Player by player: Here's what the Timberwolves must do to win in playoffs
The Minnesota Timberwolves' overtime thriller Wednesday night clinched the team's first playoff berth in 14 years. But beating the Denver Nuggets is one thing. Beating the Houston Rockets, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, will be quite another.
Experts don't give Minnesota much chance of beating Houston in the first round of the NBA playoffs, but the Wolves have the talent. The question is can they channel it and sustain it for 48 minutes a game and win four games to advance.
Here's a look at what the top 10 Timberwolves players must do for the team to win.
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Karl-Anthony Towns, center, No. 32
When he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2015, experts thought Towns would be a franchise-altering talent — and they were right. Now in his third year, the former Rookie of the Year and current All-Star leads the team in three-point shooting percentage (42 percent), with season averages of 21.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.
Towns is a matchup nightmare for big men. Teams must account for his outside stroke as well as his well-polished low-post game. In his first-ever postseason, the Wolves will rely on Towns to be aggressive in exploiting mismatches on offense.
Not known for his defense, the light-footed big man will also be called upon to anchor the Timberwolves defense.
Jimmy Butler, shooting guard / small forward, No. 23
Acquired last summer in a trade with the Chicago Bulls, Butler has been the Wolves' MVP this season. That became clear late in the season after a scary knee injury sidelined him for 17 games in late February and the Wolves plummeted from the third seed to the eighth and last playoff spot in the NBA's Western Conference.
Butler has been the Wolves' leading scorer and secondary facilitator this season, averaging 22.2 points, 4.9 assists, 5.3 rebounds per game.
He's become the alpha wolf for this young Wolves team and he'll need to bring all that energy to get the Wolves past the Rockets. He's been responsible all season for guarding the opposing team's best player. He'll likely get that toughest defensive assignment against the Rockets — guarding James Harden, the NBA's leading scorer.
Andrew Wiggins, shooting guard / small forward, No. 22
The former Rookie of the Year and top pick in the 2014 draft has been somewhat of an enigma in his four years in Minnesota. Oozing with untapped talent, Wiggins has not developed as quickly as most would have hoped. The Timberwolves took a major gamble and when they offered the Canadian native a five-year, $148 million maximum contract. With a big contract comes big responsibility.
While Wiggins has shown massive improvement on defensive, he's struggled to find his rhythm alongside Butler, Towns and guard Jeff Teague. Wiggins' 17.7 points per game scoring average this year is down from 23.6 points last year.
Still, Wiggins is Minnesota's X-factor against the Rockets. When he plays well, the team often finds success. Even if his shot isn't falling, the Wolves need Wiggins to show some hustle on Sunday. If the shots aren't falling, he must find other ways to be involved — grabbing rebounds, hunting after loose balls, and creating openings on offense.
Jeff Teague, point guard, No. 0
Few players have had heavier burdens this season than Jeff Teague, who signed with the Wolves in the summer for three years, $57 million to fill the void after guard Ricky Rubio was traded to the Utah Jazz for a first-round pick.
Teague is known for his shooting, playmaking and killer floater. He's averaged 14.2 points, 7 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game this season and shot well from the three-point line.
Teague is often reluctant to shoot and occasionally take plays off on defense. Against Chris Paul, Houston's elite guard, the Timberwolves need Teague to shoot with confidence and hone in defensively. (Fun fact: Teague has never missed the playoffs in his career.)
Taj Gibson, power forward, No. 67
Gibson signed for two years and $28 million last year and has been worth every penny. Averaging 12.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, Gibson has been the glue to this Wolves team. If there was such a thing as a Hustle Award, Gibson would win every year. He flies under the radar compared to the roster's bigger names, but watching him play you'll quickly notice his impact.
Whether it's crashing the glass on offense, textbook box-outs on defense, emphatic dunks or lock-down defense, Gibson has been invaluable to the success of the Wolves.
He'll be charged with guarding the Rockets more versatile big men, including Ryan Anderson, P.J. Tucker and Joe Johnson. Expect him to spend some time covering the Rockets' towering Center, Clint Capela, should Towns not be able to hold his own defensively against the Swiss native.
Nemanja Bjelica, forward, No. 8
Minnesota's bench players will be vital if the Wolves are to beat the Rockets. The team will look to Bjelica for minutes and points.
Nicknamed Professor Big Shots, he's been a diamond in the rough this season. He's been the Wolves second best perimeter shooter, knocking down 41 percent of his looks from beyond the three-point arc. He's enjoying his best season in Minnesota, averaging 6.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in 20 minutes of play.
His playmaking and defensive effort have been a blessing to a Wolves team sorely lacking in depth. His best performances have come when he's shared the court with the starters. As a scoring threat, he takes pressure off Towns and Butler. To upset the Rockets, the Wolves will need the professor in good form.
Jamal Crawford, shooting guard, No. 11
Minnesota signed the 37-year old last summer for two years and $8.9million. He's been the Wolves best scoring option in the second unit, averaging 10.3 points per game. In games where he's hot, Crawford has single-handedly guided the Wolves to victory.
Relying on Crawford's streaky shooting, however, would be their undoing. Against the Rockets, the Wolves should be mindful of the shots that Crawford takes, know that when he's hot, he's awesome and when he's off, it's not good.
Tyus Jones, point guard, No. 1
What a year it's been for the Apple Valley native. In his second season, Jones' has proved that he belongs in the NBA, posting career highs in points, assists and steals.
When he plays with the starting line-up, he brings grit and much-needed playmaking to a line-up that is prone to being stagnant. He also improves the Wolves' performance on defense.
Jones had been averaging career highs in minutes for the Wolves, but his minutes have been cut in half since the arrival of guard Derrick Rose. Jones, though, will be key in this series if he gets a chance.
Gorgui Dieng, center, No. 5
It's been a tough year for Dieng, who signed a four-year, $64 million contract last season. Dieng has struggled to be effective this year coming off the bench after starting all 82 games at power forward last year.
He's had a hard time adjusting to fewer minutes and at times has looked disengaged, when not looked to as an offensive option.
Look for Dieng to pick up big minutes when Towns and/or Gibson need a breather or are in foul trouble. In a series against the Rockets, his rebounding effort will be crucial in preventing second-chance opportunities.
Derrick Rose, point guard, No. 25
A late-season acquisition, Rose joined the Timberwolves after a disappointing campaign with the defending Eastern Conference champions, Cleveland Cavaliers.
A former MVP, Rose still has some game left after two anterior cruciate ligament tears nearly ended his career.
While he's no longer the impact player he was years prior, he's capable of playing well in spurts. Since he's arrival, Head coach Tom Thibodeau has looked to him to be a spark plug for the Wolves' second unit.
Jeffrey Bissoy-Mattis is an assistant producer for MPR News and was a research fellow for APM Reports.