The Minnesota Timberwolves are a team on the rise with their roster filled with youth. The Western Conference is highly competitive this year as everyone chases the Golden State Warriors and Timberwolves are hoping they have a roster that can at least contend to get into the playoffs. The Timberwolves showed the Hawks just how improved they are in the first time the two teams met up and now they will aim to do the same thing again.
The Hawks got a good look at just how improved Andrew Wiggins is this season. The 20-year-old put up 33 points in his first meeting with the Hawks. The second-year star is averaging 26.1 points on 48 percent shooting in his last nine games while coming off a 32-point showing in the win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Wiggins is showing that he is perfectly capable of carrying the Timberwolves as they make their way through the Western Conference. He is pairing well next to Kevin Garnett who is thinking playoffs this season with what Wiggins is doing. Now they test themselves against the Hawks.
The Hawks fell victim to the Timberwolves in their first meeting. Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap led the way in that game and they likely will again after both players up 24 points and 22 points in that game. The Hawks looked much improved as they defeated the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night which ended a 2-5 stretch for the team. Injuries have been a big issue right now in Atlanta. Teague returned from an ankle injury, but both Tiago Splitter and Kent Bazemore remain out with issues and are not expected to make the trip to Minnesota.
The Hawks looked better against the Celtics, but turnovers are still a huge issue for the team. Atlanta shot well which was good to make up for the number of ball-handling issues they have had recently. The big news for the Hawks in Tuesday's win was the debut of Tim Hardaway Jr. The shooting guard made his long-awaited debut for the team after Atlanta made a questionable trade for him during the NBA Draft. Hardaway got just three points in the game while Justin Holiday earned the day off. It is unclear what Hardaway's role will be going forward.