiggins closed out play prior to the All-Star break playing arguably two of his most dominant games all season in a back-to-back against Cleveland and the Denver Nuggets.

With scoring 41 points against the Cavs and 40 points the next night against the Nuggets, Wiggins became the second Wolves player (Kevin Love, 2014) to ever score back-to-back 40-plus point games. Wiggins also joined James, Iverson and Kevin Durant as the only players under the age of 22 to record back-to-back 40-plus point games.

Already in year three, Wiggins has put himself on some impressive lists and has entered his name into categories with some of the top players in the game, as well as with some of the top players in Wolves history.

Many, including Wiggins himself, had hoped and expected this from the Toronto native when he came into the league in 2014. And everyone is getting a look it all so far in his young NBA career.

Here’s to 22, Mr. Wiggins. If the past three seasons are some form of foreshadowing, we can’t wait for what lies ahead. 

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Hitting The Hardwood | Andrew Wiggins Is Making History

As you all know by now, the Wolves lost Zach LaVine for the season last weekend after he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee against the Detroit Pistons.

The injury drew an abrupt halt to LaVine’s third NBA season, which was without a doubt his best professional season yet.

Let’s go back and take a closer look back at the season that LaVine put together for Minnesota.

In 47 games, the 21-year-old wing from UCLA averaged 18.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, three assists and 0.9 steals, while shooting 45.9 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from three and 83.6 percent from the free throw line.

Compared to his sophomore season last year, LaVine made big strides in year three.

This season, LaVine saw an increase of 4.9 points per game, 0.6 rebounds per game and 9.2 more minutes a game this season. He averaged 3.4 more field goals a game (11.7 to 15.1), increased his shooting percentage from 45.2 percent a season ago to 45.9 percent this year. He also saw his free throw percentage jump up 4.3 percent.

Credit for that goes to LaVine’s great work ethic in both the offseason and during the season, in hopes of proving himself as more than just a two-time Slam Dunk Champion.

He certainly proved that to everyone this season.

“It’s who he is. . . He made himself into one of the best two-guards in the league. His all-around game has really blossomed,” Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I think he’s shooting the three great, the free throws, the drives. All of it. He’ll get through it. He’s a mentally tough kid. As I mentioned, he’s already talking about what’s next.”

His season may have come to a close, but if this season was any indication of where LaVine’s hard work will take him, he will continue to improve when he returns and as his career advances.

For a majority of the season, Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns have been putting up career-best numbers. In the last 10 games, the two have been crazy good offensively.

Wiggins has averaged 24.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and one steal in the last 10 games, while Towns is averaging 29.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 blocks and one steal during that same span.

Wiggins, in his third season, is averaging 22.2 points (23rd in the NBA), 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists this season.

Towns, in his second season, is averaging 23.3 points (15th in the NBA), 11.9 rebounds (seventh in the NBA), three assists and 1.5 blocks per game.

The Wolves are back in action at 7 p.m. Wednesday night when the Toronto Raptors come to Minneapolis. The game will be aired on Fox Sports North and 830 WCCO.

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Hitting The Hardwood | LaVine Improvement Previews What’s To Come

Throughout the course of his three-year NBA career, Andrew Wiggins has always been capable of stepping up and taking the big shot with the game one the line. 

But this season, he has succeeded in taking that challenge when the Wolves have needed it most.

So far this year, Wiggins has hit multiple shots late to either tie the game or give Minnesota the win.

“I believe in myself,” Wiggins said. “My teammates trust me to put the ball in the basket when it counts.”

On five different occasions already this season, Wiggins has either tied the game or put the Wolves up with under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

“In the fourth quarter, you have to have the courage to take and make, and he does,” Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. “The more he does it, the more comfortable he’s going to get. We all have a lot of confidence in him.”

Wiggins first showed us his clutch gene this season with a game-tying three against the Charlotte Hornets on Dec. 3. His shot tied the game with nine seconds left, forced overtime and the Wolves came away with the 125-120 win.

In the last week and a half, Wiggins has turned it up a notch.

