Timberwolves survive Jaden Ivey-powered Pistons despite poor defense

The primary crux of good NBA offense is advantage creation. Whether that be through ball movement, player movement, transition or winning in isolation, playing out of advantage opportunities leads to good looks. The Timberwolves are at their best defensively limiting those advantage opportunities as much as possible. Throughout this season, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels have propelled Minnesota’s defense by getting in a stance and keeping the ball in front of them defensively. In some of the Timberwolves roughest losses—vs. the Sacramento Kings, at the Oklahoma City Thunder, etc.—their ball containment just wasn’t good enough, failing to limit straight-line drives.

Wednesday night is another good example of how point-of-attack play impacts the results for Minnesota’s defense. Ivey had his way against the Timberwolves as have other premier, quick guards such as De’Aaron Fox and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Ivey’s speed maximizes his finishing ability while nullifying help rotations if, and it’s an important if, he blows by his defender.

In this clip, Ivey’s subtle jab step right gets Alexander-Walker off balance, opening up a straight-line, downhill driving lane. Ivey then beats Rudy Gobert to the rim. Gobert is left helpless as Ivey goes unbothered to the rack.

In this clip, Ivey’s subtle jab step right gets Alexander-Walker off balance, opening up a straight-line, downhill driving lane. Ivey then beats Gobert to the rim. Gobert is left helpless as Ivey goes unbothered to the rack.

Now let’s compare that straight-line drive from Ivey to a another drive from Kendrick Nunn last season, when the Timberwolves hosted the Los Angeles Lakers early in Gobert’s Minnesota tenure.

Former Timberwolf Jaylen Nowell gets beat off the dribble at halfcourt. However, Nowell is able to ride Nunn’s hip on this drive. This slight contact prevents Nunn from taking a straight path to the rim. This small difference is all it takes to give Gobert enough time to rotate over and show why he’s the French Rejection. An important part of what makes an anchor like Rudy Gobert so valuable is initial point-of-attack defense.

On nights where the Timberwolves defense uncharacteristically struggles, ball containment is the first component to evaluate. Are teams getting straight-line drives? Is Minnesota preventing drives completely? Are the drives contested before the finish? On Wednesday, Ivey took advantage of poor point-of-attack by Minnesota. Finishing with 32 points and six assists, Ivey created countless advantages for the Pistons, leading to a lot of good results.

The Timberwolves are really, really good

Even with poor ball containment for their standards, the Wolves still won rather comfortably. A team poised to enter the luxury tax next season, Minnesota is reaping the benefits of a talent-laden roster this year. With three true All-Star candidates, multiple All-Defense caliber defenders, great top-end depth and a smart, versatile coach, the Timberwolves are a true force.

On Wednesday night, the Wolves’ five starters combined for 104 points. Towns and Edwards totaled 54 points between them as Towns shot 5-5 from behind the arc. KAT carried his elite efficiency into Detroit and fueled Minnesota’s offense. Edwards doled out eight assists as he continues to take small strides forward in his development as a lead guard.

Behind KAT and Ant, the Wolves received massive contributions from McDaniels. Coach Chris Finch often calls McDaniels the “barometer for our offense,” and his involvement Wednesday night is a real positive sign.

McDaniels connected on eight of his 11 shot attempts including 3-4 from three. Finishing with 23 points, McDaniels posted a new season-high en route to the Timberwolves win.

Minnesota’s dominance this season has been fueled by an impressive collection of talent. With five high-quality starters and really good depth with Naz Reid, Kyle Anderson and Alexander-Walker, the Timberwolves are flat-out loaded. While fans enjoy this season, other teams should fret a potential playoff matchup with Minnesota.