Tom Powers: If Timberwolves can play defense, then maybe, just maybe

If a team really does take on the personality of its coach, then the 2015-16 Timberwolves are going to be, well, crabby.

Sam Mitchell was always kind of grumpy as a player. As coach of the Toronto Raptors he became famously cranky. Now as coach of the Timberwolves, he already appears to be in a perpetual state of grimace. If there's one thing that sets him off more than anything, its lousy defense. So you can imagine how having to watch the Wolves every single day is like condemning Sam to his own private hell.

Rather than just sit there and stew, Surly Sam has embarked on a mission to do something about it. Mitchell is hammering the notion of defensive effort into his team. It hasn't been…