Timberwolves or OKC Thunder: Who Can Be Trusted More in the Playoffs?

Timberwolves or OKC Thunder: Who Can Be Trusted More in the Playoffs?

OKC is under to me uh the Clippers in Denver I don’t think they’re they’re with them just yet and I think experience matters okay and the same thing the same thing with Phoenix if they were to match up against Minnesota I don’t know if Minnesota can match the

Firepower that Phoenix brings if they’re at absolute best I I think that’s why I organize the tiers how I organized them because with OKC there’s a question mark and with Minnesota their offense has been much better they’re 13th and a half court now they’re 15 offensive rating so

They’re average at least but how C performs in the playoffs is still somewhat of a concern to me and their offense as a whole de defensively they’re going to have to be elite but with OKC what scares me is that just their size and rebounding I don’t feel

Like they’re the best rebounding team they’re not as complete so when you have the Suns who just have more star power I mean you have KD Booker and Beal it just overmatched with OKC has even if they have a better team top to bottom I don’t trust the suns in the series against

Kawai Paul George and Harden and Tyron L and the Denver Nuggets but if the Suns get matched up against one of these young teams I think experience could take over for sure the one thing before you two go ahead John actually I’ve been talking a lot go ahead joh you’re good

You want to know what matters more than experience to me oh my goodness John Y and how well you translate to the postseason I knew I was when w their 2021 playoff run people say they have the experience and they went to the NBA finals so often we look and say

Experience is why I don’t trust this team I haven’t seen them there before but when you consider the way Shay and Jaylen Williams play these two of the most physical players at their positions they gain the in between space are Elite mid-range Shooters they get to the rim

They do get to the foul line and they’re amazing finishers they’re also some of the most efficient three-point Shooters mainly Jay dub and I think chit homr yeah he’s not a great rebounder for his size he’s also a mismatch problem and pick and roll he can finish plays and

He’s quicker than the majority of bigs he’s also a problem in picking pop where he can hit you with the pump fake and they’re offense is one of if not the most connected in the NBA I think the Clippers are up there as well where there’s so much Unison you put Isaiah

Joe on the floor and now they’re on stoppable offense I mean the Clippers number one three-point shooting percentage they’ve been fantastic they’ve led the league in net three the last five years you want to know who’s right behind them the timber rolls and also the Oklahoma City Thunder this is

Not your average young team they’re an elite shooting team they’re a phys IAL team and the reversal team yeah guys like jayen guys like Jaylen Brunson going in the playoffs and what makes them so scalable is that they’re so reactive and you cannot pick up a tendency that they have Shay gu

Alexander is the same exact way and that’s why this year I I am very confident that the Thunder GNA be a lot more prepared than people think and I think they’re gonna have a tough round one match up versus the Mavericks and if they get that that’s when they could

Really show themselves early on you don’t think that’s gonna be tough Drew oh I’m saying that’s gonna be super tough okay it just caught me off guard that the first team that he goes to especially after having this whole statement of yo okay C’s here OKC’s

Here match up I’m just like ah if if this is the team that John is saying that they are which listen John I’m with you I think OKC is extremely talented the question is the depth at the big position Chad hongren can’t stay on the floor all the entire game and when

Jaylen Williams is your next option after that that’s when things get a little bit dicey for me I do love this team I think that this is one of the more talented young teams that that we’ve seen in some time Shay is a superstar Jay dub is a great

Complimentary piece and Chad hren that is a legitimate big three and you mentioned when Isaiah Joe comes into the game it just takes that up another level because how great of a scorer he is in his own right I I just I just hear the way that you just spoke about OKC and

Then say tough first round matchup that’s where I feel like I have I have issue where if you think OKC where I’m not sure where you have them ultimately but if you think OKC is a legitimate playoff threat that first round it should not be a a tough one for them

They should be able to get get through relatively easily yeah so you think that OKC is gonna either finish with the third or or fourth seed I’ve got them top three I they have a chance to contend for one why not okay so so that means that you

