Latest news with #JadenMcDaniels
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Austin Rivers Admits Anthony Edwards Needs More Support
Austin Rivers Admits Anthony Edwards Needs More Support originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Timberwolves have come close two years in a row. They lost in two consecutive Western Conference Finals, which should lead to more improvements to get over the hump. Advertisement Former Timberwolves player Austin Rivers have observed the team quite closely, so he has a good understanding of what makes the team work. He feels it is time for some big changes to help the team push forward. Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Success in the modern NBA requires depth and high-level athleticism. In the current Timberwolves squad, Edwards and Jaden McDaniels are high-level athletes, but the roster is slower than most teams. They are still quite talented, but they do not have the intangibles teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers have during their runs to the NBA Finals this season. Related: Chris Finch Admits The Timberwolves' 2024-25 Season Was A Modest Success Rivers Knows The Timberwolves Need To Support Edwards As a modern basketball mind, Rivers knows what it takes for teams to succeed. With what he has seen with the Timberwolves, he knows they will be a better team if they make improvements with their roster. Advertisement A big part of their success should involve a high-level playmaker alongside Edwards in the backcourt. Mike Conley Jr. is a fantastic player, but he is 37. He is not getting any younger, so the Timberwolves must make some big changes to the roster. They could promote Rob Dillingham to be the starting point guard, but that might be too fast, considering he had sporadic minutes during his rookie season. "You've gone to the Conference Finals two years in a row. Clearly, you have some good intel and a good team. You're just a piece or two away," Rivers said on his Off Guard show. "There needs to be another dominant ball-handler... At this point, they need to get a guard who can take the ball out of Ant's hands, and say 'Slow down,' and have that respect to create and dribble other than him. He needs one other guy." The Path For Improvement Is Clear For Minnesota The Timberwolves can make massive improvements to the team if they play their cards right. Of course, they must retain their important players like Naz Reid and Julius Randle, but there is room for upgrades for the point guard position. Advertisement Easing Dillingham into a prominent role is a good option, but looking for a high-level point guard can also be good. Dangling the chance to play alongside Anthony Edwards is a good way to convince more players because he has a good reputation as a teammate across the league. Making it into the Western Conference Finals in two consecutive years should elevate the Timberwolves' standards. They do not want to settle for second place in the West. The Timberwolves do not want to beat the Thunder, and that can be done by giving Edwards the secondary playmaker. It is unclear who that player will be, but that is team president Tim Connelly's job. If he can find the right answer, the Timberwolves are in good shape to compete for a championship. Advertisement Related: Jaden McDaniels Admits Rob Dillingham Will Improve in The 2025-26 Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Timberwolves Want To Retain Their Free Agents in 2025
The Timberwolves Want To Retain Their Free Agents in 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Playing with a deep roster is the key to winning an NBA championship nowadays. That happened with the Boston Celtics in 2024, and the Oklahoma City Thunder look poised to do it in 2025. Advertisement The Minnesota Timberwolves lost to the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. That loss was primarily due to their depth and elite defense. The Timberwolves are aiming for the NBA Finals, which will require them to have a deep team. Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images The main storyline for the Timberwolves' offseason is retaining most of their core. Julius Randle was excellent in the second half of the season, playing as Anthony Edwards' co-star. He was superb, performing as arguably the best postseason player on the roster. Since he has a player option akin to bench star Naz Reid, the Timberwolves are trying to retain him. