The Minnesota Timberwolves need their bench trio of Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to step up if they have any shot of defeating the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. The trio combined to score 21 points on seven of 36 shooting from the field in Game 1. Each played at least 28 minutes and the group had a combined plus-minus of minus-55.
Minnesota wasted an outstanding Julius Randle game. The three-time All-Star had 28 points and eight boards with five 3-pointers made in 36 minutes. His five turnovers were a problem, and the Thunder predictably feasted off them. The Wolves did not get Anthony Edwards’ best game, but it won’t matter unless the stars have a strong supporting cast.
The Thunder play hard and have depth. They will keep coming and forcing the ball out of the hands of Minnesota's best players. That means they need their role players to step up, and their bench will be a massive swing factor.
Timberwolves need their bench because that is where the Thunder swing contests
OKC brings Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace off the bench to create turnovers and get easy buckets. They are an elite perimeter defensive duo that forces players to cough up the ball. The Thunder love getting out in transition and want to dominate the bench minutes.
Minnesota had to rely on their bench more in Game 1 because Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert dealt with foul trouble. It made the trio even more important, but nobody delivered. DiVincenzo had the best stat line, but it was not impactful on winning the game.
Naz Reid may be the most important. Rudy Gobert will struggle to defend in this series as the Thunder try to spread him out and force him to guard on the perimeter. It more force head coach Chris Finch to turn to Reid, but that is not possible if continues his Game 1 cold streak. Reid went one of 11 from the field, including missing seven 3-point attempts.
The Thunder are not slowing down. This is a young hungry group loaded with depth. They will keep changing the matchups and forcing others to step up. Reid, NAW, and Donte must take a hard look in the mirror after Game 1 and immediately bounce back. Hitting open shots, making plays, and taking care of the ball are musts if Minnesota is going to pull this upset and reach the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have the talent, but must play significantly better all around. They shot 34.9 percent from the field and under 30 percent on their threes in Game 1. Hopefully, it was just rust. If not, this could be a short series. Minnesota needs others to step up immediately, but that is easier said than done versus OKC.