Predicting each Timberwolves starter’s stat line vs Thunder

The wait is finally over. The Minnesota Timberwolves will open up the season in game one against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Target Center in Minneapolis Wednesday night.

After a strong showing in preseason that saw them take home a 4-1 record, Minnesota will begin a new era of Timberwolves basketball when they tip off with OKC. It will be an excellent opportunity to pick up a win against a team projected to finish near the bottom of the Western Conference this season.

With two new players projected to join the starting lineup, Minnesota will look very different from the last time they took the floor for a game that goes in the record books.

Taking into account matchups and other factors, let’s take a look at how each Timberwolves starter might perform on opening night against the Thunder.

D’Angelo Russell

The Wolves’ starting point guard will be looking to start the season off strong in hopes of building toward a new contract extension with Minnesota. D-Lo is a seasoned veteran entering his eighth year in the league, so he shouldn’t have as much rust entering tonight as some other players.

He’ll be primarily matched up with the multi-talented Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder. While not an All-Defense level guard, SGA has improved as a defender, and may give Russell trouble at times.

Despite this, D-Lo should still be able to get his game off against a younger competitor. He’s already building chemistry with his new teammates, and should end up with a high assist total.

Projected statline: 16 points, 9 assists, 2 steals

Anthony Edwards

It’s officially time for Anthony Edwards to shine. Heading into the season with high hopes, the Ant Man will have a great chance to start the season strong against the Thunder.

Edwards’ matchup will be with the second-year standout Josh Giddey. The Australian star brings more basketball IQ and passing ability to the court than most. However, he’s not quite as gifted athletically, and that’s where he’ll run into trouble while defending Edwards.

Look for Anthony Edwards to exploit his matchup early and often, which should lead to a signature big scoring night.

Projected statline: 32 points, 4 assists, 1 steal, 5 3PTs-made

Jaden McDaniels

It’s Jaden McDaniels’ first night as the Timberwolves’ starting three. While he’ll no doubt be excited to be joining the starting unit full-time, he may run into some trouble in game one.

That’s because he’ll be going against one of the best defensive wings in the Western Conference in Lu Dort. While not the most unique physical specimen, Dort makes excellent use of his strong frame and knowledge of defensive fundamentals to frustrate talented scorers on a nightly basis.

As a result, McDaniels may struggle offensively a little more on Wednesday night that he will the rest of the season.

Projected statline: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 40% field goal percentage

Karl-Anthony Towns

This will be a matchup that will have potential for domination by the Timberwolves’ frontline. Karl-Anthony Towns will be matched up with the talented but slender Aleksej Pokusevski.

While Poku is far from the worst defensive player, he’ll certainly have a hard time going against one of the biggest and strongest big men in the league in Towns. Look for KAT to hunt his shots strategically and work on confusing Poku with a combination of three-pointers and back-to-the-basket post moves.

Like Anthony Edwards, we should expect a strong night from the franchise’s other biggest star as well.

Projected statline: 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 3PTs-made

Rudy Gobert

In the highly-anticipated home debut for Rudy Gobert, the All-Star center will be showing off all that he can offer the Timberwolves. Matchup-wise, he’ll be in a similar place as Karl-Anthony Towns.

Standing at 7’1″ and 245 pounds, Gobert will have an advantage of roughly four inches and 15 pounds on his primary matchup of Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. He’ll be able to bully him in the post.

Robinson-Earl may try to manipulate this matchup by stepping out to the three-point line to draw Rudy away from the basket, but we can trust Gobert to handle his own despite his crafty opponent. Look for him to get his Timberwolves career off to a hot start.

Projected statline: 18 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks