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Live by the three, die by the three
The Minnesota Timberwolves did their best Steph Curry impersonation last night, putting down a staggering 22 three point shots on an over 50% efficiency against the New York Knicks. There always seems to be a few games out of the year for every NBA team that sees them going nuclear from three point range. Look at the Boston Celtics on opening night, they put up arguably the greatest three point shooting performance in NBA history and haven’t come close to replicating it since. In our current era, every team in the NBA is capable of lighting it up from range, the skill players are there. The hard part is putting all of the puzzle pieces together, no one player is the same. It makes the importance of coaching all the more relevant. When the skill level of players has been capped and balanced, teams must explore other, leader-driven avenues to win basketball games. If you look at the Golden State Warriors within the past decade, Steve Kerr clearly mastered this outlook, guiding a roster so slick with chemistry and poise that they won 73 games in 2016 (albeit he also had Steph Curry).
The Timberwolves have been somewhat unpredictable in their three point shooting this year. On one hand they have Anthony Edwards who has quickly evolved into one of the best shooters in the league, launching so many three pointers that he’s begun to enter Steph Curry territory in terms of rate of fire; A mind boggling 57% of his shots are from behind the arc, he’s attempting almost 12 threes a game! On the other hand, they have aging veterans like Conley and McDaniels who have struggled mightily from three point territory this season. Last night was the best of both worlds; Edwards lit up Madison Square Garden with 8 threes on 13 attempts, and Conley and McDaniels combined for 5 makes on an efficient clip. Oh and by the way, Naz Reid went SIX FOR SIX on from behind the arc, in what to me is easily one of his best games of the season. The Wolves were red hot the entire game, but it was their tone setting, led by Mike Conley in the first quarter, that really opened the flood gates.
Veteran setting the tone early
Have you ever had a boss that failed to make you believe in them. That told you to do things that they themselves couldn’t do if they tried. You probably didn’t have any faith in them at all, and you and your coworkers suffered from it. In the NBA, there are no bosses on the court, but there are veteran players who act as leaders. These players don’t put up the craziest stats, but they do influence the game in ways unseen to the common NBA fans eye. Mike Conley is our undoubted veteran leader on the team, he took Ant under his wing during his first few years in the league and helped develop him into a better playmaker. Last year he used to be the guy who controlled the flow of the offense, a calming presence in times of high anxiety. This year, he’s seen a pretty severe drop off in his game control we were so used to seeing, and his shooting has been less than ideal. When the veteran leader/s of your team struggle, I believe it rubs off on the rest of the roster.
Mike Conley is not a bad boss, it’s not like he tries his hardest to make the team not believe in him. But he has struggled mightily this season, and the team has struggled too. Now he’s not a direct cause and effect because this team has also seen significant changes from last year (I’m looking at you Randle), but the play of Conley so far has definitely diverted more pressure onto Ant and Donte, they are asked to control the flow.
Ant and Donte didn’t have to worry about much last night, because guess what Mike Conley did in the first quarter. He controlled the game, but not in a way you would think.
Edwards begins his dance in front of OG Anunoby, a torrent of cross overs and jukes from right to left. Anunoby doesn’t fall for the theatrics, forcing Edwards to bring the ball up and back for a step back jumper. It’s short. Randle shifts quickly below the basket to rebound the miss, fighting two other Knicks for control of the basketball. He secures the ball and looks away from the rim to find an open teammate. He sees one open on the let arc of the three point line. Swishhhh.
Conley hit the first three of the game, a sign of things to come for the Timberwolves. Conley wasn’t finished though, he followed up his three with a smooth seven foot driving floater, then another floater, then an another three point shot on a fast break midway through the first. Mike Conley had ten points in just six minutes of action, and the Wolves were only up by four points. If I told the average NBA fan that a player scored ten points in the first quarter, and then asked them to guess how many points that player ended the game with, chances are they wouldn’t guess thirteen points. Conley scored just three points after his magnificent first quarter, but this didn’t matter because his teammates rode the wave he conjured and left the Knicks in an unavoidable whirlpool of three point onslaught.
Conley wrote the script for the game before the second quarter even started, and the rest of the Timberwolves followed it to a T. There is certainly a lot to be happy about in this game, but the season is long and consistency is key. Can Conley do a repeat performances in the next? For the Wolves sake I hope he does, his teammates desperately need it. He will have a prime opportunity to do so this Saturday night in a bout against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
