State of the Timberwolves along with Key Stats

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Take the top three players off of any team in the NBA and there will be struggles. Take the top three players off of a Minnesota Timberwolves team plagued by inexperience and you’ve got the last place team in the Western Conference. They’ve lost 6 games in a row and most haven’t been close.

They’re so starved of players that rookie Zach Lavine has taken over the starting point guard spot with Corey Brewer backing him up in some cases. Corey Brewer is not a point guard.

However, here at Sporting Sota we like to look at the positives. You simply can not blame this team for its struggles. Blame the injury gods if anyone. For a young team learning on the job, it’s overwhelmingly hard to win in the NBA. There’s too much experienced talent on each team and when it comes to crunch timed, experienced talent wins.

Right now we’re dealing with RAW talent. ‘Raw’ talent is talent that hasn’t been fully developed. It’s there, but we can’t see it yet. The heavy minutes that are being given to these raw players are invaluable. If all of the top players were in, Zach Lavine, Anthony Bennett, Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng would not get near the playing time they are currently getting. Sitting on the bench doesn’t initiate improvement. Playing, however, does.

Head Coach Flip Saunders knows as well as anyone how to handle this situation.

“Sometimes, you’re forced to do some things that maybe you don’t plan on doing.” -Flip Saunders

“We’re looking at a situation where we might be going into a rebuild, which changes the dynamics of everything,” Saunders said. “When you’re doing a rebuild, it’s not pleasant for anybody — for fans, for you guys, for coaches, for players. Sometimes, you’re forced to do some things that maybe you don’t plan on doing.”

As Flip said, the situation has changed. With the playoffs virtually out of the picture, this season is about next season. It will be a humbling experience for players like Andrew Wiggins, who has won everywhere he’s ever been. Maybe realizing it’s not that easy will be the spark he needs to flourish in this league.

It’s going to be another long season for Timberwolves fans. Just make sure you know you’re watching a future contender, not a current contender.

Key Stats:

The Wolves are allowing 110.2 points per game, worst in the NBA.

Their point differential per game is -10.7, second worst in the NBA.

They allow opponents to shoot 50.1% from the field, worst in the NBA.

From 3-point land, opponents are shooting 39.3%. That’s third worst in the league.

The Timberwolves are forcing 16.3 turnovers per game, third best in the league.

They average 9.2 steals per game, also third best in the NBA.

At 25.8, they’re the 8th youngest team in the NBA.

Dec 8, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders instructs center Gorgui Dieng (5) during the game with the Golden State Warriors at Target Center. The Warriors win 102-86. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports