Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors 1/27/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Live Stream

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors Matchup Preview (1/27/22)

The Minnesota Timberwolves (24-23) travel to face Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors (35-13) Thursday night. The Timberwolves have elevated their level of play recently, which has resulted in a 8-4 record in January. They currently hold a 2 game winning streak and will look to extend it against a tough Warriors team. Last game, the Timberwolves narrowly defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 109-107 in large part due to Anthony Edwards. He scored 40 points and grabbed 9 rebounds on an efficient 51 FG%. Edwards looks like a future superstar and has the talent to win a scoring title. Karl-Anthony Towns produced a double-double with 17 points and 17 rebounds, while D’Angelo Russell chipped in 22 points and 4 assists. The trio of Russell, Edwards, and Towns complement each other well and allow them to play to their strengths. For this game, Patrick Beverley is a game time decision, but the Timberwolves roster is healthy besides him. The loss of Beverley would not be hugely detrimental because the Timberwolves have plenty of guard depth, such as Jaylen Nowell, Malik Beasley, and Josh Okogie. 

The Warriors have hit a rough patch since Christmas, having gone 8-7 since their Christmas day win over the elite Phoenix Suns. It is no coincidence that their drop in record has coincided with Curry’s cold streak and Draymond Green missing games. Curry is the engine of their offense and provides exceptional spacing. Draymond is the defensive anchor and secondary playmaker. Without those two on the court playing their best, and with Klay still rounding into form, the Warriors are vulnerable. To the Warriors credit, they have picked it up the last few games and are on a 3 game winning streak. In their last game, the Warriors routed the Mavericks 130-92 in a game where Curry only scored 18 points. It was a team effort as they had seven players score 10+ points. With Draymond and James Wiseman out, the Warriors were able to flex their vaunted depth. Jonathan Kuminga topped all scorers for the Warriors with 22 points on 8/9 shooting off the bench. The entire Warriors bench combined for 71 points on a 61 FG%. For this game, veteran Andre Iguodala is a game time decision. They will have to play once again without Draymond or Wiseman in this matchup, which will thrust Kevon Looney into the spotlight, a role he has grown familiar with recently. 

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors Betting Odds

The Timberwolves and Warriors have already played twice this season. The Warriors won 123-110 on November 10th and spoiled Anthony Edwards’ 48-point performance. The Timberwolves dominated the rematch with a 119-99 victory on January 16th. Karl-Anthony Towns was the star of the game for the Timberwolves with 26 points and 11 rebounds. In the third matchup, I am buying the Timberwolves stock. The key factor is Draymond’s absence, which will force the Warriors to get by without their defensive leader in the frontcourt. While it would not be a crushing blow normally, the Timberwolves deploy 6’11” Karl-Anthony Towns at center. Towns is a game wrecker that will scorch 6’9” Kevon Looney. Without Draymond’s help, the Warriors will have no answer for Towns down low. They also have to deal with the offensive outburst from Russell and Edwards. The Timberwolves bench is stout enough to compete against the Warriors bench. Overall, I like the Timberwolves to win by at least 6 points and take a 2-1 lead in the season series.

TV Schedule

Date: 1/27/22
Time: 10:00 PM ET
Arena: Chase Center – San Francisco, CA
Channel: TNT

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Minnesota Timberwolves Starting Lineup

PG: D’Angelo Russell
SG: Anthony Edwards
SF: Jaden McDaniels
PF: Jarred Vanderbilt
C: Karl-Anthony Towns

Minnesota Timberwolves Analysis

This Timberwolves team has a bright future because their players are both extremely young and skilled. Patrick Beverely, 33-years-old, is the only player in his thirties. The rest of their players range from 20 (Anthony Edwards) to 27 (Taurean Prince). Their core trio is Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell. However, the depth chart has encouraging talent beyond them. They have a pair of long, versatile forwards in 6’9” Jaden McDaniels and 6’9” Jarred Vanderbilt. McDaniels, only 21-years-old, is averaging 8.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.0 APG in 25.6 MPG. He is excellent off screens and on hand off plays. His outside shot has not fallen, but his catch and shoot form is promising. On defense, his length, active hands, and athleticism allow him to disrupt the offense. McDaniels has shown traits similar to a young Jerami Grant. 

Jarred Vanderbilt, meanwhile, is a transition monster who also thrives as the roll man off the pick and roll. Vanderbilt can finish at the rim with his length and agility. He averages 7.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and an amazing 1.6 SPG considering he only plays 26 MPG. Vanderbilt is coming off a 13 point, 13 rebound, 6 assist, and 2 steal performance against the Blazers. He can affect the game in many ways, which is important when Edwards or Towns are dominating the shots. The Timberwolves’ lineup of Russell, Edwards, McDaniels, Vanderbilt, and Towns looks devastating for opponents. It has playmaking, scoring, length, defense, and, perhaps most importantly, youth. The average age of that lineup is 22.8, with Towns being the oldest at 26. Betting on the Timberwolves in the next few years could pay off immensely.

Golden State Warriors Starting Lineup

PG: Stephen Curry
SG: Klay Thompson
SF: Andrew Wiggins
PF: Otto Porter Jr
C: Kevon Looney

Golden State Warriors Analysis

While the Warriors are a veteran-laden team, they have a few younger players that can carry the torch when Curry, Klay, and Draymond retire. The jewel of their assets is 7th overall pick Jonathan Kuminga. The term freak-athlete is commonly used now, but Kuminga absolutely defines the term. At 6’7” and 225 pounds, Kuminga has the frame to guard point guards off the dribble or power forwards in the post. He was seen as a raw, extremely athletic prospect going into the draft, but Kuminga’s game is much more polished than previously thought. He is canning 34.5% of his threes and has become a real spot up threat. Kuminga has legitimately been one of the best spot up defenders in the game because of his length and quick recovery time. He has caught fire recently with 12+ points in six of his last eight games. The scariest part for the NBA is that Kuminga is doing this as a 19-year-old rookie. Imagine the havoc he will wreak when he reaches his age 26 or 27 season. 

Along with Kuminga, the Warriors also have Jordan Poole (22), James Wiseman (20), and Moses Moody (19). That right there is 80% of a starting lineup, and the piece missing is a 3&D wing. The Warriors do not need to look for that piece, though, as they roster an elite one in Andrew Wiggins, who is still only 26. Between the Warriors and the Timberwolves, the teams have an unfair amount of young talent. While this game is only a regular season game, it is not far-fetched to see this as a preview for a perennial playoff matchup. 

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors Daily Fantasy Picks

Karl-Anthony Towns is a must play in this scenario. With Draymond and Wiseman out, the only player the Warriors have that could sort of guard Towns is Kevon Looney. Looney is a decent defender, but Towns is an offensive genius who will easily bypass Looney on the way to the rim. Kuminga is a wing defender and marking Towns is out of his capabilities. The other big man on the bench is Nemanja Bjelica, who is a subpar defender at best. The path is clear for Towns to annihilate the Warriors, so he is an easy pick. Apart from Towns, I like Jordan Poole in this matchup. Klay is still working his way back from injury and has played in the low 20’s for minutes every game. Poole’s price tag will be cheaper because he does not start, but he has been putting up strong performances still. Look for Poole to rack up stats against the bench unit.