The Cavaliers get a tough early test Monday night at home, welcoming a Minnesota team that has looked unbeatable out of the gate. Cleveland is 1-1 after two games that showed both sides of the argument on this roster: the good enough to believe in, and the lapses that keep showing up when the game tightens.
That was on full display against Brooklyn. The Cavs built another strong first half, then let the fourth quarter drift away before surviving anyway in a 125-121 win, helped along by an inbounds violation by the Nets. It was a victory, but not the kind that lets Cleveland relax.
Minnesota arrives with a very different feel. The Timberwolves have opened 3-0 and have done it in emphatic fashion, beating Orlando, Miami and Toronto by an average margin of 23.3 points. They’ve looked like the league’s most complete team through the first week, and they’ll try to make it four straight statement wins against the Eastern Conference finalist Cavaliers.
The biggest reason for Minnesota’s start has been the fit of LaMelo Ball. The Timberwolves made a major summer move to bring him in from Charlotte as their point guard of the future, and the change has eased the load on Anthony Edwards. With Ball running the offense, Edwards has been getting cleaner looks than ever.
That’s showing up in the numbers. Edwards is averaging 28.7 points through three games and is shooting 43% from three on ten attempts a night.
Minnesota as a group has been just as sharp, hitting 42% from deep on 39 attempts and leading the league in three-point percentage. On top of that, the Wolves have been the best rebounding team in the league so far at 54 boards per game.
That rebounding edge matters against Cleveland, which has struggled on the defensive glass. The Timberwolves have also thinned out some of their frontcourt depth after dealing away Julius Randle to Brooklyn and Naz Reid to Charlotte, but they’ve made up for it with Rudy Gobert and Joan Beringer at center, plus Jonathan Kuminga, Jaden McDaniels and Trey Lyles rotating at the four.
The starting lineups set up some interesting one-on-one battles. Donovan Mitchell is expected to see Jaden McDaniels, while Peyton Watson gets the assignment on Anthony Edwards.
That puts added weight on the point guard matchup, where LaMelo Ball and James Harden should have plenty of chances to create in isolation for themselves and for teammates. Harden is still searching for his first big game of the season.
Cleveland will also need another strong night from Evan Mobley, who followed up Saturday’s 20-point, 10-rebound outing against the Nets with a matchup that could ask even more of him inside.
There is one more wrinkle to watch: Edwards may sit due to right knee management. If he does, Minnesota still has a strong answer in Ayo Dosunmu, who has fit in well even when Edwards is off the floor.
Minnesota Timberwolves - LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, Rudy Gobert
Cleveland Cavaliers - James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
In Other News...
Anthony Edwards Had 47 But Wolves Still Blew A Winnable Game
Anthony Edwards turned in a huge scoring night, pouring in 47 points and giving Minnesota plenty of chances to take control, but the Timberwolves could never quite turn the game into a finish they could trust. Cleveland stayed close throughout, with Donovan Mitchell pacing the Cavaliers at 26 points and help coming from James Harden and Evan Mobley as the matchup stayed tight late.
The Wolves had enough stretches to make this feel winnable, yet the little things kept stacking up against them. Minnesota gave the ball away 18 times and struggled to make enough threes to fully cash in on Edwards brilliance, leaving the game hanging in the balance when it should have been out of reach. [Read more 🡒]
Wolves Face Early Test Without A Key Rotation Piece
Minnesota gets a little early-season reminder of how thin the margins can be, with Donte DiVincenzo unavailable because of an Achilles injury ahead of the matchup with Cleveland. His absence matters because he is part of the rotation structure the Timberwolves have leaned on, and any game against a team like the Cavaliers already asks plenty of their perimeter depth and defensive versatility.
Cleveland brings its own injury questions into the night, with two players on its report, but the bigger issue for Minnesota is how it absorbs the missing backcourt piece without losing balance. The Wolves have built this season with an eye on continuity and the standards they set last year, and the test now is whether that depth holds up when a familiar rotation slot suddenly has to be covered by committee. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves 3-0 Start Is Fueling Real Belief In Their Depth
The early returns have done more than pad the standings for the Timberwolves. A 3-0 start against playoff-caliber Eastern Conference teams has given this group something it had to earn the hard way, which is proof that the roster can hold up even when the spotlight shifts away from the stars. What has stood out most is how the bench has already tilted games, with role players stepping into real minutes and giving Minnesota a different kind of edge than the one most teams expect in October.
Ayo Dosunmu, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Trey Lyles have all helped shape that feel, while Jonathan Kuminga has settled in as a complementary starter who fits cleanly alongside the main pieces. The bigger question now is whether this is a hot opening stretch or the start of a deeper identity, because the Timberwolves have already shown enough to make people believe their second unit can carry weight when the matchups get tougher. [Read more 🡒]