The Wolves Devour the Nuggets. Who will take their place?
The Minnesota Timberwolves have eliminated the Denver Nuggets, guaranteeing new champions will be crowned. What does this mean for the remaining teams?
The King is dead. The Throne is vacant. And four challengers now vie for the crown.
In a breathtaking second round series, the Minnesota Timberwolves did the unthinkable. In a 7 game series the team would come back from a 20 point deficit to beat the defending champions on their home floor in historic fashion. Even two days later it still doesn’t quite feel real that the juggernaut many, including myself, thought was practically guaranteed to represent the Western Conference at bare minimum are now eliminated. Which leaves four teams left. Only two will make it to the final dance, and in the end one will be anointed champion.
Minnesota Timberwolves
We begin with the team that did the impossible, and in doing so has opened the door for a new team to take the throne. Starting the season off 1–2 in terms of wins and losses with no real changes to the roster from the year prior, this year’s iteration of the Timberwolves flew under the radar. On paper they seemed good but nothing noteworthy. Oh the irony.
After a lackluster October, the team would proceed to win all but two of their games the following month, boosting their record to 14–4. And as the season wore on, this team would continue to win, often winning two or three games before suffering a lost. At no point during this season would the team ever lose more than two games in a row. That alone should tell you how good this team is. And it’s clear to see why they would come to be in the position they now find themselves in. In a league where offense is overwhelmingly the focus, the Timberwolves are a throwback to an era when defensive stalwarts were the top teams. Led by Defensive Player Of the Year Rudy Gobert, Minnesota would end the regular season with the best defensive rating in the entire NBA as well as the best opposing points per game average, meaning they on average would allow opponents to score the fewest points when matched up against them compared to any other team. While offense may win adulation and attention, defense is still the cornerstone of champions.
But every team has its star, and Minnesota’s isn’t the DPOY, or even stalwart Karl Anthony Towns who is great in his own right. No, that distinction goes to the 22 year old star guard they call ‘Ant Man.’ In just his fourth season and third playoff appearance, Anthony Edwards has established himself as one of the league’s most exciting and effective stars. The unquestioned leader of this team’s offense, Edwards is no slouch in terms of playmaking and defense, making him a well-rounded piece to the puzzle that seems to have finally made the Timberwolves click. While the frontcourt duo of Towns and Gobert locks down the paint on both ends, it’s Edwards who plays maestro for the team, which has led to excellent results. But will it lead to the first ever championship for the franchise? The jury is still out for now.
After dispatching the Nuggets, many have proclaimed the Timberwolves as the new favourite to win it all, as well as a lock for the NBA finals. But they shouldn’t be too quick. Because there’s another team in the West that the Wolves have to get through before making it to the grandest stage of them all…
Dallas Mavericks
Where their conference finals opponent has two imposing big men that must be contended with, the Mavericks are the opposite. In many ways, they are the antithesis to Minnesota. They are the quintessential ‘offense first’ team of the current era of basketball. Having Luka Doncic, an all-world, MVP calibre guard is one thing. But pairing him with Kyrie Irving has made this team even more formidable, especially now that chemistry seems to have been cemented within the roster.
After getting past their old rival the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round and then beating the first seeded Thunder in the second, the Mavericks are in prime position to make it to their first finals since drafting the ‘Slovenian Superstar.’ With one of the best offenses in the league, the Mavericks-Wolves matchup seems like a perfect one. However, there are some concerns for this team. For one, Luka does not seem to be at full strength. And in moments where they don’t have him to rely on, the Mavericks are severely weakened. For another, the Mavericks prefer to play with pace, as noted by their pace rating being sixth in the league. Put simply, Dallas is a team that thrives on having multiple possessions in a game. But in the playoffs where the game slows and possessions become more precious, on top of standing opposite from a team that can dominate the glass and will almost surely favour a more methodical pace of play, will the Mavericks be able to outrun the wolves? Or will they be devoured by the pack?
