Two games into the 2016-17 NBA season, the Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. Obviously, that isn’t the norm for a Tom Thibodeau-led team, and after watching his team give up a 24-1 third-quarter run to the Sacramento Kings, Thibodeau voiced his frustrations. From Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune:
“Everything: Mental toughness, physical toughness, emotional toughness, all aspects of it,” he said afterward. “Every team has two or three primary scorers, and they’re going to put pressure on you and you have to respond. It’s not any one person’s responsibility. It’s the entire team’s. We have to get tied together and have discipline …
“The third quarter was a problem, a big problem. We have to get a lot tougher. That’s what I see.”
The Wolves are currently 0-2, having fallen in hard-fought games to more experienced teams in both losses. Toughness is a common thing for young teams to lack. That will come with time and experience, though — especially with Thibodeau there to show them the ropes.
