‘You just feel more energy’: For Timberwolves, ball movement brings joy

Minnesota played five-plus minutes of assist-filled joyful basketball to open Saturday s fourth quarter against the Clippers It greatly resembled the product the Timberwolves produced at the outset of the final frame six days prior against San Antonio Ball movement and force leads to good shots and good vibes on offense which seems to almost inspire better defensive play That s the brand of basketball we ve all set out to try to play Wolves guard Mike Conley commented It s certainly the bulk effective edition and seemingly the one that produces the preponderance glee I don t know why we don t have it all the time Wolves coach Chris Finch reported of the enjoyment displayed by his players at the start of the fourth quarter against the Clippers Sometimes we re just kind of too in our own head right now when things aren t going well offensively and that s been kind of one of our fatal flaws for the last two years When we forget about that make the right play and the play that s in front of us play with a little more pop things tend to work out really well That s the style of play that involves all which seems to open up the majority of opportunities for the likes of Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid more than capable scorers who thrive when chances occur organically Just when the defense is broken down when defenders are trying to rotate it s easier for me to drive off the catch or make certain moves or do certain things announced McDaniels who scored a team-high points in the win over the Clippers Those points came on just field goal attempts Reid scored points on for shooting including the game-winning triple in the final seconds It s no mistake that shot came after three passes that sent Los Angeles defense scrambling and left Reid wide open in the corner That was great offense Reid stated Indeed But how can Minnesota bottle that on a more consistent basis Because the first three quarters were the opposite Slow offense in which the ball nor bodies moved both of which allowed the Clippers to stack their defense however they saw fit to slow Minnesota down with no punishment for doing so on the back end McDaniels was solicited for any constant themes from Minnesota s current five-game winning streak and couldn t name one How could he The Wolves are Jekyll and Hyde-ing their way through every competition at the moment on both ends of the floor It s working in the interim But results of real substance require a more consistent standard I think it s just a switch that just goes off Reid disclosed Saturday Jaden got it going Going into the fourth we kind of all just followed suit But there s stuff that happened in the beginning of the competition that has to happen over a -minute stretch or spell as opposed to two quarters or a half Mike Conley stated a key is for Minnesota to play that way out of the gates Once the rhythm is established it s tough to stop And life would be easier for players off the bench if they entered a battle already being played within a strong offensive flow Boredom and complacency have been the primary culprits of Minnesota s inconsistency this season which comes off the heels of consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances But it s hard to be bored when you re having fun performing on a nightly basis Chosen styles of play are far more fun than others as shown by the excitement players displayed in the fourth quarter Saturday Everybody s eating Everyone s killing Everyone s excited Reid noted of the ball-movement bonanza We re just sharing the ball with each other everybody touching the ball on the possession McDaniels revealed Miss or make that s a good possession when everybody s touching the ball and everyone playing free and just with confidence Those of us who are out there being a part of that we know how fun it is Conley explained It s a much different match when we re all proceeding and feel engaged whether you shoot it or not you just feel more vitality Related Articles Timberwolves rally in fourth to beat Clippers Timberwolves escape late in New Orleans again Chris Finch says Timberwolves have got to try to raise our standards Anthony Edwards late layup forces OT as Timberwolves edge Pelicans - Timberwolves competitor net ratings through games Donte DiVincenzo is Minnesota s new No