Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 keys to a successful homestand

3. Taj Gibson needs to be aggressive on offense

If you watch any of the Minneosta Timberwolves’ broadcast, you will hear Dave Benz and Jim Peterson refer to Taj Gibson as a “glue guy.” Gibson is one of the best glue guys in the league. He fills in wherever his team needs him. The Timberwolves’ defense is 8.7 points worse per 100 possessions, and the offense is 7.2 points worse per 100 possessions when Gibson is off the floor.

Gibson covers up for many of the defensive mistakes of Towns. But on offense, he is often the man left open as defenses try to limit touches for KAT. Thibodeau needs Gibson’s activity on both ends of the floor for this team to reach its potential.

In the most recent loss to Charlotte, Gibson was 0-for-4 from the field. The team shot 41 percent from the field overall. They could’ve used Taj’s offense in a game where Dwight Howard was controlling the paint.

In losses, Gibson is scoring 8.4 points per game, and that figure goes up to 10.4 points per game in wins. Minnesota has so many dynamite scorers on offense that Gibson gets lost in the shuffle. But he is a great offensive rebounder — 2.6 per game — and has a career-high 57 percent true shooting percentage.

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Minnesota’s stars have to show up, but to really have a strong homestand, Tom Thibodeau will need an active and alert Taj Gibson.