What can these up-and-coming Timberwolves learn from their 1st playoff series loss?
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Minnesota Timberwolves flourished in their first full season under coach Chris Finch, leading the NBA in scoring, improving on defense and reviving their long-frustrated fan base while reaching the playoffs for the first time in four years.
They pushed the Memphis Grizzlies hard once they got there, too, outplaying the No. 2 seed in the majority of games before those fourth quarter failures became too much to overcome. The Grizzlies won the first-round series in six games.
More progress is no guarantee in this league, though. Taking the step to be where Memphis is this weekend with fellow Western Conference semifinalists Phoenix, Golden State and Dallas will be tough enough. There are other teams to fend off, too.
The Clippers will be healthy. Who knows what the Lakers are going to do? Denver should be healthier. So theres definitely teams thatll be rising up, Finch said. Theres also those teams that end up kind of puking on themselves, and we just cant be one of them.
Check out some of KAT's most ferocious slams from the regular season.
After so much turnover throughout the career of franchise centerpiece Karl-Anthony Towns with players, coaches and executives the Timberwolves have finally established a chemistry and a culture that works, even if theyll need to make more adjustments and enhancements to the roster.
Everyone wants to go to the same hotel room and hang out with each other, Towns said. Its very funny to see 15 millionaires arguing about pizza. We could all just buy our own pie at that point.
The exit interviews with players on Saturday morning were revealing to Finch.
Nobody had any plans. Nobody had given much thought about what theyre going to do now, which means they were still completely locked in, thought they were going to win, thought we would be moving on to a Game 7 and beyond, Finch said.
The Grizzlies became the first team in NBA history with multiple victories in a playoff series after facing fourth-quarter deficits of 10 points or more, a feat they accomplished three times against the Wolves. Finch repeatedly pointed to the drawback of hero ball, when their leading scorers Towns, Anthony Edwards and DAngelo Russell stagnate the offense by valiantly but overconfidently trying to win the game with one big shot.
The Timberwolves have been losing big leads in the 4th quarter because they are not playing smart basketball.
The long-term benefit to the lost late leads against the Grizzlies was the way it exposed the weaknesses in their game.
I think thats something that now resonates with the players, when youre harping on it on a daily basis, but they havent yet really paid the price for it. Those are just lessons that you learn. Do not touch that, its hot, type stuff, Finch said.
Finch said he didnt think the Wolves ever ultimately maximized the collective abilities of Towns, Edwards and Russell in a symbiotic way this season.
The Grizzlies had success double-teaming Towns in the post, as one example of an area of growth. Edwards had 151 points in the series, the most in franchise history for a playoff series, but his performance was uneven at times, too.
I still dont make a lot of reads that I should make to soften the defense up, but I will after this summer, Edwards said. Just watching film, knowing what to expect, how theyre going to guard you, what theyre going to throw at you.
Russell will enter the final season of the maximum contract he signed as part of the trade that sent him from Brooklyn to Golden State three years ago, and its not clear yet whether the Wolves will commit to him as part of the core with Towns and Edwards beyond the upcoming season.
The seventh-year veteran had an up-and-down series. Backup point guard Jordan McLaughlin was running the offense so effectively down the stretch in Game 6 that Russell spent most of the fourth quarter on the bench, an understandable decision by Finch that Russell predictably said he was not happy with. Russell also acknowledged his on-court chemistry with Towns has been rocky over the two years theyve been together, interrupted often by injuries and COVID-19.
I think were such fans of each other that we found a way to make it work in moments where you probably didnt have the chemistry, Russell said.
The sudden dismissal of Gersson Rosas as president of basketball operations right before the season began led to the elevation of Sachin Gupta to the role on an interim basis, and his status has yet to be finalized. Finch, who was given a contract extension earlier this month, has made it clear he wants to continue working for him.
Hes been a huge reason that we have stability in this organization right now, Finch said.
