Defensive habits need to change for Timberwolves

The following statistics come with the caveat that the NBA season is only two games old and numbers can change rapidly with just one more game of data.

But through those two games, the Timberwolves have a defensive rating of 102.6 points allowed per 100 possessions when Rudy Gobert is on the floor. This would be good enough for fourth in the league if they were able to maintain that for 48 minutes a night.

One of the problems for the Wolves is that they aren't, not even close.

When Gobert is off the floor, which has totaled 29 minutes in Wednesday's win over Oklahoma City and Friday's overtime loss to Utah, the Wolves have a defensive rating of 121.2. That would be the worst mark in the league.

Add it all up and the Wolves have a middling defensive rating (15th, 109.1) headed into Saturday, a travel day for the Wolves as they get ready to face the Thunder again on Sunday.

"It's really not the offense that's hurting us, it's the defense," Karl-Anthony Towns said. "Our transition again is hurting us. We're not doing a job of getting back on our shots. I think really, that's the problem."

The Wolves have allowed 20.5 fast-break points per game, tied for 24th in the league.

For as clunky as the offense has looked getting adjusted to Towns and Gobert playing a lot of minutes with each other, the defense around Gobert hasn't held up. Even when Gobert is on the floor, the Wolves have things they need to adjust.

"I was joking around with the guys saying we're the best, worst defensive team we've ever seen," Gobert said. "Because on the ball, guys are incredible — Ant [Anthony Edwards], Jaden [McDaniels] and all of these guys are great on the ball, but we shoot ourselves in the foot with those little moments where we lose focus."

That extended to rebounding, Gobert said. Gobert leads the league in rebounds with 19.5 but the Wolves are just 23rd in defensive rebounding percentage (.662).

"A lot of times guys are just standing and watching," coach Chris Finch said. "And, at that point, it's too late, particularly for a team that's crashing hard."

That was their biggest weakness a season ago, and so far it hasn't gotten better. The Wolves are allowing 22.5 second-chance points in their first two games, tied for second-worst in the league.

"Keep doing the little efforts to close out the possession. It's going to take time," Gobert said. "We've got to, each and every one of us, watch clips and build those habits. Once we start doing that, when we're locked in … we're a really, really good team."

Finch has said the rest of the team may have some muscle memory from last year's scramble and high-wall scheme, which required different responsibilities for guards from the drop scheme the Wolves are deploying with Gobert occupying the middle. Gobert said that will take time and learning.

"It's not like they're not playing hard. So it's just our habits, all of us," Gobert said. "I think, No. 1, communication. We've got to start communicating more consistently, and then yeah, just watch film and get rid of the little things that we do that don't help us."

On paper, the Wolves were supposed to have an easy schedule to start the season, but a close win Wednesday and a loss Friday showed even against supposedly lighter opponents, their margin for error isn't as big as they might have thought.