We’re almost there, y’all. A mere two preseason games stand between us and the start of the NBA regular season. There have been some great storylines thus far that have made all of these preseason games worth watching, and our Minnesota Timberwolves are getting their identities and rotations firmly established as the team looks to start the year strong.
On deck this Wednesday we have the Detroit Pistons, who are due to give their starting players some burn as the team has only played in two other preseason games so far. Regular Detroit starters Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren did not play in their last game against the Washington Wizards, so it would seem likely that the Pistons would like to get their usual starting five a bit of run before the regular season starts.
Whether or not Wolves head coach Chris Finch will continue to trot his preferred starting lineups out there for extended stretches of time remains to be seen. Regardless, there are plenty of things to both build off of and tweak coming off of a fairly complete victory over the reigning champion New York Knicks.
Game Info:
- Who:Minnesota Timberwolves (3-1) vs. Detroit Pistons (1-1)
- When: Wednesday, October 14 at 7:00 PM CT
- Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
- National TV: DAZN-MIN
- Radio: 830 WCCO
Keep Raining in the Threes
Lamelo Ball’s effect is real. The open looks just keep coming.
The Timberwolves were shooting lights-out from deep against the Knicks, amassing 18 made 3-point shots at a 53% clip. Jaden McDaniels was four for five, Anthony Edwards was five for eight, and Ayo Dosunmu shot three for four from long range. While it may be a bit unrealistic to expect the team to shoot over 50% from perimeter most nights, that volume will need to be maintained in order to beat top teams like the Pistons.
Despite their embarrassing early playoff exit a season ago, this Detroit team returns with high expectations and will again be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Their identity will be predicated on the infectious defensive presence of Ausar Thompson, highlighting capable 3-point specialists in Duncan Robinson, Kevin Huerter, and new addition Isaiah Joe, while their talisman in Cade Cunningham contributes positively in every aspect of the game. Tough matchups are abound here, and continuing to make the deep shots at a high clip will be able to stretch the defensive congestion that the Pistons will feature.
Not only do the Timberwolves starters need to continue to excel in this area, but the bench players will also need to do their part in creating diverse offensive looks for Detroit to deal with. A return of Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jonathan Kuminga could force the Pistons to defend the paint a bit more honestly than was the case against the Knicks on Monday night. This should create opportunities for reserves like Trey Lyles, Isaiah Evans, Jaylen Clark, Bones Hyland, and Cody Williams to let it fly from beyond the arc.
Mitigate Turnovers & Fouls
Despite playing limited minutes, the Timberwolves starters had a propensity for turning the ball over at a high rate and committing fouls against the Knicks. Joan Beringer’s three fouls in 14 minutes of play were not exactly encouraging, and Jaden McDaniels’ four fouls and four turnovers in 24 minutes would have been a bigger topic of conversation had he not scored 22 silky-smooth points. LaMelo Ball had seven assists, but that also came with five turnovers of his own.
These are areas that will need to get cleaned up against top-flight teams like Detroit. Without the aforementioned blistering three-point percentage keeping New York chasing the game, it would have turned into a dogfight.
The Pistons are a pesky team. They will pressure, and they will get their steals. They have plenty of dudes that can draw pressure and fouls, especially with new frontcourt addition John Collins. Minnesota will have to play tough and intelligent basketball to win a matchup against this smartly retooled Detroit team.
Ball cannot afford to be lackadaisical with his handles. The silly fouls will need to stop to both keep players in the game and maintain possession of the ball. Failure to do so will allow the Pistons to go on runs and capture the momentum of the game.
All Eyes on Cody Williams
While his surprise inclusion in the starting lineup would never have happened if Kuminga or Shannon Jr. played against the Knicks, it spoke volumes of Finch’s confidence in Cody Williams that he got the nod for this game.
It was a modest outing, but that is enough to consider what Williams’ role may be when the regular season gets in full swing. Williams only had six points, one rebound, and one block in 15 minutes of play, though he was two for two from deep (two for three overall) and finished the game at a +4 in box plus-minus. Not too shabby for a guy that few expect to earn any meaningful minutes this season.
His decision making and confidence seem to be improving in every matchup. Williams still has all the physical tools to be a plus defender, and he has been making strides in his limited minutes. It is becoming less outlandish to wonder whether or not there may be an end-of-bench role for him this season afterall, despite many projecting him to be a deep stash that will see spot minutes in the event of injury.
While Williams’ Utah Jazz game film often leaves much to be desired, the opportunity to develop good habits in a positive winning environment could be what he needs to right the ship. I’ll stop short of calling him the next Nickeil Alexander-Walker, though there is a reason that Tim Connelly kept Williams over John Konchar in the salary-dump trade of Josh Green.
Expect his preseason minutes to grow in these last few games, and don’t be surprised if we see more of him in the regular season than initially anticipated.
Our blogging buddies are the Detroit Bad Boys. Play nice.
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