MINNEAPOLIS - Darko Rajaković didn’t hesitate to tip his cap before the Raptors took on the Timberwolves on Wednesday night. The Toronto coach knows exactly what the spotlight is shining on in Minnesota right now: Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball.
“Great young duo, very talented players capable to score in so many different ways,” said the fourth-year Raptors head coach from Serbia. “It's a great challenge. That's the beauty of the NBA, when you get an opportunity to play against the best of the best, and you get a chance to see such a dynamic duo like those two.”
Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball. WHAT A PLAY 🪄 pic.twitter.com/MXyGQSCXLm
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 24, 2026
Through two games, Edwards and Ball have been impossible to ignore. The pair has combined for 93 points and knocked down 18 3-point field goals, turning heads across the league with the way they’ve opened the season.
Rajaković made it clear, though, that the attention shouldn’t stop with the two guards. He pointed to the depth and balance around them as a major reason Minnesota has looked so sharp.
“It's not just those two,” he said. “It's a very talented team, with a lot of individuals that can contribute.
Great shooters, very diverse defensive players. They're a really, really good team.”
Both teams enter the matchup at 2-0, and for Minnesota, it carries the added feel of a home opener after spending its first two games on the road. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said the long wait to play in front of the home crowd has only added to the anticipation.
“It's always tough to start the season on the road, and particularly when you got to play two games on the road,” said Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch. “But I know a lot of people have come up to me in town and they're excited to watch this team play in person. So I think for our guys, this is the perfect event for us right now.”
Toronto, meanwhile, will be short-handed for the game. The Raptors ruled out their top offseason acquisition, Kawhi Leonard, because of knee swelling.
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The Timberwolves get an early season measuring stick Sunday night at Target Center, where they host Toronto in a matchup that has plenty of preseason intrigue even before the opening tip. It is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and will be carried on NBA TV, DAZN-MIN, TSN and TSN+, giving both teams a national stage as they settle into the new year.
Minnesota will have to navigate it without Donte DiVincenzo, a notable absence from the rotation as the Wolves try to protect home court against a Raptors team listed as a small underdog. Toronto also has a key injury note of its own, with Nate Bittle ruled out, but the bigger question for Minnesota is how it handles the missing wing depth against a conference opponent that can make a game uncomfortable if the pace gets away from them. [Read more 🡒]
Naz Reid Is Making The Wolves Regret What They Lost
Naz Reids move out of Minnesota always came with some context. The Timberwolves had enough frontcourt depth to keep his role narrower than his talent might have suggested, and in Charlotte he has quickly looked like a player with more to offer when given a larger lane. As a starter, he has bumped up his production across the board compared with his Minnesota seasons, giving the Hornets a more complete version of the big man Wolves fans only saw in flashes.
For Minnesota, the early returns are hard to ignore because Reid is showing he can handle a heavier offensive and playmaking load while still impacting the glass. It is the sort of development that can make a front office rethink how much it was willing to part with, especially in a deal built around LaMelo Ball and a reshuffling of the Wolves roster core. Reid is proving the opportunity mattered, and the question now is how long Charlotte can keep getting that version of him. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Hot Start Is Already Creating A Real Rotation Battle
The early wins have done more than give the Timberwolves a good feeling around the building. They have also turned the back end of Chris Finchs rotation into a real day-to-day puzzle, with the coach still sorting through how different bench pieces fit alongside a team that has come out playing with purpose. Trey Lyles, Bones Hyland and Jaylen Clark have all been part of that conversation, each bringing a different skill set while Finch keeps mixing and matching based on matchups and game flow.
Bones Hylands first non-garbage-time appearance of the season in Orlando was another reminder that nothing is settled yet, and his eight minutes only added to the sense that Finch is still searching for the right balance. The Timberwolves have enough momentum to buy some patience, but the competition for roles is already tightening, especially with multiple reserves trying to separate themselves before the rotation starts to harden. [Read more 🡒]