Spurs needed only one game to expose the Wolves' biggest flaw

After getting obliterated in Game 2 by the San Antonio Spurs, the Minnesota Timberwolves head home to prepare for Game 3. They probably won't have any positive takeaways from Game 2, but there are plenty of concerning trends for the Wolves.

One trend in particular should be especially concerning. Despite splitting the first two games of the series, the Timberwolves struggled shooting from the 3-point line.

In those games, they averaged just 28 3-point attempts per game and connected on only 33.9% from outside. That is a far cry from what they averaged during the regular season and should concern the Timberwolves.

Although the Wolves have exceeded expectations thus far in the playoffs, their offense isn't exactly a juggernaut. Against San Antonio's elite defense, they have seen their 3-point attempts drop like a stone.

One reason being that the Spurs are staying at home on perimeter players and daring Minnesota to attack the paint and Victor Wembanyama.

Wolves have massive new problem the Spurs just exposed

During the regular season, the Wolves averaged 37.5 3-point attempts but have seen that number drop by nearly 10 attempts per game playing the Spurs. That isn't a winning recipe for Minnesota, but it is for San Antonio.

Suppressing the number of 3-point attempts a team takes is not only a sign of an active defense, but it also helps San Antonio win the numbers game. Having an all-time great rim protector dramatically limits the Wolves' scoring opportunities in the paint.

That means the Wolves will have to do the bulk of their scoring from outside. It hasn't happened just yet in this series with San Antonio doing everything to run them off the line or stay at home on shooters.

The Timberwolves are running out of ways to score

San Antonio's defense was especially vicious in Game 2, trapping Anthony Edwards in the half court, forcing the ball out of his hands. They employed a similar strategy against the Houston Rockets and Kevin Durant earlier this season. That resulted in the Silver and Black shutting down their in-state rivals.

With the Wolves shorthanded without Donte DiVincenzo and possibly Ayo Dosunmu for Game 3, they have a limited amount of shooters to make the Spurs pay. San Antonio is also gambling that the shooters they do have can't beat them when Edwards swings the ball to them.

The Wolves have also shot themselves in the foot with poor free throw shooting. They are just 28/52 from the line in the series, connecting on only 53.8% of their attempts.

There's bad, and then there's that. If San Antonio continues to bottle up the Wolves at the rim and from outside, and Minnesota continues to clank free throws, the Spurs defense could tilt the series in their favor.

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