Edwards gets most of the spotlight, but the other player the Wolves plucked in that 2020 draft, Jaden McDaniels, has given them another promising building block as an athletic, reliable two-way forward. He set a team postseason record in Game 6 on Friday with 24 points off the bench.
The sky is the limit for both of us and where we can be in the next couple years, McDaniels said. Im just excited to see that.
Read this article:
Wolves realize progress from 1st-round exit not a given - NBA.com
- Proof-of-Concept Exploit Released for Progress Software OpenEdge Vulnerability - The Hacker News - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Progress being made on fire alarms, Oswego town supervisor says - oswegocountynewsnow.com - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Progress on the Boyertown Express featured at Dinner - Berks Weekly - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Fire Crews Stop Forward Progress of Two-Acre Brush Fire Near Vandenberg - Santa Barbara Edhat - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Hopewell plans to install speed cameras at three city schools - Progress Index - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- New numbers on progress of penny sales tax - The Post and Courier - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Long Island woman who survived acid attack continues to make progress in recovery - PIX11 New York News - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Beam marks progress toward bringing 1st-ever MLS team to San Diego - NBC San Diego - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- McKone: Irish-American progress and paradoxes | Perspective | timesargus.com - Barre Montpelier Times Argus - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Big East reportedly making a lot of progress on media rights deals with CBS, Fox - Awful Announcing - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Berrien County farmers note slow progress on the new Farm Bill - News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- END OF SESSION: Sen. Crider and Rep. Cherry reflect on progress made during the legislative session - Greenfield Daily Reporter - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Vowles being patient with Sargeant but expects to see "progress" - RaceFans - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Inflation ticked up in February, reversing some prior progress - ABC News - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Latest NEOM progress video of The Line is indicator of scale - Supercar Blondie - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Statewide Impact of Ohio Intel ProjectEvident in Initial Progress Report - Scioto Post - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- SpaceX makes significant progress with third Starship orbital test flight - TechCrunch - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- UPDATE: Forward progress stopped on vegetation fire near Lompoc - KSBY News - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Lady Rattlers and Diamondbacks ready to roll - Progresstimes - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- SpaceX celebrates major progress on the third flight of Starship - Ars Technica - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Helldivers 2 Galactic War live map: Track status and progress with this Liberty-approved web app - Windows Central - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Pittsburgh police will only respond to calls of in-progress emergencies as part of new staffing plan - Police News - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- A year of achievement, rebuilding and progress for utilities - Yoursun.com - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Trkiye: No Direct Dialogue with Damascus, No Progress in Normalization - Asharq Al-awsat - English - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- A WORK IN PROGRESS | News | shelbynews.com - Shelbynews - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- From recurrent networks to GPT-4: Measuring algorithmic progress in language models - Tech Xplore - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- U.S. Inability To Address Nuclear Waste Harms Environmental Progress - Newsweek - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Park Progress - Greater Wilmington Business Journal - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- SF supervisor to hold hearing on homeless-shelter progress | Housing | sfexaminer.com - San Francisco Examiner - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- 'It's good to see progress being made on the site': Revised vision for Liberty Theater property in Libertyville - Daily Herald - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Diversity Among Emmy Winners Is a Result of Industry Progress - TheWrap - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- What would Dr. King say about progress and 2024? - The Chicago Cusader - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Police: Petersburg woman reportedly used hammer to hit her boyfriend - Progress Index - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Spokane County crews make great progress ahead of another storm system - AOL - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Lady Tigers Split Last Weeks Game's Lexington Progress - lexingtonprogress.com - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Lexington Police Investigate Shooting at Walmart Lexington Progress - lexingtonprogress.com - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Scotts Hill Lions Dominated Last Week Lexington Progress - lexingtonprogress.com - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Older Couple Rescued From Submerged Vehicle Lexington Progress - lexingtonprogress.com - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Fore-ward Progress | Bintelli's new