The Minnesota Timeberwolves were an egregiously old-school team last season. Under the guidance of interim head coach Sam Mitchell, the Wolves ranked among the slowest teams in the league in terms of pace and did most of their damage inside the arc.
Now, the T-Wolves have a new weapon at the helm in Tom Thibodeau. The former Chicago Bulls head coach is more well-known for his defensive leadership and ability. However, that doesn’t mean he won’t be hoping to improve the Wolves’ offense. Namely, Thibodeau wants his young team to shoot more threes.
Following via Brian Windhorst of ESPN:
When examining how the Wolves can break their 12-year playoff drought, Thibodeau immediately pointed to the 3-point line. The Wolves finished 29th in 3-point attempts and makes last season.
“We gave up nine [3-pointers] a game, and we made only five and a half,” Thibodeau said. “That’s like starting the game 10 points behind.”“We’re a work in progress,” Thibodeau said, perhaps even talking a little about himself. “We’ve got to close the gap.”
This appears to be a bit of a change in philosophy for Tom Thibodeau. His Bulls teams were not known for shooting the lights out, though that has just as much to do with the players on the roster.
The Wolves are equipped to push the pace and hurt teams from all across the court. Thibodeau seems to be ready to bring them to 2016, offensively.
