Over the last month, Ryan Saunders had to figure out how to mesh rotations with 7 players not available in different moments of the previous 12 games. He changed 6 times the Wolves starting lineups throughout this period, per lineups.com.

Coming off the All-Star break with still no words of a setback for Covington (even if he’s starting to take limited contacts on the practice last Thursday) and Towns placed in concussion protocol for a car accident wasn’t encouraging.

Balancing second and third units minutes gets more complicated, but somehow, before Towns came back in the win against the Kings last night, the bench produced 117 points in the two KAT-less games combined. Bates-Diop, Deng and Tolliver can play and defend on 3-4 and 5, if necessary. Saunders squeezed some unexpected flexibility and floor spacing from using all of them in the same lineup.

DEFENSIVE IQ

Taking away “the elbows” from Giannis is the option you select defensively if your first purpose is to stop him and not his shooters. Taj and Wiggs were not focused at all on transition defense and veer backs.

What got better with the second unit is anticipating Gianni’s favorite spots in transition. Deng and Tolliver already set on left elbow, they doubled Giannis, slowing him down and let him think.

He scored 9 points in the first 3 minutes of the game, he was scoreless from the field goal in the second quarter till the last 1.03 before the halftime.

Bates-Diop is a solid digger, bringing secondary ball pressure in the post without leaving his original man. He switched from Trier onto Jenkins multiples times against the Knicks.

STRETCH 4 AND 5

Tolliver got more responsibilities on offense. Before KAT’s return, he made 9 on 12 three’s attempted, most of them scored in early offense.

Saunders is trying to maintain great spacing on ATO’s plays like the first action. This is “wedge pop” for Tolliver. Bates Diop wedge screens for Tolliver’s ball screen. Tolliver loves to slip and pop out, he’d done a terrific job on these quick hitters.

Wolves are using more the high cross screen to initiate the offense also on half court sets.

IMPACT

It has nothing to do with a trend, but looking at the luck adjusted on/off court difference of these of these back-to-back games without KAT, you can clearly see where the efficiency is coming from.

There will be good chances just for one of these three to remain a rotational player above the 10-15 minutes per game range, without mentioning the likely buyout of Tolliver before March 1st.

However, Saunders is discovering day by day how deep and ready to go is his frontcourt.