2025 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #6 Minnesota Timberwolves (OKC leads 2-0)

[HMFFL]

The T Wolves seems to not have the ability to do anything right.

T Wolves need to revamp their front court this off-season because it's not ever going to work after this series.

They need to make an attempt at some big names. Even Giannis.

[LSWF]

The T Wolves seems to not have the ability to do anything right.

T Wolves need to revamp their front court this off-season because it's not ever going to work after this series.

They need to make an attempt at some big names. Even Giannis.

I agree. They also need to take a step back, duck under the apron and see what the young bench players can do.

[kazyv]

just looked up, the finals start june 6th this year. so there won't be a huge rest gap for both teams, just for thunder if they finish this up quickly while knicks/pacers tire each other out and have to go into the finals right away

[KGtabake]

The Western Finals for me was Den vs OKC. Minny just isn't good enough. They're lucky to even be in the Western Finals after Steph got injured. They just don't have the players that make them that team.

Overreaction.
Minnesota handles Denver better than any team in the West.
Wait until the series get to Target Center.
OKC is better. But they will lose both games in Minny. That's what i think. Minny will come back in OKC with a shot.

They are going to get swept.

No, they're not. It's Minny's turn.

[TheGOATRises007]

Overreaction.
Minnesota handles Denver better than any team in the West.
Wait until the series get to Target Center.
OKC is better. But they will lose both games in Minny. That's what i think. Minny will come back in OKC with a shot.

They are going to get swept.

No, they're not. It's Minny's turn.

Minny's turn at getting swept maybe.

Absolutely no shot whatsoever Minny wins 4 out of 5 vs this OKC team.

[levon]

If Steph didn't get injured in round 2, he would've gotten injured in round 3, or Butler would have. That core isn't going deep in 2025, especially not against teams like the Thunder. This is a young man's game.

OK Mr. believing in 40yr old LeBron

Butler was injured in round 1 and into 2, all we needed was a healthy Steph. Next year we won't be playing like it's the playoffs the last 25 games in the season, #2-#3 seed and less physical stress into the playoffs. No Olympics for Curry, totally different.

Thunder are the best team, but there are other squads who can do better than averaging a 20pt loss. I'm not talking about a high bar here, sheesh. The Warriors need to improve in the off-season to contend, but we could have done better than what the Wolves are doing now.

I don't believe 40 year old LeBron is winning a title. You should make peace with the fact that the Warriors are about keeping Steph entertained until retirement.

[LSWF]

They are going to get swept.

No, they're not. It's Minny's turn.

Minny's turn at getting swept maybe.

Absolutely no shot whatsoever Minny wins 4 out of 5 vs this OKC team.

Are you one of those folks who had Lakers in five? Nothing is ever done until it's done. Now that don't mean the fat lady isn't warming up her pipes. It would be the greatest come from behind series in a very long time.

[KGtabake]

They are going to get swept.

No, they're not. It's Minny's turn.

Minny's turn at getting swept maybe.

Absolutely no shot whatsoever Minny wins 4 out of 5 vs this OKC team.

I don't believe that Minny can win the series either.
But the Wolves don't lose 4 games in the row.
Especially in Minnesota things are going to look different. The Wolves didn't make 2 consecutive conference finals by accident.

[Capn'O]

Reminder: This is the 1 seed against the 6th seed and there's a 19 game difference in record. I don't know what some were expecting.

Wolves won just one less game than Denver.

Yup they were like one game back from the 3rd seed Lakers so calling them the “6th seed” is a little disingenuous.

Maybe. But OKC is way better.

[TroubleS0me]

hmm...thats the Randle I remember from previous playoffs hmm lol

[knicksfan974]

in theory the knicks

iso heavy. more passes more turnover opportunities

if adelman could hide jokic, thibs can hide kat

I still think OKC has problem with physicality. Denver was physical and Knicks are the more physical of the 2. Of course it also depends on the whistle, if refs will let them play. Here they're calling almost everything.

Pacers match up well against OKC's strength - their guards and wings. OKC Pacers will be the more fun match up to watch.

