The
Minnesota Timberwolves will head on the road to the AT&T Center for a Western Conference showdown against the
San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.These franchises came into the season with similar hopes of contending for a postseason spot but the season hasn’t gone as planned for Greg Popovich and company. One-and-a-half months into the year, it’s turning out to be a lost season for the Spurs. San Antonio is off to an unsightly 6-12 overall record through 18 games, tying them for the third-worst record in the Western Conference standings. Meanwhile, Minnesota has kept pace in the Wild Wild West with a 9-8 record through their first 18 contests, good for seventh place in the conference standings. Can the Spurs stop the bleeding at home with a win over the Timberwolves on Wednesday?
TWolves move Wiggins to point guard, Teague to bench
Minnesota stopped a two-game slide on Monday night, taking down the Atlanta Hawks 125-113 behind 28 points and 13 rebounds from Karl-Anthony Towns. Andrew Wiggins added 25 points while rookie Jarrett Culver chipped in 14 for the Timberwolves, who crept one-game above the .500-mark with the win. The TWolves shot 13-of-35 from 3-point range and got to the free-throw line 36 times in the win.Since Jeff Teague missed four games with an illness, the TWolves have been running the offense through Wiggins at the point guard spot and it’s been working for the most part.
Without a true point guard on the floor, the Timberwolves have been outscoring opponents by a wide margin. Since returning to the court, Teague has assumed a role off the bench, giving a much-needed boost to the second unit while Culver, the No. 3-overall pick in the draft, starts in his place.
Spurs facing possibility of lost seasonThe Spurs lost for the ninth time in 10 games on Monday night, falling short at home 114-104 versus LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers. LaMarcus Aldridge scored a team-high 30 points while DeMar DeRozan added 24 in a losing effort for the Spurs.
San Antonio has fallen on hard times this season, and with a veteran roster, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Spurs embark on an all-out rebuild by shipping away some of their assets at the trade deadline. DeRozan and Aldridge are likely to be the two players who will have their names buzzing as the trade deadline approaches.
DeRozan has tried to stay positive amidst the downswing but he recently cleared his social media posts, adding fuel to the trade rumors that have already started to heat up. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Miami Heat have emerged as suitors for both players.
Over San Antonio’s last 10 games, the Spurs have allowed a whopping 119.3 points per 100 possessions, which is the second-worst mark in the league during that span. Their -7.4 net rating also ranks 26th in the league in that timeframe.