The Minnesota Timberwolves are a whole different team this season.
They went from barely making the playoffs last season to being a legitimate force, and they’ve done it with essentially the same roster.
Notably, they’re playing much better defense, and that has been the major turning point for them this season.
That’s why former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins urged everybody to just watch them play defense.
Talking on the Pat McAfee Show, Perkins praised the physicality and defensive pride Chris Finch’s team is playing with right now (Via NBA on ESPN).
.@KendrickPerkins loves what he's seeing from the Timberwolves on defense 😅
(🎥: @PatMcAfeeShow) pic.twitter.com/SLlwZKvdVn
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 28, 2024
He stated that they’re deliberately looking to make other teams uncomfortable and hold them under 100 points, which is a beautiful thing to watch, especially in today’s offensive-driven era.
Perkins talked about how Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards have become a deadly defensive duo, while Rudy Gobert is already a bona fide stopper in this league.
Edwards wasn’t much of a stopper when he first entered the league, but he’s taken major strides on that end of the floor, and he’s taking a lot of pride in checking the opposing team’s best scorer.
As for Gobert, he’s no longer the liability he was when other teams stretched the floor and tried to get him on an island in isolation or on the perimeter; he’s elite in that regard now as well.
The Timberwolves miss Karl-Anthony Towns on offense, but they’re getting solid production from Naz Reid, and he’s also a better defender, so don’t sleep on this team in the playoffs.
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