Timberwolves – Page 5 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Wolves-Thunder Playoff Intrigue Includes Officiating

Posted on May 20, 2025May 20, 2025 by David Shama

Scatter gunning about the Timberwolves-Thunder playoff series that starts tonight in Oklahoma City.

It will be intriguing to see how excessive the physical play will be in the best of seven games Western Conference Finals and how much aggression is allowed by the referees. There’s been plenty of the rough stuff in the NBA playoffs so far, and sometimes it’s been extreme.

“I don’t even know what a foul is any more in the NBA,” a former NBA scout told Sports Headliners Monday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, he added this about the Wolves-Thunder series: “You know it’s going to be physical.”

Both teams have strong, athletic, aggressive players who can push the limits with the referees, but he believes the Wolves are the more physical bunch. He expects, for instance, Thunder MVP and high scoring guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) will get knocked on his butt by the Wolves when driving toward the basket.

If the refs “swallow their whistles” regarding SGA, that will be a new trend. He is averaging 8.7 free throw attempts and converting 85.4 percent in the playoffs.

The Wolves showed a physical style of defense, offense and rebounding in their two previous playoff series this spring. They overwhelmed both the Lakers and Warriors in five games.

Now the Wolves have a much more challenging opponent in the Thunder, the gambling favorite to win the NBA championship in June. The Wolves will try to pull off an upset against a team that had an NBA best 68-14 regular season record.

Wolves coach Chris Finch complained during the regular season about how much Thunder players foul. That style isn’t likely to change starting tonight. So, it’s difficult to predict how an “anything goes” officiated game will favor two teams who are both long on finesse but capable of mucking things up.

The former scout thinks the two teams are “evenly” matched. “I like the Wolves chances (to win the series),” he said.

While SGA may be announced any day now as the 2025 NBA MVP, he thinks Wolves superstar guard Anthony Edwards is the better player. “As he goes, so go the Wolves,” said the source who also was a former college coach.

SGA, 26, is averaging 29 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists in the playoffs this spring. Edwards, 23, is at 26.5, 8 and 5.9, and is the superior defensive player.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Edwards guarding SGA at big moments in the series, although Minnesota defensive stopper Jaden McDaniels, 6-foot-9, is another superb defender the Thunder scoring machine will have to deal with. If the Wolves double and triple team SGA, they will gamble that his teammates won’t take advantage of open looks.

The Thunder have their own “defensive devils” including swingman Alex Caruso. At 6-foot-5 and playing like a pit bull, he could be a potential stopper against either of the Wolves’ leading scorers in Edwards and Julius Randle.

Minneapolis native Chet Holmgren, at 7-foot-1, gives the Thunder one of the best rim protectors in the league. He is averaging 2.2 blocks per game in the playoffs, and his wingspan alters plenty of shots. He is also an offensive challenge to opponents, able to shoot three pointers and score close to the basket.

Holmgren, a center-forward, is averaging a Thunder third best 15.1 points per game in the playoffs. The Wolves will also have to defend the OKC second leading scorer in guard-forward Jalen Williams averaging 19.6 points.

The Thunder are No. 1 among NBA playoff teams in both defensive rating and steals per game. The Wolves are second and fourth.

The Thunder top the Wolves in most team stats during the playoffs including points per game, rebounds and assists. Oklahoma City’s net rating of 13.5 is best in the post season.

Randle, averaging 23.9 in the playoffs and showing playmaking skills, will be pivotal to Minnesota’s success. He will have to contribute or even lead the Wolves in scoring to relieve some burden off Edwards.

That kind of help will be important, too, from McDaniels who has emerged in 2025 as a potential 20-point scorer with his ability to make three-point shots and drive to the basket. Naz Reid, often referred to as the NBA’s best sub, is expected to deliver instant offense with his trademark three-point shooting.

To fully click offensively, the Wolves will need around 30 minutes each game from 37-year-old veteran point guard Mike Conley. Minnesota is a better team when Conley is directing the offense with his patience and wisdom. The Wolves can’t afford his absence because they have no one else like him. The Thunder thrive on turning turnovers into points.

Center Rudy Gobert, at 7-1 and 258 pounds, leads the Wolves rim protection. He can also chair the “welcoming committee” when SGA attacks the rim. The balancing act will be for Gobert to avoid foul trouble. On offense, it would be nice if Gobert’s clumsy hands allow him to cleanly handle passes from teammates who often deliver the ball too low. Also, if he can average double figures in rebounds, that will be a big factor in the series, too.

Both the Thunder and Wolves have deep rotations. Superb contributions by a bench player or two could tip the series, or at least a game or two.

Hear that, Donte DiVincenzo? The Wolves 6-4 combo guard is making a miserable 33.3 percent of his field goal attempts in the playoffs.

Win the series and the Wolves go to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. It’s a matchup of two teams with talented, versatile players, explosive offenses, stingy defenses and deep rotations. Heck, even the two fan bases are similar with delirious partisans in both Oklahoma City and Minneapolis.