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is also a player they want to keep, as he will be an unrestricted free agent in the 2025 offseason. Advertisement Related: Austin Rivers Admits Anthony Edwards' Supporting Cast Needs Big Improvements Maintaining The Core Will Be Expensive For The Timberwolves The players who are secure in the Timberwolves' future are Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels. They have the most potential on the roster, as they also fit the modern requirements for succeeding in the modern-day NBA. Alongside their two building blocks, the Timberwolves also need depth to compete against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets. However, they will have to fork over a significant amount of money to maintain the core. Reid will likely be offered a deal over $30 million per year, while Randle is eligible for a four-year $181 million contract extension with the Timberwolves. For Alexander-Walker, he likely earns a contract between $14 and $24 million per year. Connelly Wants To Keep Everyone In Minnesota Despite the money issues they might face, team president Tim Connelly wants to retain their core group. This is a team that has led them to two consecutive Western Conference Finals, which makes it unsurprising that he wants to keep the core. "The goal is to keep everybody and what's neat is the players are all really happy here. The players are really happy here, they love the coaching staff, they love the teammates," Connelly said in an interview. "So, when the player wants to be here and the team wants to have them back, there's always room for optimism." Advertisement It will be an expensive decision because the Timberwolves will deal with the luxury tax. Thankfully, incoming owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez are reportedly willing to pay the luxury tax. The 2025 offseason will be significant for the Timberwolves, as they might make some big decisions. Letting go of one of the three expiring contracts could be hard. Retaining the trio would be a successful offseason, especially if they get more players. Related: Alex Rodriguez Sends Strong Message Of Support For The Timberwolves This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder (05/28): Box score, player stats, game summary and more
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Image via: Nate Billings/ AP The Oklahoma City Thunder have advanced into the finals after eliminating the Minnesota Timberwolves from the NBA Playoffs with tonight's Game 5 win at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The Thunder secured a stunning 124-94 victory over the struggling TWolves, securing the win with 30 points. Here is the box score, player stats, game summary, and everything you need to know about the Minnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder matchup on Wednesday, May 28th. Minnesota Timberwolves: Box score and player stats PLAYER MIN FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OREB DREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS +/- Jaden McDaniels BF 20:49 2 13 15.4 1 5 20 0 0 0 2 3 5 1 0 0 1 1 5 -16 Julius Randle PF 31:23:00 8 14 57.1 4 6 66.7 4 5 80 1 4 5 3 1 0 4 2 24 -28 Rudy Gobert C 19:21 1 1 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 5 1 0 1 1 2 2 -7 Anthony Edwards SG 38:30:00 7 18 38.9 1 7 14.3 4 6 66.7 0 6 6 2 0 1 3 2 19 -29 Mike Conley PG 21:06 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 1 2 0 -22 Donte DiVincenzo 22:25 2 4 50 2 4 50 0 0 0 0 6 6 2 1 0 2 2 6 -21 Nickeil Alexander-Walker 20:20 0 8 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 3 0 0 2 1 0 -12 Naz Reid 24:05:00 5 6 83.3 1 1 100 0 0 0 2 3 5 0 1 3 5 4 11 -21 Terence Shannon Jr. 15:45 3 8 37.5 1 3 33.3 4 4 100 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 3 11 -10 Rob Dillingham 6:34 3 5 60 1 1 100 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 1 7 4 Josh Minott 6:34 1 2 50 1 2 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 3 4 Jaylen Clark 6:34 1 1 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 4 Luka Garza 6:34 2 2 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 TOTALS 35 85 41.2 12 34 35.3 12 15 80 8 31 45 16 7 6 21 20 94 Minnesota Timberwolves game summary The Minnesota Timberwolves' playoff hopes ended after a tough loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Poor shooting and too many turnovers made it hard for the team to stay in the game. They shot just 41.2% from the floor and committed 21 turnovers, which gave the Thunder easy scoring chances. Anthony Edwards had a rough night, scoring 19 points but shooting only 7-of-18 overall and 1-of-7 from three. Jaden McDaniels also struggled, going 2-of-13 from the field and finishing with just 5 points. Julius Randle led the team with 24 points on strong shooting, but it wasn't enough to close the gap. Oklahoma City Thunder: Box score and player stats PLAYER MIN FGM FGA FG% 3 PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OREB DREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS +/- Jalen Williams SF 32:28:00 7 14 50 1 4 25 4 5 80 0 8 8 5 1 1 4 2 19 25 Chet Holmgren PF 30:17:00 8 13 61.5 2 4 50 4 6 66.7 1 6 7 0 0 3 0 3 22 21 Isaiah Hartenstein C 17:02 4 5 80 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 5 0 2 2 1 1 8 11 Luguentz Dort SG 38:03:00 4 11 36.4 4 10 40 0 0 0 1 3 4 1 3 0 2 2 12 24 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander PG 33:36:00 14 25 56 2 4 50 4 4 100 1 6 7 8 2 0 2 2 34 23 Alex Caruso 24:13:00 1 5 20 0 3 0 6 6 100 1 2 3 3 4 0 0 5 8 13 Cason Wallace 24:09:00 2 6 33.3 1 3 33.3 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 0 2 1 1 5 25 Aaron Wiggins 8:21 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 16 Kenrich Williams 