The Minnesota Timberwolves fell to the Milwaukee Bucks 115-102 on Friday night as they continue to find their identity this season. Falling to an elite team like the Bucks is understandable, but the way they lost brings more questions through the early part of the season.
Here are five takeaways from Friday night’s loss and what they could mean as the Timberwolves get ready to host the Houston Rockets on Saturday.
D’Angelo Russell is not himself
Russell has become a mercurial presence for the Timberwolves. Some nights, he can provide a performance that can carry the team. On Friday, it was a performance that bogged down the offense.
Russell shot just 3-of-15 from the field on his way to nine points, four assists and three turnovers. It was another poor performance from Russell, who seems to have lost his shot and confidence in the early weeks of the season.
https://twitter.com/WolvesClips/status/1588886456570941444
The Timberwolves need Russell, who shot 41 percent from the floor and 34 percent from 3-point range last season, to get going in order. Otherwise, Chris Finch may need to consider keeping him on the bench.
Rudy Gobert shouldn’t shoot 3-pointers
This seems pretty simple, right? Gobert was acquired to defend the paint and cause havoc around the rim but in the third quarter, the seven-foot Frenchman decided to go for his one shining moment by launching a 3-pointer that fell woefully short of the rim.
Rudy Gobert for 3 ! pic.twitter.com/CAUx2wfxwn
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 5, 2022
The shot was just Gobert’s 13th 3-point attempt over his 10-year career and he is now 0-for-13 from downtown. Jokes aside, it was another underwhelming night from Gobert who had three fouls and no points over 16 minutes in the first half.
Gobert salvaged his night by scoring 7 points and pulling down 13 boards, but it was a reminder of how dysfunctional the starting lineup has been this season.
Bet the against the Timberwolves in the third quarter
Just as shocking as Gobert’s ability as a 3-point shooter are the Timberwolves’ struggles in the third quarter. Minnesota has been dominated in the third throughout the season and that continued against the Bucks.
The Timberwolves entered the second half down by seven points but found themselves down by 22 after Jrue Holiday’s 3-pointer with 4:17 remaining in the third quarter.
JRU3333!! pic.twitter.com/MprpIbSnCQ
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 5, 2022
Ultimately, the Timberwolves made it look respectable but were still outscored 34-20 in the third, adding to the laundry list of problems in the early weeks of the season.
Naz Reid and the bench provided another charge
One of the players who has been hurt the most by the Gobert trade has been Naz Reid, but you wouldn’t be able to tell by his play on the court. Reid came off the bench and provided a spark for the Wolves during the fourth quarter when he blocked Giannis Antetokounmpo and raced down for a dunk on the other end of the court.
Naz Reid blocks Giannis Antetokounmpo + throws down the transition dunk pic.twitter.com/NPj3E153lC
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) November 5, 2022
Reid’s performance (eight points, five rebounds in 22 minutes) highlighted another strong night for the Wolves bench, which also saw Jaylen Nowell score 13 points with three rebounds, three assists and a +13 rating over 17 minutes.
It’s hard to peg where either player can find more playing time but if the bench keeps outplaying the starters, there might have to be a change.
The Timberwolves aren’t on the Bucks level…yet
The schedule hasn’t provided too many opportunities for the Timberwolves to prove themselves but Friday night was one of them. Playing the Bucks on national television in front of a large crowd was an opportunity to show they were figuring things out. Instead, it was an example of why the Timberwolves aren’t on the Bucks level as a championship-caliber team.
Antetokounmpo recorded a triple-double with 26 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists and Milwaukee never seemed threatened even playing without Kris Middleton and Pat Connaughton.
If Timberwolves fans are searching for some optimism, they can find it in last year’s start where Minnesota began 4-9 in their first 13 games and 16-20 in their first 36 games before finishing 31-16 over the final 47 games. Even that stretch contained a win over the Bucks, who look to be a tier above Minnesota after Friday night.
