There are games that you want to remember and ones you want to forget. There are games where everything goes perfectly, and games where everything goes terribly. There are also games like tonight, where seemingly all of those things happen all at once. Most nights, that would be a nightmare to watch and even worse to be on a recap for. Instead, tonight was fun.
It was not fun for Jaden McDaniels, who found himself in foul trouble for the entirety of this game, leading to what was likely the worst performance of his season. It was not fun for head coach Chris Finch, who perpetually looks miserable on the bench, whether it’s through ten point deficit or a 21-5 run.
Still, it was also really fun for most of the team. Donte DiVincenzo had three threes in the first half. Kyle Anderson is playing backup point guard. Anthony Edwards had that aforementioned crazy poster dunk.
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Nights like this are the meat and potatoes of the NBA season. These are not headlining matchups. These are not appointment viewing. These are not even on primetime television; instead, boasting the “FanDuel sports network.” Instead, these are the games that we miss in August when the season is a distant memory.
There’s so much left to discuss, so many bits of minutia we can focus on. So, to that note, let’s get started—
Wait, I’m being told I failed to mention something here.
Here’s what you guys missed from this game.
Alright. With all our Ts crossed and Is dotted, let’s get down to business.
The Kyle Anderson Experience
Slo Mo finished tonight’s game with four points, four assists, and three rebounds in only 15 minutes. Even with the deadline’s other acquisitions all being point guards, it’s been Anderson who is taking the bulk of the bench playmaking role.
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When people spoke about how the Wolves needed to improve, so many of the questions came down to backcourt depth. Conversations largely focused on finding a point guard to fix both playmaking and ball-handling deficiencies. Instead, Minnesota has found a bit of a platoon approach.
Anderson’s role also holds some playoff promise. The rotation has now expanded out to nine players. While it’s probably less than ideal long term that both TJ Shannon have been relegated to garbage time, Kyle offers the type of backup 3/4 minutes that Shannon ideally would have provided.
A frequently threadbare bench has now become a bit of a strength, with both the depth and specialists that mean that Finch can go from a seven-man rotation to a nine-man one and back again if needed.
Which brings us to our next topic…
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Bench Mobbing
Remember when the Wolves relied on Naz Reid as the only capable player outside of the top five starters? Remember when Mike Conley would come in and immediately get blown by, only for Chris Finch to tell non-believers that there were just no other options up and down the roster (Rob Dillingham believers did NOT like that idea)? Remember when Bones Hyland needed to be relied upon, even on nights when his shot wasn’t falling?
Well, these are not those Wolves of yesteryear. Between the additions of Ayo Dosumnu and Kyle Anderson, and the continued value of shock impact player Hyland and Sixth Man of the Year favorite Naz Reid, this bench unit is shockingly capable.
Nowhere was that more obvious than in the scoring column tonight. Six players finished in double digits. That was with McDaniels missing out by one bucket because of foul trouble.
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There is no reason that can’t continue.
Most importantly, there’s no reason why that isn’t translatable to a playoff environment. This era of Wolves basketball is defined by an overperformance of unexpected players. Realistically speaking, it is Bones Hyland who will find himself out of the rotation in May. However, that doesn’t mean his role of offensive sparkplug will cease to matter.
To that end, this team makes sense in a way that I can buy into. That has to count for something.
Closing Thoughts
With just about two months left in the regular season, the Wolves now sit at third in the West, a full game ahead of the fourth-seeded Rockets. They are a full five games back from the Thunder and Spurs pack of it all, but a few months ago, the idea of escaping the play-in felt far away and unlikely.
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There is no team that these Wolves can’t beat. They will once again be a popular dark horse for the title. But the good news is that no one is playing better than them. The same thing happened last year. And the year before.
Maybe the Anthony Edwards era will be defined by late-season runs that extend deep into the playoffs. There are far worse things to be known for than that. Even better, maybe sometime soon, those flameouts will become Finals appearances. And maybe, just maybe, those appearances become victories.
While Edwards is unquestionably the motor and frame of the car that is the Timberwolves, there is more to this vehicle than there was earlier. It’s not a carry job. It is an F1 construction finding stability through its well-tested and well-engineered parts, each functioning as needed.
Goodnight Wolves fans. Dream of Max Verstappen, or Dale Earnhardt, or Lightning McQueen. The race starts in 60 days. The car is hitting top form. The drivers are raring to go.
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Time to get to work.
Up Next
The Timberwolves will go for six in a row on Saturday afternoon against the Orlando Magic. The game begins at 2:00 PM CT, airing on Amazon Prime Video.
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