The Cavs play Minnesota on the road tonight.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the road for their first game against the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. The Wolves are 24-13.
The Wolves are elite
Let’s get this out of the way. Minnesota is an elite basketball team that shouldn’t go overlooked.
The Wolves don’t get as much attention as the Oklahoma City Thunder, or even the Luka/LeBron Los Angeles Lakers. But the Timberwolves have all the makings of a title contender, and are bordering on being a top-five offense and defense.
Minnesota ranks 6th in offense rating and 4th in defensive rating. They are 5th in net rating and hold the 8th-best record in the league. Led by a true-blooded superstar in Anthony Edwards, this is a team to watch out for.
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Taking care of the ball
Cleveland has recently learned how important it can be to take care of the ball. They lost a close game to the Detroit Pistons after turning the ball over 17 times and conceding 21 points off turnovers.
Then on Tuesday, against the Indiana Pacers, the Cavs rallied back for a victory on the road after turning it over 19 times and putting themselves into a hole. If it wasn’t for a flawless game from Darius Garland, who had 29 points and 0 turnovers, the Cavs might have dropped both of these games.
They can’t afford to turn it over at a high rate against the Wolves. Let’s see if the Cavs can get back to protecting the ball tonight.
Getting the bigs involved
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are vital to this Cavs team. We’ve seen time and time again that Cleveland might be at their best when the bigs are prominently featured. Getting them involved consistently is the challenge.
Minnesota won’t make this easy for the Cavs. Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle and Naz Reid are a hefty frontcourt that don’t shy away from physicality. Not to mention wing defenders like Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards, who shrink the margin for error and take away advantages.
Playing through the bigs means Cleveland’s guards have to create openings for them to be involved. It will take a dual effort from the back and frontcourt to keep the Cavalier offense from relying too heavily on three-point attempts. If the Cavs can get into the paint, they’ll have a greater chance of winning this game.
Category: General Sports
