Preview: The door is open, but the ride ain't free

Golden State has a new opponent but the same goal: get through this round

The machine still works! After a grueling seven game series, the Golden State Warriors have made it out of the first round of the playoffs. Four down, twelve more to go for the ultimate goal; but first and foremost, it’s all about getting these next four wins.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are a different challenge. Compared to Houston, the Timberwolves have the added benefit of having that one guy - in this case, Anthony Edwards - that can get them a basket.. or at least break down the defense to the point of panic. This is also Jimmy Butler’s most infamous breakup, so tensions should be high.

But the end is in sight, and the core legitimately has a shot at this.

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GAME DETAILS

WHO: Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves

WHEN: Tuesday, May 6th, 2025; 6:30pm PDT

WATCH: TNT

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This is likely Curry’s last/best chance at a final ring

Trying to think of a way to frame this series up, the most compelling narrative to me is just how narrow the path is to another championship for this Warriors core. It’s not closed. No, the timely victory over the Houston Rockets has confirmed that the magic isn’t yet depleted. The old dawgs still have some fight in them. But the league is catching up. There’s only so many miles left on the wheels of this dynasty - even after the refreshing arrival of Jimmy Butler. Maybe the OKC Thunder are already too far along to get through, maybe not - especially after the miracle late victory that the Denver Nuggets secured last night. But however you want to look at it, the Warriors have a window, narrow though it may be.

Next up on the journey is the Minnesota Timberwolves.

This is also a milestone for them. Anthony Edwards is known as “Ant,” and he’s good enough to warrant the singular name title. It’s nearing the time for the next generation to emerge. After knocking out LeBron James and Luka Doncic, ending the post-season chase for Stephen Curry and Draymond Green would transform the narrative around Ant Edwards. Move the goalposts in a good way so that the bar suddenly becomes about winning it all versus “who have they beat?”

For Golden State, the legacy has already been set, we are into the house money now. This year’s roster looked pretty decent for most of the season, but there have been plenty of struggles, too. The mid-season reload with Jimmy Butler changed the entire trajectory of the season, but they’ve still got to come through.

So? Can this Warriors team beat the Timberwolves? Of course they can. They did it multiple times during the course of the season, but neither team was in their final form. There are storylines galore here, let’s take a look at a few of the biggest macro trends here:

1. Jimmy versus the entire Minnesota fanbase - the legend of Jimmy Butler probably starts in Minnesota. After a tremendous season where he pulled the team back into the playoffs and earned All-NBA honors, Butler was looking for a big vote of confidence from his team. Instead, they split their investments, and Butler never got comfortable with the team’s direction. Singling out star, Karl Anthony-Towns, Butler embarrassed the starters in a practice sessions and then went directly on ESPN to tell the world about it. There are wounds here - despite the fact that none of the Minnesota coaching staff or players are the same.

   No player is on the Wolves roster from that time. The coaching staff and front office are different. Nobody associated with the team has an emotional attachment to that time, but the fans do, as Mike Conley underscored in his comments Monday.

   “I might not have the best appreciation for the whole Jimmy thing because I wasn’t here,” Conley said. “That predated me, but I do just as far as I know what it means to this city.”

   Expect a frosty, Minnesota cold weather welcome for Butler. As we just saw with Dillon Brooks, the game isn’t always strictly professional.

2. Draymond versus Gobert - speaking of taking it personally, Green and Gobert have a long history together. This is going to get intense, and Green cannot afford to get dinged with too many more technicals and/or flagrants. Two defensively focused generational talents that have been chirping back and forth against each other for years are about to face off in one of the most important playoff series of either of their careers.

3. Ant versus Curry - Old versus new. Remember that old janky stop animation Rudolph cartoon song about silver and gold? These are two of the most electric performers and we are fortunate that this is how the playoff brackets have shaken out.

Prediction

Split the road openers will be the goal for Golden State to open this series, and I for one will take whatever we can get. After narrowly ending the Rockets, the Warriors are in for another tight margin victory tonight.

Watch out for the double big TWolves lineups, contain Edwards, and let your role players cook. The Warriors should be able to break down this Timberwolves defense, so it may come down to whichever team can get stops when they need them.