Think Dallas finishes at number six and that’s the first round match up are you’re asking me or drill because I no I’m ask I said John I I asked you yeah right now it’s Mavericks 27 or it’s gonna be the Pelicans or Kings so yeah I could easily see them facing the

Mavericks round one and I’m saying that the Mavericks would be a tough round one matchup because they give the Thunder just a clear case to proven themselves earlier on like they’re not going to get an easy first round matchup like it’s the Orlando Magic in 2020 in the bubble

They’re going to play a legitimate playoff team with LCA and Luca and Carrie in the first round that is as tough a matchup as you can get as a two seed especially when people think you’re not experienced enough so that’s why I said it well listen I do I

Think that for these young teams Minnesota and OKC the most important thing is seating and I think they need to hold on to their current standing because I don’t think the MZ will finish as a seven seed I think they’re going to move up and if you’re Minnesota or OKC

You can’t afford to be a forth seed in in your first round match up match up with the Mavericks or the Suns that is a recipe for disaster and I think as the number one or two seed you got to hope that you’re facing the Lakers you gotta hope that the

Warriors sneak in and maybe you face the Warriors a team that doesn’t have much depth OKC in theory great shooting team and the percentages back that up but with jayd dub he’s only attempting three threes per game it’s not like he’s attempting a ton so when the volume

Spikes up in the playoffs and they are forced to to take six to seven threes will that percentage keep up I think I’m more worried about Goran herry taking two threes he’s yet to play for the Thunder and you’re right but Jaylen Williams is also making 45% of them

Right and you Josh giddy off the floor who’s he’s a hard player to talk about but he’s been a total black hole and facing issues he sucks I don’t think it’s that hard he is he trash ther up bro he can’t space the floor he cannot

Make it from the corner so you take him out and put Goran herodin you’re right in the playoffs the the floor will condense but at the same exact time teams had to play in the in between space and they’re going to draw driv and kick opportunities for Joe uh Kendrick

Williams I think there’s a lot of guys off their bench are going to make enough threes I feel like that’s that that’s where I more so and then Jack you could you could follow up after this that’s where I more so feel like it becomes on

SGA where SGA is is his ability to to shoot the outside shot going to be heightened or or lessen come playoff time especially if he’s going to run that pick and roll with a Chad hongren who we know that he can stretch the floor and that’s going to help out the

Offense immensely but it’s going to be a matter of is he going to be able to consistently get into the paint area and finish as effectively as we’ve seen him do these last two seasons in the last two regular seasons is it going to translate come playoff time I believe so

For sure but I don’t look at jdub and and Gordon Hayward as the reasons why the floor will will tighten up of course it’s hey SGA is arguably the best driver of the basketball that we have in this league they’re going to try and and minimize

Him as much as humanly possible if as long as these guys are still hitting their shots I feel like that’s where you can feel comfortable in OKC and their offense comp playoff time yeah if SGA doesn’t translate well to the playoffs I will question like God uh just because

When you watch him play and especially my mind goes back to the Celtics played the thunder in Oklahoma City and it was like a crazy it was probably the most like playoff setting s game I’ve seen this season maybe like one of the Nuggets Lakers games where they were

Going at each other but like uh SGA in that game he was going at Drew holiday he was going at Derek white the entire game and then towards the end Tatum uh just went on him and like [ __ ] changed a little bit but as far as like getting

Into the paint uh having counters for great defenses that put into tough spots I’m not worried about SGA at all I just I’m a little like when you talk about Chad and jdub and guys who are that young that have no postseason experience it doesn’t feel like there’s a ton of

Wiggle room for them to have a bad series on this OKC team there is some offense we’ve mentioned Isaiah Joe and I think Gordon Hayward will be good for them but if one of those guys takes like a serious step back offensively it it would worry me a

Little bit and I think that’s on the table right now just because there’s so much um yeah unproven about this team and uh also when you talk about like the young Sons team the bottom of the West this season is just so much harder than

It was when sun made that run like I when you were talking about the Mavs I’m like the Mavs would be really hard because picking up Gafford makes them a spectacular rebounding team oh yeah but then uh the Pelicans as like a gang rebounding team are phenomenal as well

