Miami Heat vs Minnesota Timberwolves prediction and combined starting 5 - April 16th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The inconsistent Miami Heat will be looking to end a two-game losing streak when they face the team with the worst record in the entire NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Miami Heat are 28-27 in the 2020-21 NBA season and currently rank seventh in the East. Consecutive losses on the road against the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets have put the Heat out of the direct postseason places. However, they are just two games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the fourth seed of the East.
The Minnesota Timberwolves (14-42), on the other hand, lost their last two games against the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves will meet each other for the first time in the 2020-21 NBA season on Friday. The second and final match of the year between them will take place in Miami on May 7th.
Miami Heat vs Minnesota Timberwolves prediction
In terms of advanced stats, the Miami Heat are the heavy favorites for this matchup. With both teams coming into the game well-rested, there is no reason to think that the Minnesota Timberwolves could beat the Miami Heat, even with Karl-Anthony Towns back.
Erik Spoelstra's Miami Heat have a bad offense for a team with postseason aspirations. The reigning champions of the East rank 25th in Offensive Rating in the NBA, but their defense has been adequate, ranking sixth in the league.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, on the other hand, are the worst-performing team in the league. Their offense ranks 26th, and their defense is only 28th in the NBA.
Miami Heat vs Minnesota Timberwolves combined starting 5
Point Guard - D'Angelo Russell | Shooting Guard - Duncan Robinson | Small Forward - Jimmy Butler | Power Forward - Bam Adebayo | Center - Karl-Anthony Towns.
The 2020-21 NBA season has been rough for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the team is already under the guidance of a second coach this term. Still, there is a lot of talent on their roster, and D'Angelo Russell is one of them.
Russell is averaging a decent 19.6 points and 4.9 assists per game, with 43/40/80 shooting splits. However, the problem is that the left-handed guard has played only 26 games this season.
Duncan Robinson has been highly consistent on the Miami Heat's backcourt, as he continues to show his potential from beyond the arc. Robinson is averaging 13 points per game but has fulfilled his role handsomely, posting shooting splits of 44/41/85. He is averaging 8.5 attempts from the three-point line and makes 3.5 of them per game.
Robinson has made 191 threes in the current season and ranks fourth in the NBA, behind Stephen Curry, Buddy Hield and Damian Lillard.
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are the leaders of the Miami Heat. Butler has been excellent for the team in the current season as he continues to be impactful on both ends of the court.
Butler is averaging 21 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and a league-leading 2-1 steals per game for the Miami Heat. He is tied for the team-lead in Defensive Rating with Adebayo.
Adebayo, who is a great and versatile defender, is also posting career-high numbers on offense for the Miami Heat.
Bam is averaging 19 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game in the 2020-21 NBA season. He's also made 56% of his field goals and an efficient 81% of his field goals.
The Minnesota Timberwolves' sporting struggles aren't comparable to the rough months their star player, Karl-Anthony Towns, has suffered.
Despite suffering irreparable losses in his family, Towns has been great on the court when healthy. He is averaging 25 points, 11 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game this year while posting 49/39/88 shooting splits.
Towns has also missed various games with injuries in the early stages of the year. He recently missed the team's last two games due to personal matters, but he is off the Minnesota Timberwolves' injury report and is expected to play in the upcoming game against the Miami Heat.
Also read: Miami Heat vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction & Match Preview - April 16th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21