Wednesday night in Orlando, the NBA did not stage the Rising Stars Challenge, the annual part of All-Star Weekend which is more informally known as the rookie game or the futures game. However, the clash between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Orlando Magic easily could have been mistaken for it.
Youthfulness will produce inconsistency and dubious late-game decisions. It will produce a game in which one team (Minnesota) should have taken full control over the broader ebb and flow of 48 regulation minutes, but the other (Orlando) should have used better time-and-score judgment in the final 45 seconds.
It will also produce fabulous plays which show why two teams have such bright futures to savor (provided that a New Orleans Pelican-level injury bug doesn’t strike).
Let’s first deal with the time-and-score failure of Orlando, so that we can then celebrate what the Magic and T-Wolves provided in one of the more enjoyable (albeit messy) games of the young season.
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Orlando, up by a 93-90 score as the fourth quarter wound down, had a chance to reduce the game clock to 30 seconds, forcing Minnesota into a situation where it either would have had to make a three to tie, or play the free-throw game to come back.
In professional basketball, one should welcome the ability to play a free-throw game when leading, more so than in the college game. Being able to get the ball in the hands of a professional shooter should mean two of two at the line in endgame contexts. If you can manipulate time and score in your favor, you should want that.
If you have the ball with roughly 45 seconds left and 15 on the shot clock, the only shot you should take before the final two or three seconds on the shot clock is a layup or something very close to it.
Orlando took a corner three — open, yes, but still a long-distance shot. With a minute left, hey, launch away in search of a dagger; no problem. With only 45 seconds left, early in the shot clock? No — that’s not the right play. Getting that open three at the end of the shot clock, after at least trying to find a layup, would work. Hunting for an easy basket should be the first focus if any shot is attempted before the final five or six seconds on the shot clock with that particular time-and-score combo. The long three is an unnecessary risk, open or not.
The long and short of it is that Orlando missed. The Timberwolves quickly earned a pair of foul shots at the other end, making one. The Magic still led, 93-91, but the key point to emphasize is that the early hoist near the 45-second mark extended the game. It gave the Timberwolves the chance to get a stop and create another chance to tie or win. Had Orlando drained the game clock to (or near) 30 seconds, the T-Wolves would not have had that extra possession (without having to foul the Magic and send them to the free-throw line for two points).
At this point, the flaws of youth gave way to splendor, as a bunch of players who are likely to flourish in the league over the next decade took center stage.
Enter Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns of the T-Wolves:
And Karl-Anthony Towns with the big Block to send the game to overtime!#Twolves https://t.co/ZmeRa6GxrQ
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) November 19, 2015
Minnesota’s young pups made their statement.
Then, in overtime, Evan Fournier, who just celebrated his 23rd birthday, provided an effective retort:
Evan Fournier (dontGooglehislastname) hits this wild 3
Fights through the double, beats the shot clock!#magic https://t.co/Qu3O772MQq
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) November 19, 2015
Minnesota’s future is incredibly bright:
Karl-Anthony Towns is the 2nd-youngest player with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks in the last 30 years (youngest: Anthony Davis)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 19, 2015
However, Orlando walked away with another victory, showing that its early losses to Washington and Oklahoma City were beneficial as teaching moments. The Magic could have lost heart in the wake of those setbacks, but they used them as positive experiences.
The Timberwolves, one night after thumping Miami, learned a harsh lesson of their own. They now get the chance to show that they can turn a wrenching loss into a building block.
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Youth. Pain. Suffering. Growth. Development.
This is the future of the NBA. From Andrew Wiggins to KAT; from Fournier to Elfrid Payton; and from Zach LaVine to Tobias Harris, Minnesota and Orlando showcased one player after another who is no older than 23 years.
These guys are going to be around for a long time, and they’re going to get better.
Wednesday night was just a first taste of what these teams and their foremost performers will give to us in a future filled with promise.
