Before the 2025-2026 season, the Minnesota Timberwolves discussed how they were going to improve their transition game and overall pace. Whether this came from Chris Finch or the players, it was clear that Wolves were focused on improving in these areas. And sixteen games into the season, these improvements are noticeable!
The Wolves have increased their transition points from 30 to 14. Likewise, they have improved their transition points per game from 29th in the league to 12th. Additionally, according to Cleaning the Glass, their overall transition offense has improved from 19th to ninth. In terms of pace, they have risen from 25th to 14th.
These improvements are significant and have resulted in the Wolves having the sixth-best offense in the league.
Timberwolves’ new, fast-paced style benefits everyone
It was always clear that playing faster and improving in transition would help this team, especially Anthony Edwards. We finally see how useful it can be this year. Yes, the Wolves are 0-6 against teams with a winning record, and you might be disappointed with their overall record of 10-6. However, there is a lot to like about this team, and their improved pace/transition play is certainly a huge positive.
With the Wolves forcing more turnovers, there are also more transition opportunities.
Playing faster inherently helps Edwards, given his elite athletic ability. Additionally, getting out more in transition will help the Wolves navigate without a traditional point guard. Julius Randle has risen from the 47th percentile to the 73rd percentile in points per transition possession.
Jaden McDaniels has long excelled at transition; his 4.8 transition points rank second, just behind Edwards on the Wolves. It’s no surprise that McDaniels’ breakout season came with the Wolves’ quicker play.
Rudy Gobert is a player you might not expect to thrive in transition, but he does. Impressively, Stifle Tower ranks in the 96th percentile for transition ownership points. Running in transition creates opportunities for some easy shots for Rudy around the rim.
In short, almost everyone on the roster benefits from this new playing style. Because of some of their personnel, ranking in the top five in terms of pace or transition was never a realistic goal, and that’s fine.
However, not being one of the slowest and worst transition teams was a realistic goal that the team has achieved so far. Being able to play fast (and slow down when necessary) will benefit the Wolves during the playoffs.
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