The Minnesota Timberwolves have had an incredible start to the playoffs. They defied the odds in the play-in game, beating an LA Clippers team that had gone 3-1 against them in the regular season, 109-104. Then they stunned the Memphis Grizzlies, who they split the season series with, by beating them 130-117 on the road.
LA’s excellent game plan for Karl-Anthony Towns effectively limited his contributions. They played KAT physically, double-teaming and trapping him almost every time he got the ball, and he picked up four quick fouls in the first half. In the second half, he came back in the game and scrapped for three huge offensive rebounds that all led to points. However, he was only able to play 10 minutes in the second half because he fouled out in the fourth quarter.
Luckily for the Wolves and their fans, Towns is no longer the only player on the team who can step up in big moments. KAT’s co-stars Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell both had incredible games and carried the team to victory.
Edwards was a constant nuisance to LA’s defense, taking advantage of free lanes to the hoop when the Clippers got pulled out to the perimeter by KAT. Ant also punished the defense any time they slacked off him on the perimeter, hitting five big threes. He ended the game with 30 points, five rebounds, and two assists while shooting 45.5% from beyond the arc.
Russell was a steadying force, with his typical “never too high never too low” mentality. Despite a few bad turnovers in the first quarter, he never looked shaken and kept playing his intelligent and methodical style. Russell finished with 29 points, six assists, and five rebounds while shooting an efficient 10 of 18 from the field. He also played effectively on defense, grabbing 3 steals including an impressive rip from Robert Covington while he was driving to the hoop.
Despite trailing early and dealing with the loss of KAT, the Wolves fought back in the fourth quarter to get a big victory. Longtime Wolves fans are used to being on the other side of a win like this. We’ve seen them a lead in the first half, then watch it disappear in the second half to a team with more late-game experience and better clutch performers. However, the Wolves looked like the more veteran team in the play-in despite their youth, taking control of the game when it mattered most.
They celebrated the game in glorious fashion, with both Patrick Beverley and Ant standing up on the scorer’s table in tribute to Kevin Garnett. The Wolves clearly wanted this win and acted like it. The tenacity and attitude we saw is slowly becoming as much of a part of the Wolves’ identity as their offensive prowess and ability to cause turnovers through aggressive defense. Almost everyone on the team has a chip on their shoulder for one reason or another, but most commonly because the league as a whole has not given them the credit they deserved. And as a team, they seem to be bonding over the collective disrespect that many NBA analysts treat them with any time they play on national TV.
The Wolves carried that tenacity from the play-in into their series against the Memphis Grizzlies. KAT came out on a mission, playing all 12 minutes of the first quarter while scoring 12 points, grabbing five boards, and rejecting one shot during a clean wall-up on Dillon Brooks. The Grizzlies’ defense had no solution for guarding KAT, and he continued to dominate, ending the game with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists.
Ant continued to prove that he’s got superstar DNA, and is ready for the big moments by slicing through the defense. He took advantage of the open lanes while KAT was getting double-teamed. Ant also continued to prove that he can be a lock-down defender. He got two blocks on Ja Morant at the rim, one of which caught Ja by surprise — he ended up on the floor.
Ant was also part of a team effort that held Ja to only 8 of 18 shooting from the field, a difficult feat as Ja is one of the best interior scorers in the NBA. He led the league in points in the paint per game this year. Ant also put up 36 points and dished out six assists in his first official playoff game, which once again put him in the history books next to some of the greatest players of all time.
With the Wolves playing this well in their first two games of the postseason, it’s becoming harder to doubt their potential. Wolves fans often feel as though the bottom could fall out on a season at any minute because of the franchise’s checkered past. However, our pessimism can often obscure our view of the beauty that’s right before our eyes.
The Wolves are a really good team, with a real chance to dominate this first-round series. They have an opportunity to make a run to the Western Conference Finals if they keep playing this well. The roster certainly still has its flaws, but it’s about time to change our perspective. If the Wolves are this competitive now as one of the youngest teams in the league, think about how good they can be in the coming years with internal development from their young players, or a trade that upgrades the roster.
The rest of the Grizzlies series will not be easy. Taylor Jenkins is a great coach who is almost certainly going to draw up a new game plan for the Game 2. He may draw up more schemes to prevent Edwards from scoring instead of focusing most of their attention on Towns. Ant started seeing a lot more double teams late in the regular season as opponents started to realize that they couldn’t let him run rampant and still hope to win. However, that is part of the beauty of watching a team with a big three. If an opponent puts all their defensive efforts into stopping one of Minnesota’s stars, there are always two other incredibly capable scorers on the team who can pick up the slack and carry them to victory.
And that’s all without mentioning that Malik Beasley can give defenses nightmares with his ability to almost automatically hit open threes. The Wolves starting lineup has been incredibly effective featuring the big three and two defensive specialists in Beverley and Jarred Vanderbilt. However, the fact that their sixth man is one of the best shooters in the league makes the team even more dangerous.
The Wolves have weapons everywhere, including in their depth on the bench. While Naz had a tough game against the Grizzlies on Saturday due to their size, he proved that he can be a lethal scorer in small-ball lineups against the Clippers. Jaden McDaniels continues to show his own flashes of stardom and had a monster playoff debut in his own efficient way against Memphis. He grabbed seven rebounds, four of which were on the offensive glass, scored 15 points on 5 of 6 shooting, and ended the game at a team-high +19. McDaniels was also everywhere all at once on defense, getting in scrums and cutting passing lanes. He grabbed 1 steal and 3 blocks including a perfectly timed rejection on a Desmond Bane three.
The Timberwolves are forcing the world to pay attention at the perfect time. I don’t wanna get ahead of myself and predict Wolves in four. However, after winning game one on the road and evening out the home-court advantage in the series, Minnesota could surprise the entire league and win the series before the Grizzlies have the chance to get in a rhythm. If they do, the Golden State Warriors should be scared of this rabid pack of Wolves frothing at the mouth for respect and recognition from their peers.
Even if they don’t make a long playoff run this season, the team’s performances in the first two games this postseason should signal at least one thing to the league. Be on notice, because the Timberwolves’ future may be even brighter than the Phoenix Suns.
