Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves are being tested. Next up? A rematch with the Thunder.

In back-to-back seasons, we have seen Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves make improbable runs to the Western Conference finals, losing in five games to the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder.

In back-to-back games this season, we have seen the Timberwolves lose big fourth-quarter leads. On Friday, they watched a 113-105 lead over the Phoenix Suns with under a minute to play turn into a 114-113 defeat. They followed that up on Monday by losing a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter to the Sacramento Kings, making only one field goal in the last seven minutes of regulation before losing in overtime.

So, what exactly are the Timberwolves?

Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves have had an uneven start to the season. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)

(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

According to NBA.com, they are one of five teams with top-10 ratings in both offense (9th) and defense (10th). Minnesota has scored 110 or more points in all 17 of its games, tying the 1961-62 Cincinnati Royals for the longest streak of 110+ points to start a season in NBA history.

The Timberwolves are also 10-1 against teams below .500, and 0-6 against teams .500 or above.

So, again I ask, what exactly are the Timberwolves? Let’s take a look at where they stand ahead of their highly anticipated rematch with the 17-1 Thunder.

Continuity and expectations

With back-to-back conference final appearances, expectations for this Timberwolves group were high. They boasted roster continuity, which in this league can be viewed as a strength, until it is not.

Winning is not easy, success is not linear and the Western Conference is unforgiving. But having a winning formula can, in theory, lift your base. The issue is every season is different, new challenges arise, and another year together is another year of prep that teams have on you. One of the more dangerous things a team can do in this league is copy and paste success from year to year.

Why do I bring this up? To understand the current state of the Timberwolves, you have to go back to their mindset on media day.

Anthony Edwards said, “We have a cheat code in a way where we have the same team back while other teams made trades this summer, we should be able to get off to a fast start.”

Julius Randle said, “I think it’s going to let us hit the ground running, it’s not going to be us trying to figure all this stuff out. … It’s night and day, man. ”

Chris Finch said, “Continuity is only good when it pays dividends early. Other than that, you’re just like everybody else.”

Much to their (and Wolves fans’) chagrin, Minnesota is much closer to everybody else. The expectation of early success because of continuity makes a 10-7 start tougher to swallow.

There have been flashes of improvement, but it’s tricky.

Ant-Man attack

Minnesota has worked to increase its tempo in the half-court, trying to get to more movement and flow to keep defenses off balance. The head of the snake remains the play of Edwards. This team’s ceiling is in the hands of Edwards being able to consistently find the right blend of scoring and playmaking.

Edwards’ ball-handling has improved, his footwork has been slippery, but his best moments this season have come when he makes quick decisions. That’s when you feel the force he plays with offensively. The assists may be down year to year, but I am not sure that tells the whole story.

In pick-and-roll, it’s about understanding the coverages teams are throwing at him and understanding the right play to make with speed. If the defense is working to trap, you can see him try to turn the corner. If the big man is at the level of that ball screen, you can see him trying to advance the ball to the wing quickly. If teams are switching, he’s attacking with an in-and-out dribble or crossover to keep an advantage.

There is a feel where Edwards understands his drive may force help, which opens up a pass, but it may not open up an immediate shot. The key is Edwards’ ability to consistently force defenses to rotate.

The issue has come against the top teams Minnesota has faced: Defenses are switching or committing to showing early help to take those driving lanes away from Edwards.

Post-ups have been a good counter for Edwards, but more teams are working to load up help from the baseline and the elbow. Against switches, Edwards is seeing bodies planted at boxes and elbows to discourage driving lanes. It’s not just the attempt to take away the scoring, it’s an attempt to bog down the Wolves’ movement as a whole.

And it’s a gamble that more defenses may be willing to take depending on their personnel. In the Wolves’ last two games, Edwards had back-to-back 40-plus point performances, but a total of only eight assists.

What about the supporting cast?

Another improvement for the Wolves has been the consistent play of Julius Randle. For all the criticism Randle has received in the past, you see a cleaner process for him this season.

The Wolves need his ability to drive, and when he does that without holding the ball, it’s even better. More elbow touches have allowed Randle cleaner drives closer to the basket. Randle has been able to execute in pick-and-roll with Rudy Gobert as a screener or with inverted pick-and-rolls, leaving a smaller defender dealing with the physicality of his drives.

[Get more Timberwolves news: Minnesota team feed]

Naz Reid also continues to provide energy and aggression. His best moments are when he’s able to play the 5 offensively, mixing in rolls and pops to keep defenses off track. The blend of shooting, scoring and playmaking gives the Wolves an advantage more times than not.

The issue appears when teams have felt more comfortable putting a wing defender on Randle and Reid, switching and showing help on their drives. That scheme blends in to bog down the Wolves’ offensive attack, slow down their drives and force Minnesota into isolation possessions to win matchups to regain the advantage.

Can the Wolves consistently score against top teams who are going to throw defenders at them that work to stay in front and contest? The toughest moments for Minnesota come when help is shown against Edwards and Reid/Randle become switchable. It takes a lot of the variety of the Wolves’ attack off the table. If the Wolves’ level of versatility just turns into Gobert being the only player getting a roll, things can get stagnant.

Which brings us to Jaden McDaniels, who is having a career offensive year. Averaging a career high 17.2 points on 54.4% from the field and 47.2% from 3 (all career highs), McDaniels is making the leap everyone in Minnesota had hoped. The shooting helps, but him consistently being involved in Minnesota’s offensive attack has had good returns.

When he is involved in a handoff or pick-and-roll and is able to get in the paint, a finish helps. But when he draws help and sprays the ball out to the perimeter, it juices the Wolves’ attack. Those quick passes from Edwards to the wing we mentioned earlier? More often than not it’s McDaniels who benefits and drives closeouts.

As a whole, the flow of the offense has improved, and individual talents have improved, but always remember: When a team shows a strength, the opposition is working to take it away.

How will the Wolves respond?

Most teams have gone with physical defense and switches, so any of the off-ball movement and flow becomes a switch that keeps Minnesota on the perimeter and deeper in the clock. More teams are going to mix coverages against Edwards to keep him off balance. Any isolation will see bodies.

The aforementioned offensive improvements have lessened the load on the defense to be elite for Minnesota to succeed, but it feels like we won’t feel the impact of the offensive growth until the defense consistently shows up, too. More stops will allow for more chances to run and play against a defense that isn’t set.

Is this an untenable situation? No. A 10-7 start may not have been the expectation, but Minnesota is only two games out of home-court advantage, which may not sound like much, but is welcome in the Western Conference.

Patience is a difficult pill to swallow when you have expectations, but every single team faces a level of adversity. It’s a part of the journey of the regular season. Issues are identified, habits are built, mindsets are sharpened. This is a team that has shown a winning playoff formula and has used early-season struggles to fuel late-season runs before. Is getting on track as simple as being able to get teams to stop switching? Is it a defensive leap? Is it Edwards putting it all together consistently? Time will tell, but the tests will keep coming.

The next one? A Western Conference finals rematch with the juggernaut in Oklahoma City. With the high level of two-way play the Thunder deliver, we know the Wolves are waiting to either confirm how far this team has come along, or how much further they will need to go to arrive at their destination.

Read the full article here