Dallas vs. Minnesota NBA Playoff Showdown: Game Preview
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00:00 [MUSIC]
00:03 >> All right, so this series should be great between Dallas and Minnesota.
00:08 We're gonna have a new Western Conference champion after this.
00:11 Right now the Timberwolves are four and a half point favorites
00:14 over on the FanDuel Sportsbook.
00:15 The total is 206.
00:18 I mean, boy, I mean, I don't know who the better team is here.
00:23 I would think that in a game one scenario with the biggest playoff game for
00:28 an NBA team in the Twin Cities being played tonight,
00:31 that the Timberwolves will show up and win.
00:33 But you gotta lay four and a half in this game.
00:36 And if any of these Timberwolves games or Mavericks games have showed us anything,
00:40 this could come right down to the last minute.
00:42 Really tough one to call.
00:43 >> I feel like I've been going back and forth on this series since Minnesota won
00:48 that game seven on Sunday.
00:50 I really, I'm leaning Minnesota to win this series,
00:53 I think in seven games just being the home team.
00:56 Even though road teams have had a lot of success in game sevens as of late.
00:59 But to your point, Craig, it feels like this is game ones are kind of feel it out
01:04 games and the Celtics were nine and a half point favorites at the time the line
01:07 closed yesterday and the Pacers gave them a hell of a game.
01:09 So I actually would expect Dallas to cover plus four and a half tonight.
01:13 But I do lean towards Minnesota winning that game.
01:16 So it's kind of that dangerous game that you have to play.
01:18 You're betting against the result that you might think happened.
01:20 But I do feel like Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving,
01:24 they're gonna come into this game ready to play.
01:26 But at the same time, in terms of the entire series, I like Minnesota's defense.
01:31 I like the way they can neutralize one of Dallas's biggest advantages,
01:34 which is the advantage on the glass with guys like Derek Lively and Daniel Gafford.
01:38 They have the size up front to kind of maintain that they're one of the best
01:41 defensive rebounding teams in the NBA all season.
01:43 So I'm gonna bet on the defense prevailing and Anthony Edwards being great.
01:47 But in this game, particularly tonight, I like Luka Doncic and
01:50 Kyrie Irving to keep it close.
01:52 >> Yeah, I can't wait to see that game.
01:54 Now in the future, we're gonna get Wemby playing, I'm sure at some point,
01:58 in the playoffs in the Eastern and Western Conference.
02:00 He wins the Rookie of the Year, Victor Wemben-Yama.
02:03 Sixth player to be unanimously voted to Rookie of the Year in NBA history.
02:07 First rookie to make all defensive first team.
02:09 I mean, Kyle, I go back to Duncan, I go back to Robinson.
02:14 The same thing is happening, it feels like with this player, and
02:16 he's probably more talented in terms of being able to shoot and dribble and
02:21 do all the things that those guys did not.
02:23 But I think the trajectory is there as long as they can put players around him.
02:27 >> Yeah, actually over at the Sporting News at the beginning of the year,
02:32 I wrote something on how tough it would be for Victor Wemben-Yama to live up to
02:36 those expectations of former Spurs number one picks like David Robinson and
02:40 Tim Duncan.
02:40 And health provided at the end of this rookie season,
02:44 it seems so crazy to think that Tim Duncan made 15 all defensive teams.
02:48 He made 15 all NBA teams.
02:49 He was a 15 time All-Star.
02:51 David Robinson made eight all defensive teams.
02:53 He was 10 time All-NBA.
02:55 And that would have felt so crazy for Victor to say Victor Wemben-Yama can get
02:59 there, but now at the end of this rookie season, if he can stay healthy,
03:02 it really doesn't seem all that crazy.
03:04 I mean, the All-NBA teams are gonna come out later on tonight.
03:07 And I don't know if Victor Wemben-Yama is going to be one of those players that is
03:11 on an All-NBA team, but he's gonna be very close.
03:13 And it feels like for the foreseeable future, he's going to be All-Defense,
03:17 he's going to be All-NBA.
03:18 He's going to win multiple defensive player of the year awards.
03:21 It feels like, again, health provided, he is someone that will end up being or
03:25 having the most defensive player of the years in NBA history.
03:27 So he's already on an incredible trajectory right now.
03:32 He's looking for a very competitive Spurs team this season.
03:34 And once they actually start putting pieces around him,
03:36 I think we're going to see him become even more special than he was this year.
03:40 >> Yeah, he's, again, living up to those expectations, almost impossible.
03:44 It's amazing that he's done it.
03:45 Kyle, thanks again for coming on Newswire.
03:46 We'll talk soon.
03:48 >> Thanks for having me, Craig.
03:49 [MUSIC]