Defense wins championships! Does this mean that the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have a 2-0 series lead over the defending champions, will win the NBA title? It’s only the first two games, but they were two road wins, and game two was decided by 26 points. This 2-0 series lead feels more like a 3-0 lead. The intensity and dominance the Wolves have shown seem like three games worth.
The Wolves bucked modern trends when they traded a boatload of picks for Rudy Gobert. Despite everyone knowing they acquired an amazing defensive French guy, people needed clarification. Certainly, this was too much to give up. After the first year of Gobert and fellow big-man Karl-Anthony Towns, many were skeptical. It didn’t feel like an amazing fit nor was it the way of modern basketball. Five out, spacing, and every player can knock down a three. The Wolves weren’t this.
The Timberwolves started this season out 20-5. Despite tailing off a bit, the Wolves ended up a three-seed, only one game behind the one and two seeds.
Their calling card all season has been defense. It’s helped that their best player, Anthony Edwards is an absolute dog on defense. Few young players who are the main option on offense go this hard on defense. Or maybe I should say, “try,” on defense.
Trae Young, Luka Doncic, LaMelo Ball, and others all came into the league and excelled while being the main focus on offense. They didn’t all show a commitment to the defensive end. Some of it is athletic limitations, but it’s also effort.
Edwards’ Defense
Anthony Edwards may be the most important player this postseason. He is incessantly compared to the greatest player of all time Michael Jordan (more on that later). Edwards doesn’t agree with these comps. One of the reasons other than his incredible shot-making, swagger, mentality, and athleticism he is compared to greats, is his defense.
Edwards is great at staying in front of his man on defense. He moves through screens with ease and is one-half of a defensive two-headed monster alongside superb fourth-year forward Jaden McDaniels. His effort and athleticism make him impenetrable on defense.
If Edwards and co. can continue to hound opponents for the rest of the postseason, surely no team will beat them. They’re undefeated this postseason. With the next two games at home is anyone betting against them heading into the conference finals undefeated?
Michael Anthony Jordan Edwards?
I found it wild when towards the end of the regular season many basketball commentators were comparing Anthony Edwards to Michael Jordan. I always thought MJ was above comparison, you weren’t allowed to do this, yet people still did it. Understandably with the caveat “he won’t be Micheal Jordan, he just plays and looks like him.” Personally, since I wasn’t around to see MJ, I see more Kobe in Edwards’ game than MJ. The tough shot-making, the ferocity in which he plays, and how hard he works on his game remind me of Kobe.
Edwards however is different from both Kobe and MJ in other ways. Ant is hilarious in his interviews and doesn’t seem to be the intense teammate Jordan and Kobe were. Edwards is in a smaller market than Kobe and MJ were.
If Edwards wins the title this year, he will separate himself even more from Kobe and MJ and lead a team to an NBA title in his fourth year in the league.
Who Needs Rest
At the time of writing three players on the New York Knicks are in the top seven for minutes per game this postseason. This is nothing new from a Tom Thibodeau-coached team. This is also out of necessity for the Knicks. Injuries to key rotational players have forced the coaches’ hand. Yet, this is a bit absurd, right? Yes, and it will continue. The Knicks are too good on defense to get blown out and too one-dimensional on offense to blow teams out. Every game they play is close.
On offense, tired legs usually contribute to weak knees and insufficient lift on jump shots. The Knicks are currently third in the postseason in three-point percentage. None of this makes sense. In the fourth quarter, when the mind, body, and soul are exhausted…the Knicks shot 43% from three.
My high school Freshman basketball coach always said, “When you are tired, the mind goes first.” The Knicks are turning the ball over about four times a game in the fourth quarter. This is the sixth worst for all the playoff teams.
The Little Things
The Knicks have yet to win a playoff game by double-digits. This means every deflection, every rebound, and every accurate pass to a teammate matters just a bit more in these tight games. The Knicks are making these plays. Look at Donte DiVincenzo at the end of game one, he flops on a minimal-moving screen and gets the call. The Knicks were up two without the ball and gained possession.
When seeing the Knicks making clutch plays, look no further than the insane sequence to end game two in the last series against the 76ers. A three-pointer, a steal on the inbound, a missed three-pointer, an offensive rebound, and a kick out for a three. This hustle, this heart, and grit shouldn’t exist at the end of games when players are out of breath and have hands on their knees. But for the Knicks it does.
There’s no use in predictions or prophecies about how far the Knicks will go. The only thing I want to do is admire this team and enjoy watching their nightly feats of human willpower.
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Featured Image: MATTHEW STOCKMAN (AFP)
