Slow and steady is the
Handling T’wolves pace will be key tonight
The Nets ended the preseason on a low, getting blasted by a Raptors team that outplayed them in every facet of the game. They have spent the days since analyzing film from that game and watching new film on the Timberwolves, a team that has seemingly reinvented itself over the course of one summer.
“Going against Toronto was a good ass-kicking in terms of the three-point barrage they put on us,” Kyrie Irving said after Nets practice on Tuesday. “And now we translate that into Minnesota, where they’ve been No. 1 in pace in preseason … shooting the three very well … [KarlAnthony Towns] is playing more on the perimeter now.”
“We had a great test against Toronto and failed with our transition defense,” head coach Kenny Atkinson added. “Listen, we’re prepared for it. See if we can execute it.”
What the Nets can’t afford to do is fall asleep in transition again. The new-look Wolves are a runnin-n-gunnin’ team that gets up and down the court. The Nets couldn’t keep up with the Raptors and suffered a 16point loss in a game they trailed by 21 at halftime. The Wolves don’t pose anywhere near the same amount of problems the Raptors did, but they pose a set of challenges the Nets will have to overcome if they want to start this season on the right foot.
“Reminds me a lot of the Nets system,” Atkinson said. “It does. I think you guys are going to see it.”
Atkinson was asked about the Wolves’ offense under head coach Ryan Saunders. His response: The Timberwolves have moved into the future. “There’s a lot of fiveout,” Atkinson said. “(Towns) isn’t posting up as much. … We’re heading towards a spread revolution and we have to be ready for it.”
Gone are the days of the Tom Thibodeau-coached
Wolves and here are the days of Saunders, the heir to the late, great Flip Saunders’ throne. The Wolves’ young coach is giving the franchise a much-needed overhaul. First order of business: Put the ball in his best player’s hands and let him make plays.
Towns had been more of a post player earlier into his career with the ability to flare out and hit shots from the perimeter. The Wolves have unlocked his dormant potential as an offense initiator in the half-court. This gives the Nets their first big challenge of the season.
After all, they signed DeAndre Jordan, and aside from his role as a mentor, he was brought in to handle the physical battles against imposing bigs like Joel Embiid. Towns is no Embiid, but he poses several problems for opposing defenses at the five spot. He’s heavier than Allen, quicker than Jordan and spaces the defense out with his perimeter shooting.
“I know this preseason he’s been doing amazing shooting threes; he’s around 40% from the three-point line,” Allen noted, “So definitely be there to contest for him. And just looking at the ending of last year, how he had the amazing finish to last year, just be ready for him to come out strong.”
But it’s not all roses. The pairing of Towns and Andrew Wiggins hasn’t worked out as hoped. Wiggins has the physical tools at his disposal to dominate the NBA, but he hasn’t strung it together. Case-in-point: He averaged fewer than 10 points per game in the preseason on just 33% shooting from the field.
Wiggins’ talent, though, is undeniable. He has the ability to heat up in the blink of an eye, and when he’s locked-in, can be a difference-maker on the floor for the Wolves. There was no mention of Wiggins among the Nets players and coaches who spoke about the Wolves after Tuesday’s practice.
What those players did mention was the Timberwolves’ pace. The Wolves averaged a league-leading 112.8 possessions per 48 minutes in the preseason. The Nets ranked 21st — just ahead of the Knicks — with a pace of 104.88.
The Nets’ slow-ish pace can be attributed to many factors, mainly the absence of Kyrie Irving, who did not play a full preseason game until the last outing against the Raptors. His return should spark Brooklyn’s offense, but
Atkinson scoffed at the notion that the season opener will boil down to merely outscoring the opponent.
“No, we’ve got to slow them down,” he said. “We’ve got to stop them. I think that’s