After the tough loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday — a game in which the Timberwolves led by 18 at one point in the third quarter — fans were once again bemoaning the tendency the team has of blowing late leads.
Coach Sam Mitchell was getting a good chunk of the blame. His substitution patterns are questionable at best, and the late game offense usually seems to simply be an isolation play for Kevin Martin or Andrew Wiggins. This type of offense isn’t conducive to winning unless a team has a transcendent offensive star along the lines of a LeBron James or Kevin Durant.