(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Timberwolves were built to beat the Denver Nuggets.
They were even constructed by the same General Manager, so it was only natural that they had the formula to get past the defending NBA champions.
The Mavs, like the Nuggets, use their size to make most of their damage.
However, unlike Nikola Jokic’s team, they have a couple of bruisers in the restricted area, some rim protection, and guys that make a living above the basket.
That’s why, following their loss in Game 1, renowned analyst Skip Bayless claimed that ‘the big bad Timberwolves are now in big bad trouble.
The big bad TWolves are now in big bad trouble.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 23, 2024
Chris Finch is a great coach, and the Timberwolves did an outstanding job of hounding the Mavericks away from the three-point line.
Nonetheless, things got way more complicated when they entered the restricted area, with Luka Doncic having a field day against an elite defender like Jaden McDaniels, and Kyrie Irving taking Anthony Edwards’ trash-talking a little too personal.
The Timberwolves had a clear plan to go against Rudy Gobert in the second half, and they just kept pounding and wearing him out with their combination of Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively.
Karl-Anthony Towns has made big strides on defense, but he’s not a physical player and was bullied around the rim on both ends of the floor, and Edwards struggled with his shot for a second consecutive game.
They need to turn things around quickly if they want to even things up against this hard-nosed team.
The post Skip Bayless Has A Message About Timberwolves After Game 1 Loss appeared first on The Cold Wire.