In Minnesota, we’re always looking for ways to better utilize Rudy Gobert

Between the injury of Karl-Anthony Towns and the complex adaptation of Rudy Gobert with his new team, Minnesota’s season has been on the brink of a disappointment since snapping a six-game losing streak against Denver for Game 1 of 2023.

The rescue operation has been launched as the Wolves are out of the Top 10 in the West and we are approaching 40 games into the regular season. Among the points to correct, coach Chris Finch pointed to some “bad habits” his team had picked up, symbols of a young group and currently plagued by doubt.

“There are a few things that are repeated. We miss shots near the circle, we wait for the referee’s boost, then we don’t go back to defense with the same determination as we deploy in attack. These are immature habits and these are the things we need to change.” he pointed out. “Another of our bad habits is that we make a lot of mistakes. Again, this is the sign of a young team, where you feel you can be the hero in every action.

Anthony Edwards, the good example to follow

The Wolves are actually in the Top 3 of the league in the number of fouls per game, and among the players who regularly get fouled, we see Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert, averaging more than three fouls per game. The Frenchman is not a novice, however, but the current context does not plead in his favor, continues Chris Finch, who admits that the pivot has sometimes been allowed a bit harshly. “When we have balance, we don’t always have the favors we want”he continued.

If there’s one “youngster” who should lead by example, it’s Anthony Edwards. Facing Denver, he multiplied again to stop the bleeding, finishing with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. And he returned the favor last night with 32 points for another victory, this time against Portland. The encouragement from the coach is well worth it.

“His leadership is growing within the group. This is exactly what we want and need from him right now. He won’t always do the right thing. He’s still young, but he already has leadership DNA. His teammates value him. They really like him. him, because he is someone who invests in the success of his colleagues. When you have a star and a leader who has all that, it’s a special opportunity. »

Work to feed Rudy Gobert under the panels

If Anthony Edwards is really running at full speed, it will still be decided last night to beat the Blazers in “money time”, the Wolves still have a large untapped margin of development in the paint. Especially with their use of Rudy Gobert near the circle. Which is reminiscent of another interior for Coach Finch, former Rockets assistant…

“It takes practice [pour réussir de bonnes passes intérieures vers Rudy]. We have to work on that in training and work on it. I remember when we picked up Dwight Howard in Houston. It took us over six months to send him good lob passes. This is something that takes time. And every situation is different: is it a low post screen? A pick & roll? An angle of attack in the circle? »

In the same way that there is a certain better for Anthony Edwards who did not do much dunking, who complained early in the season that there were not enough spaces in the paint to go up to the circle, he Looks like the Wolves are slowing down. progress showing their ‘Stifle Tower’. Construction is still underway…

” [A l’époque]we don’t have this kind of interior, like our team here”, continues and ends with Chris Finch. “We don’t have an interior that opens up in the circle, a verticality target. It’s not something you look for when you don’t have one for three years. Naz [Reid] is a bit different as he gets a ground pass when he opens up in the circle. He’s not a guy you throw a lob pass to. That’s the first thing. The second is finding the right timing. »

And likely to have players who can play defense, timing and angles. This is particularly the case with Kyle Anderson on the Wolves, as is the case with Joe Ingles on the Salt Lake City side.