The NBA Champion Golden State Warriors opened up their training camp today and during a TV appearance on ESPN’s The Jump. That’s when star players Draymond Green and Stephon Curry showed the Timberwolves some major love.
Host Rachel Nichols asked both of them, in back-to-back interviews, “who poses the biggest threat to you guys in the West?”
Green immediately gave props to the perennial power house, the San Antonio Spurs, who haven’t missed the playoffs in two decades. After listing San Antonio, however, the next team out of his mouth was the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Green explained “For me it’s always San Antonio. But, I think Minnesota is going to be much improved.”
His teammate Steph Curry was interviewed shortly after and was asked the same question.
Almost as if they planned it, Curry went with the same narrative as Green. He listed the Spurs first, Houston next, then it was the Wolves for Steph.
“You’ve got the usual suspects obviously: San Antonio. They’ve been doing it for years with Popovich leading that charge. Hard to bet against them. Houston has two superstars, but looking up and down the West, obviously what Minnesota has done up there with their young guys they put together and their core. There is so much competition and talent all across the Western Conference.”
We won’t know exactly how the Minnesota Timberwolves will look when the regular season tips-off next month. However, after receiving praise from a couple of NBA Champions and a former NBA MVP, one thing is crystal clear: the Timberwolves off-season and the talented core has helped build a sense of respect from some of the game’s highest places.
