(This article was published on May 29, and the author is Andy Bailey, a reporter from Bleach Report. The content of the article does not represent the translator's views.)
The Timberwolves entered the NBA Western Conference Finals for two consecutive years, which is indeed commendable. However, this season they were quickly eliminated by the Thunder.
In Thursday's game, the Timberwolves suffered a 94-124 defeat and were eventually eliminated after five games. With the Timberwolves' 2025 offseason coming, it's time to analyze why they lost so quickly in the showdown with the Thunder and distinguished their responsibilities.
1, Randall
Randall performed soundly overall in the playoffs. His shooting in the first two rounds became a weapon for the team, and his passing and organizational skills also brought new dimensions that Towns had never really achieved.
However, in the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder successfully restricted his breakthroughs and the high-intensity pressure of Thunder's outside defense champions such as Caruso and Dortmund confused Randall, and his turnovers even exceeded the assists in the entire series.
If it is just a problem of unstable ball possession, it may still be able to deal with it, but Randall has not played his due role in scoring and defense. For many times in the series, he was more like an invisible man than a fierce wolf.
Faced with a team with a deep lineup like the Thunder, the team's second-person must make a significant contribution to have a chance to win. The Timberwolves were eliminated after five games, which shows that Randall's performance is far from meeting the demands.
2, Alexander
Facing a player who has just played one of the greatest regular season MVP performances in the history of guards, you can only take off your hat and pay tribute. Minnesota's defense didn't do perfectly against Alexander. Jaden McDaniels may be a little slower against him Edwards needs to retain his strength to the offensive end, Nikil Alexander Walker may be under-height while other players have little chance.
Obviously, this is not just a Timberwolves' problem. SGA has been tearing the opponent's defense with his flexibility, ability to change pace instantly, mid-range shots, and the ability to create fouls every time he needs it.
In this series, he averaged 31.4 points, 8.2 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.
3, Edwards
The topic of "whether Edwards is the league's facade" seems to have become an annual tradition in the NBA. His ranking among the hearts of fans and some analysts around the world is also rising. Before Thursday's G5 defeat, The Ringer columnist Bill Simmons even listed him as the fourth best player in the league.
However, this series shows that such discussion may be too early. Edwards's feeling and skills on the court are not yet at the level of other single-core offensive players. In fact, Edwards may not be able to compare with players like Jokic, SGA, Antetokounmpo and Doncic.
These top players are able to see angles and developments that Edwards has not yet detected, and they are able to control the game or exert influence in ways that Edwards can’t do at the moment (at least Edwards is not as stable as they are).
If you don't consider those high-profile discussions, it's actually no big deal. Edwards is under 24 and over time he will likely have a better understanding of how to use the defensive attention he attracts, and his decision-making and passing will improve.
But for now, in this short moment, he still has a big gap as a Thunder opponent. This is also one of the main reasons why his team was eliminated.
4, Timberwolves' veterans
At some point, the game seems to leave some players behind, even if they were excellent players. We may be witnessing this phenomenon with our own eyes on two veterans of the Timberwolves.
Conley will turn 38 in October, and he seems powerless when defending the outside world with high intensity and athletic ability. Throughout the series, he averaged only 4.4 points and 2.4 assists per game, shooting only 21.2% from the field.
Meanwhile, Gobert remains valuable in some counterpoints, but the Thunder's speed and its defenders' quick double-team in the paint completely limit his play. He averaged 5.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in the Western Conference Finals.
While it is hard to blame those players who are at a disadvantage in physical conditions, the sluggish performance of the two starters undoubtedly affected the trend of the series.
5, Presti
Overall, the Timberwolves had no chance of winning against the super strong team formed by general manager Sam Presti of the L Thunder. This statement seems to be applicable throughout the NBA.
He got the SGA through a smart trade and also got the draft pick that picked Jaylen Williams. He has seemingly unlimited defensive and outside shooting abilities around two star strikers.
At the same time, he seized every opportunity to accumulate draft picks. When the Thunder finished the second pick in the 2022 draft and selected Homegren, he added a third star to the team's core.
Last summer, he traded Gidey for Caruso and signed Haltenstein to finish off the already nearly perfect lineup.
Now, the Thunder can play both a large lineup (Homgren and Haltenstein play at the same time) and a small lineup. Even in games with poor shooting, they can dominate the game completely with their tenacious defense. The Thunder's lineup is so deep that in this regular season, when SGA is not on the court, their net difference is equivalent to a 61-win team.
Timberwolves are a team with good strength and are commended for entering the division final again. But they met one of the greatest single-season teams in NBA history.
No one deserves the result of this series more than the Thunder and the executives who formed this super team.
Original text: Andy Bailey
Compiled by: JayChan