Shootaround

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The Wolves are in Oakland today to face the Golden State Warriors. It goes without saying that it will be a tough matchup. There was a time this season when the Warriors looked vulnerable, but that time has passed. Golden State has won six of their last eight games—getting Steph Curry off the injury report has been huge. Additionally, the Warriors will get Draymond Green back tonight after an 11-game absence.

However, the Wolves got some good injury news of their own. Robert Covington will likely play after missing the Wolves’ loss to the Blazers with a sore right knee. Covington said Monday that he had a good rehab session and is feeling ready to go. We’ll see before tipoff what coach Tom Thibodeau decides.

Whatever ends up happening, Covington won’t play if he doesn’t feel like he’s ready to be at his best for the Wolves. 

“If you’re going to go out and play you got to play, if you feel like you can’t you can’t,” he said. “If you’re going to be out there you have to be out there. There’s nothing that can be half, you got to really be engaged.” 

Coaches in the NBA vary a lot in how much credence they give to statistics, but most fall in the camp of believing that advanced stats are helpful tools despite being an incomplete picture of what a player brings to the team. There’s one stat in particular that Thibodeau particularly likes, something called net plus/minus per 48. It takes into account what players do on the floor compared to when they’re off of it over the course of 48 minutes. While Thibodeau wasn’t going to reveal the formula, he did say that it generally gives different results than more readily-available stats. That statistic also loves Covington and Dario Saric.

“I wouldn’t base it on one game, but I think over a period of time, I’ve used it for years…I’ve found that over time it has been accurate,” said Thibodeau. “It’s not the only tool, you know after watching a game who’s doing their job and who’s not. All those things factor in but I think it’s pretty obvious to everyone when you look at the impact that Robert and Dario have had on the team. It’s changed things for us.”

In the era of advanced stats, it’s always interesting to hear about head coaches’ philosophies on how those numbers should best be utilized.

Thibodeau often talks about Saric being a winner. That’s especially true of Saric’s approach to his minutes. On a different team Saric could be starting and playing a lot more than he does here but playing behind Taj Gibson is what gives the Wolves the best chance to win. Saric respects Gibson’s game immensely and is fully aware of that fact. 

“Sometimes you get the opportunity to play more sometimes you get the opportunity to play less, but right now I’m happy and trying to give 100 percent,” he said. “At this time, it doesn’t really matter about my role and everything, I just really want to help the team and try to make [the] playoffs.”

Everything is coming together for the Wolves with Covington and Saric, and the most important thing to Saric is that continued progress.

“You figure out how to play with these guys and everything starts to fit in piece like a puzzle. I hope we will start to win some games in a row. I hope that starts tonight.” 

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Shootaround Report | Covington Injury Update And Tom Thibodeau’s Favorite Statistic

One of the big stories coming into the postseason was the performance of the Wolves’ young players.

Several key pieces of this team are in the midst of their first-ever playoff run—including Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Towns’ playoffs didn’t get off to the best start, but he unlocked something in Game 3 that should carry over to the rest of his playoff games—and the rest of his career. Towns refused to back down, even in the face of some of the most difficult basketball he’s ever had to play.

“The playoffs are all about toughness, and I think our young guys are starting to learn that,” said coach Tom Thibodeau after Monday's shootaround. “Adding guys like [Jimmy Butler] and Taj [Gibson] have helped to speed up the process.”

“Experience is the greatest teacher. He’s learning that,” said Thibodeau of Towns. “Just learning, the ball will find the energy. The more he’s being double-teamed, how you respond and react to that is critical. You can’t let that take away from your aggression.”

“KAT did a really good job of getting to his areas last game and making plays,” said Jeff Teague. “Everybody is just growing together.”

Wiggins has not had the same struggle. Through three games he’s been the most consistent player on the Wolves, playing with confidence and poise in the most pressure-filled contests he has ever been a part of. His teammates are taking notice:

“We all know what he’s capable of. He’s just got to have that mindset that he’s going to go out and show how he’s the best player on the floor,” said Butler. “Everybody’s trying to instill that in him, whenever he decides to do it, you get that performance you got last game.”

Wiggins isn’t paying attention to any outside noise—he doesn’t go on social media very much, he says he’d rather play video games and play with his dog.

