The Wolves tried to avoid starting their season on a losing streak when they head to Sacramento to face the Kings. Can Minnesota right the ship and notch their first win of the year?
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Sacramento Kings
Date: October 24th, 2024
Time: 9:00PM CDT
Location: Golden 1 Center
Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network North
Radio Coverage: KFAN FM/Wolves App/iHeart Radio
Alright, Wolves Nation, buckle up because it’s already time for Minnesota to shake off that season-opening stumble against the Lakers and get back on track. After a night of what can only be described as ugly basketball, the Timberwolves are set to take on the Sacramento Kings in the second half of their California road trip. And just to make things more interesting, it’s the Kings’ home opener. So, yeah, the Wolves will be dealing with another fired-up crowd itching to see some real basketball after months of watching highlight reels and scrolling through endless offseason trade rumors.
Now, on paper, Minnesota should have the upper hand here. Sacramento isn’t exactly a juggernaut, and they didn’t even make it out of the play-in tournament last season. But let’s not act like these Kings can’t be dangerous. They gave the Wolves fits last year, claiming victory during in-season tournament play and pulling off an overtime win when Malik Monk decided to channel his inner Steph Curry and dropped a dagger-filled performance. If you remember, that was also the game where Anthony Edwards left at halftime to welcome his newborn daughter, which threw everything out of sync. As far as I know, there aren’t any Timberwolf babies due on Friday night, so we should have the whole squad available this time.
Adjustments Are the Name of the Game
The big takeaway from the Wolves’ opener was that, well, it didn’t exactly go according to plan. The offense looked about as coordinated as a middle school dance, and it was obvious that incorporating new faces like Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo isn’t going to be seamless. It’s not surprising—big trades and significant roster changes usually come with growing pains. But if you’re a Wolves fan, you have to hope that Chris Finch and the coaching staff have been dissecting the film and figuring out what the heck went wrong.
Spacing was a glaring issue against the Lakers, and if the Wolves are going to get right against the Kings, they need to figure out how to spread the floor better and get some flow in the offense. Edwards was trying to carry the load, but it felt like he was doing it alone at times. Against Sacramento, it can’t just be “give the ball to Ant and pray.” There has to be a more cohesive team effort to generate open looks and keep the defense on its heels. Randle and DiVincenzo need to find their spots, and someone has to hit some threes to keep the Kings honest. Let’s not sugarcoat it—things were ugly in L.A., but that’s what the early season is for: working out the kinks.
A Battle in the Paint
The Kings bring their own set of challenges, especially with DeMar DeRozan now in the mix. Adding him alongside De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis gives Sacramento a pretty formidable trio, but much like the Wolves, they will need to figure out how to make all the pieces fit. DeRozan’s not exactly known for his three-point shooting, so if the Wolves can clog the paint and force Sacramento into long-range shots, that’ll be a win. Of course, Sabonis is going to be his usual scrappy self down low, but he’s not Anthony Davis. Let’s just say I’d feel a lot more comfortable with Gobert, Randle, and Naz Reid trying to handle Sabonis than the chaos we saw trying to contain Davis.
For Minnesota, using that size advantage is going to be key. The trio of big men—Gobert, Randle, and Reid—need to dominate the boards and make sure Sacramento doesn’t get any easy put-backs or second-chance points. The Wolves were outmuscled in L.A., plain and simple. That can’t happen again, especially against a Kings squad that doesn’t have the same level of physicality.
Time to Show Some Grit
Look, good teams don’t fold after a rough outing—they get better. The Wolves got a wake-up call against the Lakers, and now it’s time to respond. Nobody wants to start the season 0-2, especially with a brutal schedule on the horizon that includes matchups against Dallas and Denver. Getting a win in Sacramento won’t be easy, but it’s not supposed to be. Winning in the NBA, especially on the road, is about grinding out those tough games and showing you have the guts to battle through adversity.
If Minnesota can escape this West Coast swing at 1-1, I’d consider that a success. Sure, it’s not the ideal start, but it’s a heck of a lot better than being in an 0-2 hole right out of the gate. The season is a marathon, not a sprint, but there’s no reason to start tripping over your own feet before you’ve even hit the first mile marker.
The Ant Factor
Let’s be real—if the Wolves are going to pull off this win, it’s going to come down to Anthony Edwards. He’s the guy, and he showed flashes of what he can do against the Lakers, but now we need him to take over. Not just for a quarter, not just in spurts—Edwards needs to dominate the game. If he’s locked in and aggressive, getting to the rim, hitting shots, and playing that tenacious defense he’s capable of, then Minnesota has a great chance to right the ship.
But he can’t do it alone. This is going to require everyone to step up and play their part. The early part of the season is about setting a tone, and if the Wolves come out and lay an egg in Sacramento, it’s going to be a lot tougher to dig out of that hole with the schedule that’s looming.
So here we go, Wolves fans. It’s time to see what this team is made of. Was the rough opener just a fluke? Or is there more work to be done than we’d like to admit? We’re about to find out.