A championship would elevate Luka to new heights, further strengthen Kyrie’s already hall of fame worthy resume, and bring the Mavericks their first championship since 2011 where they were lead by their last foreign superstar Dirk Nowitski. It would be a true ‘passing of the torch’ moment, but first they need to get out of the woods in one piece…
Indiana Pacers
On the other side of the NBA, the Indiana Pacers have been the underdog team repeatedly. Not because of a lack of talent, but because they are constantly outshined by their opponents. They haven’t had the most absurd road to the conference finals they could have, but it certainly hasn’t been an easy one. In the first round they trounced the Milwaukee Bucks in a result the vast majority of spectators didn’t see coming. Facing off against one of the best sounding pairings (at least on paper) of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, the Indiana Pacers would proceed to beat the Bucks in 6 games, ending off the series with a dominant 120–98 victory. They would then go the distance against the New York Knicks in a seven game series that was a tooth-and-nail affair all the way to the end. Ultimately they would come out on top, once again closing the series in dominating fashion. Which leaves them with one last hurdle to get over if they hope to reach the NBA Finals.
Earlier in this article I said offense is the ruler of the league today and garners all manner of attention. The Indiana Pacers have certainly been one of the subscribers to the ‘offensive mindset’ this year, ending the season with the highest points per game average in the league, and the second best offensive rating in the NBA. Despite not being the most starstudded or talked-about team, the Pacers are fireworks on the court and one of those teams that can simply outscore just about any team in the league. This however is a double-edged sword. While Indiana can shoot an opponent out of a game when they’re on, by that same token they can shoot themselves out of a game if the offense isn’t there. Like the Mavericks Pacers also have a high pace rating, noting their preference for a game full of possessions, a style that may not translate well in the playoffs even if it has not been an insurmountable problem thus far.
Should they win it all, the Pacers would hoist their first ever championship in what would be a ‘Rocky Story’ moment that would live on in history. Indiana certainly has the ability to do it. There’s just one problem…
Boston Celtics
Do I really need to say much about this team? I mean I will, but do I have to?
The three teams I spoke about earlier have all overcome some level of odds to get to the conference finals. All three other teams have also in some way surprised us. But let’s not play any games, the Boston Celtics haven’t surprised a single damn person. A blind man could have seen this coming. It would have been a shock if the Celtics didn’t get here. Ever since their 2022 Finals appearance, expectations have been sky-high for the Celtics, and the impatience has only grown. Some of it is not their fault. Being a storied franchise that is constantly in the limelight attracts plenty of attention from fans who want to see this team fail, and all those championship banners in the rafters of TD Garden start to resemble the Sword of Damocles every time the Celtics don’t bring another home.
Let’s be nice for a moment. In the first round the Boston Celtics exorcised the spirit haunting them for the last few years, sending the Miami Heat home in five games. Yes they were without Jimmy Butler, but even with him on the team it was obvious they should not have been a challenge for Boston. In the second round the Celtics would again win in five games, taking care of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Some may argue the road to the playoffs has been ‘easy’ or lackluster for the Celtics. Some would argue they haven’t been challenged up to this point. Honestly, I could care less about these sorts of ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t narratives. If the Celtics had gone to 6 or 7 game series with either team, people would have lambasted them for playing down to their inferior competition when they should have demolished them. Now that they did what we all expected, they’re not ‘battle tested.’ They can’t win. And if they don’t win this year, the Celtics will be criticized from top to bottom. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will be called frauds, their coaching staff will be labelled incompetent, and everyone who hates them will mock them as a failure.
It’s tough being the favourite sometimes. But they made their bed, and now they have to lie in it. But I’m sure being bed-fellows with another championship would help all of Boston sleep more than comfortably as the rest of the league howls in frustration. A championship would break the tie between the Celtics and Lakers in terms of most titles, and would also validate Tatum and Brown as a winning duo that were rightly supported. Arguably the best two-way team left, the title seems ripe for Boston’s taking. Will the favourite do what many expect them to do?
The world is watching and waiting for the answer.
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