The Minnesota Timberwolves are making waves in the sports world with their impressive playoff run. After securing a 2-0 lead against the Denver Nuggets, they’ve captured the attention of fans everywhere. Their momentum began with a sweep of the Phoenix Suns in the first round, and they haven’t slowed down since. With a perfect 6-0 start to the playoffs, the Timberwolves have everyone believing.
After voices such as Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins expressed their belief in the Timberwolves’ chances at winning it all, basketball legend LeBron James is now weighing in too.
LeBron and JJ Reddick recently launched a new podcast, “Mind the Game“, and James took the opportunity in their most recent episode (dropped this morning) to reveal his thoughts on the Minnesota Timberwolves and why they are going to be hard for any team to beat.
LeBron James on what makes Minnesota Timberwolves so good
What advantage do the Timberwolves have, or how could they create one? LeBron was quick with his answer. It’s their length and willingness to play defense.
“I think one of Minnesota’s obvious advantages, which they have in our league in general, no matter if it’s versus Denver or versus anybody, is the length that they have at the wing positions. You know, you don’t look at Mike Conley as a tall guy, but his length, he has a lot of length out there. Obviously, Anthony Edwards has a lot of length. Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Naz Reed, Kyle Anderson—they just continue to barrage you with length, length, length, and then guys that also know how to play too.
So, you know, that’s been their biggest advantage because they’ve bought into Coach Finch’s defensive schemes or whoever the defensive coordinator is there. I don’t want to speculate on whatever the case may be, but he’s the guy at the helm, the coaching staff, and those guys have bought into the defensive end like, and it’s not only that they’ve bought into the defensive end, they’ve got guys that want to defend and make their mark on the game.”
LeBron James – Mind the Game
LeBron highlights the importance of size repeatedly, while also praising Coach Finch and his coaching staff for successfully instilling a strong defensive mindset in the team. Their efforts have garnered admiration from numerous basketball fans.
Throughout the NBA regular season, the Timberwolves have consistently showcased their defensive prowess, emerging as the top defensive team with a league leading defensive rating of 108.4. In comparison, the Boston Celtics trail closely behind in second place with a rating of 110.6.
With the playoffs now airing on national television, fans worldwide are getting a firsthand look at the Timberwolves’ defensive dominance and understanding why they have been such a force to reckon with.
More must-reads: