How do the Wolves stay afloat with Anthony Edwards injured?

Ask Timberwolves fans to recall one image from the 2023-24 postseason run, and Game 2 of the team’s series against Denver might pop into their brain.

Specifically, the moment when Jamal Murray was twisting and turning in a basketball prison as Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker guarded him with intense pressure.

The Wolves — McDaniels and Anthony Edwards especially — always seem to take a little extra delight in shutting down Murray. And thanks to that, they had won six in a row against Denver extending back to that playoff series.

Contrast that with what happened in Monday night’s 127-114 loss to the Nuggets, when Murray was getting open shot after open shot in the second half. He finished with 43 points, including 23 in the third quarter, when Denver took control of the game.

Edwards, nursing a right hamstring strain that will keep him out at least a week, could only watch from the bench as Murray torched the Wolves in a way he doesn’t normally.

If the Wolves are going to keep from falling into a losing streak while Edwards is out — and with a tricky hamstring injury, who knows how long he might really be sidelined — fixing their leaky defense is their first priority, regardless of how they might have to compensate for Edwards’ production on offense.

The Nuggets scored 45 points in the third quarter, the second 40-point quarter the Wolves have allowed this season. Early-season stats don’t carry a lot of weight, but it’s alarming to see where the Wolves’ defensive rating is after four games — 27th.

After Monday’s game, Finch challenged his top two defenders, Rudy Gobert and McDaniels, to set a better tone defensively.

“Jaden’s gotta be better at the point of attack, into his guy a little bit more,” Finch said. “Rudy’s gotta challenge more stuff at the rim.”

When told of Finch’s comments, Gobert said: “He’s right. It starts with us. I think we are a defensive-minded team, and whether it’s me inside or Jaden on the wing, I think a lot of the mindset that we try to put into our team starts with us.”

So where is the defense going wrong?

To hear the Wolves tell it Monday night, they aren’t on the same page. The cliché is all five defenders have to be on a string. When one moves, the others move to corresponding places.

“Too many breakdowns,” Wolves guard Mike Conley said. “Guys are playing hard, we’re being aggressive. But that aggression has to have direction, too. We have to do things as a unit. All five guys got to be in the same mindset and connected when we do things. We’ve kind of got too many like rogue situations going on.”

McDaniels said he believes he needed to be more aggressive, before adding, “I feel like I play the same defense all the time, but it’s obviously not working.”

An increased emphasis on ball pressure at the point of attack, not just from McDaniels but from others, will be something the Wolves will attempt to improve ahead of Wednesday night’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers.

To Gobert, having better focus and intensity on defense for the Wolves is “non-negotiable.”

“It’s gotta matter. It’s gotta matter more than, how many points we score, how many shots we get,” Gobert said. “This is non-negotiable, and for myself, I have to set the tone every single minute that I’m on the floor. I set the standards for the team. So, it definitely starts with me.”

Probably the most noticeable difference with Edwards out is how much McDaniels has the ball in his hands and attacks the basket. He was effective, especially in the first half. He finished the game with 25 points. He showcased his moves around the rim and was able to finish strong with his left hand multiple times at tough angles.

With Edwards needing the ball in his hands a lot, McDaniels has to find his scoring in the flow of the offense. Now the Wolves will be counting on him to generate some looks of his own both in transition and the half court.

The same goes for Naz Reid, who stands to get more shots with Edwards out.

Defenses will zero in more on Julius Randle, who can make plays out of any double teams he receives.

But when McDaniels, Reid and others get the ball, they have to win their matchups or hit the open looks Randle can get them. With Edwards out, that’s one less player who can tilt the defense in the Wolves’ favor.

The Wolves’ increased emphasis on playing with pace will help them make up for Edwards’ production if they can get good shots in open space. But that can happen more easily with an improved defense that forces more misses and turnovers.

The point guard situation is still a work in progress, as Rob Dillingham joined the rotation a night after sitting out because of a fractured nose. Dillingham had four points but three turnovers in 12 minutes. Conley looked more like himself with 10 points and four assists in his first start of the season.

“Honestly, it’s been a lot, not knowing if I was playing 10 minutes or five, starting or not,” Conley said. “It’s been kind of a shock in that aspect to get ready for that game. But my job, since I’ve been here, is just be ready to play.”

Bones Hyland continued to be a part of the rotation, finishing 1-for-4 with six points.

Finding players who can shift the defense with their ability to break the paint and makes plays out of that will be paramount while Edwards is out.