Minnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder Playoffs Preview & Predictions

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder Playoffs Preview & Predictions

Yo, what’s going on guys and welcome back. Now, we got to do the Western Conference Finals preview. If you have not watched before, what we do is we’re going to break down first the Timberwolves for about four minutes, then another four minutes talking about the Thunder previewing both team strengths and weaknesses. And then if you just want to skip to the end of the video to hear the prediction about the last two to three minutes of whatever the length of the video is, go there. Before we start though, I’d like to hear your thoughts. Who will win this series and how many games and why? Then let’s get it. Like and subscribe. It’ll help out the channel a ton for more content like this. I work for USA Today’s hoopsite.com covering the NBA and the Miami Heat. So, as I said, we’re going to start off with the Timberwolves. Got my handy dandy dual monitors next to me. And look, the Timberwolves were a team that they’ve been here before, baby. They know what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to get to the NBA finals. And this is a squad that I thought in the beginning of the year, like many other people, maybe they take a step back one year and then next year, but no. As the year went on, they figured out how to become a cohesive unit. And Julius Randall, baby, that was such a good fit in my opinion in terms of how it ended up working out in the playoffs because he ended up being the second creator who could grind and get downhill to allow Anthony Edwards to not have to shoulder all the weight. Last year, they went up against Luca Donic and lost four to one. This year they’re going against a team that hadn’t been to the Western Conference Finals in this iteration of the squad. Right now in the playoffs, I think the obviously scoring totals are down, but Anthony Edwards is at an MVP ascension level. He’s their high usage creator who’s thriving under per, you know, under pressure. He’s playing with this MVP load on his shoulder. 28 points, 45% for the field, almost 40% from three. 60%’s true shooting. He’s That’s just the regular seasons in the playoffs. 27 points, eight rebounds, six assists, one and a half steals. It’s been the same thing in crunch time. And this is a team that’s doing a better job boxing out. They’ve been more balanced as a unit. They have been efficient with their shot selection. They’ve improved their passing. Yes, their three-point percentage is slipping, but that’s just playoff basketball. and they’ve been, you know, a very focused defensive team that Rudy Goar out here. Yeah, he’s averaging nine points and 10 rebounds, one and a half blocks, 61% from fields. He’s literally a paint deter. You will not come in there. Going in the paint is a no-fly zone. All right. He is a elite rebounder. And defensively, he’s going to help start fast breaks because of the amount of boards he absorbs. Now, he’s had one or two good games in the playoffs offensively. mainly though he has been at a lower offensive val volume than what he was in the regular season. But I think Julius Randall is the X factor addition with Jada McDaniels because he’s been that two-way glue guy in the playoffs. 24 points a game compared to 19 the regular season shooting 51% for the fields getting to the free throw. He’s elevated in the playoffs. He’s legit the Wolves second option. And then you have JD McDaniels who I just mentioned earlier, 15 and a half points, six rebounds, knocking down just all the open shots. But you know what’s the best thing is he’s an elite wing stopper. He’s going to be a guy who’s guarding up against all the playoffs best offensive players. So JDub Shay, get ready. McDaniels is there. And then off the bench, you have Reed, Nas Reed, who’s coming in giving you 11 points per game. You got Dante Devenenzu who gives you a lot of thing and then na nquila Alexander Walker who’s a secondary playmaker but also is a stable three-point shooter who can also have a good game at any point. You got the defense of combo of him and Dante defense Dante Devenenzo who also give you some three-point shooting. And I think their strength is they’ve held opponents to 101 point per games. That’s the second best so far in the playoffs. They’ve had the best opponent field goal percentage in the West so far. They have long switchable defenders in McDaniels, Edwards, Nquil Alexander Walker, and even throw in Dante Devenenzo View on in there. Then this is a team that’s been efficient under pressure. They’ve been able to be a top five true shooting team in the league. Randle’s emergence has unlocked the mid post and mismatch scoring and the ability to get to the free throw line, grind the opponent, getting downhill. What people thought Jimmy Butler was going to do for or what was he was what he was doing for Curry is what Randall is doing for Edwards. And Edward’s driving and kick gravity opens up space for shooters like Nas Reed, like Nikil, Nikquil Alexander Walker, Dante Danchenzo, and Jay McDaniels. Now they have six players. What? Averaging 11 points, 15 points, 24. I guess Rudy’s got nine, 27 from Edwards, eight from Dante, and then six and a half from Nquille. So, that’s seven dudes averaging over six and a half points. That’s that’s absurd. And I know people are going to be like pointing out, I mean, the only team more impressive in terms of their like full-on depth right there is obviously the Pacers and the Thunder, both teams that are deep like that. But the versatility and the bench production, plus you have Mike Conley’s leadership that we haven’t even mentioned, huge. Now, what are the weaknesses? Offensive droughts. They’ve had moments where they get stalled if Edwards is doubled. And on nights that Randall didn’t have a huge game that there was a