When Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said during the preseason that the team had "traded moodiness for giddiness," it raised questions about how important that really is to winning. After all, you can't quantify mood like you can size, which is also something the Timberwolves traded this summer. But as Minnesota has started the season with three decisive wins, it's clear that the Timberwolves' chemistry is real and it matters on the court.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) looks on against the Toronto Raptors in the second half at Target Center. Photo Credit: Jesse Johnson, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Team chemistry is hard to describe, but you know it when you see it. In the classic basketball movie Hoosiers, Coach Norman Dale, played by Gene Hackman, described it as "five players on the floor functioning as one single unit." More recently, Anthony Edwards colorfully described the Oklahoma City Thunder's highly synchronized defensive rotations as "15 puppets (on) 1 string."
The Timberwolves' chemistry began to build before the season started, when the team's elder statesman, Rudy Gobert, invited the whole squad to train with him in his native France . It has progressed since the season started. After Edwards and new teammate LaMelo Ball combined to hit 14 three-pointers in the Timberwolves' dominant opener , Edwards said he and Ball were on a path to be "like best friends." They already share elaborate handshakes and three-point celebrations.
That kind of thing matters more in basketball than other sports. You might see chemistry between a quarterback and a wide receiver in football, or between a pitcher and a catcher in baseball. Still, basketball is the only sport where all teammates are equally eligible to have the ball at any time and must figure out how to share it.
Edwards recently likened the NBA to a "grown-up version of AAU basketball, where the closest team wins." He didn't compare it to high school or college basketball, where players have other things binding them together, like tradition, even if they don't particularly like each other. AAU basketball, like the NBA, has a certain mercenary quality, where players are heavily incentivized to look out for themselves more than the team. As Edwards said, the teams that resist that tend to be the most successful.
While Finch was most likely referring to Julius Randle with his "moodiness" comment, there were times in the past few years when Edwards' frustration level rose to the point where it affected his play. Many drives to the basket that resulted in contact ended with him failing to get back on defense while he was arguing for a foul.
We haven't seen that this year. On the contrary, at the end of the third quarter of a physical win against Orlando, Edwards walked off the floor laughing with a ref while jokingly holding his neck. He had gotten knocked around and was having a poor shooting day, but he was still having fun, rebounding, and defending well.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves' chemistry is also noticeably affecting what was probably the weakest part of Ball's game. No less an authority than his brother, Lonzo Ball , recently tweeted that he's never seen LaMelo play so much defense.
It's not just the two team leaders, either. Jonathan Kuminga has fit perfectly so far — moving the ball, defending vigorously, and working within the offense without dribbling too much. Gobert has seemed content to defend, rebound, and set monster screens. Jaden McDaniels is shooting 57% from the field while maintaining his trademark lockdown defense, and the Timberwolves' bench has outscored opponents 120-79.
Talent, coaching, and effort all contribute to early-season success. But so does the Timberwolves' chemistry.
The Timberwolves' first three games could hardly have gone better. So far, the vibes are immaculate. But as Aaliyah once sang, "our chemistry is off the chain; it's perfect now, but will it change?" At some point in the season, adversity will come, whether it's a serious injury or a four-game losing streak. The Timberwolves' chemistry will be tested. But if they can maintain it, they have a real chance at a special season.
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Photo Credit: Jesse Johnson, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
