The Miami Heat look to shake off a loss against the Atlanta Hawks, by taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves Thursday night.
Heat (2-2) at Timberwolves (2-1)
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis
When: 8 PM ET
Watch: Fox Sports Sun/League Pass
The Miami Heat are hoping to get their first road win of the season, after losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers (102-92), the only other time this year they have played outside of the AmericanAirlines Arena. The Heat currently have as many wins as losses under their belt, proving that even the deepest of teams need time to play together.
Fortunately, Miami has won six of it’s last seven trips out to the Target Center, splitting the overall two-game series with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
However, the Timberwolves have had a chance to rest since Monday night’s loss against the Portland Trailblazers, and have begun to rebuild with a handful of pretty impressive talent.
Matchup to Watch: Karl Anthony Towns vs. Hassan Whiteside
It is unusual to highlight a matchup between centers, but with guys like Karl Anthony Towns and Hassan Whiteside, it is hard not to.
Although both players are true big men when it comes to their size, they can also score.
Yes the season has only begun, but Towns is already averaging 17.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. As for Whiteside, he is putting up 15.8 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocks.
And beyond just looking good on paper, both Towns and Whiteside are showing leadership on the court too.
Towns, a rookie, is only 19 but plays and acts like a veteran: an important quality in any situation, but especially when dealing with an organization starting from the ground, up. He could very well end up being Minnesota’s next franchise player.
Whiteside was a little rough around the edges last year, but has clearly been working on that. While he used to show glimpses of control and maturity, he has turned into a guy the Heat can constantly count on. For instance, he took control of his team in Tuesday’s loss against the Atlanta Hawks; his drive never let up, and he finished the night with 23 points on 11-of-12 shooting, 14 rebounds and four blocks.
X-Factor: Dwyane Wade
Because Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio is off to a solid start this season, Dwyane Wade needs to follow suit.
Rubio is averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 10.3 assists so far, teaming up with Towns to lead his team through a revival.
So far so good with Wade as well, as he is totaling 21.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. However, he needs to stay consistent. At 33-years-old, some are worried that he is at the end of his rope, unable to always perform at a high level. This is mostly in connection with Wade’s history with health concerns/injuries, and unfortunately he ended up leaving Tuesday night’s matchup with a migraine. He is now probable for Thursday (alongside Justise Winslow, for his back).
Will 3-Pointers Be A Problem?
Miami shot just 5/28 (17 percent) from beyond the arc against Atlanta, severely hurting them.
This was also a major concern going into 2015-2016, regardless of having guys like Gerald Green around. As proven when Green was out with an undisclosed illness, having mostly only one guy to rely on for speciality shots is not good enough. Green was hospitalized on Wednesday, and will be out against Minnesota too.
Luckily, the Timberwolves are currently shooting 22.7 percent from downtown, while the Heat are at 35.2 percent.
Key Stats:
Miami Heat offensive efficiency: 9th, 103.1 points per 100 possessions
Miami Heat defensive efficiency: 15th, 98.6 points per 100 possessions
Atlanta Hawks offensive efficiency: 12th, 101.2 points allowed per 100 possessions
Atlanta Hawks defensive efficiency: 7th, 94.6 points allowed per 100 possessions