7:07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 12 Isaiah Joe 5:32 4 4 100 3 3 100 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 11 -2 Jaylin Williams 5:14 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 0 2 3 0 -4 Ousmane Dieng 4:22 1 2 50 1 2 50 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 -5 Dillon Jones 4:22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 -5 Ajay Mitchell 5:14 1 1 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 -4 TOTALS 46 88 52.3 14 35 40 18 21 85.7 7 39 53 26 14 8 14 20 124 Oklahoma City Thunder game summary The Oklahoma City Thunder are heading to the NBA Finals after a strong 124-94 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. OKC played a complete game on both ends of the floor, shooting 52.3% from the field and hitting 14-of-35 from three-point range. They also won the battle on the boards, out-rebounding Minnesota 53 to 45. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander once again led the charge with 34 points on 14-of-25 shooting. He added eight assists and seven rebounds, continuing to be the Thunder's driving force. Chet Holmgren played big inside, scoring 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting while grabbing seven rebounds and blocking three shots. Jalen Williams also had a big night with 19 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. The Thunder's bench played a key role, especially Isaiah Joe, who shot a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-3 from beyond the arc for 11 points. Alex Caruso contributed eight points and six made free throws, while also recording four steals and three assists. Cason Wallace chipped in five points and three assists. Also Read: Caitlin Clark's hidden passion may have been revealed during Indiana Fever's loss to Washington Mystics in Baltimore With this win, the Thunder now prepare for the NBA Finals with momentum and confidence. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Washington Post
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Shai's sidekicks Williams and Holmgren give Thunder a big boost in Game 4 win vs. T-wolves
MINNEAPOLIS — With Oklahoma City clutching a four-point lead, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drove into the lane and smacked into triple coverage — doing the splits as he stopped and desperately tried to find a safe place for the ball. Somehow, as he lost his balance and fell toward the court, he found space to fling it between the legs of Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels — and straight to a wide-open Jalen Williams behind the arc with 1:21 to go .
New York Post
24-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Thunder vs. Timberwolves Game 3 prediction: NBA Playoffs picks, best bets, props
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. Oklahoma City looks untouchable right now. The Thunder are a prohibitive -340 (77.27 percent implied) to win the NBA Championship, and they still need six wins to get there. The Thunder have dominated Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves through two games, winning by double digits in each of their two wins at home. Now heading to the Upper Midwest, Oklahoma City hopes to see its defensive prowess continue to translate over on the road. The Thunder have allowed Edwards to shoot just 4-for-17 from beyond the arc in two games on the road, a number that will have to improve dramatically for the Timberwolves to have any chance in this one. Mark Daigneault's group comes in as 2.5-point favorites on DraftKings on the road after opening in the 4.5-point range, so there's some optimism that the Timberwolves can win at home. Minnesota still faces an uphill battle if it wants to come home with a win on Saturday, though. Their bench players are shooting a horrific 22.7 percent from 3-point range. The old cliche has been that role players play better at home, but what kind of improvement is realistic against this defense? Oklahoma City has the best defensive rating (101.2) in the NBA playoffs since the 2015-16 San Antonio Spurs, a team that featured Tim Duncan's final year and budding superstar Kawhi Leonard. This defensive team is special, and it has felt like the Timberwolves are losing their composure with each blow of the whistle by officials when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander embellishes contact from defenders. The Timberwolves will surely look to shoot a ton of 3-pointers in an attempt to get their role players going and play the math game, similar to how the Pacers do. Look for Jaden McDaniels to continue shooting 3-pointers in bunches and bet his 3+ 3-pointers prop (+340), which he did on the road in Game 2. Jaden McDaniels is shooting from beyond the arc and hitting against the Thunder. NBAE via Getty Images Betting on the NBA? But don't expect that to lead to victories. PICK: McDaniels Over 3 Three-pointers (+340, FanDuel) | Thunder -2.5 (-110, Bet365) Why Trust New York Post Betting Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he's showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.
