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The Minnesota Timberwolves eventually broke off their ties with Jimmy Butler on November 10, after a months-long battle between the star, the coach and the owners to find out what to do with his demand for swap. Butler created a scene out of the city, including a memorable scrum that, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, saw him scream, "You need me. You can not win without me. "
Yet in nine games since leaving, the Wolves are 7-2. In the blink of an eye, the Timberwolves are back in the playoffs, sitting 11-11 while we are up to a quarter of the season. The attention is no longer on a circus drama; it's the functionality of a new group. They went from the chaotic bazaar to the defensive pillar.
These Wolves can race west.
Here's why it's time to take this team seriously.
Timberwolves play better on both sides of the ball
In the first 13 games of the season – with Butler in and out of the mix at "Pain" – the Wolves recorded a net score of under-7.1, by StatMuse. This included an offensive score of 109.4 and a defensive score of 116.5, which means that they were outclassed by 7.1 points per 100 possessions due to a poor attack and a poor performance. a very bad defense. During the season, this attack was ranked 17th and the defense was easily ranked in the league.
There was a malfunction on both sides, the stars of the team arguing internally and an uncertainty about who was left and who was leaving was growing.
But since Butler bought the even better defender from Robert Covington and played another role, Dario Saric, the season has turned out well. Suddenly, the starters of the Wolves are synchronized.
The net score of the team has improved by 17.1 points in its last nine games compared to the first 13. His offensive rating improved to 111.4, and his defensive rating to 101.4, by StatMuse. Opposing teams score 15.1 points for 100 fewer possessions than before, and these games include competitions against Trail Blazers, Nuggets and Spurs.
That's how the Wolves totally destroyed San Antonio by 39 points and Portland by 16 points.
There is something to say about the genius of Covington, but perhaps even more in the deployment of a unit that, uh, really like it.
Robert Covington was excellent
Covington was a defensive anchor point for the Sixers, who could hit at three, but he was still the No. 3 or No. 4 offensive option. In Minnesota, except for one night shooting really horrible, he was one of the mainstays of the team's efforts to score the ball.
He led the team in back-to-back scores, scoring 21 and 24 points. Since landing in Minny, he has averaged 11.3 shots per game, two more than he was in Philly, and his score has gone up from 11.3 to 13.3 points by night. His two-point shot is a little behind, but he's shooting at 39% of the distance and takes five boards.
On the defensive side, he won three flights per game and stopped the ball as no Wolves player had done before his arrival.
Karl-Anthony Towns is reborn too
Towns is more like the version of itself than we thought it was. Since Jimmy Butler's departure, he has increased his numbers per game to 21.6 points (+1.7), 14 rebounds (+3.2) and 2.7 assists (+0.6). He increased his score by almost two points in just .4 shot attempts and .4 minutes per game, by StatMuse.
The cities have the air released in his new space where, without Butler, he can come back as the center of the offense. He is no longer competing – or perhaps more precisely, by failing – for the star. The keys are his and he leads the team in the right direction.
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