The Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2017-18 season opener did not go as well as expected. The Wolves lost a winnable game to the San Antonio Spurs without Kawhi Leonard.
It is a good thing the 2017-18 NBA season is 82 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves. This offseason the Wolves added a lot of new talent, but that did not show opening night.
The San Antonio Spurs beat the Timberwolves 107-99 Wednesday night without their best player, Kawhi Leonard. On paper this game looked like a lock for the Timberwolves. That just goes to show that there is much more to winning in the NBA than looking good on paper.
The game was not a terrible loss for the Wolves though. Losing to any Gregg Popovich-coached team on the road isn’t anything to be ashamed of. The Spurs play excellent team basketball, which is not ideal to face when you are a team still finding its identity.
The minutes were interesting to see unfold and will be something to watch going forward. On Wednesday, head coach Tom Thibodeau played 10 players total. Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns lead the way with 35 minutes each.
It is hard not to overact after a winnable loss but it was the first game. With 81 games to go, here are three takeaways from the Minnesota Timberwolves’ season opener.