The Minnesota Timberwolves have the look of a team of destiny as they have the Denver Nuggets on the rope after taking a 2-0 series lead
Through the first couple of weeks of the NBA Playoffs, there are three teams that are not only beating their opponents but obliterating them. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, and Minnesota Timberwolves. However, of the three teams, there's only one of them that has continued this high level of play against the defending NBA Champions. And that's the Timberwolves.
The Thunder and Celtics have yet to open their second-round playoffs series while the Timberwolves have raced off to a 2-0 series lead over the defending champion Denver Nuggets. Through the first two games of the series, the Timberwolves have not just stolen homecourt by winning in Denver, but they've set a dominating tone in the process.
The Timberwolves have beaten the Nuggets through two games by an average of 17 points per contest. Minnesota has been so dominant through their first six games in the NBA Playoffs that it's not out of bounds to suggest that this could be a team of destiny. When you think of it, the Timberwolves just dominated the defending champions on their homecourt without Rudy Gobert.
Without their defensive anchor, Minnesota had little issue in holding the Nuggets to 35 points in the first half of Game 2 and 80 total points for the entirety of the game.
Why the Minnesota Timberwolves have been so dominant
But it's not just their dominant defense that has been the story of their playoff run thus far. That was very much expected for the Timberwolves heading into the postseason. Instead, it's their excellent offensive player, in addition to their strong defense, that has helped the Timberwolves dominate their way to a hot start in the playoffs.
During the regular season, the Timberwolves had a pretty average offense as they finished with a 17th-ranked offensive rating. Through six games in the playoffs, that has changed. Led by Anthony Edwards, who is averaging 32 points and six assists on 55 percent shooting from the field, the Timberwolves have the No. 1 ranked offensive rating in the playoffs.
The Timberwolves are no longer just a physically imposing defensive team. They're also a dominant offensive unit. That's the perfect recipe for success in the NBA Playoffs, and we've very much seen that from the Timberwolves thus far.
It's almost as if everything is beginning to click for the Timberwolves at just the right time. As crazy as it may seem, the Timberwolves very much could be a team of destiny in the Western Conference. And if they do end up closing out the defending champions, it's going to be hard to continue to deny that.