And when you look at the Kings sabonis is like a nightmare match up for chat holgren in terms of like physicality and just kind of shoving him the rim and so one more don’t forget you’re forg yeah okay all right the Lakers oh my God shut up I think if you’re casc you’re

Comfortable um because you are a little bit ahead of schedule and so uh the I don’t know the expectations that have been thrust upon you as a young team that’s been this good this season might be um I don’t know if if they came up short this year wouldn’t be like oh [ __ ]

Our franchise is cooked like this team is falling apart they have uh they have time is on their side but uh yeah I don’t know I guess my big worri is like jdub or Chad if they have a Bad series especially in the second or third round

That could really come back to bite them I think that’s an excellent point because like you said there’s no wiggle room for jdubb and Chad to have a bad series those are sga’s co-stars and while I think in the regular season this is a great team I think when you get

Into the playoffs sgaa has the least amount of I should say trustworthy support system around him because if we’re going down the the the list of West teams who do you trust more as a trio joic Murray and Gordon or mpj or SGA jayd dub and Chad

You take Denver you take do you trust the Suns with KD Booker and Beal or the Thunder with SJ jdub and Chad if you’re allow to say I don’t know am I allowed to say I don’t know because of Health that’s like the B used ability to take

The center facts Chad hr’s ability to take the center out of the paint is going to be huge in series it’s going to be huge wait I’m sorry John what did you say health is probably the biggest element of trust in the play okay but I’m saying if they’re healthy and

Justat question that’s not the question Mr Mor okay if they’re healthy who do you expect to play better KD Booker and Beal or S and jdub thank you for specifying you look at the Clippers Kawai Paul Georgia James Harden or the Thunders big three no doubt no doubt you

Take the clip I I trust Luca and kyri over the the OKC’s big three in the playoffs in the playoffs specifically I will trust Kyrie and Luka and that’s why with OKC it becomes difficult I think this is just a really stacked West do you you guys trust OKC more than

Minnesota yes I think they’re more complete yeah yeah I probably damn that’s tough I probably a tough question I don’t I don’t it’s not it’s close though it’s close and I said that with some hesitancy it’s close the timoll defense is suffocating man funny guy man it it’s suffocating

They they have a really Elite defense they have kind of been on a low as of late and even their lows are still top of the league defensively and I just don’t think what happened to Utah is going to happen to them because they have great perimeter Defenders I don’t

Think you’re going to be able to basically expose Rudy go bear I don’t think that’s going to happen and I think with their Elite defense it just provides such a high ceiling I don’t know man I’m so worried about Minnesota’s offense my big bullet point for Minnesota is is ant really

Like that because like Beyond ant like I think he is I think he is yeah all right put your [ __ ] eyebrows down pal um Beyond Anthony Edwards like this team oh my God it’s [ __ ] gnarly in the closing minutes the offense is so scary and that’s with like if Carl Anthony

Towns scores like 24 on really solid efficiency is still these games are like [ __ ] nail biters where they can’t get a bucket and they just like their defense it carries them and then and makes some crazy play but in terms of like that working four times out of

Seven games I I I get really nervous when I think about Minnesota and maybe that’s stupid maybe Monte Morris changes everything but uh yeah I don’t know I’m nervous about Minnesota and in my stomach I feel more nervous about about them than I do about uh Oklahoma City to answer your

Question I think it’s fair he’s pretty spoton because the offense has been all of our concerns uh there’s really it’s Anthony Edwards it’s it’s Carl Anthony towns is he going to be playing at that level especially you’ve already mentioned come playoff time we’ve seen the highs we’ve seen the lows we already

Know that Anthony Edwards when he gets into the moment he’s ready for it outside of that playoff the the playing game versus the Lakers where we say consistently he didn’t had the great the great scoring game but he did everything else and tried to do everything else at

