The Minnesota Timberwolves are set to face the Golden State Warriors on Friday live on NBA TV Philippines via Cignal TV or NBA.smart.
The Timberwolves no longer have a chance to make the playoffs this year. Bad start, injuries, illnesses, plus a coaching change made this season a time for adjustment for the whole team.
However, Minnesota refuses to surrender.
Now that they’ve understood their rotation better, the Timberwolves have finally gotten some momentum. They have an active three-game winning streak heading into the Warriors match. While this late run will not catapult them into the playoffs with a record of 19-44, it may give them a much-needed push as they look forward to the next season.
Anthony Edwards, the No. 1 pick of the 2020 Draft, made a huge development in his rookie year. For the months of March and April, in particular, Edwards has averaged 22.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists -- numbers that are way higher than his season averages. He’s played longer, performed better, and made a bigger impact on his struggling team.
The team is treating their final games as a training ground. They can experiment on various rotations and master their plays, all while going up against elite teams in the league. Essentially, this makes their “offseason” longer, as they are already preparing for the next instead of desperately chasing after wins.
And speaking of desperation, the Warriors are a confusing team.
After winning against top teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets, they lost against the Dallas Mavericks in an embarrassing 30-point blowout. This only gives the New Orleans Pelicans a fighting chance to make it into the play-ins as they hold on to the 11th seed, only two games behind the Warriors.
A player not named Steph Curry has to step up for the Warriors. Curry is peaking in his individual career, but unfortunately, his teammates have yet to follow. If the Warriors want to make it big this season, the load should not be carried by Curry alone. Someone else needs to back him up, but until now, they have no clear-cut option on who can take on that responsibility.
The Warriors are good but extremely inconsistent, which makes it all the more frustrating. Former No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins needs to perform like the elite player he was expected to be. His scoring dipped from March to April, going from 21.3 to 17.2 points per game.
At the rate both teams are going, the Warriors-Timberwolves match can go both ways. Minnesota can continue to stomp on the confidence of Golden State and keep their winning streak alive. The Warriors, whose fate is hanging by a thread, can use their frustration about their previous loss to dominate the eliminated Timberwolves. Either way, this is a battle worth watching.
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