Minnesota Timberwolves starting lineup vs. Utah Jazz, Digi Mart USA News: The Minnesota Timberwolves have done a good job winning without Anthony Edwards, and they will have another chance to do so Sunday night against the Utah Jazz.
Minnesota enters the matchup at 7-3 and has won three straight, while the Utah Jazz have struggled, coming in at 1-8 after losing their last seven games. The Jazz are also dealing with injuries in the frontcourt, with Jaren Jackson Jr.
and Jusuf Nurkic already out and Lauri Markkanen questionable.
With Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo unavailable, Minnesota has leaned on its new star, LaMelo Ball, and other key starters Ayo Dosunmu, Jonathan Kuminga, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert. That group has remained constant and has helped the Wolves remain one of the league’s best teams by net rating and defensive rating despite missing their leading scorer.
Here is how the two starting lineups stack up heading into Sunday’s game. Minnesota has the biggest advantage in scoring.
The Wolves have plenty of scoring available throughout their starting five, and the balance has become even more important with Edwards sidelined.
Ball has taken on a larger role as a creator, averaging 17.7 points and 6.1 assists per game while shooting 44.1% from the field and 38.4% from three. He is coming off a 22-point, eight-assist performance against New Orleans, where he came up big down the stretch in the fourth quarter, just as he did against Houston.
Dosunmu has been one of Minnesota’s most consistent and efficient scorers this season, averaging 17.3 points on 51.9% shooting from the field and 42.5% from three. McDaniels is right behind him at 17.1 points per game while shooting 51.1% from the field.
That gives the Wolves three starters averaging at least 17 points, so opposing defenses cannot simply load up on Ball.
Kuminga gives Minnesota another player who can create his own shot and attack the basket. Gobert has struggled offensively this year, but he has at least been able to finish around the basket in recent games.
His size creates opportunities for easy finishes, offensive rebounds, and lobs when Minnesota gets into the paint.
Utah has Keyonte George, who is averaging 21.3 points per game, but the Jazz do not have the same amount of reliable scoring throughout their starting five. The rest of the roster is still trying to find its role within the offense.
That could become a major problem against an elite Minnesota defense.
Minnesota also has the more elite shooting group. Dosunmu and Kuminga are both shooting over 42.5% from three this season, while Ball has continued to provide elite floor spacing and shot-making from beyond the arc.
McDaniels has had a slow start to his three-point shooting but is still above 30%, and he shot 41% last year.
Utah can shoot the ball to an extent. Markkanen has been particularly dangerous from deep when healthy, and he made eight threes against Dallas on Friday.
But his availability is a major part of this matchup, because if he cannot play, Utah loses its best high-volume shooting threat from the starting lineup. The Jazz made 15 threes against Dallas but still lost by 12 because their other problems eventually caught up with them.
Ball by himself probably gives Minnesota a clear advantage in playmaking. The Wolves did not simply replace Edwards’ scoring when he went down.
They asked Ball to control more of the offense, and he has responded by averaging 6.1 assists per game. Dosunmu has also shown he can create offense, while McDaniels and Kuminga can attack closeouts and make plays when defenses collapse.
Utah has some capable creators too. George is averaging 6.2 assists per game, and rookie Darryn Peterson has shown flashes as a playmaker, but the Jazz have struggled to maintain offensive flow for an entire game.
That showed up again Friday, when Utah committed 21 turnovers against Dallas. Against Minnesota’s length and pressure, that cannot happen again.
This may be the biggest overall difference between the two starting lineups. Minnesota ranks second in the NBA in defensive rating, with Gobert anchoring the middle and McDaniels providing one of the league’s better perimeter defenders.
The Wolves do not need every starter to lock down his matchup individually, because their length allows them to cover for mistakes.
Utah, meanwhile, has struggled on both ends during its seven-game losing streak. The Jazz will have to find ways to score against a defense that has remained excellent even without Edwards.
If Markkanen is unavailable, that challenge becomes even greater.
This could be the category that decides whether Minnesota controls the game. The Wolves rank second in the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage at 35.6%, with Gobert and Joan Beringer leading the way.
Beringer is questionable Sunday, but Gobert remains one of the league’s best offensive rebounders.
Utah allowed Dallas to grab 21 offensive rebounds on Friday, which is about as bad a matchup as the Jazz could face entering Target Center. With Jackson and Nurkic already out, Utah is shorthanded up front and on the glass.
If Minnesota consistently gets second chances, the game could turn into a long night for the Jazz.
Minnesota has the clearer starting lineup in almost every category heading into Sunday. The Wolves have more scoring depth, more playmaking, a significant defensive advantage, and a major edge on the offensive glass.
Minnesota has already shown it can win without Edwards, and Sunday gives Ball, Dosunmu, Kuminga, McDaniels, and Gobert another chance to prove the Wolves’ success does not depend on one player.
Against a 1-8 Utah team dealing with its own injury problems, Minnesota should have enough advantages across the starting lineup to keep its winning streak going.