Prediction? I’ll take the Thunder in six. OKC is collectively just better than the Wolves. If you don’t like the prediction, send “flowers” to the former NBA scout who likes the Wolves chances.

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Jerry Kill Praises New Golden Gophers Running Back

Posted on May 14, 2025May 14, 2025 by David Shama

Former Gophers head coach Jerry Kill has praise for running back Johann Cardenas who announced recently he is transferring to Minnesota from Vanderbilt. Kill is a top assistant coach at Vandy and he talked Monday to Sports Headliners about Cardenas.

“If he stays healthy, he’ll be a really good player,” Kill said.

Cardenas battled injuries last fall and this spring. He redshirted in 2024, not playing in any games. Kill said this spring the Kay, Texas native played with the “third or fourth string.”

Cardenas, listed at 6-foot and 223-pounds, has “lots of ability,” per Kill. “He’s a Big Ten (quality) back.”

Cardenas, whose style Kill described as that of a “downhill runner,” came out of high school ranked among the top 50 prep running backs nationally by Rivals (29th), On3 (33rd), ESPN (42nd) and 247Sports (49th). He accepted Vandy’s offer over those from Kentucky, Texas Tech, Colorado, Missouri, Oregon and others.

With four seasons of eligibility ahead at Minnesota, Cardenas joins a talented running back roster that includes 2025 transfers Cam Davis from Washington and A.J. Turner of Marshall. They will back up one of the Big Ten’s best running backs in junior Darius Taylor who the last two seasons was a conference honorable mention selection.

Cardenas was recruited to Vandy by Jayden Everett, now the Minnesota running backs coach. Kill and Everett were together briefly in Nashville. He described Everett as a “good person” and passionate coach.

Kill, whose coaching stops have been plagued by epilepsy, is healthier now than when he had to step down at Minnesota in 2025. He’s happy coaching for head coach Clark Lea, likes Nashville and is only about two hours away by car from southern Illinois where his two daughters live.

In Kill’s first season with the Commodores last fall, they were one of the surprises of college football when they pulled off an historic 40-35 upset of Alabama. The Commodores had a 7-6 record while playing competitively in the vaunted SEC against teams like Texas and Missouri.

Back for a final season is quarterback Diego Pavia who as a transfer in 2024 established himself as one of the best at his position in America. He finished the season 177-for-298 passing for 2,293 yards with 20 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He ran for 801 yards and scored eight times.

Pavia played two seasons for Kill at New Mexico State (historically a college football graveyard) including a 10-win 2023 season highlighted by a road upset of SEC bully Auburn. Pavia, an Albuquerque native, was a way under the radar player coming out of high school and New Mexico Military Institute. He chose Kill and the Aggies over offers from Jackson State and Saint Francis.

This fall Kill’s discovery and protege will be a Heisman Trophy candidate in his last season of college football. Asked if years ago he saw that coming, Kill quickly said, “No.”

Worth Noting

The Timberwolves, who figure to close out the Warriors tonight and then move on to the Western Conference Finals, are +600 to win the NBA title, per FanDuel SportsBook. The website lists only the Thunder at -140, and the Knicks, +490, as bigger favorites.

The drama between a potential matchup against the Knicks will be off the charts locally and nationally because of the preseason trade that sent Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns to New York in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. Talk about bragging rights on the line for the players, franchises and fanbases!

And then there would be the “reunion” with Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. He was fired by the Wolves in January of 2019 and was widely criticized by Minnesota fans for the lengthy minutes he demanded of his top players during his time with the team.

The NFL wasn’t going to take a home game away from the Vikings and their fans when they scheduled the team twice in 2025 international games. The Vikings played a home game in London last year and so they only had eight games in Minneapolis. That’s the same total for U.S. Bank Stadium in 2025, with the Vikings playing in Dublin (Steelers home game) on September 28 and London (Browns home game) on October 5. The NFL 17-game schedule dictates alternate years in which teams have nine or eight home games.

The Vikings, who this writer expected to extend GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s contract before the April 24-26 NFL Draft, still seem certain to come to terms with their GM soon. He was hired in January of 2022 with a four-year deal and has been instrumental in the team’s progress including free agent acquisitions.

Another expected offseason contract announcement is likely a new deal for versatile defensive standout Josh Metellus. The 27-year-old defensive back has also been an outstanding team leader.

As of Monday, the Vikings offseason roster, BTW, was at 91 players including “international player pathway/practice squad exemption” punter Oscar Chapman, an Australian who played at Auburn.

Luke Ryerse, the baseball-football star from East Ridge High School who enrolled at Minnesota in January, has struggled this spring pitching for the Gophers. He is 0-4 with a 11:22 ERA but he has struck out 23 batters in 21.2 innings.

The true freshman was rated as a five-star football prospect in high school by Chris Sailer Kicking, which ranked him as the No. 4 punter in the nation and as the No. 26 kicker.

