NBA News: They Have A Young Team And A New Coach, Yet Minnesota Timberwolves Are Failing To Lift Their Game This Season
Though they have never bagged the championship or a conference title, yet the Minnesota Timberwolves were expected to have a great NBA season this year since they have had a lot of new things in place under a new coach Tom Thibodeau who took over this year.
But the season has been an ordinary so far for the young time with only six wins and as many as 15 losses placing them just above the Suns and Mavericks in the Western Conference table. Experts have really been disappointed with the team's show so far.
According to Fox Sports' Dieter Kutenbach, a slow start like the one the Timberwolves have got this season isn't bad especially if the team is young and the coach is new but the team's poor performance at the very beginning is more than just a temporary slip.
Kutenbach has raised question over the team's athletic quality, excitement as well as the talent. Acknowledging that the San Antonio Spurs to which the Timberwolves lost their last game are a good team (ranked second at the moment with 18-4 record), yet he asked why a young outfit could not produce a spark in their performance.
It's not that coach Thibodeau is too happy with the progress either. In fact, Thibodeau, who is also the president of the basketball operations, openly criticized his players after the second game they lost this season. According to report in Minneapolis Star Tribune, Thibodeau said the Timberwolves lacked overall toughness.
"Everything: mental toughness, physical toughness, emotional toughness, all aspects of it," he said. One can well imagine what the coach, who had led the previous team he coached - Chicago Bulls - to the playoffs each season, is feeling with this year's show so far.
Timberwolves' problem could be their offense and that's where they are failing to support Karl-Anthony Towns, their best player, besides Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine.
