Timberwolves vs. Thunder Western Conference Finals Preview and Best Bets: Youth Meets Its Match

The Minnesota Timberwolves have become the “Legend Killers” of the NBA. In the first round, they eliminated LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 4-1. They then repeated the feat against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in the second round when they once again won 4-1.

Can the Minnesota Timberwolves ride this wave of momentum, or will the team with the NBA’s best regular-season record, the Oklahoma City Thunder, take their spot?

The Minnesota Timberwolves are led by Anthony Edwards. This series will be an excellent opportunity for him to prove that he is the best player in the NBA. Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be up for the MVP award, but a win in this series would make Edwards the frontrunner for the MVP next season.

Timberwolves Must Dominate Glass

One thing the Timberwolves will need to rely on is their rebounding advantage.

The Timberwolves had more rebounds in each of their team’s regular-season games. They are a large team that likes to control the glass. A key to that will be for Rudy Gobert to be effective on the defensive end and not allow himself to get played off the floor.

Sometimes, Gobert has become a target in a switch-happy defense. However, in the last couple of series, Gobert was able to play strong enough in order for him to stay on the floor and corral rebounds. If Gobert can provide a significant contribution, the Minnesota Timberwolves have an excellent opportunity to win the rebounding battle and win the series.

The Timberwolves will also need another big series from Jaden McDaniels.

He is an excellent two-way player, but they’re going to need his defensive prowess on stars such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams in order to be successful in this series. If Jaden McDaniels is able to continue his high level of play on offense, the Timberwolves are going to be in a great spot.

Young Core Faces Size Test

There were concerns around the Oklahoma City Thunder’s makeup during their seven-game series against the Denver Nuggets.

The primary concern was the viability of Jalen Williams as the number two option on a championship team. These concerns became the primary talking point after Williams struggled in a Game 6 loss. NBA pundits thought that Williams might be on the trading block if the Thunder were to fall short in the series against the Nuggets.

However, Williams put all those concerns to rest with an excellent performance in Game 7. With the season on the line, Williams put in:

• 7 assists.
• 5 rebounds.
• 24 points on 10-17 shooting from the field.

The Thunder will need at least four performances like this from Williams if they’re going to advance to the NBA Finals.

Youthful Defense 

The Thunder had the rebounding advantage in their last series, but they will struggle with the size of Minnesota.

Players such as Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren will be vital to the Thunder’s chances. The Thunder need both players to be active on the boards to mitigate the Timberwolves’ rebounding advantage.

The Thunder play a switching defense, which highlights their youth and athleticism. Every player in the Thunder rotation is quick and there are very few options to hunt when you are looking for switches. Anthony Edwards might just choose to attack his man one-on-one rather than trying to find the proper switch. How Edwards and the Timberwolves decide to attack the Thunder’s defense in this series will make for quite the strategic conundrum.

Key Matchup: Thunder Wings vs. Anthony Edwards

Normally, a team has one dedicated point of attack stopper for the opposing team’s best wing player. In the Thunder’s case, they will have plenty of different options to try and slow down Anthony Edwards:

• The Thunder will probably start with Luguentz Dort, who is an elite defensive player. Edwards is taller than Dort but Dort has similar strength and tenacity.
• The Thunder can also go with Alex Caruso. He is a little taller and is more experienced guarding the other team’s best player. When Dort gets tired, Caruso will be an excellent second defensive option.
• They could even throw Cason Wallace. He is another strong defensive player.

This gives the Thunder three different options to try and contain Edwards.

This will determine the series. Truly great offensive players can beat any defender, and Anthony Edwards will have to beat a bevy of talented players in order to do so. However, if anyone can, it is the emerging superstar in Minnesota.

The Pick

The Timberwolves are once again being overlooked. 7.5 points is way too many for this game. This line should be much closer to 4.

The Timberwolves are an excellent team, have extra rest and will take advantage of the rebounding edge. They are also an excellent defensive team, and the Thunder will not have the huge defensive advantage that they held in the first two series.

The Timberwolves will once again exceed expectations. Take the Minnesota Timberwolves +7.5.

NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves +7.5 (-113) at Bookmaker

Minnesota Timberwolves +7.5 (-113)

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