Did anyone enjoy what they saw Wednesday evening? Surely, every game the Timberwolves play will look just like that. Fast-paced, frenetic, entertaining action right from the tip. By the time Minnesota drilled their 12th triple in the first half, I was staring at my screen like Detective Lee in the movie Rush Hour 2.
Let’s do it again on Friday!
The Timberwolves took and made the most three-pointers in the NBA after Wednesday, though they were “just” third in accuracy. For reference, here’s how that would compare to previous iterations of the Rudy Gobert Wolves teams:
Now, if you believe in something called SSS (small sample size), then it’s easy to write off their three-point explosion in the season opener as just that. They were playing a team that employed two of the better interior defenders in the league, thus they let it rip from deep. However, many pundits and fans alike predicted that Minnesota could be one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the league because of their jump-shooting talent.
Can they replicate the same magic against…the Magic? They’ve got a long, girthy frontcourt between Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Wendell Carter Jr. Head coach Chris Finch may very well deploy his diaper-less dogs to bomb away once again. Minnesota-native Jalen Suggs is an All-Defensive Team perimeter defender, but that’s about it. Their other two defensive specialists, Anthony Black (right ankle) and Jonathan Isaac (CPAC appearance probably), have already been ruled out.
As you can see from the numbers above, Orlando got to the line a ton in their season-opening loss against the Atlanta Hawks. Their 39 free throws attempted was fourth-most after Wednesday. It’s not surprising, considering their two franchise cornerstones, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, routinely finish top 20 in free throw rate. Despite hiring new head coach Sean Sweeney, their plan to get to the line isn’t anything new. Since they’ve had Banchero and Wagner on the team, the Magic have been top five in free throw rate every year.
They were top two in that metric the past three seasons.
It’s no secret that despite having one of the greatest defenders of our generation, Minnesota is lacking in interior defense this season. Sure, they just survived a very large Florida team, but they must continue to show discipline and keep their hands to themselves. One of the only times the Wolves were in trouble versus the Heat was when the backup frontcourt subbed in, immediately surrendering their lead. Joan Beringer (-7) and Trey Lyles (-3) will need to offer more than what they did in game one.
Minnesota makes the Orlando defense disappear! After the Magic watched CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker make nine of 14 shots from beyond the arc, they’ll want to cover their eyes once you swap them out for Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball. The onslaught from outside continues as they cruise to an early 20-point lead and never look back. TJ Shannon makes NBA.com’s Top 10 Plays of the Day after he posterizes Goga Bitadze.
