Tuesday’s Timberwolves practice was a spirited and competitive one where everybody was on the same page—no excuses, we have to go on a run.
The Wolves have been cursed with injuries lately and it looks like they will still be shorthanded against Memphis. Tyus Jones and Rob Covington are still out and though Derrick Rose practiced he didn’t take contact and is questionable for Wednesday’s game.
However, the Wolves are looking forward and taking things as they come.
“I probably sound like a broken record… but it’s because I believe in it. Everything is day by day. You need to look forward, you need to have goals, and I realize that, but if we take care of what we’re supposed to take care of today, tomorrow’s going to take care of itself,” said Interim Head Coach Ryan Saunders. “I believe in that. But we do understand there needs to be a heightened urgency as you want to be more firmly in the playoff picture.”
“The team is ready to make a run. We’re a no-excuses team,” said Karl-Anthony Towns. “Health or not we’re going to go out there and play extremely hard and give ourselves a chance.”
One of the biggest factors in the Wolves getting that chance will be the continued excellence of Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins has played extremely aggressively the last few games and has been crashing the boards at a career-high level. Saunders expects a lot out of the young forward and Wiggins has delivered.
“I believe in Andrew. I always have and I’ll continue to,” he said. “There is something there and him making this first step of really trying to be aggressive in terms of rebounding and doing other things within his game, then also having more consistent games scoring the ball and being aggressive, he’s on a great path.”
Where does that path lead?
“Next step in my mind is just another level of consistent impact of the game,” Saunders said. “It’s just impacting the game when your shot isn’t falling, on the defensive end, on rebounding, are you getting loose balls, things like that.”
Wiggins’ teammates know he’s capable of bringing that increased energy for the team each and every night—it’s what they need from him and what they expect him to deliver.
“The guy is a competitor,” said Towns. “We all told him how much we needed him and he’s going out there and doing everything he can to give us a chance to win. Rebounding great recently, scoring the ball amazing, playing with confidence. All around, his confidence is at an all-time high.”
It’s not just Wiggins that has stepped up at the right time for the Wolves. Minnesota has gotten key contributions from players like Luol Deng and Jerryd Bayless who might not see the floor with the team at full health. Their preparation to be ready for times like this has not gone unnoticed.
“They’re professionals. They’ve been good. When they’re called upon, they come in, you’ve seen the results. They work in practice and it shows in games.”
The Wolves face the Grizzlies on Wednesday night at Target Center. You can get tickets for that game here.