The highest level possible whether it was playmaking whether it was rebounding defense he has that in his Arsenal so my concern isn’t on Anthony Edwards it’s The Supporting Cast around him it’s going to be the offense where Rudy gobear is now involved where he’s been a

Great roller he’s been a great a great pick and roll screener for for the the timber wolves but who else is going to step up in this moments for the the Minnesota timber wolves Mike Conley obviously has been solid for them in terms of just being that guard for them

Jaden McDaniels where we haven’t seen him take that that step up that’s mostly due to the fact that Carl Anthony towns and Anthony Edwards are in front of him it’s there’s nobody on a consistent basis that you rely on in the Timberwolves that is not Anthony Edwards and I want to say that

With respect to Carl Anthony towns who’s been very efficient this season in the just excuse me it has been very efficient this regular season but comp postseason are you going to be that same aggressive guy because the Minnesota timber will desperately need Carl Anthony towns to be that it has to be

The duo of both of them getting after it and then defensively being that same sound team that they’ve proven to be not only in that series versus Denver of course but this entire regular season you have been either the number one or number two defense in the in the

Association so that’s where the concern stems from are you going to be an efficient offense come come postseason time because we know your defense is there are you going to step up on the offensive side you make a great Point Joelle that this perimeter defense is on

A different level than what go bear had previously in Utah and I’m not really too worried about go bear in the postseason I’m worried about our guy caller Anthony towns in the postseason because in the postseason we’ve seen him be probably the most inconsistent Allstar where he have a good game or two

But he’ll also have one or two games where he fouls out is almost a non-factor and the trade-off of the thund of the Timber rolls having the best defense in the NBA is that a lot of their defensive Personnel don’t bring anything offensively to elevate Anthony Edwards so where Jason Tatum let’s say

Has an amazing Supporting Cast in Anthony Edward’s case he has to put an offense on his back and he’s an elite player to me but I don’t know if he’s a superstar in the mid-range area to be that three level score that can basically carry an offense in a seven

Game series and so that is where I have some reservation when I’m comparing them to the Thunder and your seen those top five offenses but I have actually got the Timol as a number four I think their floor Joel is super high because of their defense and because they’ve got

Southw seed I’m pretty comfortable them win a first round Series this year but I believe in the second and third round that’s where their offensive deficiencies will come to light in ways hasn’t relate in the regular season man I swear Carl towns is Julius Randle in the playoffs he’s not like he’s not

Terrible he’s all right he’s all right in the playoff cat is he doesn’t drop off say he’s trash cff against the against the Grizzlies You could argue he’s the main reason they lost you could argue You could argue that the main reason they lost one of those games was

Because Anthony ever reached for a steel on John Morant and it gave him an open Lane to the basket I love Anthony Edwards maybe this my Blind Faith talking but I feel like Anthony Edwards every single thing that he does on a basketball court goes up

Plus 10 in the playoffs I think he’s just one of those guys that gets a boost and attributes when he’s in the post season and that’s what I trust the most about Minnesota what I don’t trust is is not Carling any towns it’s actually Chris Finch I think Chris Finch’s

Decision- making in the fourth quarter is very questionable and where he calls timeouts some of the lineups he puts out there for a little bit too long that’s something that kind of concerns me another thing that like freaks me out I I do I don’t like Chris Finch I think

It’s it’s the defense is so good and a lot of that does boil down to coaching but in terms especially like I don’t know coming out of times out the timing with which you call timeouts just like getting your team into set plays that uh get Other Guys open looks it doesn’t

Feel like he’s super creative in terms of that the thing that worries me that I feel like hasn’t reared Ted that much because it usually I don’t know people don’t talk about it until it blows up in the playoffs and then it’s like a story

That follows a guy for the rest of his career Rudy goar as like a crunch time playoff free throw shooter I feel like that could like really [ __ ] them up in a couple of close situations because that’s a guy that you have to have on the floor for your defense to like carry

You the way that your offense needs it to but I mean if he’s out there he’s like a 60% free throw shooter and I don’t know I just feel like I’m comfortable sending him to the line and making him beat you in a lot of different situations

Timberwolves or Thunder?