little bit and Mike Connley bothered time has come back. The beginning of the year was there now he has returned and the floor general spot has been a little bit and I know there’s inconsistent shooting coming from Dante Devenenzo but and overall the team isn’t as efficient as a shooting team. They’re still putting up shots, but look, and I understand they’ve occasionally become sloppy when pressured, and they need to get a better job of not fouling, need to be more disciplined as this could cost them against Shay who and JDub, but they’re built for a deep playoff run. They got two way stud MVP and Edwards playing at an MVP level. You got multiple defensive stoppers who can guard flexible matchups one through five. strong rebounding, rim protection with Randall, McDaniels, Reed, and Gobear. You got a clutch shot making in Randall and Edwards, which if you want to say those twos together are like the the Jaylen Brunson and Carine Towns of the the West, those that duo, and the bench is stable. So, I think the Timberwolves are peaking when it matters most, and they’re built on defense. They’ve got a true alpha in Anthony Edwards and they’re strengthened by Julius Randle’s playoff rise. Now they have the ability to win ugly or outlast in a slugfest which makes them dangerous in any series. If they can get their shooters Denzo, Mike Connley, Nil Alexander Walker hot and keep the turnovers in check. This is a team that has legitimate potential to go to the NBA finals. Now let’s get over to the Thunder and talk about the Thunder cuz rightfully so. We need to talk about this team. So, what is going on with the Thunder? I think the Thunder are a fun team to watch. Seriously. Look what they did this game against the the Nuggets. They just destroyed them. So, the Thunder are a team that so far have been they’re doing what they’re doing. Shay popped back. He’s at an MVP level. Drawing fouls in an elite rate. Call him a free throw merchant, whatever you want. They get dubs. Who cares? And he’s probably going to be MVP and or has already been named MVP. 28 and a half points, six rebounds, almost seven assists, one half steals. And Shay versus Edwards. Sheay is the better superstar right now. They’re both dominant. They’re both carrying a high usage load. Okay, that that’s something we all know. But we’ll get into the matchups later. Let me just finish breaking down the this the Shay Gilchious Alexander Jay Dub who’s a dynamic secondary ball handler scoring shot creator from the swingman either playing shooting guard or the wing even sometimes power forward and yeah he he can’t hit the right side of the barn right now but his rim pressure and his passing has kept the offense flowing then you have Lou Dort Lou gets Dort any moment that they need a defensive bulldog he’s there he remains the top consistent minutes wise perimeter defender because we can’t count Alex Caruso who’s been phenomenal all playoffs and he’s assigned to opposing stars when he’s on the floor and there’s some nights his shooting has gone colder than most of the playoffs it has but he still logs big minutes and he’s in those games because of his defensive physicality also these stats are before like game seven has been put in so their stats might be better now after the blowout in game seven but you got the unicorn and Chad Holgrren who’s a switch big yes he’s a little skinny and get pushed around but he can grab boards He’s averaging basically 16 and 10, two and a half blocks, almost two threes a game. And his three-point shooting, which is 34% with that shot blocking is huge for them. Then you have the big old boy Isaiah Hardenstein and Orstein is just a physical interior presence that they’ve needed. He’ll help him out with Rudy Gobear. He’s going to bring out that elite finishing around the rim that they want, the rebounding and the short roll passing and help impact the the game defensively and on the boards offensively to help physically impose their will, slow down the game and really go at it. Then Alex Caruso, come on baby, the ultimate role player, the ultimate defensive guy. He can play one, two, three, four, even the five guys. He logged a lot of minutes at the center position for them this past year. Alex Caruso’s defensive IQ, his timely shot selection, his secondary playmaking. He’s often trusted in the closing lineups of the game. Then you have Cassan Wallace who’s a defensive stopper at the perimeter. Yeah, he’s still technically in training, but he’s been able to play big playoff minutes for his perimeter defense, his hustle, and his three-point shot has been quietly consistent all playoffs long. Now you got a Swiss Army knife and Aaron Wiggins who is an efficient scorer off the bench and gives them you know some punch in limited spurts and stretches on the floor as a secondary wing scorer. Then you got the quick trigger Gunner and Isaiah Joe though his volume is down in comparison to the regular season. He’s still spacing the floor hitting down tough shots and he’s just going to be able to be an ace in the back of Mark Dagnalt’s pocket when they need some shooting boost. So situational lineups, Jay Will, he plays when they need some extra physicality and just a utility big. Kendrick Williams can give a spark. Sparingly played except for when they need some rebounding and grits. And really to me again mainly benchmates by the way. Those guys have played. So I think on paper the Thunder are more are deeper team. They are a deeper team and they could go more explosive at any point. I think you will say that the Timberwolves arguably could have a more experienced playoff roster, but Mark Dagnald’s going to be using a deep bench. He likes to tailor minutes to matchups while trying to maintain their versatility on defense. Shdub and JDub will lead the staggered minutes with, you know, Cet and Caruso anchoring the second groups. Their defense, Caruso, Wallace, Dor, Homegrren, JDub