The Wolves fell to the Indiana Pacers 103-90 last night in Indiana.
It’s the preseason, so we’re not going to reflect on the score or the fact that the team’s younger players got worked in the second half of the game.
What most fans came away with (and rightfully so) from last night’s game was that Andrew Wiggins is the real deal. In 32 minutes of play, Wiggins finished with a game-high 18 points to go with four rebounds, three assists, three blocks and a steal. He shot just 4-of-11 from the field, but he was 2-of-2 from the 3-point line and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line.
A few observations from that video:
That shot at the 20-second mark was very Kobe-like. Just saying.
(Troll, “HE’S COMPARING HIM TO KOBE BEFORE HE’S EVEN PLAYED IN AN NBA GAME!”)
Sorry, Solomon Hill. What are the chances Wiggins leads the team in blocks this season?
Nice extra pass by GRIII at the 39-second mark. You could tell the rookie wanted to go up with it, but smartly made the pass to the corner.
Wiggins looked good and most of all, never really seemed out of his element. That’s good to see for T’Wolves fans.
Not So Great For Another Rookie
Zach LaVine had a very solid Training Camp and offseason. Unfortunately for the high-flying rookie, Tuesday night’s game wasn’t his best. LaVine shot just 2-of-9 from the field in 25 minutes of play. It wasn’t necessarily that he missed shots that’s concerning, but more of his shot selection. It seemed like he forced some shots. Saunders admitted after the game that LaVine had a rough night.
The good thing about LaVine is that he’s a gym rat (I’ve heard rumors he sleeps at midcourt every other night… Kind of weird, but whatever) and he has tons of confidence. That helps after games like these.
LaVine wasn’t the only one to struggle, though. Ricky Rubio, Shabazz Muhammad, J.J. Barea, Robbie Hummel and Chase Budinger shot a combined 8-of-34. That’s barely over the Mendoza-line in baseball. That will have to improve.
The true winner of the night? Brady Heslip. Played one minute and 22 seconds. Nailed a three.
Goodnight, Indiana.
Don’t Panic
If you’re a weirdo who takes preseason games really serious, let’s pump the brakes a little bit here. Anthony Bennett, Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic and Mo Williams didn’t play. Martin and Pekovic, of course, are two of the team’s best offensive players, while Bennett and Williams are two of the top bench players on this team. While there’s plenty of room for improvement, Saunders didn’t bring out his best lineup.
The Pacers, although without Paul George, did have their projected starters in for the majority of the first half.
For Indiana, Shayne Whittington led the way for the second unit. The forward-center had 11 points off the bench, going 5-of-5 from the field. George Hill (who Indiana traded Kawhi Leonard to get) had a game-high 17 points to go with seven assists and six rebounds.
The Wolves took today off of practice, but will be back at it tomorrow before hosting the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday at 7 p.m. Remember, the Wolves are also selling outdated memorabilia during the game. Alexey Shved fans, this might be for you.