Going back to Target Center tied at one game apiece is far from the worst outcome. But after the Minnesota Timberwolves got completely shellacked in Game 2, 133-95, it's clear that an abundance of things went wrong in that game. However, there is one thing that needs to change from the start in Game 3.
It's time to stop bringing Anthony Edwards off the bench, and if Ayo Dosunmu is healthy, him as well.
I understand that Edwards has a minutes restriction, but every game he comes off the bench, the Wolves start at a huge disadvantage on offense. Terrence Shannon Jr has shown a lot of flashes in the starting lineup, but his skill set would be extremely valuable as a spark plug off the bench.
The Wolves have had awful starts offensively in both games this series
In Game 1, the Wolves scored 24 points in the first quarter, not terrible, but it could definitely be better. They also made a scoring run towards the end of the quarter, but the majority of it was extremely bogged down. In Game 2, they only scored 17 points in the first quarter.
The Spurs are a youthful team with a lot of energy, starting games off at an immediate offensive disadvantage, which feeds into exactly how they want to play.
Mike Conley had a good Game 1, but in Game 2, he looked more his age. Replacing Conley and Shannon with Dosunmu and Edwards is too obvious and makes sense for so many reasons.
Both can create looks from all three levels, are plus-defenders, and they take a lot of pressure off of Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels, who have both been shown crowds early in these games.
Anthony Edwards' gravity helps everyone on the team
While Ant-Man looks far from 100 percent, the Spurs are still guarding him like he is. This creates open looks for the supporting cast. When Ant isn't in the game, the Spurs are just packing the paint and trying to funnel everything to Victor Wembanyama. This is detrimental to the Wolves, especially when they have lineups with Conley and Gobert, which don't have a lot of offensive juice to begin with.
Chris Finch has been elite for the large majority of this playoff run, outside of a couple of minor blunders. However, bringing two of your best players off the bench and immediately starting the game at a disadvantage can't continue happening if the Wolves want to defend home court.
Oh, and while we're on the topic of Finch blunders, playing Jaylen Clark in minutes when Wembanyama is on the court is lunacy. Clark provides a lot of value on defense, but he has to play in the non-Wemby minutes. The Spurs will let Wemby play free safety off of Clark, and that's a recipe for offensive failure.
Thankfully, after a game like this, changes feel inevitable, and a starting lineup change is perhaps the most obvious adjustment.
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