Colin Cowherd & Jason Timpf’s Timberwolves vs. Spurs Series Prediction

Jason Timpf of Hoops Tonight hopped on with me to dive into what feels like one of the most interesting, and maybe most overlooked, second-round matchups in the NBA Playoffs: Timberwolves vs. Spurs.

Cowherd: Are the Timberwolves Undervalued?

It’s interesting—Minnesota vs. San Antonio—and yet we’ve basically anointed this as a Spurs–Thunder conference. Maybe Denver sneaks in, but that’s the conversation.

But when you actually watch Minnesota, it doesn’t totally line up with that narrative.

This is a team that, if you dropped them into the East, would just fly through people. There’s so much size, and they’ve quietly put together another one of those seasons where you look up and think, what exactly are they? But they keep winning.

What stands out is their ability to get 20-25 point outbursts from players who aren’t traditional offensive players. Every sport has teams like this—where the roster just works. And when you really look at Minnesota, from the coaching staff to the bottom of the roster, it feels like we may have undervalued them for the last three years.

The Tim Connelly Effect

Tim Connelly deserves a lot of credit here.

People forget how athletic that Denver team was—KCP, Bruce Brown, Aaron Gordon at a younger, more explosive stage, Michael Porter Jr.—and there was a clear belief in size. You were basically rolling out 6’10”, 6’10”, 7-foot players across key positions.

Then he goes to Minnesota and builds something very similar—and in a lot of ways, constructs the team that ends Denver’s era.

That’s not nothing. That’s a real roster-building accomplishment.

Timpf: The Odds Say One Thing—The Games Might Say Another

When you look at the line, it’s pretty wide. Honestly, it’s almost as aggressive as the Lakers-Thunder series.

But this feels like a value spot on Minnesota.

Even if you lean Spurs, and I do, it feels close. This has all the makings of a six- or seven-game series.

Why Minnesota Can Make This Ugly

There are some real matchup dynamics here that favor the Wolves.

Start with Julius Randle. There are only a handful of players who have been able to give Wembanyama real problems one-on-one. Aaron Gordon is one. Julius Randle is another.

The reason is simple:

• Wings are too small
• Centers are too slow
• But a big, physical, bully-ball forward can get underneath him

When that happens, Wemby gets pushed into tougher jump shots.

Now layer in the rest of Minnesota’s defense:

• Gobert can sit back and protect the rim
• You can dare certain Spurs players to shoot
• Jaden McDaniels and their perimeter athletes can pressure guards

That combination means San Antonio is going to have to work for everything.

And when games get tight, that matters.

Close Games = Real Questions About San Antonio

If this turns into a series of close games, and it probably will, you start asking a simple question:

Do we trust San Antonio late? Not completely.

We’ve seen both sides of it this year. There was a game where Anthony Edwards had 55 and Minnesota still lost on clutch Wembanyama jumpers. There was another where Edwards got Wemby on a switch, drove right past him, and hit the game-winner.

That’s the series in a nutshell—back and forth, matchup-driven, possession by possession.

Experience Still Matters

Minnesota also has something San Antonio is still building toward: experience.

• Julius Randle has been in playoff battles
• Anthony Edwards has now been through multiple big series
• This team has conference finals experience and road wins

That’s not theoretical. That shows up late in games.

And it’s part of why this feels like a long series.

Timpf: Leaning Spurs

To be clear, there’s a reason to pick San Antonio.

The blueprint to slow Minnesota is out there. If you can pair:

• A rim protector
• With an athletic perimeter defender on Ant

You can create real problems.

We’ve seen that in previous playoff losses. And San Antonio has the pieces to replicate some of that.

The other big question: can Minnesota play without Gobert in key stretches? Because to really unlock their offense, they may need to pull Wembanyama away from the rim.

That chess match could decide everything.

Final Thought: This Series Is Being Mispriced

This is going to be a great series. And honestly, it’s being treated like it won’t be.

The odds suggest a gap that probably doesn’t exist. If anything, this is one of the better value opportunities on the board because Minnesota is good enough, experienced enough, and versatile enough to push this thing deep.

San Antonio might win, but they’re going to have to earn it.