- 1 Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors: Edwards after 47, a Warriors team missing three rotation players
- 2 Minnesota Timberwolves: Edwards averaging 33 a night, and a 60-43 rebounding night in Orlando
- 3 Golden State Warriors: Lendeborg’s 31 in Denver, and a defense allowing 120.8 a game
- 4 Free NBA Prediction: Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors
- 5 About our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling
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Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors: Edwards after 47, a Warriors team missing three rotation players 
Golden State will arrive at Target Center without Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody or Kristaps Porzingis. Butler is recovering from a torn right ACL with a possible return in January or February, Moody ruptured his left patellar tendon, and Porzingis isn’t with the team while he deals with POTS. That’s a lot of size and defense missing for a trip to Minneapolis.
The Warriors did finally win on Monday. They beat Denver 134-114, avoiding a first 0-4 start since 2007-08, after losing at the Lakers (127-105), at home to Memphis (111-108) and in Phoenix (131-122). Steve Kerr has already used four different starting lineups in four games.
Minnesota, meanwhile, lost for the first time on Monday, and it took overtime. Cleveland won 127-125 after Anthony Edwards scored 47 points on 19-of-33 shooting in 41 minutes, a night after the Timberwolves had beaten Toronto 117-94 in their home opener. Before that, they’d won 131-106 in Miami and 115-93 in Orlando.
Both teams played on Monday, so both get one day off before Wednesday’s 8:00pm ET tip. Golden State travels from Denver, Minnesota from Cleveland. The difference is that Chris Finch’s team is home, and it starts a much bigger rotation than Kerr can put on the floor.
Minnesota won three of the four meetings last season, and this looks like a matchup that suits them again. What makes it interesting is the scoring Golden State has found in a rookie, and whether Stephen Curry can keep shooting the way he did in Denver.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Edwards averaging 33 a night, and a 60-43 rebounding night in Orlando 
Edwards has opened the season with 45, 15, 26 and 47 points, which works out to a little over 33 a game. The 15 came on 5-of-23 shooting in Orlando, and Minnesota still won by 22 because the rest of the roster carried the game. He was listed as questionable with a right knee issue before Monday’s game and then played 41 minutes, so the knee is something to watch.
The Orlando win showed how the Timberwolves can win without their star scoring. They outrebounded the Magic 60-43, Rudy Gobert had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Jaden McDaniels added 15. Against Cleveland, Gobert scored just five points but pulled down 20 rebounds.
The new pieces have fitted in quickly. LaMelo Ball, acquired from Charlotte in a four-team trade on 10 July, scored 21 in Miami and 15 in 16 minutes against Toronto, where he hit four of five threes. Jonathan Kuminga has started alongside Edwards, McDaniels and Gobert, and he had 10 points and 10 rebounds in Cleveland.
There were warning signs on Monday too. Minnesota shot 14 of 23 from the free-throw line and 13 of 40 from three, committed 17 turnovers, and Ball had seven of them. Kuminga missed two free throws late, and McDaniels fouled out in overtime after also picking up a technical.
Donte DiVincenzo is still out with an Achilles injury, and Minnesota is in the middle of five games in seven nights. Even so, the Timberwolves have allowed 105.0 points per game through four outings, and last season they were sixth in defensive efficiency.
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Golden State Warriors: Lendeborg’s 31 in Denver, and a defense allowing 120.8 a game 
Yaxel Lendeborg, the 11th pick in June’s draft, has become Golden State’s most consistent player. He had 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists against Memphis, 26 points with six threes in Phoenix, and 31 points and 12 rebounds in Denver, where he went 12 of 13 from the line. He came into Monday averaging 18.7 points and 8.3 rebounds.
Curry’s numbers have been steady when he plays. He scored 23 at the Lakers, 24 against Memphis and 24 in Denver, where he made all eight of his shots and scored 21 of his points after halftime. He sat out the Phoenix game, listed as rest, after tweaking an ankle before the season opener.
The Phoenix loss is worth remembering because it came without Curry, Draymond Green, Al Horford and Brandin Podziemski. Lendeborg and De’Anthony Melton scored 26 and 25 there, and the Warriors still gave up 131. All four returned in Denver, and Podziemski finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists at +33.
Defense is the clear concern. Golden State has allowed 120.8 points per game, and every opponent so far has scored at least 111. Memphis closed the home opener on a 17-2 run, and Devin Booker scored 43 in Phoenix.
The injury list is long even beyond the three big absences. Charles Bassey (knee) and Brandon Williams (lower back) were probable for Monday, and Gui Santos was questionable with left knee tendinitis. Golden State won 37 games last season and lost in the play-in to Phoenix.
Probable lineup Minnesota Timberwolves: LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, Rudy Gobert. Donte DiVincenzo is out.
Probable lineup Golden State Warriors: Not announced at time of publication. Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Draymond Green and Al Horford are all available. Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody and Kristaps Porzingis are out.
Free NBA Prediction: Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors
Our prediction: Minnesota Timberwolves on the handicap
There was no spread posted at the time of writing. I’m taking Minnesota to win and cover, and I’d be happy up to about seven and a half points. A straight Timberwolves win looks too short to be worth backing, and the handicap is where the difference between these rosters shows up.
The size gap is the main reason. Gobert has 20 rebounds in a game already and Minnesota won the boards by 17 in Orlando, while Golden State is playing without Porzingis and Butler and has used four starting lineups in four games. A defense allowing 120.8 a night is now facing Edwards, who’s scored 45 and 47 in two of his four games.
I concede that Curry and Lendeborg combined for 55 points in Denver on Monday, and a night like that keeps any game close. But the Warriors also lost by 22 to the Lakers and gave up 131 in Phoenix, and Minnesota beat them 108-83 and 127-117 in two of last season’s four meetings. At home after an overtime loss, I expect the Timberwolves to win comfortably.
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