On Jan. 22, Wiggins played a large role in Minnesota’s 111-108 win over the Denver Nuggets, hitting a jumpshot to put the Wolves up two with under two minutes to go.

Last Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns, Wiggins hit his trademark one dribble pull-up jumpshot as time expired to give the Wolves a 112-111 win.

Yet another example was on Monday night against the Orlando Magic, when Wiggins hit a tough jumper with 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter to tie the game, send it to overtime and help Minnesota win 111-105.

“We believe in him,” Ricky Rubio said. “He’s carrying us in those tough moments.”

Among all of this is the fact that Wiggins is statistically having his best season as a pro. Through 48 games this year, the former Kansas Jayhawk is averaging a career-high 22.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

There’s no question Wiggins has shown up big in the clutch this season and has played a large role in helping the Wolves pull out some key wins as of late.

Since Jan. 9, Minnesota has been one of the hottest teams in the NBA.

The Wolves have the fifth-best record in the league during that span, holding an 8-3 record in 11 games. Minnesota has also gone 6-1 at home in the last seven games.

During that span, Minnesota ranks third in the league in field goal percentage (49.1 percent), fourth in the league in assists per game (26.3), sixth in blocked shots (5.8), ninth in defensive rating (105.1) and 11th in the NBA in offensive rating (108.8).

The Wolves, who have a record of 19-29 and are tied for 10th place in the Western Conference, look to stay on track as they hit the road for a two-game road trip beginning with a game against the defending champions Cleveland Cavaliers at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Cleveland. The game will be aired on Fox Sports North, ESPN and 830 WCCO.

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Hitting The Hardwood | Wiggins Keeps Coming Up Big For Wolves

As the new year began earlier this month, the Minnesota Timberwolves ran into some struggles.

The young Wolves team kicked off the 2017 year losing four straight and towing the line of being in the bottom two spots in the Western Conference standings.

But recently, Minnesota has flipped a switch and has become one of the hottest teams in basketball in the last two weeks. And their run as of late as has helped push them back into the playoff picture.

The Wolves enter Tuesday winners of five of their last seven games, including wins against playoff-caliber teams such as the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers. Minnesota rides into Arizona on Tuesday hoping to extend their winning streak to three games, which would be the second time this season that has occurred.

But before we look ahead to the games this week, let’s dive into some reasons why the Wolves have found recent success as of late.

I think this one is pretty obvious. Towns has been outstanding all season, really. But in the last seven games, he’s been on another level than everyone else.

Towns is averaging 22.5 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and 1.5 blocks this season. In the last seven games, he is averaging 28.6 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 blocks and one steal per game.

Oh, and this dude is only in his second year and is just 21 years old. Just a friendly reminder.

And in many of those games, including the wins over the Clippers last Thursday and the Nuggets on Sunday, Towns has played some of his best basketball late in the game to give Minnesota the late push in close games. 

We’ll see if his efforts this season, especially in the last few weeks, help earn him a spot in the All-Star Game when the reserves are announced on Thursday.

Another reason for the recent success of the Wolves have been the production from their point guards.

It hasn’t been just one guard in particular, but rather all three of Minnesota’s point guards on their roster have stepped up when their numbers have been called.

Rubio has averaged 11 points, 12.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals while playing in six of the past seven games. He is averaging 7.7 points, 7.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game this season.

Kris Dunn and Tyus Jones have found themselves primarily coming off the bench, but have also played key roles in late-game situations recently.

In the last seven games, Dunn has averaged four points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game, highlighted by his near triple-double of 10 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in Sunday’s win.

Jones has appeared in four of the last seven games, averaging five points and two assists. He finished with nine points and four assists on Sunday.

Dunn is averaging four points, 2.5 assists, 2.3 rebounds and one steal in 17 minutes per game this season. Jones is averaging 3.4 points, 2.1 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 10.8 minutes.

Minnesota’s defense has also shown improvements in the last month, but more noticeably in the last few weeks.

According to NBA.com, from the start of the season leading up to Jan. 1, the Wolves ranked 26th in the NBA in defensive rating (107.9) and held a record of 11-22.

