of Minnesota Timberwolves is a quarter of the way through the first season, Rudy Gobertand the man who built the team with high expectations understands the unease about the uneven start to the corner of the fanbase.
“We’ve seen moments when it looks really good and moments when it doesn’t,” said Tim Connelly, president of basketball operations for the Timberwolves. athletic“If you asked me two months before the season started, I thought we were a little further ahead.”
The Timberwolves started 11-12 on Wednesday and were 11th in the Western Conference. They won’t even be able to participate in play-in tournaments once this season is over. Fortunately for them, the season isn’t over yet. Their blockbuster deal for Gobert this summer came shortly after Connery’s departure. Hired from Denver Dive into the fray, microscopically examining the Timberwolves’ ambitious yet polarizing plan to take over the Minnesota front office.
New executives take time to evaluate the roster before making as big a move as five draft picks, two pick swaps and some solid role players for stars like Gobert But Connery saw an opportunity to quickly upgrade a roster that was struggling to protect and rebound the rim, so he did.
Many across the league don’t believe the Gobert-Karl-Anthony Towns frontcourt works in the modern NBA. The Timberwolves’ struggles early in the season gave the skeptics plenty of ammunition. However, Connery is bullish on the pairing and believes the team is going through a process of adjusting to a completely different style of play, which should come as no surprise to him.
“We didn’t initially expect it to take off. We expected a lot of growing pains there,” Connelly said. “Personally, I think Rudy has been great. Once we are fully healthy, we have to find a way to employ all those people most effectively. It’s a win-lose league. If now If we can win three or four more, that’s a very positive thing.”
Connery knows that’s not the case, but his point was that in a crowded Western Conference, one good stretch could make things look much better. No, it’s only 2.5 games away sacramento 4th seed.
Putting together such a stretch will become more difficult over the next month during Townes. recover from calf strainTowns’ chemistry with Gobert was the most scrutinized aspect of the Minnesota lineup, but it was Towns who really felt best playing alongside Gobert on offense. He led the Wolves with assists to Gobert, demonstrating his willingness to incorporate him into the attack, occasionally turning the ball over while trying to involve Gobert. That enthusiasm on Townes’ part is a big reason Connery believes the pairing will work for the long haul.
“We’re not going to bury our heads in the sand and pretend we were perfect,” Connelly said. It didn’t work without watching a lot of conversations and a lot of tapes.”
Overall, the front office, owners, and coaching staff decided that adding Gobert could raise the ceiling for the team in the long run. Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley When Jared Vanderbilt I don’t. This was a move endorsed by the top of the organization, so everyone is investing in finding the right balance and bringing the organization together.
With a team still searching for the chemistry and cohesion that propelled the group to the playoffs last year, Towns and Gobert hit it off to the extent that it gives hope that the Wolves will blossom on the court when Towns returns.
“I think they really enjoy playing each other. I think they’re very unique,” said Connery. “Some nights we have tough games, some nights we have tough games. See? That’s what we’re working on right now.”
Deeper
Will Gobert welcome Embiid to Team France? Only if his ‘heart is with us’
Gobert averaged 1.3 blocks per game, his lowest since playing sporadically as a rookie, and well below his career average of 2.2. His 11.4 rebounds per game is his lowest since 2017-18. Connery believes it has less to do with Gobert’s talent and more to do with his adjusting to a new coach, new system and new teammates after spending the first nine seasons of his career at Utah. He said he playfully teased Gobert about his block rate.
“I think he’s just getting used to new people, new coaches,” Connery said. “I still think he’s the best rim protector out there. NBA, an elite rebounder and a guy who has a pretty good sense of what can and can’t be done on offense. ”
One of the biggest problems the Timberwolves have faced defensively is the guard allowing penetration from the perimeter and so far helping Gobert by grabbing long rebounds out of Gobert’s range. is not possible. Connelly jazz A guard that has been dealt with over the years relies too heavily on Gobert’s help defense if hit.
“There is no rim protector in the world that can handle live ball dribbling every game,” Connery said. “It doesn’t work. I had moments where I was like, ‘Hey, Rudy’s back, so I can play my defense.’ ”
Coach Chris Finch says the same thing, putting pressure on him D’Angelo Russell When Anthony Edwards For more consistent defense at attack points. They also ask when they have to help Gobert at the rim, when they let him clean things up on his own and try to stay home to the guarding players and limit the wide-open 3-pointers that are being generated. Still finding .Dribble Penetration.
Last month’s five-game winning streak, memphis Last Wednesday without town. But there were too many nights that lacked the competitive edge that drove this team last season.At home in San Antonio, New York, phoenix One of the disappointing efforts of the season. Energy deficits have gotten less in the last few weeks, but Connery and Finch are trying to impress the team with higher standards in that area.
If there’s an element to this team’s performance that Connery didn’t see when the season began, it’s it.
“When you’re over 82 games, you can’t do an A-game every night, but you have to do an A-effort every night.” It’s not us, it’s not who we’re aiming for, and I think there were some moments where it was surprising, disappointing, and frankly unacceptable.”
Connery and Finch have known each other for years. Both spent time with the New Orleans organization, and Finch was Michael Malone’s staff assistant when Connery ran the organization. nugget front office. Each day they talk about areas they need to work on after practice. Connery described Finch as “a great coach. One of the best coaches I’ve been around.”
“I’m pretty optimistic about the amazing group of people we have here,” Connery said. “I know we have the right coach. I know we have the right ownership. If that doesn’t work, point the finger at me. Big boy, I have very high hopes for this organization and myself, but with all these new faces it’s going to be difficult at times.
Deeper
Austin Rivers establishes position as Timberwolves leader amid team identity crisis
The heightened expectations and the stakes after paying a high price to acquire Gobert are evident in the faces of the players who survived the first half of this season. Clearly they believed that progress would be quicker and easier than ever before. One of Finch’s concerns heading into the season, he said, was that the team expected victory to come naturally. They are starting to realize that it takes harder work and more commitment.
“Finch is a great coach. He and his staff have done a great job addressing these issues,” Connery said. “We have really good people, people who have worked hard this summer, people who really care.
For now, Connery relies on his ability to build relationships and trust. It’s been a hallmark of his run in Denver, building a tight-knit group that has rallied for Western Conference contenders. It takes time, Connery said, and all they can do is roll up their sleeves and get to work.
He’s just starting to feel at home in Minnesota and understands the pressure everyone is putting on themselves to keep this team going in the right direction. If you want a change, he changes it. But he wants to give the group as much time as possible to figure things out before considering a deal. Starting next week, the chatter will begin, but deals usually don’t really move across the league until January.
“If this team doesn’t perform at a good enough level, the blame lies solely with me. It’s not these guys,” he said. “Building a good team is my responsibility under my role. But in that pursuit to get a good team out there, they’re really good people. It’s been really fun getting to know them and starting to feel at home and understand what makes them tick.”
(Photo by Tim Connery: David Sherman / NBAE via Getty Images)
