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- Season Series: Timberwolves 104, Magic 89 in Orlando on Jan. 9; Tonight in Minneapolis
Orlando Magic vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: Stats and 3 Keys to Watch
Orlando | Minnesota | |
|---|---|---|
96.5 | Pace | 98.0 |
107.8 | Off. Rtg. | 114.6 |
109.3 | Def. Rtg. | 110.7 |
50.4 | eFG% | 54.9 |
30.2 | O.Reb.% | 29.4 |
14.8 | TO% | 14.8 |
27.5 | FTR | 24.5 |
3. The rebounding question
The focus all week for the Orlando Magic has been on rebounding after the team gave up 20 offensive rebounds in Monday's loss to the Houston Rockets. Wendell Carter has increased his average since the All-Star break but has not quieted questions about the team's overall rebounding ability.
For the season, the Magic are fifth in the league with a 72.4 defensive rebound rate. But since the All-Star break, the Magic are 25th with a 68.0 percent defensive rebound rate.
The Orlando Magic shot the ball well enough against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday. But they gave up 11 offensive rebounds and a 26.2 percent offensive rebound rate (74.8 percent defensive rebound rate). That is at least movement in the right direction.
The Pelicans still managed 17 second-chance points. This remains an area the Magic must improve.
Minnesota has size and rebounders in Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle and Naz Reid. The Timberwolves rank 15th in the league in offensive rebound rate at 29.4 percent. They have been worse since the break at 26.2 percent. Winning the glass will remain imperative.
2. Face of the NBA?
Anthony Edwards, for his part, does not want the moniker that comes with being called the face of the NBA. Never mind that among American players in the league, he is the one who is the most charismatic and the one who has gone deeper in the playoffs having reached the Western Conference Finals last year with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Edwards is still trying to find himself and how best to lead his team in his fifth season in the NBA. Anthony Edwards is indeed one of the young players the league is pinning its hopes on—same with Paolo Banchero, to some extent.
Edwards is working on th basketball part right now it seems. And he has been working to help the Timberwolves get back on track.
Minnesota is seventh in the Western Conference but has started to find its groove. The Wolves have won their last six games and Edwards has shined, averaging 26.3 points per game on 50.0 percent shooting and 41.4 percent shooting from three.
Edwards may not want the mantle but he is playing like the face of the franchise and he is helping the Wolves make their push to avoid the Play-In.
1. Eyes on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope bounced back the way everyone hoped after going without a field goal in Monday's loss, scoring 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting and 2-for-4 shooting from three in Thursday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans. There was a point to get him involved and Caldwell-Pope took the third-most shots on the team.
Returning to the matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves is another big test for Caldwell-Pope. One of the red flags against him in the offseason was that Anthony Edwards seemed to dominate him in their seven-game series last spring. The narrative may not have met the stats, but it was something to watch.
Last year, Edwards averaged 27.7 points per game and 5.7 assists per game on 50.0/37.3/84.6 shooting splits. In the series, Edwards scored 8.6 points per game with Caldwell-Pope as his primary matchup shooting 50.0 percent, according to NBA.com. Maybe perception was greater than reality but Edwards was a huge factor in the Minnesota Timberwolves upsetting the Denver Nuggets.
In all likelihood, Franz Wagner will get the primary assignment on Anthony Edwards. The Magic have turned to Wagner to guard primary scorers and creators more often, signaling Caldwell-Pope's defensive downturn. But Caldwell-Pope will certainly get his turn. And this is a big matchup for him when he does get the call on Edwards.
Orlando Magic vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: Injury Report & Projected Lineups
Orlando Magic Injury Report (from Thursday)
- Jalen Suggs - OUT (Left Knee Trochlea Cartilage Tear)
- Moe Wagner - OUT (Left Knee Torn ACL)
- Cole Anthony - OUT (Left Big Toe Strain)
- Mac McClung - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
- Ethan Thompson - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
Minnesota Timberwolves Injury Report
- Leonard Miller - OUT (G-League On Assignment)
- Jesse Edwards - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
- Tristen Newson - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
Projected Lineups
Orlando | Minnesota | |
|---|---|---|
Cory Joseph | PG | Mike Conley |
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | SG | Anthony Edwards |
Franz Wagner | SF | Jaden McDaniels |
Paolo Banchero | PF | Julius Randle |
Wendell Carter | C | Rudy Gobert |
Orlando Magic vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: Prediction
Our Record: 36-31/31-36 ATS
The Orlando Magic are catching the Minnesota Timberwolves at the absolute wrong time.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are playing their best of the season, winning their last six including a 20-point win over the Denver Nuggets. They are rounding into form and have gotten Julius Randle back from his injury. They are gearing up for a push up the standings.
It is not that the Magic are playing poorly right now either. Orlando has shown some encouraging signs. But the deficiencies on this team are still abundantly clear. If Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are not playing at their absolute best, it is hard for this team to win.
And that does not even throw in the back-to-back with the extremely difficult travel north from New Orleans.
This is the kind of win the Magic picked up last year to prove they were serious. But nobody should be upset with a loss. The schedule is playing a trap on the Magic and they are still putting their pieces together.
This game will be a tall order.