The Knicks can't even protect a 14 point lead with 2 minutes left at home. They need to figure out how not to wet the bed at the end of the game first and they only have a few games to do it.

Well to be fair that was like once in million ending. Just one a bit better handled possession and the Knicks would have won. And without the Pacers miraculous shooting they would have won comfortably.

[DonaldSanders]

I don't believe 40 year old LeBron is winning a title. You should make peace with the fact that the Warriors are about keeping Steph entertained until retirement.

Ya I mostly think that's what's happening. Small chance. I just think the Warriors w/ healthy Steph do better than 20pt losses on average but also lose to OKC. Not exactly a wild claim.

[LSWF]

hmm...thats the Randle I remember from previous playoffs hmm lol

Yep, the same one that beat the LBJ match up not to mention the defensive stalwart Draymond Green.

[knicksfan974]

Gobert is my least favorite player to watch in the NBA.

Before the series started one of my keys for the Wolves winning this series was that they must dominate the paint with Gobert, Randle and Reid. That most certainly is not happening right now!

[DonaldSanders]

Yep, the same one that beat the LBJ match up not to mention the defensive stalwart Draymond Green.

One bad game from Randle, everyone is allowed that. He'll do better.

[LSWF]

Yep, the same one that beat the LBJ match up not to mention the defensive stalwart Draymond Green.

One bad game from Randle, everyone is allowed that. He'll do better.

One can only hope

[knicksfan974]

Things might look rather bleak now for Minnesota but I wouldn't give up on the series just yet. The next two games at home, Minnesota needs to step up their game and bring A+ effort, and hopefully be able to even tie the series. After that who knows, everything would be possible. Personally I still don't consider OKC as somekind of unbeatable juggernaut. They, like every team, have their own weaknesses.

[LSWF]

Things might look rather bleak now for Minnesota but I wouldn't give up on the series just yet. The next two games at home, Minnesota needs to step up their game and bring A+ effort, and hopefully be able to even tie the series. After that who knows, everything would be possible. Personally I still don't consider OKC as somekind of unbeatable juggernaut. They, like every team, have their own weaknesses.

If you wouldn't mind, please find those weaknesses and text them to Finch. Thank you in advance.

[GopherIt!]

The Wolves just need to take away all the mid-post actions. The push-off + stepback mid-range shot is maybe more efficient than trying to create from the mid-post. Offensively, their best approach might be to run a 2 man game without Ant as the primary option. If that action gets denied, swing it to the weak side and let Ant attack, ideally against a defender who’s been pulled out of position by the initial strong-side action.

I like that. Randle/dante is probably the most experienced and effective pair. The steep decline of conley and loss of both SloMo and Kat has completely ruined the 2 man game w Rudy they had last year. Rudy needs that partner in order to be effective. This series also highlights how much the Kat trade has hurt MN. Imagine Kat/Rudy vs Chet/iHart. I’ll take that match up for MN. Having Kat would also really open things up offensively for Antman.

[lethalizer]

I do think OKC is overall the better team, but that doesn't always decide a playoff series.

(I think only Celtics, on paper, had a better team than OKC this year.)

The thing is though, when you are not the better team in a playoff series, you have to have some outlier, different, magical games. Knicks did it against the Celtics in games 1 and 2, and rode off to the sunset from there. Pacers did the same to Cavs.

Denver did it against OKC in games 1 and 3 and made it a series.

The margin of error against this OKC team is not great for any team, as they have their defensive actions to fall back on if nothing goes their way. The ability to just rattle off 10-0 runs can be demoralizing to any team.

So this'll be simple analysis mostly, but the Wolves really just have to get their outside game going. Roleplayers hitting their open threes consistently is their first concern. OKC's first defensive gameplan will always be packing the paint. Make them pay for long stretches. And on the defensive end, just bring Shai some hard doubles and live with the results. When SGA is in his free flowing mode, he'll pick you apart. Mcdaniels is a hell of a defender, but trusting him all game to defend Shai alone and expecting him to also perform on the offensive end is a very big ask.

I think the Wolves are more than capable of winning these next two games. Will they pull it off? Will depend on their consistency on the offensive end.