‘A smarter brand of offensive basketball’: How the Timberwolves must attack Victor Wembanyama

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch stepped in front of reporters Tuesday – roughly 14 hours after Minnesota survived a 12-block night from Spurs center Victor Wembanyama to still steal Game 1 in San Antonio – and put on his performance cap.

He said at least four of the blocks were goaltends, if not five. He told reporters it was “alarming” officials didn’t have their antennas up for such calls.

A quick film review suggests that number is more like a solid one with room for a possible second. If you wanted to clarify that one or two more could’ve been whistled for fouls, that’s a more valid argument.

But pointing out any potential areas in which the whistle can improve early in a series is a Finch playoff tactic. And a little exaggeration can go a long way.

What shouldn’t be confused is Finch’s satisfaction with the offensive process that contributed to the block party.

Immediately after Monday’s victory, the coach went into the Wolves’ locker room and told his players they “have to play a smarter brand of offensive basketball.”

“We have to,” he said. “When you see the tape, there’s going to be so much stuff on there that we just have to take advantage of.”

NBC Sports reported that during a timeout Monday, Finch implored his guys to stop “dancing” with the basketball. He wanted quick reactions. Stagnation allows for the Spurs’ defense to collect at the rim and alter or block your shot.

That’s not to be confused with attacking off the bounce. Minnesota must maintain that aggression. It’s the Wolves’ biggest advantage on the offense end. The Spurs have only one sterling perimeter defender in Stephon Castle. Outside of Wembanyama, they generally lack size – in height or girth – to match up with the likes of Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Terrence Shannon Jr and Jaden McDaniels.

As was the case in the last series against Denver, Minnesota can again gain entrance into the paint at will.

In reference to Wembanyama, McDaniels said the Wolves need to “attack like he’s not there.” Shannon Jr. echoed the sentiment, noting the center is “gonna have to block it every time.”

“I ain’t gonna stop going downhill,” the wing said.

The Wolves don’t want him to. Breaking down the defense off the bounce should be the goal every possession.

What changes now is the process once the penetration occurs. Because while the Nuggets had no rim deterrent, San Antonio obviously does. The Wolves found that out the hard way Monday. While they scored 52 points in the paint in the win, they did so while shooting a woeful 54% in the restricted area. For reference, Chicago was the worst team in the NBA in that area all season at 63%.

One solution for Minnesota on Monday was removing Gobert from the lineup and utilizing small-ball lineups that forced Wembanyama to play more on the perimeter. But the Wolves also need to function offensively with their best defender on the floor.