Former Timberwolves Malik Beasley “Kill. Anybody. In front of me”

If you were looking for a bit of camaraderie and esprit de corps from the Minnesota Timberwolves next opponent, I daresay you will be disappointed. The opportunity to trash talk by NBA teams and players on those teams is just too ripe in the early going. Mice can roar right now, and lions can squeak because after one game there is almost no way to tell the two apart.

If the consensus is correct, the Minnesota Timberwolves will be one of the Alpha predators in the NBA this season. But this is a long season, and the Timberwolves roster is clearly not purring at peak performance just yet.  And that opens the door for another upset by the young and opportunistic players on the Utah Jazz.  That is particularly true for four former Timberwolves players who were sent to the Jazz to pry center Rudy Gobert away in the exchange.

Malik Beasley was one such player, and he has certainly not forgotten just yet:

Beasley did not start for the Jazz, but he was one of the players who entered their opener against the Denver Nuggets and played substantial minutes. By game’s end, he has scored 15 points, hauled in five rebounds, dished out one assist, and helped the Jazz to pull off an opening upset.

Beasley’s boasts should be taken at face value

Clearly, his intention is to wash. rinse. and repeat the upset mojo in Game 2 as well.

The Minnesota Timberwolves clearly are undertaking some trial-and-error experimentation and comfort with their new roster. While the Timberwolves did win the opener, the way that the team claimed the victory was a bit hollow, as the team roared out to a huge lead, but mistakes and shooting that suddenly went cold allowed the Oklahoma City Thunder back into the game, and nearly gave them a come-from-behind upset of their own.

The Utah Jazz has a bit of trial-and-error to get through as well. But their shooting remained consistently strong throughout their contest.

Although it’s early in the season, the Timberwolves should be in the right frame of mind for a tough game. The Jazz players have nothing to lose in this one. As the underdog, they can play loose and relaxed. The Timberwolves are not quite there yet, as the rotation and roles are nowhere close to second nature just yet.

Kill? Perhaps not. But Malik Beasley believes that he has an ax to grind. Let’s hope that does not come to pass.