PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* Wednesday WIPEOUT >> Off 4-0 Tuesday SWEEP!
(NBA) Minnesota vs. Memphis,
Point Spread: 2.00 | -105.00 Minnesota (Away)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: 2.00 | -105.00 Minnesota (Away)
Result: Loss
The set-up: The Memphis Grizzlies snuck into the postseason last year at 42-40 (No. 7 seed) but were quickly swept out of the playoffs 4-0 by the Spurs. While the Grizzlies look for a repeat playoff appearance, the Minnesota Timberwolves haven't been to the postseason since the 2003-04 season and last had a winning year in 2004-05. The T-wolves won just 29 games last year, the 10th time in the last 11 seasons in which the T-wolves have failed to reach even 35 victories in a single season.
Minnesota: The Timberwolves enter the season with a new head coach and some high(er) expectations. Tom Thibodeau, former Chicago Bulls coach, takes over after the Timberwolves let interim coach Sam Mitchell go following last year's 29-win season. He begins with the last two rookies of the year, in Karl-Anthony Towns (18.3 & 10.5) who won last season and Andrew Wiggins who earned the award the season before (Wiggins led the team with 20.7 PPG last season). It's not good news that center Nikola Pekovic (Achilles, ankle) is out for the season but joining Towns and Wiggins are talented players like Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine and Gorgui Dieng.
Memphis: The Grizzlies were able to re-sign PG Mike Conley Jr. to a five-year, $153 million deal plus have added Chandler Parsons to join the inside duo of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph up front. However, Memphis will feature a first-time head coach in David Fizdale, who has spent the last six seasons as an assistant with the Miami Heat. The Grizzlies' season went into a tailspin when Gasol went down with a foot injury and Fizdale is hoping to get more offense out of a traditionally defense-first team. "When you know that the offense isn't just predicated on one guy and that every movement you make gives you a chance to be a part of the action, to make you a weapon, it's empowering," Fizdale told Sports Illustrated.
The pick: There are many who think all Minnesota needs to turn itself into a playoff-caliber team is the right head coach. If so, the T-wolves have their man in Thibodeau, who never had a losing season in five years as the Bulls' coach and was ousted after going 50-32 two years ago. Minnesota went 13-7 ATS in its final 20 regular season road contests and Memphis was just 14-12 ATS as a home favorite last year. Make Minnesota a 10* play.
Minnesota: The Timberwolves enter the season with a new head coach and some high(er) expectations. Tom Thibodeau, former Chicago Bulls coach, takes over after the Timberwolves let interim coach Sam Mitchell go following last year's 29-win season. He begins with the last two rookies of the year, in Karl-Anthony Towns (18.3 & 10.5) who won last season and Andrew Wiggins who earned the award the season before (Wiggins led the team with 20.7 PPG last season). It's not good news that center Nikola Pekovic (Achilles, ankle) is out for the season but joining Towns and Wiggins are talented players like Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine and Gorgui Dieng.
Memphis: The Grizzlies were able to re-sign PG Mike Conley Jr. to a five-year, $153 million deal plus have added Chandler Parsons to join the inside duo of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph up front. However, Memphis will feature a first-time head coach in David Fizdale, who has spent the last six seasons as an assistant with the Miami Heat. The Grizzlies' season went into a tailspin when Gasol went down with a foot injury and Fizdale is hoping to get more offense out of a traditionally defense-first team. "When you know that the offense isn't just predicated on one guy and that every movement you make gives you a chance to be a part of the action, to make you a weapon, it's empowering," Fizdale told Sports Illustrated.
The pick: There are many who think all Minnesota needs to turn itself into a playoff-caliber team is the right head coach. If so, the T-wolves have their man in Thibodeau, who never had a losing season in five years as the Bulls' coach and was ousted after going 50-32 two years ago. Minnesota went 13-7 ATS in its final 20 regular season road contests and Memphis was just 14-12 ATS as a home favorite last year. Make Minnesota a 10* play.
