• The Minnesota Timberwolves walked away 99-111 winners at the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023 against the Dallas Mavericks
• The Wolves only won one out of the four quarters played, dropping off considerably after an 18-point lead in the first quarter
• Finch revealed to Fadeaway World his thoughts on his team’s defensive shape and intensity
Minnesota Timberwolves head coach spoke to Fadeaway World about his team’s defense after a 99-111 win over the Dallas Mavericks in the preseason opener at the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games.
“That’s an excellent question. It’s one of the things that’s gonna be key for us as we try to improve our team, what our defense looks like when Rudy leaves the floor. When you have a roster like ours, you need to have many faces defensively. We’re learning those at the moment. I think we gave up a lot of easy three-pointers in the second quarter and that let them back in the game. In the third quarter, it was our offense that hurt us. Turnovers, we missed a lot of good shots. Typical early-season stuff, we just have to make sure those things don’t become trends.”
Chris Finch on Wolves maintaining their defensive shape
"That's an excellent question. It's one of the things that's gonna be key for us as we try to improve our team, what our defense looks like when Rudy leaves the floor… I was very pleased with the game KAT gave us… pic.twitter.com/YthrjtpnmS
— Fadeaway World (@FadeawayWorld) October 6, 2023
The Wolves had an electric start to the game, jumping out to an 18-point lead in the first quarter as the Mavericks shot terribly from the floor. Without Luka Doncic scoring 14 points in that quarter, the Mavericks would have struggled to even get to double-digits, as Kyrie Irving and others struggled to figure out Minnesota’s defense.
The Wolves got great defensive production from most players on the roster, maintaining activity in the perimeter and crashing the boards. The team registered seven steals and 12 blocks during the contest.
Chris Finch Pleased With Karl-Anthony Towns’ Defensive Improvement
In the same answer to Faeaway World, Coach Finch went out of his way to commend Karl-Anthony Towns’ defensive impact on the game.
“I was very pleased with the game KAT gave us defensively. His verticality at the rim was outstanding and his chasing, ability to navigate actions on the perimeter was amazing as well.”
Towns hasn’t been a stellar defender for most of his career, which was one of the primary motivations behind the 2022 Rudy Gobert trade. Finch has already expressed a need for his team to maintain their defensive shape without Gobert, and KAT’s improvement could go a long way in helping the Wolves.
His perimeter switchability was one of his key disruptive tools in this game. He was able to switch out to the perimeter and use his wingspan to alter and block shots really well. If KAT can stay healthy this season, the Wolves will be a team to watch out for in the Western Conference.
Towns averaged 20.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.8 assists last season but played just 29 games. The Wolves snuck into the playoffs but were no match for eventual champions Denver Nuggets in the first round.
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