MIAMI — Mike Conley remembers precisely what number of video games it took him to comprehend that these Minnesota Timberwolves could be an actual contender this season.
That can be zero.
It was again on the first crew assembly within the fall – earlier than any video games – when Conley instructed the Timberwolves what he thought they have been able to. So far, Conley is trying prophetic: The Wolves awoke Tuesday at 20-5, tied with Boston for the NBA‘s best record.
It’s the primary time a Wolves crew has ever been atop the league 25 video games right into a season. That’s not the final word purpose, in fact, but it surely speaks to that potential Conley noticed months in the past.
“I’m not going to lie: I told these guys at our first team meeting that man, I’m blessed to be around a team like this,” stated Conley, the Wolves’ oldest participant at 36 and nonetheless chasing what can be a primary championship in his seventeenth 12 months within the league. “I said before we played a game this year, ‘You guys, you don’t understand how good we can be. We can be a championship team. You’ve got to believe it.’”
His teammates seem to be believers.
PHOTOS: At 20-5, Timberwolves insist that they are simply getting began
Minnesota gained 42 video games final season; the crew is one win shy of being midway to that complete already this season. The 20-5 begin is the most effective Minnesota has ever had; it’s one win away from matching the most effective 25-game span, no matter when it falls on the season calendar, in crew historical past.
“They’re formidable, that’s for sure,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra stated.
And they’re doing it the old style manner – as a substitute of taking part in go-go-go on offense in a league that’s seeing its highest scoring common since 1969-70 at 115 factors per sport, the Wolves are giving up fewer factors and a decrease field-goal proportion than anybody else this season. They have a bona fide scoring star in Anthony Edwards, one elite massive man in Karl-Anthony Towns and a perennial defensive participant of the 12 months candidate in Rudy Gobert, but Minnesota’s secret isn’t a lot of a secret: have all 5 guys on the ground concerned on each ends of the court docket always.
“Most guys don’t guard their way to the NBA. They’re scorers by nature when they get here,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch stated. “Obviously, if you want to be a good team, you want as many two-way guys as you possibly can. What happens, and we’re seeing it, is when you commit to defense you don’t want to let your teammate down. The pride in that kind of grows.”
The seeds to this begin received planted final spring, after Minnesota – which wanted two play-in video games simply to make the playoffs – misplaced 4-1 to Denver within the opening spherical.
The Wolves received walloped in Game 1 and trailed Game 2 by 21 factors, earlier than truly taking the lead going into the fourth. Minnesota was outscored by 44 factors within the first six quarters of that collection; the rating between the Wolves and the eventual NBA champions was utterly even – 398-398 – within the remaining 14 quarters.
Weirdly, from that loss got here perception.
“This was never a doubt about the talent of this team,” Gobert stated. “The only thing we had to do was build an identity and build championship habits.”
The job, Gobert rapidly identified, will not be completed. A 20-5 begin ensures nothing – however exhibits what is feasible.
“We knew if this is who we are every night, we can put ourselves in position to play in June,” Gobert stated. “It’s very early in the season, but we’re having a lot of fun, we still have a lot of room to grow, but we’re starting to look like a pretty good team.”
