Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 takeaways from Game 5 vs. Rockets
1. The 3-point contrast was huge
Minnesota is not a 3-point shooting team and that news is nothing new. Again, the 3-ball proved to be another killer for the Wolves. They shot 9-for-19 from 3, which is a good shooting percentage at 47.4 percent, but you can’t expect to outscore the Rockets or win a game if you’re only going to shoot it nine times.
The Rockets made double the amount that the Wolves did in Game 5. They made 18 3s on 44 attempts — good enough for a 40.9 percent. The 3-ball is proving to be a big part of the NBA nowadays and the Rockets are the biggest players in that.
NBA teams need 3-point shooters or they’ll struggle on offense. If they’re not hitting from 3, they had better be driving and shooting around the rim. Minnesota has the ability to shoot the ball, but there really aren’t many strong options from long range on the roster.
Towns has the ability to shoot the ball well from 3 and he proved that by shooting it at a 42.5 percent clip. Nemanja Bjelica can as well, but never saw enough minutes until Butler’s injury. They have a few average shooters that can make 3′, but nothing close to Houston’s caliber.
Houston’s top shooters from distance include:
- James Harden: 4-for-11
- Trevor Ariza: 4-for-7
- P.J. Tucker: 5-for-7
- Eric Gordon: 3-for-7
One interesting stat, however, is the fact that Paul was 0-for-8 from distance. However it may be, Minnesota needs to go out and find shooters in the offseason if it wants to be able to win more games in the NBA.
Next: Full two-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft
The season has come to a close, but this offseason will prove to be a very big one. There are a lot of interesting rumors and drama that have been spilling over and we’ll have to see how it all unravels. For now, let’s just enjoy the fact that playoff basketball is back in the state of Minnesota.