River Ridge facility to focus on making electric golf carts - WDRB - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- VIDEO: Project manager gives update on Glenn McConnell Widening progress - Live 5 News WCSC - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Truck driver sentenced for trafficking cocaine to Prince George County - Progress Index - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- After decades of little progress, Milwaukee begins new approach to improve lives of Black men and boys - madison365.com - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Women are bored of waiting: Slow progress on shattering the glass ceiling on company boards - I by IMD - I by IMD - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Now Accepting Applications for the 2024 Progress Software Mary Szkely Scholarship for Women in STEM - GlobeNewswire - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- "Some progress made" at Onslow BOE meeting, according to number of parents - WCTI12.com - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Spokane County crews make great progress ahead of another storm system - Nonstop Local - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- DeSantis took credit for Florida's progress but Iowa may have sniffed out his bravado | Opinion - Yahoo News Canada - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Has the Israeli Military Made Progress in Its Goal of Destroying Hamas? : State of the World from NPR - NPR - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Jan. 19 Panel Examines 30-Year Progress of Women in Research - Mirage News - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Ducks' Midseason Check-in: Progress, Improvement Areas & More - The Hockey Writers - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Companies are hiding their climate progress. A new report explains why. - Grist - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Lou Leonatti With Progress Mexico Gives Hospital Bankruptcy Hearing Update On AM 1340 KXEO Am I Awake Morning Show - KXEO - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Seaside Heights Wants to See Progress From Developers, Will Investigate 'Bamboo' Property - Shorebeat - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Progress over perfection: Is Coach modelling a path for fashion transformation? - Vogue Business - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Watch the video of the Edmonds armed robbery in progress - MyNorthwest - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Albemarle County house burns to the ground in late night fire - The Daily Progress - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- GHDDI and Microsoft Research use AI technology to achieve significant progress in discovering new drugs to treat ... - Microsoft - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Henderson County Suspects Apprehended in Trenton Lexington Progress - lexingtonprogress.com - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- HCFD Reports Lowest Number of Residential Fires - lexingtonprogress.com - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Unlocking The Future: CAGA's Progress In Web3 And Blockchain Innovation - Benzinga - January 18th, 2024 [January 18th, 2024]
- Underwhelming performance: Quarterbacks still a work in progress - Daily O'Collegian - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Governor Hochul Announces Progress in Increasing MTA Accessibility - ny.gov - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- A progress report: The columnist's garden in September - Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- September 2023: Innovative researchers celebrate scientific ... - Environmental Factor Newsletter - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Progress over perfectionism - Lynn University - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Signs of progress on new Folsom Medical Office Building - UC Davis Health - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- LA District FUDS team makes progress on Nellis Remedial Action ... - spl.usace.army.mil - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- UFC Fight Night 226 winner Volkan Oezdemir pleased with progress after training with Khamzat Chimaev - Yahoo Sports - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Seeing signs of progress, Tigers take on White Sox - Deadspin - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Qualifications recognition: A door to collective progress - University World News - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Farm Progress Show opens on Tuesday in Decatur - Herald & Review - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- General Squier sculpture is in progress - The County Press - Thecountypress - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Antimalarial drug discovery: progress and approaches - Nature.com - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Seeing signs of progress, Tigers take on White Sox - The Albany Herald - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Commentary: Nurturing progress The evolution of the Annie ... - Standard-Examiner - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- World Cup kiss: feminist progress is always met with backlash, but ... - The Conversation - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Mapping Progress in Pancreatic Cancer Surgery: Looking to the ... - OncLive - September 1st, 2023 [September 1st, 2023]
- Review in progress: 'Starfield' takes the 'Skyrim' formula out into the ... - GeekWire - September 1st, 2023 [September 1st, 2023]
- Falmouth Water Quality Committee Making Progress On Ocean Outfall - CapeNews.net - September 1st, 2023 [September 1st, 2023]
- Youngstown schools, teachers make progress on negotiations ... - Youngstown Vindicator - September 1st, 2023 [September 1st, 2023]