Another day, another blown opportunity for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves came into the season with relative sky-high expectations. The young team was expected to at least compete for the postseason with a new coaching staff and plenty of young talent.
So far this season, they have fallen flat. While they have shown plenty of improvements, the Wolves have been unable to the step they were expected to, currently holding a 3-7 record.
The main issue for Minnesota has been some incredibly poor performances in the third quarter. They have been routinely outscored and outplayed after halftime, causing them to lose early leads and, consequentially, winnable games.
It happened again on Tuesday as the Wolves lost a close one to the Charlotte Hornets. After the game, point guard Ricky Rubio did not mince words about the subject:
Rubio: "It seems like we're not learning. We have to figure out what's going on."
— Jon Krawczynski (@APkrawczynski) November 16, 2016
Rubio: "It's one quarter every game that keeps us far from where we want to be. I don't know what it is, but I'm telling you, it's not fun."
— Jon Krawczynski (@APkrawczynski) November 16, 2016
Rubio: "This is the best team I've ever been around. I get mad thinking that we're wasting time. We're not learning. it's time to change"
— Jon Krawczynski (@APkrawczynski) November 16, 2016
Rubio has a point, obviously, and this is a disappointing start for him and the Wolves. But at the end of the day, the focus is still on development for this squad (whether Ricky Rubio fits into that future or not) so a few lost opportunities are not the end of the world.
