Minnesota Timberwolves At Golden State Warriors [Jan 27] - NBA Picks And Predictions

Losing Draymond Green has been a massive blow for the Warriors. They miss his defensive versatility, vocal leadership, and top-notch basketball IQ and playmaking skills.

Stephen Curry's field goal percentage has plummeted since the start of 2022. He went from the leading candidate to win MVP to an ice-cold shooter, far from the efficient scorer he's been throughout his entire career.

Then again, the Dubs still boast one of the best squads in the Association and have enough depth to overcome Curry's shooting woes, with Jordan Poole continuing to blossom as a prolific scorer.

It was only natural to think that Klay Thompson would need some time to get his legs back under him. He was sidelined for two years, first with a knee injury and then with an Achilles tear.

He's been far from efficient since coming back, averaging roughly 14.7 points with 2.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.3 three-pointers per game on 38.8% from the floor and 33.3% from beyond the arc.

Needless to say, the Warriors should dominate the Timberwolves if they have a vintage performance from their fellow Splash Brother.

Both Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves will be nearly at full strength for this matchup, with the exceptions of Patrick Beverley for the visitors and Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, and Otto Porter Jr. for the home side, per NBC Sports Edge.

The Warriors currently boast the best defense in the Association, allowing just 101.6 points per game. They also rank 12th in offense (109.9 points per game), and 1st in Net Rating (+8.38), according to Basketball-Reference.

In contrast, the Timberwolves have the 10th-worst defense in the league (109.9 points allowed) but run the 9th-best offense (110.9 points).

The Minnesota Timberwolves are up and coming and have looked pretty solid when they have their Big 3 at full strength. Anthony Edwards is quietly having an All-Star caliber season and Karl-Anthony Towns should give the Golden State Warriors plenty of trouble in the paint.

That being said, the Dubs' defense is far superior and they're one of the strongest teams in the league when they play at home, while the Timberwolves haven't exactly been great against winning teams.

We expect Steve Kerr's team to end up on top but this could be closer than oddsmakers expect. Also, this should be a high-scoring matchup between two three-point friendly offenses.