The Minnesota Timberwolves hadn’t been shut out of the playoffs quite as long as the NFL’s Buffalo Bills but it was a very frustrating thing nonetheless. Like the Bills, that drought has come to an end for them, accompanied by circumstances that were just as dramatic. For the T-Wolves, it took an overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets in the last game of the season to get themselves to the #8 seed in the hyper-competitive Western Conference.
There were several key elements involved, but VietBet patrons who followed the team know that one of them was the hiring of Tom Thibodeau, a noted strategist, as head coach. Thibodeau had success in Chicago but was let go – in somewhat controversial fashion – and then waited for a coaching opportunity. It came in Minneapolis, where there was plenty of young talent that had not learned to play together. The disciplined Tom T. brought them onto the same page, and some ingredients were added to the kids who were emerging.
Interestingly, the T-Wolves got to the playoffs without exhibiting an abundance of what Thibodeau has been known for, which is defense. Only one team in the NBA was more permissive from the field than this Minnesota club, which allowed 47.5% overall. Perhaps that doesn’t bode well for them against the Houston Rockets, who carry the #1 Offensive Rating – as well as the #1 Western Conference seed – into this best-of-seven set.
2018 NBA Playoff Odds – Rockets / Timberwolves:
In the 2018 NBA Playoff Odds that have been posted on this series at VietBet, the T-Wolves are huge underdogs, as there is not a lot of faith that they can pull off the upset:
Houston Rockets -3000
Minnesota Timberwolves +1500
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2018 NBA Playoff Odds: CJ’s Take on the T-Wolves:
Minnesota made a change at point guard this year, letting Ricky Rubio go and bringing in Jeff Teague, a past All-Star. They key newcomer, however, was Jimmy Butler, a guy who can put up more than 20 points per game and also was a member of the All-Defensive team. He’s critical here; after missing 17 consecutive games with a knee injury, he returned for the last three games and had 31 in the “brawl for it all” against Denver.
Butler is just one of the people Thibodeau turned to from his previous tenure on Chicago. There’s also reliable power forward Taj Gibson and former MVP Derrick Rose, who admittedly is a shell of his former self. And talk about veteran influence – 37-year-old Jamal Crawford, the former Sixth Man of the Year, is still around.
Minnesota’s most potent offensive force is center Karl-Anthony Towns, a legitimate All-Star who not only shot 58.5% from two-point range, but also 42% from beyond the arc. But Towns has to learn how to defend without fouling; he led the NBA in personal fouls this season.
The T-Wolves are the polar opposite of the Rockets, in one respect – while Houston led he league in three-pointers attempted and made, Minnesota was dead last in both categories. And the Rockets got the better of the four meetings, winning three of them by 18 points and he other by nine.
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