The NBA is coming into a brand new and attention-grabbing a part of the season. With the In Season Event knockout rounds in full swing, the groups that didn’t make it out of pool play want make-up video games to fill out their schedule. The San Antonio Spurs, who’re on a 14-game shedding streak, didn’t essentially hit the lottery with its make-up draw. On Wednesday night time, the Spurs will journey to Minnesota to tackle the Timberwolves, who maintain the perfect report within the NBA.
Of their final matchup the Spurs performed the T-Wolves shut, however misplaced 117-110. They had been carried by sturdy performances from Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vassell, who each scored 29 factors. Regardless of not making the In Season Event, the Timberwolves are off to an ideal begin. They’re locking down opponents, and thriving with a number of expert huge males on the ground. The Spurs offense is enhancing, and can must be clicking on all cylinders in the event that they wish to snap their shedding streak in opposition to one of many league’s greatest.
December 6, 2023 | 6:30 P.M. CT
Watch: Bally/ESPN | Hear: WOAI/KXTN
Spurs accidents: Dominick Barlow – Out (G League,) Charles Bediako – Out (G League,) Sidy Cissoko – Out (G League,) Zach Collins – Possible (left thumb,) Sir’Jabari Rice – Out (G League,) Devin Vassell – In all probability (left knee,) Blake Wesley – Out (G League)
Timberwolves accidents: Jaylen Clark – Out (proper achilles,) Anthony Edwards – Questionable (proper hip,) Jaden McDaniels – Out (proper ankle,) Jordan McLaughlin – Out (proper knee,) Leonard Miller – Out (G League)
What to observe for
Discovering methods to attain
The Minnesota Timberwolves are the perfect defensive group within the NBA. They’ve the bottom defensive ranking at 106.8 and maintain opponents to only 43% from the sphere, the worst within the league. In the meantime the Spurs are struggling offensively. They’re twenty eighth within the NBA in offensive ranking (107.9) and scoring simply 111.5 factors a sport, twenty second within the league. Clearly Rudy Gobert creates a number of points across the basket, however they’ve some good perimeter defenders round him. Not having Jaden McDaniels accessible is a blow to their protection.
Of their final matchup, the Spurs created straightforward offense by pushing the break and attending to the basket. They pressured the Timberwolves to commit 18 turnovers, and scored 18 factors within the quick break. They put up 42 factors within the paint, and acquired to the road 19 occasions. A straightforward technique to break an excellent protection is to not let it get set. Enjoying a quick tempo and forcing some turnovers may swing issues into the Spurs favor, simply because it did of their earlier matchup.
Defending the paint
The Timberwolves are a giant group. Gobert, Karl Anthony Cities and Naz Reid all pose a novel problem across the basket. Cities and Reid may also damage you from deep. The Wolves are a top-10 rebounding group, and make it exhausting on groups to protect the paint. They play a slower paced sport, and pound the ball inside, taking the twenty fifth most threes within the NBA (31 a sport.)
Of their final matchup, the Wolves scored 50 factors within the paint and acquired to the road 27 occasions. They’d 13 offensive rebounds in comparison with 7 from the Spurs. After getting crushed inside by the New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio must harden their inside protection. Getting Wembanyama again ought to assist, however it’ll take an all-around effort to cease the Timberwolves paint assault.
Wembanyama’s return
The number-one-overall decide missed the primary sport of his NBA profession on Friday attributable to a good hip. Earlier than that damage, the rookie was having the most effective stretches of his early profession. In November, Wembanyama averaged 20.1 factors, 10.3 rebounds and a couple of.9 blocks. These days he was taking much less threes, and trying to get downhill extra. The Atlanta Hawks sport was an ideal instance of that.
Wemby performed nicely in his final matchup in opposition to Gobert and the Wolves. He had 29 factors, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. He hit three deep balls in that matchup, and went 12-21 from the sphere. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see if Wembanyama is pressured to the perimeter by the Wolves stout protection, or if he can proceed to get to the basket. Both method it’s a giant take a look at for the Spurs rookie.
