The Minnesota Timberwolves enter Friday night’s matchup with the Orlando Magic in relatively clean shape, with just one player listed on their injury report. Orlando, meanwhile, comes in with four names tagged ahead of the 7 p.m.
ET tip on Oct. 23.
For Minnesota, the report is light enough to stand out. The Magic’s list is longer, and it includes Noah Penda, who is out with a hamstring issue. Anthony Black, Jonathan Isaac and Izaiyah Nelson are all listed as day-to-day, with Black dealing with an ankle injury, Isaac with a knee injury and Nelson with an ankle injury.
The Wolves’ early-season numbers on the report come with a familiar shape. Last year, they finished seventh in the league on offense at 118 points per game and 11th defensively by allowing 114.6. They also landed 12th in rebounds at 44.1 per game and 15th in rebounds allowed at 43.7.
Minnesota’s passing and ball security numbers were more middle of the pack. The Timberwolves ranked 16th in assists with 26.1 per game and 19th in turnovers committed at 14.1 per contest. Defensively, they forced 14.2 turnovers a game, which ranked 11th.
From deep, Minnesota had a strong year. The Timberwolves were 13th in the NBA in 3-pointers made at 13.8 per game and sixth in 3-point percentage at 37%. Even more striking, they were the best team in the league at limiting 3-point attempts, allowing just 12.1 per game, while finishing 12th in defensive 3-point percentage at 35.5%.
The individual numbers also show the firepower Minnesota can bring. Anthony Edwards led the way with 28.8 points per game, along with 5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks and 3.4 made 3s.
LaMelo Ball posted 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.1 assists, while Ayo Dosunmu and Jaden McDaniels each averaged 14.8 points. Donte DiVincenzo added 12.2 points per game and 3 made 3s.
Orlando’s profile looks different, but there’s plenty there to watch on Friday. The Magic scored 115.7 points per game last year, which ranked 15th, and allowed 115.1, placing them 13th on defense. They were 19th in rebounds per game at 43.4 and 13th in rebounds allowed at 43.3.
The Magic also sat 14th in assists with 26.5 per game and 14th in turnovers committed at 13.7. Defensively, they forced 14.2 turnovers per game, good for 11th.
The shooting split tells the other part of the story. Orlando was fourth-worst in the NBA from 3-point range at 34.3%, and it hit 11.7 threes per game, which ranked 24th. Still, the Magic were sturdy in keeping opponents off balance from long range, allowing just 35.3% shooting from three, 10th in the league, and only 12.1 made threes per game, the best mark in the NBA.
Paolo Banchero leads Orlando’s top-end production at 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. Franz Wagner is right behind him at 20.6 points, while Desmond Bane adds 20.1 points and 4.1 assists. Nikola Vucevic brings 15.1 points and 8.4 rebounds, and Anthony Black, who is also on the injury report, averaged 15 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
In Other News...
Ayo Dosunmu Gives The Timberwolves Offense Something It Was Missing
The Timberwolves opened the season leaning hard into the long ball, pouring in 21 three-pointers on the way to a win. That kind of perimeter volume can set the tone for what this offense wants to be, but it also makes it even more important to have somebody who can break a defense down and force help near the basket. Ayo Dosunmu gave Minnesota a look it did not have to rely on in that opener, bringing the kind of downhill pressure that can keep an opponent from loading up on the arc.
Dosunmus value is not just in getting to the rim, but in the way it changes the shape of the offense when shots stop falling from deep. His driving ability should give the Timberwolves another way to generate clean looks, especially on nights when the three-point shot is not carrying the load. For a team trying to build balance around its spacing, that kind of interior threat could end up mattering all season long. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Edwards Faces An Early Timberwolves Test Fans Will Notice
Anthony Edwards gave the Timberwolves exactly the kind of opening-night jolt they wanted, pouring in 45 points and adding 10 rebounds in a win over the Heat. Now Minnesota turns to Orlando, and the challenge shifts from a fast, familiar start to a much different kind of test. The Magic bring more size and athleticism, which means the Wolves will have to be sharper on both ends if they want to carry that momentum forward.
For Edwards, the spotlight is obvious because Orlandos defense is built to make scoring harder and force tougher possessions. Minnesota will also need its usual defensive flexibility to hold up against the Magics bigger lineups, and the frontcourt rotation figures to matter more in a game like this. It is the kind of early-season measuring stick that can tell a team plenty, even before the schedule really settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Just Got Big Validation For Their Nuggets Formula
Last springs playoff upset over Denver already gave Minnesota reason to believe its defensive approach could travel, and Oklahoma City just added another layer of validation. The Timberwolves had spent that series making life miserable for Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, leaning on their length, discipline and size to take the Nuggets out of their usual rhythm and tilt the matchup in a way that few teams managed.
Now the broader takeaway feels even harder to ignore: Denvers offense is not untouchable when a team has the personnel to bother its stars and stay committed to the plan. The Thunder showed the same general idea in the opener, which only sharpens the case that Minnesotas formula was less a one-off hot streak and more a blueprint for teams built to defend at a high level. [Read more 🡒]