Minnesota Timberwolves placed themselves in danger of dismissal

Timberwolves face their toughest test

The Timberwolves have a 2-1 record vs. the Lakers this season. However, the Timberwolves could have swept the series against the Lakers if they had played up to their potential. The Timberwolves struggled to defend the Lakers in that final contest, and for a team trying to change the culture of their franchise, that was not the way to go.

The Timberwolves peak when they play together defensively and offensively. The Timberwolves roster was custom-built for a game like this, but with Gobert and McDaniels officially out vs the Lakers, both Towns and Edwards will need to rely on their ability to outscore their opponent and hope they have the horsepower to outscore their opponents. Gobert and McDaniels are starters and are arguably the backbone of the Timberwolves’ defense.

McDaniels is arguably one of the finest wing defenders in the league and guards some of the best players on opposing teams. Gobert added his ability to thwart opponents by rerouting their offense and posting a dominant rebounder presence.  With both players out, the Timberwolves’ frontcourt rotation is depleted. Not all is lost, as even if they lose, they still have a chance to bounce back when Gobert returns in the next round of the play-in tournament for the right to face the Denver Nuggets.

Sure, the Timberwolves have painted themselves into a corner once more. And let’s be honest, the Timberwolves players can only blame themselves for this odd predicament. If they lose Tuesday night, the team will host the winner of Thunder vs Pelicans on Friday night with the winner securing the eighth seed in the NBA Playoffs. That may not be such a bad place to be, as the Nuggets do seem to have enough flaws in their armor this season to be vulnerable to an upset.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are 2-1 against the Pelicans and 3-1 vs. the Thunder this season.

Right now, they face the Lakers. Let’s see what happens.