Toronto Raptors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: Time to go on the road
The Toronto Raptors will visit the Minnesota Timberwolves for their first away game of the year. On the second night of a back-to-back, the Raptors will have to carry their energy from their win against Philadelphia into this game to overcome the Wolves who have the rest advantage. Toronto also continues to battle injuries, with Barrett, Quickley, Walter, Olynyk, and Brown all out.
Minnesota has split their first two games, falling to the Lakers before defeating the Kings. After the trade that sent Karl Anthony Towns to New York, there’s going to be a bit of an adjustment period for the Wolves to figure out how the pieces are going to fit. Newcomer Julius Randle is doing well so far alongside Anthony Edwards, who are both coming off of 30-point performances. Four-time DPOY Rudy Gobert will be a presence in the paint for them as well.
The last time these teams met, Minnesota left with a 48-point victory. Fortunately for the Raptors, this isn’t a great predictor, since Gradey Dick, Immanuel Quickley, and Garrett Temple were the only current Raptors to check into that game.
Probable Starters:
Toronto: Scottie Barnes, Ochai Agbaji, Jakob Poeltl, Davion Mitchell, Gradey Dick
Minnesota: Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, Mike Conley, Rudy Gobert
How to Watch:
Tune in at 8:00 pm ET on TSN to catch the game!
A few things to watch for:
The bench has been carrying for the Raps so far, with strong performances from second-round picks Shead and Mogbo. Boucher also continues to serve as a reliable energy guy, with 18 points in the first game and 4 blocks in the second. While they ride out injuries, these extended minutes will continue to benefit the younger guys deeper on the bench to see what they will be able to bring to the team throughout the season. Cleveland and Philadelphia both opted for zone defences at one point in their respective games against Toronto. So far this season, Toronto is 18/54 from distance and relies on transition play, ball movement, and scoring in the paint. Those defences seemed to cause problems for Toronto, so it might make an appearance in Minnesota as well. The Raptors will have to continue to work on their 3-point shooting and play against a zone so they don’t get caught in a scoring drought. Scottie had a huge bounce-back game against Philly, so as he adjusts into his leadership role of the team, look for him to continue to be aggressive in terms of ball handling and finding his way to the basket.
