The Minnesota Timberwolves played a special game against the Indiana Pacers at the Hilton Coliseum on the Iowa State campus as former Cyclone Tyrese Haliburton got his first game action in over 600 days. He addressed the crowd before tip-off, leaving a buzz circulating through the arena. Many were excited to see Hali’s first action at his alma mater, but just a three-hour and 15-minute drive north will bring you to Minneapolis and the Target Center. Timberwolves jerseys littered throughout the crowd to see Ball and Edwards put on a show. They did not disappoint.
Breaking Down the Starters
Minnesota ultimately lost the matchup 123-11, but there was plenty to take away from a second game of these new-look Wolves as the starters played the entire first half and nearly half of the third quarter.
The Wolves jumped out to a quick 10-point lead early in the contest through smooth ball movement and exceptional defense from both McDaniels and Gobert, but quickly realized that this Pacers team is no Milwaukee Bucks, especially with the return of their star floor general in Haliburton.
Things got ugly fast, though, as Minnesota went into the half with 13 turnovers, leading to some quick, easy looks for Indiana. The Pacers lit up the scoreboard early as well, shooting 62% from the field and 50% from three after the first quarter.
Sloppy rotations, lack of urgency to close out, and general confusion smothered the Wolves’ defense against a much smoother Pacers team. However, Minnesota was able to reel the troops in and grab 18 points off turnovers from Indiana to close the half.
All while that was happening on the defensive end of the floor, LaMelo Ball was showing what he brings to this Minnesota team on the offensive end. He finished his evening with seven assists, all in the first half, 14 points on 5-9 from the field, and 4-6 from three. That includes one cold-blooded three to tie the bow on quarter one. What Ball was able to do on the floor, manipulating defenders, was on display, especially for his running mates, Anthony Edwards (19 PTS, 5-10 from the field, 4-5 on threes) and Jaden McDaniels (16 PTS, 6-10 and 4-6 from the same distances).
Edwards found himself with more space to shoot than he had at any point last season. He started off the game deferring to his teammates, which allowed Ball to get his game going before a detonation happened in the second quarter from the three-point line. One of those shots was an electric back-and-forth between Ball and Edwards.
Not many shots felt forced from Edwards, who seemed to play at his own pace rather than trying to make something happen. That will be huge for the superstar, who was so often overtasked and can now expend more energy on the defensive side of the floor.
McDaniels had a signature quietly efficient game. Sprinkle in a couple of easy looks courtesy of Ball, and it’s starting to feel like McDaniels may put up his most efficient offensive year yet, as hard as that is to believe. The offensive barrage Minnesota laid on Indiana in the second quarter propelled them to a four-point lead at half.
Out of all the starters, it was apparent that Jonathan Kuminga is still figuring out his role in the offense and even on defense. The Wolves’ abysmal first quarter defensively was due in part to confusion on defensive rotations leading to wide open looks. A handful of contested looks and poor shot selection led to a two point night and 1-for-9 from the field. He was provided a couple of open looks from three-point range, but ended up missing all three attempts.
There weren’t as many impressive flashes as Monday’s game in Milwaukee, but there is still plenty of intrigue that Kuminga will be an effective player for this team at the power forward position.
With the preseason being a time to get a look at some of the young talent, tons of eyes were following Joan Beringer, who was looking to build on an impressive performance in Milwaukee. He was able to match up against one of the league’s best bigs in Ivica Zubac.
Just like many young players in their sophomore season, it was up and down for Beringer, who went to the bench after his first stint with a -11 plus-minus. He was able to grab eight rebounds, but he is one of the most raw prospects in the league right now. You can see the development happening on the floor with each minute, but you also realize there is still so much work to do with his game.
As preseason games go, it comes down to the guys who are fighting for the final spots on the roster. When the Wolves made the deal to trade established veteran Josh Green for former 10th overall pick Cody Williams and journeyman John Konchar (who they later cut), eyebrows were raised.
His first two years in the NBA have been rocky, to say the least, but he’s far from a lost cause. He’s gone from sub-40% from inside the three-point arc to making a huge leap to 56% from two in year two. Although he only shot 2-for-7 from the field tonight, he showed characteristics that may give him the chance to stick in the league.
Anthony Edwards gushed about his defensive potential, which showed on Wednesday through tipped passes, physical defense, and shot contesting.
His offense was also impressive. Nearly all of his passes were led with anticipation and rarely put the ball in danger of a turnover. He only finished with one assist, but could’ve easily had three, producing wide-open looks for Bones Hyland. A Beringer block would lead to a Williams fast break, who proceeded to posterize Quenton Jackson with a two-hand slam.
It’s not likely Williams sees a consistent role for this specific Wolves team, but there are some real NBA tools he has in his bag, and I will be intrigued by his development this season.
So far, after two games, this team has been pleasant on the eye. Edwards seems to be reaping the benefits of having a de facto ball handler. We don’t know how much more the starters will play as four preseason games remain. Their next matchup will be opening night as they’ll take on the Miami Heat.