“We’re not really worried about what the outside world thinks,” he said. “Feeding into all that stuff is poison. You don’t want to let it get to you. You just have to stay focused and do what you have to do.”

That’s exactly the mature attitude the Wolves need from their young star. Coming off a win on Saturday, Minnesota is ready to come out with energy and focus in Game 4. With every game, the younger Wolves players become that much more experienced. While it will take a while for Towns and Wiggins to understand the playoffs like Teague and Butler do, they should be very proud of the progress they’ve shown so far.

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For Young Wolves, Experience Is the Best Teacher

The Wolves held shootaround on Tuesday prior to Game 2 against the Rockets in Houston.

One thing the Wolves learned in Game 1 is the intensity of playoff basketball.

That’s something that Andrew Wiggins said was apparent right away.

“You know how the game’s going to be played, called, the physicality of it,” Wiggins said after shootaround.

Wiggins is a player who came out of the gates hot in Game 1, scoring eight of the team’s first 10 points. He finished the game with a team-high 18 points. One challenge Wiggins, and the rest of the team has in this series is slowing down James Harden. Harden finished with 44 points in Game 1. One player can’t stop Harden, but it’s a team effort to try to slow him down.

“Body position, you know. And a guy like that, you have to make him work for his points,” Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He’s going to be capable of big nights. He made shots. Some other guys didn’t make shots. They’re a great team, so it’s a lot more than just James Harden.”

The Wolves are down 1-0 and although they had an opportunity to take Game 1, that has no bearing on tonight.

 “We’re ready,” Taj Gibson said. “We understand that we kind of let one go. But we’re a young team. We’re still learning. But guys are ready. We had a good two days of practice. Go out there and play hard and good things will happen.”

The Wolves and Rockets tipoff tonight at 8:30 p.m. CT on Fox Sports North, TNT and 102.9 Buz’n FM.

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Game 2 Shootaround Report

Here we are, hours before the Timberwolves' biggest game of the season.

With just two games remaining, the Wolves could clinch a playoff spot tonight with a win over the Grizzlies, a Nuggets loss to the Blazers and a Spurs win over the Kings.

While Memphis is well out of the playoff hunt, Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau knows his team has to bring it all against a team that is 2-0 against the Wolves this season.

“This is what it’s all about,” Thibodeau said after Monday’s shootaround. “The intensity of the games. The concentration that’s necessary. That’s why everything does matter. Those habits you built all season long come to the forefront.”

One player who could prove to be Minnesota’s x-factor down the stretch is forward Nemanja Bjelica. Jimmy Butler is back and that moves Bjelica back to the bench, but he still has plenty of value.

Bjelica is averaging a career-high 7.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game this season while shooting a scorching 42.2 percent from the 3-point line.

In 17 starts for Butler, Bjelica averaged 10.6 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 41.4 percent from the 3-point line.

“What he’s showed us is he’s able to handle starting, not starting, he played the three, he played the four . . . And that versatility to me is what makes him valuable,” Thibodeau said.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on Monday night at Target Center. The game will air on Fox Sports North Plus and 102.9 Buz’n FM.

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This Is 'Why Everything Matters'

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With just five games remaining for the Timberwolves in the 2017-18 regular season, the stakes are high for Sunday’s contest versus the Utah Jazz.

By night’s end, if the team takes care of business, Minnesota could move up to the fourth seed in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, if the Wolves drop tonight’s matchup, the squad could drop to seventh place.

Needless to say, there’s a lot on the line at Target Center.

A regular season game this meaningful hasn’t been played by the hometown team in over a decade, and with that, the venue will be packed.

Wolves fans are on pace for selling out Target Center for the 15th time this season – tying for the most sellouts in a season since 1991-92.

Around 500 tickets remain for the contest, with limited seats available at Timberwolves.com/tickets.

“Everyone’s fighting for the same thing this time of the year,” said head coach Tom Thibodeau. “It’s competition, we want it to be hard.”

Tipoff tonight is set for 6:00 p.m. on Fox Sports North and 830 WCCO.

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Shootaround Report | Playoff Implications

The Wolves play tonight against the Knicks in New York at Madison Square Garden.

