Jon Krawczynski

The and are two franchises that are in better places now than they were a year ago, with the former in good position to make the playoffs on the current pace and the latter leading the Western Conference. But while these teams have different roster compositions and immediate goals at hand, they are more similar than you think. As a result, there are lessons to be learned regardless of what the standings show. To discuss macro and micro themes that connect the two franchises, beat writer Kelly…

A frequent refrain after losses over the last few weeks has been sitting in front of his locker and lamenting his lack of aggression late in games. where the Wolves gave away a six-point lead with less than four minutes to play in a loss to the . There is something noble about a player wanting to put a team on his shoulders when the money is on the line. We glorify the “killer instinct” of an apex predator scorer. That ambition can be inspiring and precarious, and all part of a young player’s…

Now that the 2023-24 season has reached its halfway point, it’s a perfect time to assess the league’s awards chases. Who leads the Most Valuable Player race? How about Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, Coach of the Year and the All-NBA First Team? There’s some added intrigue this season because of . To be eligible for MVP, Most Improved Player or an All-NBA team, players must have played in at least 65 games or, in the case of a season-ending injury that would keep a player out of actio…

was done. He had enough. And he was prepared for the consequences. When the announced on Wednesday that Edwards was being fined $40,000 for his comments after the victory over the , it was a statement by the league that Edwards crossed a line with either the content of his criticism, the amount of it or both, to such a degree that it merited a more severe penalty. A common fine for a player or coach criticizing the officiating is $25,000. Advertisement There was plenty of evidence to support t…

Chris Finch walked into the locker room and started to address the team after a victory over the on Sunday, clinching a trip to the All-Star Game for Finch and his coaching staff. The players were quiet, offering the slight possibility that this would be just another quick postgame chat before everyone got showered and headed out for the night. stood right in front of Finch, looking coyly to his right at , perhaps a signal from the veteran to the youngster. Then it was time for a shower, all…

Few players in the league have embraced the journey to self-discovery like . The amount of thought he puts into how far he has come, what he needed to do to carve out a role in the league and where he fits with the , the and society as a whole has been a double-edged sword for the 25-year-old. Advertisement It plagued him early in his career as a first-round pick in New Orleans, where he was constantly searching for validation and there was a disconnect between the player he was and the player…

Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect news of Karl-Anthony Towns’ decision to have knee surgery: star tore the meniscus in his left knee and is out indefinitely, league sources said Thursday. Towns will have surgery to repair the meniscus and be re-evaluated in a month, those sources said, but it remains unclear how long it will take him to return to action. The Wolves’ final regular-season game is April 14. The timeline would suggest that Towns will be able to participate in the pla…

came to the bench at the end of the first quarter, his body drenched in sweat, face flushed and hair going in every direction. Garza’s role is to be ready in case of emergency, and the Wolves have faced few more pressing emergencies this season than the one they had on Tuesday night. The defending champion were in the house, fully healthy and rested. The Timberwolves were on the second night of a back-to-back and missing all three of the bigs that make their roster so uniquely confounding to m…

Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have submitted signed financial documentation to the to complete the acquisition of majority control of the and Lynx from Glen Taylor, multiple sources briefed on the matter told The Athletic. Dyal Capital Partners has joined as an investor in the Lore-Rodriguez group, giving them the final financial backing necessary to complete the transaction, industry sources said. The move is an important step for the group as they look to purchase their final 40 percent chunk…

By Shams Charania, Jon Krawczynski and Hunter Patterson All-Star is expected to return from a torn meniscus in his left knee in one of the team’s final three regular-season games, league sources confirmed to The Athletic on Wednesday. The Timberwolves are on the road against the on Wednesday night before coming home to host the on Friday and the on Sunday. Sources: Minnesota star Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to return in one of team’s final regular season games (tonight in Denver, Friday v…