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It's safe to say that the Minnesota Timberwolves did the unexpected. After engaging in a dramatic Karl-Anthony Towns-Julius Randle exchange in the offseason, the Timberwolves successfully turned it around, as they found themselves back in the Western Conference Finals. But while Minnesota already has plenty to celebrate about, the team has a daunting task ahead of getting past the top seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
Although the Timberwolves have done a terrific job in getting this far in the postseason, their chances against the Thunder are quite concerning. The biggest flaw for this Minnesota squad has been their inability to take care of the basketball. Unfortunately for them, Oklahoma is the best defensive team in the NBA today, especially with a defensive rating of 107.61 to lead the league. As a result, the Thunder should lean on their suffocating defense to force the Timberwolves into committing costly turnovers throughout the series.
Oklahoma City Thunder is the best in the league in terms points of turnovers
Given that the Thunder are the best defensive team in the league, it isn't surprising that they like to punish teams by scoring off their turnovers. In fact, Oklahoma led the league in points off turnovers, scoring 21.8 per game during the 2024-25 season. They've improved those numbers to 24.7 in the postseason to lead all playoff teams. As a result, Oklahoma must capitalize on its strength to make Minnesota pay.
On the other hand, it looks like the Timberwolves just couldn't avoid turnovers. In the regular season, Minnesota finished 18th in the league, tallying 14.5 errors per game. They enter their Western Conference Finals showdown against the Thunder, averaging 14.8 per game in the ongoing playoffs. There's no question that those numbers aren't going to cut it against the best team in the West.
The Thunder has several personnel to make life difficult for the Timberwolves' offensive weapons. Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace can take care of business out in the perimeter, potentially bothering Edwards off his game. In fact, Wallace was the latest role player for the Oklahoma to make his presence felt, capped off by his fastbreak play in Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets. Nonetheless, all of which have the tools to force some turnovers. In addition to this, the frontcourt duo of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein should put a lid on Minnesota's rim.
An aging Mike Conley
A good reason as to why the Timberwolves couldn't stay away from turnovers is their depleted backcourt. Although Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle have filled in as playmakers from time to time, Minnesota still lacks a legitimate floor general, someone who serves as a stabilizer and on-court general. In fact, the best point guard they currently have available is a 37-year-old Mike Conley.
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Conley is coming off the worst season of his 18-year NBA career. In the 2024-25 season, he averaged 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per outing on just 40.0% from the field overall. At this stage of his career, the one time NBA All-Star has slowed down big time, especially with Father Time catching up, leaving a glaring hole in Minnesota's backcourt.
For Minnesota, there's a slight glimmer of hope for Conley to revert to vintage form. The 6-foot-0 guard finished in double-digit scoring in the Timberwolves' past two playoff wins over the Golden State Warriors. But then again, against the tougher defense of the Thunder, it's hard to see the 18-year NBA veteran replicate those numbers.
Rob Dillingham's injury
Another major blow to the Timberwolves' rotation has been the absence of first-round draft pick Rob Dillingham. The rookie has been sidelined with an ankle injury. While his newly released Nike logo is causing a buzz on social media, his continued absence from the court will be felt, especially when Minnesota could use a point guard to set the table.
The eighth overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft gave a good account of himself in his rookie season with the Wolves. He tallied 4.5 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game in limited minutes. Moreover, Dillingham has shown a glimpse of his potential, replacing Conley in spurts, to warrant a place in the Timberwolves' future. Unfortunately, a right ankle sprain has sidelined him since April 11th of 2025, forcing him to miss all of the playoff action so far.
Although Chris Finch wouldn't entrust the rookie with major minutes in the playoffs, his absence does put a dampener on the team's already depleted backcourt. This will probably force Minnesota to either rely on an aging Conley to facilitate the offense or have Edwards and Randle exert more effort to set their teammates up. Nonetheless, one can count on the Thunder to take advantage of the Timberwolves' lean point guard rotation, while feasting on their mistakes.
