Wolves' Chris Finch identifies very clear issue 'knifing at our heels'

How close are the Wolves to becoming a steady team on both ends of the floor?

Nov 13, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch gives direction to his team during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

After back-to-back resilient wins against the Kings and Suns, the Timberwolves are 8-6 and using three consecutive game-free days to work on finding more consistency ahead of Thursday's tilt with the Raptors.

How close are the Wolves to becoming a steady team on both ends of the floor?

"Yeah, we're getting there. We've seen signs of it," head coach Chris Finch said Tuesday in an interview with KFAN-FM 100.3's Paul Allen.

"Inconsistency is still knifing at our heels, if you will. We've gotta figure things out defensively, gotta get that defensive personality back that we had last year," Finch continued. "We're showing a lot of grit in different ways, but we just need to be more consistent."

Finch identified four clear areas that are causing defensive letdowns: Lack of focus, transition defense, prolonged offensive slumps and failing to make adjustments in a timely manner.

Minnesota is 12th in the NBA with a 111.7 defensive rating. Last season they led the league with a 108.4 defensive rating.

When you break it down by category, the 2024-25 Wolves aren't anywhere near as impressive as last season's team.

In the chart below, you'll see that last season's team was better at shot-blocking, surrendering fewer points off turnovers, fewer second-chance points, fewer fastbreak points, and fewer points in the paint, while also holding opponents to lower overall and two-point field-goal percentages.

Stats	2024-25 Wolves	2023-24 Wolves
D-rating	111.7	108.4
Steals per game	8.1	7.9
Blocks per game	4.6	6.1
Opp. points off turnovers	20.3	16.3
2nd-chance points	13.9	12.7
Fastbreak points	15.7	13.2
Points in the paint	52.1	46.1
Opponent FG%	47.3%	45.0%
Opponent 2-point FG%	54.6%	50.6%
Opponent 3-point FG%	35.0%	35.4%

Minnesota might be able to get away with inconsistent play against the 2-12 Raptors, but they won't be so fortunate Sunday in Boston against the defending champion Celtics.