The Minnesota Timberwolves are hoping that the playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns will be a helpful experience.
The Timberwolves, who finished the season 23-49, brought star guard D’Angelo Russell and second-year guard Jaylen Nowell to Game 1 of the Lakers-Suns series to show them what it’s like to play among a hectic playoff domain, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Russell, 25, played for the Lakers from 2015-2017, but they never made the playoffs.
He has only been to the playoffs once in his career with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 and played five games.
The Timberwolves’ plan will be to continue to send their players to big playoff games “to gain perspective on what it takes to play at this high of a level,” Haynes notes.
Since making the playoffs in 2018, the Timberwolves have had three consecutive losing seasons with a combined record of 78-140 over that span.
The 2018 playoff appearance was the franchise’s only one in the last 17 seasons, so the team is looking to get back in the near future.
By allowing their players to attend games and get the feel of a playoff atmosphere, the Timberwolves are hoping that they will want to experience that similar energy.
