Two games are in the history books from Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs and the Minnesota Timberwolves are making the trek back to Target Center down 0-2. According to Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard, Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves got “punked” in Game 1, but fought hard and put up a valiant effort against the Denver Nuggets in last night’s Game 2 loss. After assessing the first two games, I’ve graded the performance of five players who’ve impacted the Timberwolves in a positive, or negative way. Finals season is approaching, let’s dive into Minnesota’s Playoff Report Card.
Minnesota Timberwolves backcourt
The 16-year Minnesota Timberwolves veteran point guard Mike Conley is displaying veteran leadership, the stuff that this team has desperately needed. Thus far he’s shooting 57 percent from the field, 57 percent from behind the arc, and has an assist/turnover ratio of 10:1. Conley’s consistency and efficiency have been setting the Timberwolves up for success, but he needs more help to convert these solid numbers into wins.
Mike Conley A-
A is our lone All-Star and at the ripe age of 21 years old, is undoubtedly the future of the franchise. Expectations are sky-high for the young superstar, which is why Game 1 was so disappointing. Anthony Edwards (a.k.a. Ant’s) shooting struggles continued. He went 6-15 from the field, and 1-4 from downtown tallying up just 18 points and two assists.
He roared back in Game 2 scoring an efficient 41 points on 60 percent shooting from the field and 60 percent from the three-point line. His offensive proficiencies have stood out, but what I really love are his defensive attributes. With Minnesota Timberwolves defensive juggernaut small forward Jaden McDaniels out, ANT’s defense has accounted for four blocks to go along with four steals in this year’s playoffs.
Anthony Edwards A-
Minnesota Timberwolves frontcourt
It’s safe to say the Wolves were shellshocked in Game 1, so nobody’s stats were up to par. Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has been solid thus far. He’s averaging 13.5 points per game on 62.5 percent shooting and is grabbing 10.5 boards per game. These numbers are relatively close to his regular season stats.
Gobert thrives in high pick-and-roll situations where they spread the floor around him. He’s not a post-up guy who will back you down with an array of impressive post moves. In Game 2, we saw several one-on-one situations where Gobert was no match to score over center…
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