form the backbone of the NBA’s most opportunistic defense. So, when you look at that, how do we how do we look at this matchup wise? Chris Finch is a defensive foundation coach who loves Goar at the rim. They’re going to inside out scoring with Edwards and Randall getting downhill, drawing fouls, and creating three-point shot opportunities for their players. They’re going to grind the game down, play at a slow pace if they if if they’re able to. Now, OKC is going to want to push the pace, spacing, get steals, and get the transitions. They play with a switch heavy defense that, you know, they they basically guard early, switch late. And they have the flexibility to throw any sort of lineup you want. Go super big with Hornstein and Chad and then JDub, Shay, and even Caruso if they wanted. They could go small with either Chad or even Caruso at center. And they just have the ability to have bigs like Chad to stretch the floor and Hardenstein to help match up against Rudy Gobear. So you would say right there, the Thunder do have the system and the discipline and flexibility. By the way, I think this is a seven game series at the very least. If Nuggets and Thunder went seven games, the Timberwolves and the Nuggets will go seven games. I’m sorry if you don’t believe that, believe it. Now, Randall is playing out of his mind, right? And they need him to continue to do that. It scares me if he doesn’t. McDaniel’s efficiency has been incredible. He’s guarding the top players as well. Nas Reed’s been huge. This is a guy who’s won six man of the year. This is something to expect. Mike Connley or Dvenenzo could be the weakest link for the Timberwolves while JDub he’s been struggling and if his struggles continue he could be the weakest link but and that Lou Dord and Isaiah Joe aren’t shooting at the level they want but Aaron Wiggins and Caruso and Chad Homegrren have him playing up. So if Minnesota is gonna win this they’re gonna have to dominate the paint. They’re gonna have to make Chad Homegrren look like a little kid. Rudy Goar and Randall and Reed are going to have to go against the lean thunder front line outside of Hardenstein and just make it physical, slow pace, force OKC into half court sets. Edwards has to win the star duel versus Shay. Shoot 40% from three, be an absolute the better player in this series. And then bench scoring, Mikuel Alexander Walker, Dant Steven Reed, and even Mike Colin. They’re going to have to get hot at times from deep and they’re going to have to help this team out. They’re going to have to be able to contain with NL Alexander Walker, M McDaniels, Jaylen Williams, and Lou Dort and whoever else has a hot night on the perimeter. But if they Minnesota turn the ball over, can’t be disciplined, and feed into Thunder’s elite transition game, which they average 11 turnovers force a game for OKC, Edwards is going to get blitz, and his shooting efficiency tanks and he isn’t able to help create for his teammates or isn’t going to get help. It’s going to be bad. And if Dante Devincenzo, Randall, or Connley go cold, it’s going to be bad if you can’t get help from deep. So, how does OKC win this? OKC Shay is going to control the game. He’s got to get to the free throw line. Make them pay for their, you know, their lack of discipline. Get to the free throw line. He’s almost averaging nine free throw attempts per game. Get to them. Collapse the defense. And the team’s defense forces turnovers. When the turnover battle, the best offense is your defense. Possessions and transition buckets is going to help this out. Now, if they can get Cadet to spread out Goar and what that does is even if he’s getting pushed around, winning the battle at five with shooting and spacing and, you know, creating Rudy Gobear into a liability that they’re going to have to play him off the floor or they do play him off the floor that will allow them to wear down the Wolves depth and Wiggins, Isaiah Joe and Caruso then can help contribute as they’ll just pull out Goar and expose him in space. So the other thing is is that if in this situation if they’re able to do that they’ll be able to hold the rebounding edge as OKC has the rebounding advantage in the playoffs so far as I drop my phone. Now the one problem that they could get hurt is that if they over rely on Shay and JDub isolation versus a top defense that the Wolves have and this is a team that has slumped in three-point shooting in the playoffs. The better three-point shooting team currently is the Timberwolves. Now Chad struggles against physicality. We’ve seen that with Aaron Gordon. Will that happen against Go Bear and Randall and Reed? That has to be something addressed. So, this series is going to be a battle of contrasting philosophies. Minnesota’s going to grind you down, play physical, count on Edwards and Randall as the main scoring options, and then OKC is going to blitz in transition, spread the floor, lean on elite defensive rotations and pace, and then have Shay Gilchas Alexander get downhill, get to the free throw line, or create opportunities for his teammates. So, if Minnesota wins the rebounding margin, limits turnovers, and outshoots OKC, then they’re going to be dragging OKC into a slugfest, and that’s going to be hard for OKC to keep up if their guys can’t play well. If OKC controls the pace, draws fouls, and turns defense into offense, they’re going to overwhelm the Wolves backcourt rotation and make them pay. I think the Thunder have the edge in depth, cohesion, and transition play. I think the Timberwolves have the best defense. They have the most physical offense and the best playoff performer so far in Edwards. However, I think this is definitely be a potential sevengame series, at least six. The slight edge is the Thunder. Unless Anthony Edwards goes nuclear and Julius Randle keeps his playoff leap and everything else, the Thunder should win this.

