The NBA script isn’t unfolding as offseason pundits predicted. Teams expected to dominate the season now find themselves in the bottom half of the standings after two weeks of action. Unfortunately, Anthony Edwards and his teammates fall into this category, holding a 3-3 record after six games. To make matters worse, they suffered an embarrassing loss to the underdog Spurs in their most recent game. Tonight, the team looks to get back on track with their match-up against the Charlotte Hornets.
Ant-Man and Karl-Anthony Towns had an impressive run last season, taking the Timberwolves to the Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years. Surprisingly, the team didn’t back the duo heading into the fresh season, as they traded Kat to the Knicks. Julius Randle has replaced the big man in the front court. Even though JR is a few inches shorter than Towns, he has proven to be a valuable addition, averaging 22.8 ppg and 6.8 rpg in six outings.
However, is it enough for the Wolves to make a deep playoff run this season? Well, we don’t really know. The team’s inability to control the surging Spurs has raised a few eyebrows. Even though Rudy Gobert has a 4x DPOY award under his name, he needed Towns’ support at times to defend big men, especially Nikola Jokić. In the last game, Gobert visibly struggled to guard Victor Wembanyama, even with Randle alongside him. So, it’s still unclear whether the Wolves have made a blunder in trading Towns.
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Nevertheless, the Wolves front office will have an opportunity to test themselves tonight to assess themselves on the Randle trade. As per the latest injury report, the team has listed Rudy Gobert in the Questionable category, citing an ankle injury. So, Randle might have to share the big man’s duties with Naz Reid.
Anthony Edwards & Co. take on the Hornets: Starting line-up and Depth chart
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Despite the confusion surrounding the front court, star shooting guard Anthony Edwards continues to shine this season, averaging 28.3 ppg and 5.7 rpg. On paper, the Wolves definitely look lethal with the primary offense contribution from Randle and Ant-Man, followed by chip-ins from Donte DiVincenzo, Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels, and Mike Conley. But the only question is, will the team keep up their consistency like the last season? Nevertheless, let’s take a look at the adjusted starting lineup and depth chart.
POSITION | STARTING LINE-UP | 2nd UNIT | 3rd UNIT |
PG | Mike Conley | Donte DiVincenzo | Rob Dillingham |
SG | Anthony Edwards | Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Terrence Shannon Jr. |
SF | Jaden McDaniels | Josh Minnot | – |
PF | Julius Randle | Joe Ingles | PJ Dozier |
C | Naz Reid | Luka Garza | Leonard Miller |
After the return of LaMelo Ball, the team has certainly produced a promising run so far, winning 2 of their six outings. Not to forget their close run against the Boston Celtics on Saturday. The Hornets were just one point behind the Celts with seven-odd minutes left in the game. It could’ve gone in anyone’s way but the defending champs held their nerves till. So, the Wolves can’t take the Buzz City lightly. The team currently has three players on their injury report: Seth Curry (Questionable) and Nick Richards (Out). Brandin Miller, who returned last night after missing four games, has again entered the injury report with a glute injury. Let’s take a look at the adjusted starting line-up and depth chart.
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What’s your perspective on:
Did the Timberwolves make a colossal mistake trading Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle?
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POSITION | STARTING LINE-UP | 2nd UNIT | 3rd UNIT |
PG | LaMelo Ball | Vasilije Micic | K.J. Simpson |
SG | Tre Mann | Cody Martin | Nick Smith Jr. |
SF | Josh Green | Tidjane Salaun | – |
PF | Miles Bridges | Grant Williams | – |
C | Moussa Diabate | Taj Gibson | – |
So what do you think? Will the Wolves dominate the short-handed Hornets? or are we in for a surprise? Let us know in the comments below.
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Did the Timberwolves make a colossal mistake trading Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle?