The Wolves had their first full practice with Interim Head Coach Ryan Saunders
at the helm on Thursday. The team was in good spirits, music played over the
speakers, and there was a lot to go over as Saunders continues to make subtle
changes to the way the Wolves play.
Something that stood out in the Wolves’ win over the Thunder was Saunders’
composure. In an intense game and in his first head coaching outing, it would
have been easy for him to be overwhelmed, but there was no indication that was
the case. For Saunders, that attitude is something he cultivates every single
day.
“That’s just important to me in life just in general,” he said. “I’m not saying
that I’m always going to hold it together, but I’m saying that I’m going to do
my best to keep composed and try to get the same me every day, win or lose.
Obviously with losses you take those a little harder, but just try to be
positive, keep that vibe.”
“He looked like he had done it thousands of times before. He was calm, poised,”
said Tyus Jones. “When he was poised that rubs off on the players. He just kept
instilling confidence in us, told us to keep making reads, take your shots with
confidence, and just play hard.”
One thing is for sure, Tuesday’s victory was one to remember. That being said,
today is a new day and Friday is another important game. That was the focus in
practice.
“I understand there’s other things on people’s minds, there’s somebody different
standing on the sidelines, but ultimately it’s about us going against a team
that we’re going to be battling for playoff seeding with,” said Saunders.
So What Is Changing?
One of the biggest changes Saunders is making is in the Wolves’ pace. He’s
trying to get them up the floor faster and get them more opportunities in
transition. He’s also having the team run fewer specific sets and spend more
time in a more free-flowing style.
“He just was trying to stress it to us since that first day. Just trying to get
the ball over half court quicker,” said Jones. “Letting guys make reads of the
defense. Playing off one another. Sharing the ball, continuing to share the
basketball and I think in that first game we did a good job.”
The other major change Saunders is considering is lengthening the rotation. With
Derrick Rose’s ankle improving and the guard nearing a return, Saunders will
have one more piece to fit into the Wolves’ system.
“That’s definitely one of the strong ideas I’m looking at, but I’m feeling it
out too,” said Saunders of using a 10-man rotation. “I like to do a lot of
things off preparation but a lot of things off feel too.”
That could mean that Josh Okogie, who was thrust into a larger role due to
injuries, might end up still finding his way into playing time when Rose
returns. Same goes for Anthony Tolliver, who has been excellent in an increased
role since Robert Covington went down.
Aggressive Andrew
One huge beneficiary of an increased pace of play is Andrew Wiggins, who is
learning to thrive in transition. That was a big reason behind Saunders’
emphasis on pace. Players with Wiggins’ athletic abilities don’t come along
often.
“He’s definitely one of the more elite players in terms of getting in the open
court,” said Saunders. “Jeff (Teague) did a good job head manning the ball down
the sideline, Tyus did a great job. When he can catch the ball and break guys
down, Andrew has a great first step, he’s really hard to guard at the rim.”
His point guards understand how important it is to get Wiggins going early and
find him some opportunities on the break. Teague has made getting the ball to
Wiggins a point of personal emphasis. Wiggins’ 40-point game against the Thunder
was no accident, look for him to be a huge part of the Wolves’ transition
offense going forward.
“I feel like transition is easier, especially against a team like OKC cause
their half-court defense is so good,” said Wiggins. “I’m good at finishing
around the rim and my teammates were looking for me so I was just getting out
and running.”
Wiggins said he didn’t see his huge performance on Tuesday coming, but he wasn’t
surprised by it either.
“I just felt like I was getting better. I didn’t know I was going to have a game
like that, but I felt like I was getting better,” he said. “More comfortable on
the floor, back to how I was a couple years ago. Staying aggressive, being
aggressive, asserting myself in different ways.”
One Step At A Time
There’s always an emotional high after a win like Tuesday’s, but now the
challenge is sustaining that energy through the rest of what promises to be a
hard-fought season.
“We’re just going to keep at it,” said Wiggins. “One thing we needed to work on
the whole year is consistency. We know that there’s been a few games in a row
where we look like we’re a great team defensively, offensively then the next
couple games we could be going downhill a little bit.”
Saunders will continue to make subtle changes, and it will be on the players to
make sure they continue to implement them and follow his lead as Saunders tries
to position the team to succeed. It’s going to be an interesting few
weeks–Saunders makes his home debut on Friday. To find out more about the game,
check Timberwolves.com, and if you want to be in the building, get your tickets
here.
Player: Tyus Jones
Player: Andrew Wiggins
Media Content:
https://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/practice-report-fast-paced-wiggins-and-saun
ders-composure
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Minnesota Timberwolves, Tyus Jones, Andrew Wiggins,
Ryan Saunders, Minnesota Timberwolves
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Taxonomy: Practice Report
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ders-composure
