Last season, whether by average points conceded or efficiency (points conceded per 100 possessions), Anthony Edwards and the Wolves were the best defense in the NBA. This observation is no longer true at all in 2024/25 since Minnesota currently only has the 15th most effective defense in the league…
The match against the Bulls is a very good example of the Wolves' current difficulties. At the start of the last quarter, Chris Finch's troops had already conceded 95 points! Luckily for them, they put together a huge fourth quarter to win.
“We start the meetings as if we were a super power. We are not powerful”, believes Anthony Edwards. “We’re nobody right now. We are a team that made one conference final, not two or three, a conference final. We approach matches thinking that we are going to win. »
In addition to a changed group, with the arrivals of Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, the Wolves therefore suffer from excess pride and confidence. They know that they reached a milestone last season and have a margin over some of the teams in the league. Except that last season is over and everything has to be done again.
“I am greatly responsible for this”assumes, on the defensive level, the rear, which is particularly greedy offensively with 11 attempts at 3-pts per match and fewer assists than last year. “I have to prepare my guys for the start of the match. »
Minnesota will be able to gain strength defensively in the coming days by facing Portland – one of the worst offenses in the NBA – three times in less than a week…
| Shots | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Party | Pts |
| Anthony Edwards | 7 | 37.1 | 46.8 | 45.0 | 63.9 | 0.1 | 5.4 | 5.6 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 27.3 |
| Julius Randle | 7 | 33.1 | 57.4 | 46.4 | 76.3 | 1.9 | 4.6 | 6.4 | 4.7 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 2.7 | 21.4 |
| Naz Reid | 7 | 25.1 | 57.8 | 48.5 | 94.4 | 0.7 | 5.9 | 6.6 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 15.3 |
| Rudy Gobert | 7 | 32.7 | 60.9 | 0.0 | 73.9 | 2.4 | 7.6 | 10.0 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 3.0 | 10.4 |
| Donte Divincenzo | 7 | 27.0 | 38.5 | 33.3 | 70.0 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 10.4 |
| Jaden Mcdaniels | 7 | 27.2 | 42.4 | 23.1 | 66.7 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 8.6 |
| Nickeil Alexander-walker | 7 | 22.3 | 47.5 | 50.0 | 63.6 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 8.3 |
| Mike Conley | 7 | 23.7 | 30.0 | 34.3 | 92.9 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 7.9 |
| Josh Minott | 2 | 9.3 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 2.5 |
| Rob Dillingham | 2 | 5.6 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| Pj Dozier | 2 | 4.4 | 50.0 | 50.0 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 2.0 |
| Luka Garza | 2 | 5.0 | 33.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 |
| Joe Ingles | 5 | 5.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| Terrence Shannon, Jr. | 2 | 4.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