2025 Western Conference Finals preview: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder. The Timberwolves (49–33, 6th in West) enter as defensive juggernauts riding Anthony Edwards’s explosive playoff run, fresh off a 4–1 series win over the Warriors. The Thunder (68–14, 1st in West) are the NBA’s deepest, most dynamic team, escaping a tough Nuggets series in seven games and boasting an elite blend of youth, speed, and analytics.

Statistically, the Thunder’s offense is rolling (116.3 PPG, 4th), but Minnesota’s defense (101.1 OPPG, 2nd) is as stingy as it gets. Edwards (26.5 PPG, 8.0 REB, 5.9 AST) leads the Wolves with star shot-making and physical drives, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (28.4 PPG, 6.2 REB, 6.6 AST) is the Thunder’s MVP-level creator, controlling tempo and getting to the line.

Coaching is a clash of philosophies: Chris Finch’s Wolves grind games out, leveraging size and rim protection, while Mark Daigneault’s Thunder push pace, force turnovers, and maximize depth with versatile bigs like Chet Holmgren.

For Minnesota, the path to victory is about dominating the paint, slowing the game down, and relying on their defense to disrupt OKC’s rhythm. For the Thunder, the keys are forcing turnovers, winning the rebounding battle, and letting Shai control the flow in transition.

Expect a hard-fought series likely to go 6 or 7 games. The Thunder have the edge in depth and pace, but the Timberwolves’ physicality and star power make them a real threat—especially if Edwards stays hot and Randle continues his playoff surge.

Who advances to the NBA Finals? It’s Thunder by a nose, unless the Wolves’ defense and Edwards’s heroics flip the script.

00:00 – Intro
01:00 – Timberwolves
08:00 – Thunder
14:00 – Prediction

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