Tom Thibodeau is considered one of the best coaches in the NBA but always had the reputation of overplaying guys, especially the starters. He was consistently ridiculed over this during his time in Chicago and some believed that this was a reason that Derrick Rose continued to have injury issues. Once Thibodeau was let go in Chicago he took a year off and went around the league to learn from other organizations on schemes, rotations, and development. After this tour, there were many coaches who vouched for Thibs claiming that he learned from the past and knows how important rotations are. So far this sentiment is proving to be false as the Timberwolves starters are playing an obscene amount of minutes. 

As A Team

The Timberwolves starters have been playing more than anyone else in the league. They have played a total of 693 minutes together which is almost 300 more minutes than any other five-man lineup in the league. The next most common five-man lineup for the Timberwolves consists of Towns, Wiggins, Gibson, Butler, and Jones and has accrued a measly 93 minutes. The Timberwolves are almost exclusively playing with all five starters on the floor. Due to their general youth and athleticism, this may not lead to injuries like we’ve seen from past teams with similar mentalities but we have seen Jeff Teague already miss a handful of games due to injury.

Since the start of December, the Timberwolves have played in 11 games (most in the NBA) that have been within five points within the final five minutes of the game. Their inability to put teams away early has resulted in the starters playing these extended minutes. While they have been able to win seven of these games, the underlying numbers have not been impressive. During these situations, they are posting an impressive offensive rating of 122.1, third in the league, but a less than ideal defensive rating of 110, 20th in the league. The excessive minutes that these starters are playing is resulting in missed rotations and lapses in communication.

Individually

On a per game basis, every starter is averaging at least 33 minutes a game. The NBA season is long and grueling so being able to give guys nights off or long spells on the bench during games can be crucial for the player’s health and long-term success. Last year Wiggins and Towns lead the league in minutes while playing every game. This year they will both end up near the top of the list again as they are currently both in the top six while playing every game. The best way for young players to develop their game is through playing but there is a point where it becomes too much and can drastically increase their chance of injury. To help give the starters some rest it would be nice to see guys like Nemanja Bjelica (14.8 min per game), Marcus Georges-Hunt (3.8 min per game), and Shabazz Muhammad (11.4 min per game) see an increased load. Besides giving the starters some rest, it will also help the bench develop and be more comfortable playing in case injuries do start to pile up.

Is this actually ok?

I know I just spent this entire article criticizing the Timberwolves rotation but let’s consider how this is good for the team. This offseason the Timberwolves brought in three new starters and as we’ve seen in Oklahoma City, it takes time to learn the nuances of other players and build the necessary chemistry. By playing the starters together so much this early in the season, they should be very comfortable by the time the playoffs roll around that they are fully able to compete at the highest level. As an organization the main focus this year needs to be to make the playoffs. They currently have the longest playoff drought in the league of 13 years without a playoff appearance. With the amount of talent on this team, not making the playoffs would be a massive failure. The current rotations are ensuring that the best players are frequently on the floor giving the team the best chance to win each game. If this philosophy continues past this year the team could be in real trouble, but maybe this year, and just this year, it is a necessary evil.