NBA 2021/22 on Saturday, 29.01.2022
In the night from Friday to Saturday we deliver several NBA tips! One of them concerns the current uber-team par excellence, which encounters one of the surprises of the 2021/22 season: The Phoenix Suns host the Minnesota Timberwolves!
By the way, in my Suns Timberwolves tip I will present some interesting facts that prove that the home side can win in almost any formation, while for the Wolves just the loss of a key player usually results in a loss …
“Everyone is replaceable”, – this or something similar could have been the motto of this year’s Suns transfer campaign. Because after last year’s NBA Finals loss, the Arizonans didn’t want to be so dependent on individual players anymore from then on.
They fully succeeded in doing so, especially at the centre position. Deandre Ayton as well as his back-up Javale McGee are currently injured – and yet the Arizonans have signed Bismack Biyombo, a third alternative at this position, who is currently delivering.
The Suns won their eighth game in a row with their third centre the day before yesterday. Strictly speaking, they celebrated a double-header victory over the Jazz. Thus, the Black and Violets remain the best team in the NBA with a record of (38-9).
However, part of the truth is that the Arizonans do have players who cannot be replaced. Those are Devin Booker and Chris Paul, who have taken the team by the hand lately and led them to close victories.
In the upcoming game against the Timberwolves, we can expect a gripping duel in which the Suns have more absentees, but these can be replaced equally by good bench players such as Biyombo.
Key players like Booker and Paul, on the other hand, are in good health and in excellent shape. Minnesota, on the other hand, have only one name missing, but that could put a spanner in the visitors’ works.
The Timberwolves are certainly one of the surprises of this season. The third youngest team in the NBA is said to have enormous talent. After a disastrous season, some of the young players already seem to be able to unleash their enormous potential.
Minnesota is seventh in the Western Conference with a positive record of (24-23) and could actually still make the playoffs! Most recently, they even celebrated victories over the Brooklyn Nets and the Portland Trail Blazers.
Up to this point, I would have reservations about another Suns success – especially since, according to the official NBA statistics over the last ten games, the Wolves have scored the most points of any team on average.
But now we come to the crux of the matter, which could take the wind out of the Wolves’ sails. For the dark blue have three big names in their ranks: Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell.
When these three line up together – as has been the case until recently – the Timberwolves’ record is (20-12). In the opposite case, however, it is only (4-11). And as fate would have it, Anthony Edwards of all people was injured the day before yesterday.
The youngster had to be carried off the field and his use for tonight is considered unlikely. However, the visitors cannot replace a player of this calibre, they lack the squad depth of the Suns for that.
In addition, the Timberwolves just last night completed a gruelling match against the Golden State Warriors, which they lost 115-124 with a severely bruised Edwards. Phoenix, on the other hand, had a game off.
All this plays into the hands of the Arizonans, who are not considered the sure winner on the betting markets for nothing.
Conclusion: If you cut off one head of the Hydra, two will grow right back – or so it is with the Suns (as long as the head in question is not Devin Booker’s).
With the Timberwolves, however, the situation is different. For with their Big Three, their season record is (20-12), but as soon as just one of the three Musketeers is out, it is only (4-11).
And indeed, it looks as if Edwards is still suffering from a recent injury. While it’s not serious, without him at 100% the Wolves won’t be able to do too much against the best team in the NBA.
So my Suns Timberwolves pick is: Suns win by six points!
