At coach's request, Wolves' Taj Gibson shooting 3-pointers

Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Taj Gibson isn't much of a sharpshooter.

In eight seasons and 585 games of NBA action, Gibson has hit four 3-pointers.

Ever.



He attempted more 3-pointers (13) last season than in his previous three seasons combined, but tried just one after being traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Oklahoma City Thunder in February.

In fairness to Gibson, he hit it.

From 61 feet away.

So while the chemistry of the Wolves' big three was the prevailing story of the preseason, Gibson's uncharacteristic tendency towards the perimeter has been a minor subplot.

"The funny thing is, I've been working on it all summer," Gibson said.

Gibson got the most run of any of the Wolves -- new or returning -- during the preseason, averaging 25.6 minutes and 13.0 points per game.

He went 2-for-2 from beyond the arc in the Wolves' 108-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, then went 1-for-2 in their win over the Golden State Warriors.

"Chicago last year, I took maybe three of [them]. They wanted me to shoot them in Chicago, but I just didn't feel comfortable," he said. "I felt like, for me, when you shoot 16-footers your whole career, it feels like it's like a mile away when you finally start shooting 3's."

However, Gibson says Wolves head coach Tom Thibodeau has pushed him to work on his 3-point shooting in practice.

"Now it's different, now he's putting a lot more pressure on me to actually practice them a lot harder," Gibson said.

The Wolves could certainly use the help outside.

Minnesota ranked 30th in the NBA last season in three-point attempts, averaging just 21 per game.