Minnesota Is Legit

I don’t get to do this very often because it doesn't happen very often, but Minnesota, YOU DID IT. For once Minnesota, it's not playoff agony, its playoff ecstasy. That unusual juice or buzz you’re feeling, but can’t really explain or describe.  You know what that is.  That’s called winning.  That’s how when you win feel.  And advance.  Of course, you can’t can describe something you haven’t felt in decades; but that’s what that is.  And you better GET USED TO IT.

Because you’re WOOVES are LEGIT. And by legit, I mean legitimate contenders. And your ANT MAN is a legitimate PROBLEM. And a legitimate SUPERSTAR.

So WOOVES Nation, I gotta shout you out this morning... How you livin? Maybe I should ask it this way... Yo WOOVES NATION... Has it ever been better?

Because that wasn't just the first playoff series win in 20 years, it's only the 2nd time ANY Timberwolves team has EVER advanced in the playoffs. In the history of the franchise.

That KG-led team from 20 years ago featuring the likes of Sam Cassell and Wally Szczerbiak and Mark Madsen and Fred Hoiberg and Michael Olowokandi... Prior to last night, that Wolves team was the only Wolves team to ever win a playoff series.

Until these WOOVES finished off their dominant sweep of the alleged, supposed, fake-ass super team Suns. And look, all sweeps are impressive, it's always impressive when you beat another NBA playoff team four times in a row. But even as impressive sweeps go, that was extremely impressive.

The supposed super team never had a chance. Even last night with KD and Booker both going off, they never had a chance. Let's put it this way, there may well have been a super team in that series, but it sure as hell was not the Suns.

And there were plenty of superstars in that series but nobody shined brighter than my dude Anthony Edwards. I'm not sure anyone anywhere doing anything is shining any brighter than Ant Man right now. I don't think there are actual gas giants in the sky shining any brighter than Ant Man right now.

There’s the new face of the league right there, if you need him.  Even if he won’t acknowledge it. But he is. This dude is about all the right stuff, on and off the floor: a legitimate superstar, who at 22, is humble, yet confident as hell and wants all the smoke; supremely dominant, but extremely unselfish; and is an unbelievable teammate, and who makes everyone and everything around him better. This is a LEGEND AND ICON IN THE MAKING.  But already A legitimate superstar and a legitimate team, and legitimately, the biggest threat to the defending champs. 

There are not many things, IN LIFE, I enjoy more right now than watching Ant Man attack the rim. Especially when he's doing it with the game on the line, to ice the series and stick the dagger all the way in and  send the Suns off to Cabo.

I mean this dunk is absolutely insane, I can’t stop watching it. Watching that highlight makes me feel like I’m watching Space Jam. And of course I'm talking about the good one. The one I co-starred in. The one with His Airness doing His Airness things, not the one with LeBag LeBagging it up.

Thing about Ant Man is it’s not just about the dude’s ups. And I'm not just hyped on the fact that he posterized Brad Beal and KD as well as the entire city of Phoenix and the whole state of Arizona on that play... As awesome as it was.

I'm hyped on Ant Man's entire game, because the man's game couldn’t be better-rounded. Dude scored 40, knocked in 7 threes, he grabbed 9 boards, and he tossed out six dimes and was, as always, locking dudes down on defense. Even swatted the hell out of Booker at the rim on a dunk attempt. He posterized Beal and KD and reverse posterized Booker.

The dude is just everywhere. And he plays with so much personality. He's can’t miss TV right now. He’s can’t look away TV.

Hey Minnesota, you like the sound of that? You're having a Jungle moment, Minnesota... Last week was Prince Week and this week is WOOVES Week.

I should shout out Karl Anthony Towns too, by the way. Dude was also incredible last night and I appreciate that he set Ant Man straight after the game. When Ant tried to say he shouldn't be considered a "young star."

Like I said, face of the league.  My take; and Karl Anthony towns’ take;   there’s nothing this dude can’t do: dominant on both ends of the floor and then dominant AFTER THE GAME.  FOR EXAMPLE, CHECK THE ANT MAN taking credit for KAT's big night because he's the one who finally got KAT to stop getting himself in foul trouble.

How can you not love this dude? And he doesn't sound 22, he sounds like a grizzled vet.  BUT WITH CRAZY ‘IT’. HELL, HE EVEN SOUNDS LIKE the coach of the team. And speaking of the coach of the team, I really hope Chris Finch is alright. You all know this is a big Chris Finch house, and we found this morning that he has a torn patellar tendon, which is horrific.

How brutal was that series on the coaches, man? I'm just not sure who had it worse. Which really says a lot about how rough this series was for Frank Vogel. Finch popped his patella and I still I think this series was rougher on Frank.

Vogel is about to go from being the Lakers fall guy to the Suns fall guy. He's like a professional fall guy. And just like the Lakers, I don't think it's all Frank's fault that things didn't work out. But you know Mat Ishbia is gonna need a fall guy for this investment completely tanking.

Meanwhile my dude Chris Finch is clearly not a professional fall guy, not after that ugly spill last night. Not sure I’ve ever seen a coach bite it that hard on an NBA sideline during a game. And I guess it's good that they all have some time BUT NOT MUCH, before the next series starts because my dude needs a serious knee surgery. And is gonna be seriously hobbled on that sideline for the rest of the playoffs.

But something tells me my dude Finch isn't that down about it. Because it's hard to be down right now if you're a part of Wooves Nation. Even if your knee is exploded, times are still pretty great. In fact, they’re better than they’ve ever been.