Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards and the Wolves are seeking another run of success in the AT&T Play-In Tournament.
Meet Enjoy Basketball, a brand co-founded by basketball creator Kenny Beecham. Their mission is to uplift the game by providing entertaining NBA coverage, without all the hot takes. The Enjoy Basketball newsletter drops every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, keeping you in the loop with NBA news, and providing you with player interviews, trivia, memes and more.
Hello again! Last week, we broke down what each potential AT&T Play-In Tournament team brought to the table. Well folks, we now have the matchups. And would you believe us if we said they’re going to be a whole lot of fun? Well, you should. Because they are. Let’s dive in and discuss what to watch for in each Play-In game.
1. Time travel
The Raptors and Bulls have both made a big leap forward in defense of late.
Somebody call Doc Brown, because the Raptors and Bulls are about to transport us back to a time when the pace was methodical, defense was paramount and vinyls and cassette tapes were all the rage … wait, they are again. Forget that part.
Chicago and Toronto enjoy taking their time: they rank as the NBA’s second and sixth slowest teams, respectively. They also protect the rock (first and sixth, respectively, in turnover rate) and have both been phenomenal defensively since the All-Star break.
What does that mean? Well, it’s simple. Every possession is crucial and points will be at a premium, a rarity in today’s NBA. This isn’t the end of a middle school dance — but we still hope you’re ready to slow things down a bit.
2. “Fancy seeing you here …”
Atlanta and Miami matched up in the first round of the 2022 playoffs, and now will meet in the East’s No. 7 vs. No. 8 game to see who earns the task of taking on Boston in the first round.
Miami did a great job limiting Trae Young in the 2022 playoffs — which is certainly not an easy thing to do. Atlanta’s star averaged 15.4 ppg and 6.0 assists in the five-game series. In each of his other three playoff series, Young has posted more than 28 ppg.
We’re fascinated to see if Trae can pull a Big Sean and bounce back against the only team that has been able to slow him down in the playoffs.
3. New kids on the block
OKC’s hustling ways have paid off with a Play-In Tournament berth this season.
This has nothing to do with Donnie Wahlberg — sorry. We’re talking about the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team who is very easy to Enjoy. The NBA’s youngest squad (22.9 years old on average) has legit chemistry on the court, something that is evident after a glance at their hustle stats. OKC is first in the NBA in charges drawn (118), fourth in loose balls recovered (430), seventh in deflections (1,223) and third in total shots contested (4,056)
Nothing comes easy in the playoffs. Nothing especially comes easy against a hungry Thunder team that has no problem flying around the court all 48 minutes. Oh, to have young legs. New Orleans has to be ready to match OKC’s intensity, because you can be sure they’re going to bring it.
4. Ingram the point guard?
In last season’s hard-fought series against the Suns, New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram solidified himself as one of the league’s purest scorers (if he hadn’t done that already). And while most folks are very familiar with his ability to create a shot for himself, over the past few months, he’s showcasing potentially the next evolution of his game: a near-elite creation ability for others.
Since March 1, Ingram is averaging 7.4 assists per game to go along with his 27.4 ppg during that span. His blossoming ability as a distributor basically gives them an extra point guard to help keep OKC’s energetic defense on its toes.
5. The bright lights
Jimmy Butler and Trae Young are both capable of shining bright when clutch time arrives.
“Clutch Time” is defined as the last five minutes of a game, when the score is within five points. If Miami and Atlanta go down to the wire, both teams have a similar strategy — get it to the star.
Miami had the most clutch wins in the regular season (22) and the second-best clutch net rating (14.7). It doesn’t hurt to have the third-leading clutch scorer in Jimmy Butler, either. When the game gets tight, Butler’s efficiency is off the charts.
Atlanta as a team isn’t superb in the clutch, but it does have a late game go-to guy in Trae Young. The two-time All-Star was also top-five in clutch points and free throw attempts, as well as third in clutch assists, just two behind league-leader Luka Doncic.
6. The legend vs. the rising star
“He’s a bad boy! Young King 🐜” read LeBron James’ Instagram story on Oct. 28, after Anthony Edwards scored 29 to help the Wolves top the Lakers.
Now, with a chance at the West’s No. 7 seed on the line, King James and “Young King Ant” will face off one last time this season.
Sometimes, the storylines are simple and this game is a prime example of that. The all-time great player on the back end of his career (we say that, even though LeBron might play until he’s 60) facing off against the young, rising superstar. What’s more enjoyable than that?
We’re sold.
7. Unsung heroes for Wolves?
Kyle Anderson may have to step up for the Wolves to topple the Lakers in the Play-In.
Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid provided Minnesota with defensive versatility and 3-point shooting. Now, both players are injured. There’s no replacement for the ferocious defense McDaniels supplied, but that’s not to imply that Minnesota doesn’t have other capable defenders.
Kyle Anderson — a supremely heady defender in his own right — is now thrust into the role of primary wing stopper, and Taurean Prince will more than likely be the team’s sixth man on Tuesday. Prince just dropped 18 points and may be the sixth man they need for a run. Coach Chris Finch will undoubtedly ask for every ounce of energy Prince has to offer.
Who steps up for these Wolves?
* * *
To subscribe to Enjoy Basketball, click here.
