Alexander Shun | @alexpshun
Digital Content Manager | KFAN.com
Is anyone paying attention to the Minnesota Timberwolves yet?
The Timberwolves are one of the hottest teams in the league right now, having won seven of their last 10 games including a 129-109 beatdown of the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night. Admittedly the Nets are one of the worse teams in the NBA, but a win is a win, right?
Minnesota has been led by sophmore stand-out Karl-Anthony Towns, who is averaging 28.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.0 blocks per game during the team's recent 10-game stretch and he has found success from all areas of the court.
"There's so much he can do and he's such a threat from pretty much anywhere on the court," Nets center Brook Lopez said of Towns after the Timberwolves victory Saturday night. "It makes it tough."
Towns will look to continue such success when the Timberwolves take on the Orlando Magic on Monday night in the friendly confines of the Target Center.
Orlando is playing the second night of a back-to-back and has struggled of late, earning wins in just three of their last 10 games but are coming off an emotional and hard-fought 114-113 win over the 'top-tier' Toronto Raptors.
''We had a great second quarter, guys made shots tonight,'' Magic head coach Frank Vogel said Sunday night after his team's win over the Raptors. ''They moved the basketball, got pretty good looks and played with offensive confidence.''
To slow Towns, the Magic will run a series of big men at the 'Wolves star, including Nikola Vucevic, Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo with Vucevic being the primary guy.
Vucevic is having a solid year averaging 14.0 points and 9.7 rebounds while shooting just under 48 percent from the floor. Ibaka is also having a good year for the Magic, putting up averages of 14.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. The combination of the two will mean a fresh body will almost always be covering Towns, which will force the Timberwolves big man to be at his best.
Minnesota's contest with the Magic kicks off a week in which the Timberwolves will play four games including a Wednesday night match-up in Cleveland against LeBron James and the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers.
It will a great stretch of games for a 'Wolves team that is seemingly hitting its stride and looking to play its way into playoff contention.
The Timberwolves will need to keep Orlando from getting hot on the offensive end of the floor as the Magic are 7-1 this season when they shoot over 50 percent from the floor, putting additional pressure on Minnesota's admittedly improved defense.
"Keep playing defense, that's what we're trying to preach. Just defense," Timberwolves first-round draft pick Kris Dunn said. "We know we can score the ball. We've got talented players. Just preach defense. Defense wins games and that's what we're trying to do."