While the Knicks haven’t had success as of late (three playoff appearances since 2004) and sit at 26-46 this season, Madison Square Garden remains one of the premier places to play in the NBA.

“It’s that glow, you see the lights hitting you,” Wolves forward Taj Gibson, born in Brooklyn, said after Friday’s shootaround. “It’s just good vibes. It’s an awesome place to play . . . Just watching these games so many times here when I was young.”

Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau was an assistant coach for the Knicks from 1996-2003, and Gibson remembers those days well.

“Seeing Thibs when he had hair on the bench,” Gibson joked.

It’s be a reunion of sorts in a few different ways. Michael Beasley has become a solid contributor for the Knicks, averaging 12.8 points per game in 21.9 minutes per game. Beasley played for the Wolves from 2010-12.

Wolves point guard Derrick Rose, who played with the Knicks last season, will not play tonight or tomorrow in Philadelphia, per Thibodeau. The coach likes what he’s seen from Rose thus far. In five games, he’s averaged 6.6 points in 11.6 minutes per contest.

“He’s added a lot to our team,” Thibodeau said. “The big thing is, gotta be healthy, but he’s played well.”

One player who has played well of late is Jamal Crawford, who played for the Knicks from 2004-09. Crawford has scored 20 points in each of the last two games, including Tuesday’s win over the Clippers which ended a two-game skid.

“I think when you kind of graduate to being a good team, even one loss feels like too many,” Crawford said. “So for us, to lose a couple, or a few in a row, so we wanted to get our mojo back.”

 The Wolves go into Friday night with a 41-31 record, seventh in the West.

Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on Fox Sports North and 830 WCCO.

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Wolves Prep For Game At MSG

It’s no secret that every game for Western Conference playoff teams are crucial at this point in the season.

The difference between the third seed and the 10th seed in the West is just five games.

The Wolves haven’t played a playoff game 2004, but every game over the last two weeks has felt like one.

That’s no different tonight with the Wolves in San Antonio to take on the Spurs.

The Wolves, 40-29, sit at fifth in the West, while the Spurs, 39-30, are in eighth.

“It feels different,” Wolves center Karl-Anthony Towns said after Saturday’s shootaround. “It’s more of a playoff atmosphere. Everyone’s fighting for their lives right now. Everyone’s trying to give that last push through the finish line.”

As if we needed more drama, the season series is tied at 1-1 between the two teams, and with this being the final matchup, this is the tiebreaker. With how tight things have been in the West, there’s a pretty good chance that a seed or two will indeed come down to the tiebreakers.

“We knew this was a tough stretch for us, an important stretch for us,” Tyus Jones said. “Every game means something at this point in the season with how the West standings are looking.”

Tipoff tonight is set for 7:30 p.m. on Fox Sports North Plus, NBA TV and 830 WCCO.

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Shootaround Report | Playoffs In March

Not one player can replace Jimmy Butler in the Timberwolves’ lineup. It sounds cliché, but it’s absolutely true.

One player who has noticeably stepped his game up has been forward Nemanja Bjelica. Bjelica primarily played the 4 prior to Butler’s injury, but since, he’s bounced back between both forward spots.

In six games since Butler’s injury, Bjelica has played 37.7 minutes per game while averaging 13.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while shooting an efficient 50 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from the 3-point line.

“I’m trying to stay ready to take care of my body,” Bjelica said after Tuesday’s shootaround. “ . . . We have 14 more games before playoffs . . . We have (a) good atmosphere on the team.”

On March 8 against the Celtics, Bjelica put up a career-high 30 points rebounds. Three nights later he had an all-around performance of 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in a huge win over the Warriors.

“Just the versatility,” Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. “The length is important I think in terms of challenging shots. Rebounding and the shooting opens up the floor.”

Bjelica will hope to keep that up tonight as the team takes on the Wizards in Washington. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. on Fox Sports North, NBA TV and 830 WCCO.

The Wolves are hoping to carry over their momentum from Sunday’s win over the Warriors. Minnesota sits at 39-29, sixth in the West, 0.5 games back from the four seed and 1.5 games up on 10th place.

“Anyone who’s looking at the West right now knows it’s very tight,” Andrew Wiggins said. “So, very game counts. Every game’s a big game.”

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Shootaround Report | Bjelica Stepping Up Big Time

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