What the Minnesota Timberwolves are doing to the Denver Nuggets so far draws a stark comparison in what they did in their first-round sweep of the Phoenix Suns.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Minnesota has now won the first two games against the Nuggets on the road after beating them 106-80 today and leading by as much as 32.
This is the defending champs that Minnesota is doing it to this round. The Timberwolves are proving that what they did to the Suns is no fluke.
Minnesota is showcasing why they had the No. 1 defense in the NBA in the regular season (only 80 points allowed!), just as they did to Phoenix. The 22-year-old Anthony Edwards is continuing his dominance and emergence into one of the league’s top stars.
"We saw one of the best defensive teams I’ve ever seen. The stats don’t lie. … Even without Rudy, this is one of the best defensive teams I’ve ever seen.”
Chuck on Minnesota’s first-half defense 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/asPKDV1GNt
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 7, 2024
Wen the Suns were down 3-0, coach Frank Vogel was asked in practice if the reason for the Suns not winning was because of the Suns not playing to their potential or the Timberwolves’ overall play.
“I credit the Timberwolves,” Vogel said. “They played outstanding on both sides of the ball. Credit their coaching staff, they’re doing a great job.”
Two things can be true at once regarding this subject.
Rightfully so, there are a lot of questions concerning the Suns coming off this first-round sweep given that they have the highest projected payroll in the NBA next season and three of the best players in the NBA in Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
The Suns faced severe inconsistencies in play, turnover problems and a seeming disconnect in a lot of areas throughout the whole season not just the first round.
Offseason in Phoenix
📝https://t.co/cSsbgKmXHa pic.twitter.com/C07cXuErrZ
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) April 29, 2024
These are just a few of the questions that have come up for Phoenix:
- Should the team move on from coach Frank Vogel?
- Should Vogel’s staff be reconstructed?
- Does one of the Big 3 need to be traded?
- Should the Suns blow it up?
- Does the supporting cast need to be reshaped?
- Are front office changes necessary?
- Should the team just rely on continuity?
The Suns have not definitively answered any of these questions yet, but have stressed at a sense of continuity. Ironically, the Timberwolves are one of many teams in the NBA that have used continuity to build their success despite previous shortcomings.
Reminder: Everyone said the Minnesota “experiment” was a failure just a year ago.
Not saying they are direct parallels with Phoenix, they are not. But more often than not, swings like this take time to click.
Changes need to be made, but in a calculated way without panic.
— Zona (@AZSportsZone) April 30, 2024
“Continuity is important,” Durant said postgame after being swept. “All the great teams in the league thus far have been together for two (or) three years. (The) Minnesotas, Denvers, Bostons, the Lakers, OKCs, a lot of teams have been together for a few years, so I’m looking forward to building.”
Based on the team’s end-of-season interviews, Phoenix is still remaining confident in itself moving forward. NBA executives have claimed that the Suns are not in bad position as well.
“The house is not on fire. We’re in great position” – #Suns owner Mat Ishbia. Thoughts? 🤔
🎥: @Brendan_Mau pic.twitter.com/PIGhwM2vle
— Burn City Suns Talk 🎙️ (@BurnCitySuns) May 2, 2024
So that brings into question: How does the Timberwolves success impact the Suns? Should they not be as worried given that the Wolves have proven they are for real? Or should the Suns be even more worried for the future knowing they don’t have the pieces to compete with Minnesota?
Debating hot topic of whose the best shooting guard in the NBA?
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