The LaunchPad Golf The Meadows entertainment venue in Prior Lake will open this fall. The year-round facility will be nestled near Mystic Lake Casino and The Meadows at Mystic Lake.

LaunchPad Golf is a Canadian Company that announced last year the Prior Lake venue would be its first in the United States.

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National Voice Not on Board with QB J.J. McCarthy Outlook

Posted on May 11, 2025May 11, 2025 by David Shama

Maybe all of us local rubes are so smitten with the reputation of Kevin O’Connell as a quarterback guru that it takes an authority from beyond fly over-country to voice skepticism about J.J. McCarthy.

Colin Cowherd expressed his doubts the other day about McCarthy who missed his rookie season in 2024 but is considered all but certain to be the Viking starter this season—partially because of O’Connell’s confidence in him and the weak competition from Sam Howell and Brett Rypien. “In a league where every good team knows who their quarterback is, nobody knows what J.J. McCarthy is. I am a skeptic,” said Cowherd, the popular national sports talk host.

“First of all, he played for a college team known for a run game and defense. He was not asked to win games. He was asked not to lose them.

“What the draft people said about J.J. McCarthy coming in (was) ‘his strength (is) mental prep. Well, he plays with a chip on his shoulder.’

“Weakness? Modest arm strength, average escape ability. Very few examples of him adjusting protections at the line.

“All this stuff I am supposed to love is this sort of nebulous he is a winner; he plays with a chip.

“How is his arm? How is his athletic ability? How is his size? Eh, huh.”

In three seasons as Vikings head coach O’Connell has dazzled with his impact on quarterbacks. His most praised work came last season when he transformed journeyman Sam Darnold, in his lone season with Minnesota. The Sporting News and Professional Football Writers Association of America both named him league Comeback Player of the Year for his 2024 production that included career highs in several passing categories.

O’Connell seems committed to McCarthy who he referred to last year as the “young franchise quarterback.” The 22-year-old, who was 27-1 as a starter at 2024 national champion Michigan, apparently has successfully rehabbed from knee surgery.

The Vikings made McCarthy their selection at No. 10 in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He and O’Connell, and others, can express all the confidence about succeeding as an NFL starter but it’s all conjecture. Just ask Herd.

Worth Noting

Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves 23-year-old guard, made five three-point shots last night to set an NBA record. His career total of 108 is the highest in league history for a player under 24 years old.

He scored 28 of his 36 points in the second half as the Timberwolves came from behind to defeat the Warriors, 102-97, and take a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference playoffs semifinals best of seven series.

Howard Sinker, writing recently in the Fluence Media sports newsletter, reports that Chris Hine’s book on Edwards will be out June 3. Sinker talked to the Star Tribune’s Wolves beat writer who said Edwards best sport growing up was football and he didn’t blossom in basketball until he was a teenager.

“…Another thing is people may not realize how he can read people,” Hine told Sinker. “He knows how to read a room, and one person close to him called him a ‘politician.’ He’s very in touch with how to deal with people, who has his best interests at heart and who doesn’t, and it’s been that way for a long time.”

The book is titled: Ant: The Incredible Journey of NBA Rising Star Anthony Edwards.

No surprise to the news that the Wolves’ Mike Conley Jr. was named to the inaugural NBA All-Interview team (second team recognition) last week. The Professional Basketball Writers Association recognized players “who are consistently thoughtful, insightful and engaging with the media,” per a news release from the PBWA.

Steph Curry, of the Warriors, and Kevin Durant, from the Suns, were the top finishers in a vote by PBWA members and are joined on the All-Interview first team by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks; Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers; and Draymond Green, Warriors. With Conley on the second team are: Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers; Bam Adebayo, Heat; Josh Hart Knicks and Damian Lillard, Bucks.

Happy Birthday next Friday to retired Gopher baseball coach John Anderson who turns 70 years old. In various roles, including head coach and as a player, Anderson spent 49 seasons with the Gophers before retiring last year.

Marc Ryan, one of the all-time good guys in the University of Minnesota Athletic Department for 36 years, is retiring effective June 15. The longest tenured employee in the department, Marc has served in various roles over the years. Currently as senior associate athletics director, he is the sport administrator for nine teams at the U. His charm and wisdom will be missed!

The Giants need a win today to avoid being swept by the Twins at Target Field for only the second time since Interleague play began in 1997 (also swept in 2002). The Twins have won seven consecutive games to put their season record at 20-20.

Condolences to my former North Stars colleague Peter Jocketty following the recent passing of his brother Walter, 74. The Minneapolis native was a much-admired baseball executive whose transactional moves helped the Cardinals to championships including the World Series crown in 2006.

Seven players from the 2025 Wild roster will represent their countries at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, and Herning, Denmark, from May 9-25.

Canada: goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and defenseman Jared Spurgeon.

Czech Republic: defenseman David Spacek.

Slovakia: goalie Samuel Hlavaj.

Sweden: defenseman Jonas Brodin and center Marcus Johansson.

United States: defenseman Zeev Buium.

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