Timberwolves are struggling in the post

Molding a roster with new addictions isn’t an easy task. This last, long, emotional week has been absorbed by the rotation players topic. A good point, of course. Especially due to what Thibs said about the eleven players worthy of rotation minutes, even though he prefers to run with a 9-man rotation.

But is it the most relevant thing to underline when this team is still trying to strike a new balance? Memphis and Denver exposed clearly what is not working in the half court offense since Butler’s trade.

According to NBA.com/stats, 26.7% of the post up plays against the Grizzlies finished with a turnover. Gasol and Jackson Jr. pushed KAT into difficult shots and to overthink down low.

Relying on Towns ISO without creating anything before or after the entry-pass is an easy challenge for Gasol and Jackson.

On 15 possessions in the post, the Wolves shot with 37% from the field goal against Memphis. What is worse, they never forced rotation by swinging the ball to the backside.

Physicality and reading skills have something to do with it. But there’s another problem in the post. Where it comes from?

FEW OPTIONS = TURNOVERS

Since Butler’s departure, Towns is drawing more defensive attention than ever when he post-ups. Out of 28 KAT’s turnovers in the last 5 games, 9 of them came from the post.

But Blaming Towns court vision on the double teams isn’t totally fair. For a good low post entry, at least two things need to be settled: clear out 1/4 of the court and trying to remove a comfortable dig.

Conley brings secondary ball pressure on Towns, working 2 steps away from him without abandoning his man. This is basically a dig, which does not include a real double team.

Compared to other skilled bigs, Towns is a much better passer pre-dribble. Also for this reason, his 1on1 opportunities on the block should not always end in themselves.

 The Wolves need to use the post more as a vehicle for assists, just the 3.2% of field goals in the post have been assisted, per NBA.com/Stats (2nd worst mark in the NBA).

SPLIT CUT & OFF BALL COUNTERS CAN HELP

A good portion of the Warriors offense is activated in the post. With the Spurs and the Nuggets, they frequently run split cuts or flare screens out of the low post entry pass.

Cook starts with the entry-pass to Green, then he screens for Klay who immediately pops out to the three-point line. Two off-ball screening action between the post feeder and the next closest teammate. The cool part of the split cut is that there’s no restriction. After the post feeder throws it inside, he can screen away for the nearest perimeter player, or the nearest perimeter player screens for him. In the last two possessions, you have a Looney’s flare screen for Klay and a hint of a split screen between Mills and Gay. Just this distracts Dame from staying on Mills.

At the end of the 3rd quarter, the Nuggets marked a 13-2 scoring run varying the movements of the post feeder or adding some counters like an inside curl of Murray. The purpose doesn’t change: using the post as the first step to develop the action.

Among teams with more than 14 possessions per game in the post, the Wolves are the less effective with just 0.9 PPP (18th in the league).

Just on that down screen for Okogie you see some activity on the weak side.

Adding split cuts and similar counters, the Wolves could recreate more floor balance to the backside and this would also help Towns to handle less pressure when he has to put the ball on the ground.

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