Since the first of the year, Minnesota ranks 10th in the NBA in defensive rating (105.1) and has resulted in them going 5-6 to get to 16-28 overall.

This season, one consistent thing throughout the season has been Minnesota’s offensive production. The Wolves have been in the top half of the NBA in offensive rating this season, ranking 13th (105.8).

When you have three guys that are floating around 20 points per game, while also having other players on the team capable of heating up at any moment from multiple areas on the floor, that will happen.

One thing Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau has preached this season is ball movement. This season, Minnesota is 10th in the league in assists with 22.9 per game. But during their last seven games resulting in a 5-2 record, the Wolves have averaged 26 assists a game, which ranks third in the NBA during that span behind the Denver Nuggets (30.3) and Golden State Warriors (32.7).

During the past seven games, the Wolves have found themselves winners in four straight home games at Target Center.

This season, Minnesota is 10-13 in front of their hometown crowd, while going 6-15 on the road.

The Wolves are better in almost every category at home, which is to kind of be expected. Minnesota scores 104.7 points per game at home, while tallying 101.8 on the road. The Wolves are shooting 2.2 percent better from the field and 3.9 percent better from three at home, while carrying an overall +/- of +2.4 in Minneapolis compared to -4.9 on the road.

The good news? Nine of the next 12 games for the Wolves will be played at Target Center, starting with Thursday’s game against the Indiana Pacers.

The Wolves look to continue to build off of that success at 8 p.m. Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns in Arizona. The game will be aired on Fox Sports North Plus and 830 WCCO.

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Hitting the Hardwood | A Look Into Minnesota’s Recent Success

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Ricky Rubio will be the first to admit that he had a rough start to the 2016 season.

As the Wolves point guard began his sixth NBA season, he hit a bump in the road. In the second game of the season against the Sacramento Kings, Rubio sprained his right elbow – which happens to be his shooting arm – that sidelined him for the next five games.

But as Rubio returned to Minnesota’s starting lineup after the injury, it took him a while to get back to feeling healthy.

“I feel good. . . I never had any problems with my elbow before, so I didn’t know what expect,” Rubio said. “I’m feeling better.”

Now, Rubio feels like he is back to feeling healthy and playing like how he knows he can. And recently, there’s no denying that Rubio has been playing some of his best basketball of the season.

“I’m learning the system, I’m learning a new way to play,” Rubio said. “At the end of the day, I have to play my game. I feel more comfortable now and I try to lead this team with the experience that I have. . . We just have to keep trusting the process.”

This season, Rubio is averaging 7.6 points, 7.9 assists, four rebounds, 1.9 steals and just 2.2 turnovers per game.

In the last five games, Rubio has been a big part of Minnesota winning three of those five games. During that span, Rubio is averaging 11.4 points, 12.6 assists, four rebounds and 2.6 steals while also going up against the likes of Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley.

“I feel very in control of the game. My teammates are making shots and I am trying to look for them,” Rubio said. “It feels good.”

In fact, Rubio has played a large role at the point for the Wolves this season. In wins, he is averaging nine points, 10.5 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. In losses, he is averaging 6.8 points, 6.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.

“I just love playing with Ricky, man. Great player,” Brandon Rush said. “Ricky is always trying to make the extra pass and the right play. Things are starting to work out for us.”

Although he did get off to a slow start to the season, Rubio once again looks comfortable orchestrating Minnesota’s offense. And most importantly for the Wolves, he’s feeling healthy once again.

“He’s great. He’s just amazing right now,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “For him to do what he is doing right now is amazing. He’s such a catalyst to our team and such a big part of the team.”

The Wolves take on the Spurs at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night in San Antonio, which will be aired on Fox Sports North Plus and 830 WCCO, in the second game of a three-game road trip that concludes in Los Angeles against the Clippers on Thursday.

The Wolves will return home this weekend to take on the Denver Nuggets at 6 p.m. Sunday. Minnesota will play 10 of its next 14 games at home leading up to the All-Star Break in the middle of February.

There will be plenty of opportunities to head to Target Center to catch a Wolves game in the coming weeks.

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Hitting the Hardwood | A Healthy Rubio Boosts Wolves

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