12 Thoughts on Timberwolves Preseason Game #2

A thought for each of Anthony Edwards’ 12 points

AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn

The Timberwolves took the court against the Grizzlies again Monday night and did little to inspire more confidence than their first game. There were certainly still positives to take away from the game, but they clearly have some work to do in preparation for the regular season. Here are our 12 observations from game 2 of the preseason.

1. This is a long one. The Grizzlies are one of the worst possible matchups for the Wolves in the preseason. Minnesota has plenty to clean up before they play regular season games later this month, but there is no doubt that Memphis has just played very well in two preseason games. They are a team that relies on chemistry, grit, and crisp execution and they have shown all of those strong traits so far in the preseason. They are built to make life difficult for teams like the Wolves who will rely on skill and improvisation for offense, and struggle to defend against teams that attack the paint. I am willing to give the Wolves a slight pass on looking relatively poor in this most recent game because of the matchup and lack of familiarity with one another. They can prove me right with a better showing in their final preseason game against Dallas, or prove me wrong by showing they are just not ready.
2. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson staked his claim for a rotation spot on this team. It only took 15 minutes of playing time for Hollis-Jefferson in preseason game 2, but he showed that his energy and defensive effectiveness will make him invaluable for this team. 6/6 on field goals and 5/6 from the free throw line certainly helps too. His role is not quite yet solidified, but it seems he deserves not only a roster spot, but rotation minutes as well.
3. Ed Davis may be losing his grip on the backup center minutes. While RHJ has proven to be a valuable addition, Davis has had 2 poor showings in his first 2 games. The defensive toughness and rebounding that he was supposed to bring has not been prevalent enough to offset the little value he brings on offense. He may find himself as the 3rd center on the depth chart sooner rather than later.
4. The Wolves offense still looked discombobulated. Maybe it was naive to expect a rapid improvement in offensive execution only 2 days after their first preseason game, but many of the same chemistry and execution issues that plagued them in the first game were evident in game 2. The main culprit was the turnovers. They had 25 of them. I expect the shooting percentage to improve, they will need to clean up many of the live-ball turnovers to be taken seriously in the Western Conference.
5. Speaking of turnovers, the Wolves seemed intent on trying to make an “A+” play when a “B+” play will do. Towns and Rubio were two of the biggest culprits with trying to make flashy plays. Maybe it is because it is preseason and they want to try new passes to see if they will work, but both players committed live-ball turnovers several times when trying to do too much. However this should be relatively easy to clean up with some film sessions before the season opener.
6. An aggressive Anthony Edwards provided more hope for Wolves fans. The 19 year old rookie is going to make mistakes. As long as he makes those mistakes while being aggressive, Wolves fans will have patience with him. He drove to the basket hard several times against good rim protectors in Valanciunas and Dieng. While he was largely unsuccessful, he will need to keep trusting his physical tools to continue his development. His defense was pretty good as well using his length and athleticism to bother ball-handlers.
7. The Wolves need to follow the Grizzlies lead and bring their own energy every game. Without fans this season, teams like the Wolves may come out flat to begin games. They will need players and coaches dedicated to getting the team emotionally and mentally prepared. Who will that be on this team? That remains to be seen, but they will need it.
8. Jarrett Culver built on an impressive opener with another solid showing. Culver has been the clear front-runner in terms of perimeter defense and knowing where to be on both sides of the ball. He drained another 3 pointer and went 4/4 from the free throw line. With the team’s need for perimeter defense and overall basketball IQ, Culver is making a strong case to receive significant rotation minutes.
9. Ricky Rubio has not yet brought the stability to the team that Wolves fans had hoped. Again, it is just preseason and Rubio is a 30 yr old veteran. He is a basketball genius, and sometimes geniuses experiment and try new things so I am not yet worried about his ability to run the offense. It would be nice to see a little more structure on the court to help indoctrinate the newcomers into the offense, but for now Ricky has earned the trust to play a little erratically during the preseason. The Wolves will need his leadership and experience once the games count.
10. The Grizzlies are a DEEP team. The last two games the Grizzlies have been without 3 of their better players Brandon Clarke, Justise Winslow, and Jaren Jackson Jr. They were still able to rotate through smart NBA-level players for most of the game around their budding superstar Ja Morant. If they can get healthy, they may be a larger factor in the West than they have been projected.
11. D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley need to be staggered in the regular season rotation. Thus far both players have struggled on defense and have proven to be the only offensive players with the ability to consistently score off the dribble. Their skillsets may be relatively redundant, so staggering their minutes to make sure they always have a scoring guard on the floor will be beneficial to the offense and defense.
12. An 0–2 record so far in the preseason is discouraging, but does it matter? Probably not, as there are countless examples of players and teams looking bad in the preseason then playing well when the games matter. Some players are just able to turn it on. Hopefully that happens with the Wolves. There are some discouraging areas, mainly defending the paint and turnovers, but the hope is that we are overreacting to these problems now and the team will look a lot different in a few weeks.

-Jerry W.