Last season, Wolves were the specialists in taking a lead of more than ten points before finally squandering it, then losing. In addition, they accumulated defeats against small teams, thus weighing down their record (42-40) even if they had snatched a first round of playoffs.
The proof: they had dropped eleven matches in total against the Spurs, the Wizards, the Hornets, the Pistons and the Blazers. That’s five of the seven worst teams in the 2022/23 season. All, in general, due to a simple lack of seriousness.
For this start of the season, however, they show no sign of weakness in attitude. “The tone is really very serious. We talk about what needs to be done”confirms Chris Finch for the Star Tribune.
Hunter status now
The victory against the Sixers, deprived of Joel Embiid and who had played the day before, is the perfect example. This meeting had all the makings of a trap match, “easy” on paper but which could very well end in defeat. Rudy Gobert and his teammates did the job and never trembled.
“We lost a lot of matches that we were supposed to win last season and that hurt us at the end of the year,” remembers Anthony Edwards. “So the coach emphasized that during training camp. We shouldn’t miss each other with the teams we’re supposed to beat. We’re not here to have fun. »
With 11 successes in 14 matches, including a perfect 7-0 at home, the Wolves ensure and no longer leave any crumbs. They assume this new status.
“It’s sensational. We feel good and it’s nice to expect to win. This is my fourth season and never, during the first three, did I say to myself: ‘We’re going to win tonight’.” explains Anthony Edwards. “As soon as we finished the shootaround and I found my partner, I said to her: ‘We are going to win tonight’. We now expect to win and that’s the best feeling possible. »
| Shots | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Party | Pts |
| Anthony Edwards | 13 | 35.3 | 46.4 | 37.2 | 83.8 | 0.8 | 5.1 | 5.9 | 5.1 | 3.5 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 25.8 |
| Karl Anthony Towns | 13 | 33.5 | 49.5 | 37.1 | 90.6 | 1.0 | 7.7 | 8.7 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 21.5 |
| Naz Reid | 13 | 21.0 | 50.9 | 40.4 | 96.0 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 12.4 |
| Rudy Gobert | 13 | 32.1 | 56.0 | 0.0 | 57.1 | 3.9 | 7.9 | 11.8 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 12.0 |
| Mike Conley | 13 | 28.8 | 48.5 | 41.7 | 100.0 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 5.1 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 10.5 |
| Jaden Mcdaniels | 11 | 23.6 | 58.2 | 37.9 | 100.0 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 3.3 | 9.5 |
| Kyle Anderson | 13 | 24.8 | 55.6 | 20.0 | 63.0 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 7.6 |
| Nickeil Alexander-walker | 13 | 20.7 | 42.6 | 37.2 | 33.3 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 5.8 |
| Shake Milton | 13 | 15.5 | 39.3 | 24.0 | 81.0 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 5.5 |
| Luka Garza | 3 | 3.5 | 44.4 | 0.0 | 66.7 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| Troy Brown, Jr. | 9 | 8.3 | 22.2 | 10.0 | 100.0 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 2.3 |
| Josh Minott | 7 | 2.7 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 50.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.7 |
| Jordan McLaughlin | 5 | 3.8 | 25.0 | 50.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 1.0 |
| Daishen Nix | 3 | 2.4 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| Leonard Miller | 1 | 1.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
