Game start is an egregious 11:00 PM EDT on Peacock because the NBA apparently wants no one on the East Coast or in the Central time zone to watch a game between two MVP caliber players with real history against each other.
Injury Status:
Kyle Anderson GTD with right knee soreness
LeBron James GTD with Taco Tuesday
Tonight’s matchup against the Lakers is an important one not just because it is an in conference game in an insanely tight Western Conference, but because the Wolves absolutely sucked on Saturday. This is another get right game in a season that has already asked for too many resets.
As of right now, SlowMo being questionable matters a lot. It is kind of insane that someone who joined us only a few games ago can already feel this integral to the team, but it is true. What he can do to help boost our bench production both defensively and offensively cannot be understated.
UPDATE 3:30 EDT: Slowmo is now listed as available
Especially tonight against Luka.
This is a very real playoff matchup for us again this year and I am very interested to see how we choose to defend him. Will we throw multiple looks at Luka to help Jaden stay out of foul trouble? Against these very skilled playmakers and shot creators like Luka or Jokic, it is important not to let them see patterns. The second they know what is coming, you are cooked.
I think that is one of the strengths of this version of the team.
We now have Donte, Ayo, Jaden, and Kyle as real options to match up with Luka and handle his size. One thing that hurt us in the past against Luka was always having to hide Mike Conley somewhere because of the size issue. That changes everything behind the play. You start overhelping. You start scrambling. You start giving Luka exactly the kind of read he wants over and over again. We do not really have to live like that anymore.
The part that makes me nervous is if Luka starts picking us apart by taking advantage of Julius. The Lakers know they can cut back door on us if we start ball watching. Julius is prone to it. Naz is prone to it too. That is the part of this matchup that worries me the most. If we can stay attached to our men off ball and throw different looks at Luka, I think we will do just fine defensively.
If we can make Luka move the ball and force other guys to have to make decisions, that is where the turnovers can come from and where we can get the much needed transition points our bench thrives off of.
Come playoff time we will obviously have to deal with LeBron being thrown into this mix too, and that creates a whole different dynamic. If the Lakers ever get real chemistry going that becomes a bigger problem. Tonight though, I do not think that is the main thing to worry about. Honestly, the only reason LeBron will even think about playing is because it is nationally televised. With this absurdly late Taco Tuesday start, I would not be shocked if he drinks some vino and sits for whatever injury he has going on.
That brings me back to Kyle Anderson and why he matters so much.
It is not just that he helps on defense. He is a general on that end. He helps communicate. He keeps guys engaged. He helps keep the defense from turning into five guys half watching the ball and half guessing. On offense he helps navigate. He settles things down. He gives the bench a brain. The big brain under that forehead is real and that is exactly why he is so valuable.
Rotation Watch
The first lineup change I am most interested in tonight is what Finch does right after the starters. If Kyle is healthy, I think there is a real chance we see him join that first rotation.
Finch has been flip flopping a bit with who he pulls first between Julius and Rudy. Depending on foul trouble, I think we see Julius come off the floor first tonight along with Donte, with Ayo and Naz checking in. This is where I think Kyle could make a huge impact if he is healthy.
If Kyle gets mixed into that first wave and we get a lineup like Ant, Ayo, Jaden, Kyle, and Naz, it could get interesting fast. That helps break up the need for Julius and Naz to share the floor as much, which is where the defense can start having some massive holes. It also gives Rudy and Julius a chance to rest and then come back in together to help give the bench more offensive and defensive structure.
Rudy has been thriving with the bench lineups lately, and I think adding Julius into that mix with Bones bringing the ball up could help too.
That said, I think we are going to see Ant carrying a huge load of minutes tonight and looking to be aggressive. I also think Rudy could end up carrying a big workload too, especially if the Wolves want to keep taking advantage of the Lakers still not really having much center skill.
Second Half Rotation Watch
This rotation has also been pretty consistent for Finch in the second half, usually somewhere around the 3 to 5 minute mark of the third quarter when he starts going back to it.
I think we are really going to start seeing Kyle’s minutes creep closer to that 20 minute mark instead of 15, and Ayo’s maybe come down a bit closer to 20 instead of 25.
I also hope by the grace of God that Finch starts reducing Julius’ minutes. I get the idea behind trying to get him going for the playoffs, but right now it is just not looking like it. Maybe I am wrong and I hope I am, but his minutes should start creeping down into that 28 to 30 range instead of living in that 30 to 35 range, with Naz picking up more of those minutes.
If he is out there tonight, I think we could see a different Wolves team than the one we have seen way too often this season. A team that looks more connected. A team that communicates better. A team that reminds us a little bit of the defense we had two years ago when we had SlowMo the last time.
That is why this game is so interesting to me.
Not just because it is the Lakers. Not just because the standings are tight. Not just because Sunday was so bad.
This feels like a real test of whether this team can actually adjust and use the versatility it now has.
If SlowMo plays, I trust the rotation more tonight. I trust our ability to throw different looks at Luka more. I trust the bench more. I trust the overall defensive composure more.
If he does not, it gets shakier fast.
That is the swing factor for me going into tonight.
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