The Timberwolves look much different through four games this season than they did last year, and that has largely been a good thing.

They have started the season with three straight blowout wins, blending maturity with swagger. LaMelo Ball, whom the Wolves traded for in June, gives Minnesota that swagger. And the change in attitude throughout the team is clear, so it is encouraging to see this new-look roster—which leans harder on its youth—operate like a more mature operation.

But Monday in Cleveland, the Wolves suffered their first loss of the season, falling 127-125 in overtime to the Cavaliers.

Minnesota remained resilient despite any fatigue that may have been present. The Wolves’ biggest flaw came into full focus, and it is why they lost, despite Anthony Edwards scoring 47 points. But now Edwards is expected to miss about two months because he will undergo a procedure on his right knee.

That makes the Wolves correcting this flaw that much more important.

This team can’t make free throws

The Wolves have made 60.7% of their free throws through four games, the worst percentage in the NBA by a wide margin. The 29th-ranked team in free-throw percentage is the Pacers at 70.1%.

Against the Cavs, the Wolves went 14 of 23 (61%) from the line. They shot 2 of 6 in clutch time. One of those misses was intentional—Ball missed his first of two in late overtime, forcing him to miss the second on purpose in hopes that Minnesota would get an offensive rebound, find a three-point shooter, and tie the game.

That is almost exactly what the Wolves did.

The Cavs bench held its collective breath during Ant's game-tying 3 attempt 🙏😅

Cleveland picks up the win in OT! pic.twitter.com/JmvECx69Uz

— NBA (@NBA) October 27, 2026

Edwards missed a wide-open three to force double overtime. He couldn’t help but smile, knowing that it is a shot he is fully capable of drilling.

But Edwards finished Monday’s game shooting 19 of 33 from the floor and 5 of 15 from deep. His long-range shot was off all night, as it was for the Wolves as a whole. Minnesota shot 32% from deep. The Wolves committed 17 turnovers, and their usual lockdown defense lost its edge in the second half, where Cleveland scored 63 points on 47% shooting.

That makes sense because it was the tail end of a back-to-back. It was impressive that Minnesota hung around as well. But there are rarely moral victories in professional sports. The Wolves lost a game they should have won if they had shot even at the league average from the free-throw line.

James Harden fouled Edwards late in regulation with the score tied as Minnesota’s superstar attempted a layup, but the officials missed it. Many fans will remember that missed call and be upset with it. But it is hard to be agitated about missed foul calls when the Wolves shot 22 free throws and missed nine.

They had plenty of opportunities at the charity stripe but squandered them.

This isn’t anything new for the Wolves. Last year, they ranked 29th league-wide in free-throw percentage (75.2%) while taking the seventh most. Shooting a high percentage at the free-throw line doesn't automatically translate to a higher win percentage. The Clippers (82.3%) and the Hornets (81.8%) led the league in free-throw percentage last season, but both missed the playoffs.

Still, struggles at the free-throw line surface when teams face situations like the Wolves did Monday in Cleveland—running on fumes in a hostile environment when other offensive options aren’t working as planned.

Why they must improve

Rudy Gobert, who is a career 63.3% free-throw shooter, leads the Wolves through four games in attempts (24). He is shooting 50% on the season and went 5 of 8 from the line against Cleveland. Jonathan Kuminga is a 69.9% career free-throw shooter. Trey Lyles is at 74.1%. Joan Beringer is at 70.3% in a small sample size.

But aside from those four, most of Minnesota’s rotation has been adequate at the line throughout their careers.

• Edwards — 80.2% on 5.5 attempts
• Ball — 84.7% on 3.4 attempts
• Jaden McDaniels — 77.4% on 1.5 attempts (shot 83.5% last season on 2.4 attempts)
• Ayo Dosunmu — 80.4% on 1.4 attempts
• Terrence Shannon Jr. — 80.2% on 1.2 attempts

Those splits indicate that the Wolves will more than likely improve as the season continues. But Minnesota will be without Edwards’ excellence at the line moving forward. So far this season, he is shooting 15 of 20 (75%) from the line, which is below his career average but much better than the Wolves’ team average this season.

Edwards doesn’t necessarily hunt fouls or flop to get them. But he does regularly get to the line thanks to his aggression when getting downhill.

Without his foul-drawing and free-throw shooting abilities in Minnesota’s lineup, the Wolves will need to improve their efficiency at the charity stripe even more. They will almost certainly not shoot 60.7% for the rest of the season. The law of averages says that number will trend up.

But for right now, the Wolves—who have operated as a much more mature team so far this year—are still struggling in the same key area they did last year. And it will be crucial that they collectively improve because they just lost their best weapon at the free-throw line.