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]

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