Julian AndrewsWeb Editorial AssociateTwitter
The Wolves are one of the best offensive teams in the NBA this season and are scoring at a historic rate for the organization.
The 2017-18 Wolves have scored over 100 points in 60 games so far this season, that’s more than any other season in Wolves history. They have also had the most 110+ point seasons in team history with 38, and the second-most 120+ point games (12), trailing only the 2013-14 teams (16).
Four of the Wolves’ top-five scoring seasons (including this one) have come in the last five years. The notable exception is the 1997-98 season, when the Wolves, led by Tom Gugliotta and a 21-year-old Kevin Garnet, scored more than 100 points 46 times. The 1997-98 Wolves had the second-best offense in the league behind the Lakers—who were in the early years of the Kobe Bryant/Shaquille O’Neal dynasty.
In 1997, O’Neal, Karl Malone, and Antoine Walker all finished in the top-five in points per game. The NBA has changed—you just don’t see big men (except Anthony Davis) scoring like that anymore.
But back to the Wolves. While changes in the NBA game and pace of play have certainly contributed to Minnesota’s increased scoring output in the last few seasons, this year’s Wolves team has an undeniably good offense.
With the scoring talent of Jimmy Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jimmy Butler, the Wolves have a core group of players who are capable of getting their own shots and deadly in the pick and roll—a necessity in the NBA today. They are joined by a supporting cast of players who can hit from three consistently and distribute the ball well.
The Wolves are scoring the sixth-most points in the league on the season and have six players on the roster who average double digit scoring. As Minnesota takes their potent offense into a crucial stretch of games heading for a postseason, one thing is certain—they’re going to put up points.