Minnesota Sports Forum

13 for 27 last night, expanding our league-leading percentage...we're now a staggering 3.2 percentage points about yesterday's news Spurs. We saw it last year when we had the second-best 3-point percentage after the All-Star game, but led by Wig, the team has taken it to a new level this year. Last night Ricky and Payne joined the party, as the Lakers dared them to take wide open shots...and they made 3 out of 4. I've said it before...watch the Wolves shoot pre-game and at halftime, and you can see that they shoot long-range better than most of their opponents. These are the guys who make 75% or more of their practice 3-point shots: KAT, Payne, Belly, Wig, Zach, Rush, Tyus, Ricky, and Lucas...that's 9 of the active 14 players on the roster. And I have no problems with Gorgui and Shabazz taking open threes either. Through 9 games, 8 Wolves are over 37.5 % on threes (including Dunn and Shabazz, although I don't trust either of them yet), and Ricky and Rush could be there soon. This is a good 3-point shooting team in an era where you need the 3-pointer to be successful.

While Thibs deserves some credit for narrowing the 3-point gap, the issue is still volume. The Wolves rank 23rd in 3-point attempts, and still seem to pass up 5-6 good opportunities every game. The crowd sees it, and groans every time another opportunity is passed up. Ricky, Tyus, and Belly are the biggest culprits, but almost everyone gets too cautious once in awhile. I think it's incumbent upon Thibs to really embrace a 3-point culture, even going so far as to yank a player out of the game if a wide-open opportunity is passed up. More volume may lead to a lower percentage, but maybe not. If Thibs can get these guys taking 30 or more threes a game as a minimum, I think we have a true offensive juggernaut in the making.

Then, there's the defense...

LST, I don't think we need to be near the top of the league in 3-point volume - or even in the upper half - as long as we continue to be near the top in free throw rate. Guys like Wiggins, Zach, Ricky, KAT, etc. need to keep taking the ball to the hoop and generating contact since all are good free throw shooters and it helps get the other team in foul trouble.

The key is that Thibs has overall reduced long 2's (15.5% of shots this year vs. 24% last year), increased 3's (27% of shots this year vs. 20% last year), while also maintaining a very strong free throw rate (33.7% vs. 33.2% last year).

What we don't want to do is become so in love with the 3-pointer that guys stop trying to get to the rim, which is clearly a strength. It's simply a matter of converting a few of those long open 2's to open 3's instead. Thibs has been successful in that regard.

Looking at team rankings there are some pretty stark differences between the 3 point differential of last season and this season.

Wolves made 3's
5.5 last season
9.0 current

Wolves allowed 3's
9.0 last season
8.4 current

So the Wolves are at least pretty even and the gap has closed significantly. Now it seems possibly their percentage drops off but I also think it's likely with Thibs as coach their defense agin the 3 will improve as well. If they can play teams even with the 3 while also getting to the line a lot that's pretty good.