The NBA Summer League is more than halfway complete in Las Vegas. There are seven games taking place tonight, with the Phoenix Suns facing the Minnesota Timberwolves at 5:00 p.m. ET. Minnesota is off to a 3-0 start to the summer league, beating the Pelicans, Nuggets and Pistons, while the Suns have dropped to 1-2 and are coming off a blowout loss to the Kings.
DraftKings Sportsbook is listing the Timberwolves as 8.5-point favorites and -410 on the moneyline ahead of the contest. The Suns hold +320 odds on the moneyline with the game total set at 182.5.
Suns vs. Timberwolves Preview, Prediction
The Phoenix Suns are looking to bounce back from back-to-back 18-point losses to the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks. The previous loss to the Kings marked the first time the team was at full strength. Rasheer Fleming made his debut after missing the first two games with a knee injury. The Saint Joseph’s product finished with seven points and two rebounds in just 14 minutes of play. Ryan Dunn and Khaman Maluach each returned to the court after missing the previous loss to the Hawks. Dunn led the team in scoring with 18 points while grabbing six rebounds, shooting 2-for-3 from beyond the three-point arc. Maluach added eight points and five rebounds but shot 2-for-6 at the free-throw line.
Oso Ighodaro has also shown some nice flashes across the summer league. However, after dropping 18 points against the Hawks, he was limited to just three points on 1-for-8 shooting against Sacramento. Second-round pick Koby Brea already looks the part of an NBA-caliber shooter. He led the team with 19 points in the opening game of summer league while shooting 4-for-5 from beyond the three-point arc. Brea added 15 points against the Hawks, but he shot 1-for-9 in the latest loss and was limited to just two points. Khalif Battle, Yuri Collins and Boogie Ellis have also had some solid flashes.
Minnesota is off to a 3-0 start to the Las Vegas Summer League and has looked dominant in the process. Terrence Shannon Jr. has earned the “too good” for summer league title as he prepares to enter his second NBA season. The Illinois product has tallied scoring outputs of 24, 20 and 24 through the first three games and has added as many as nine assists while averaging six rebounds per game. Fellow second-year guard Rob Dillingham has added 15, 16 and 15-point scoring outputs and is adding six assists per game. His jitterbug-like ability with the ball still pops off the screen, and Dillingham’s performances have been encouraging.
No. 17 overall pick Joan Beringer has also popped off the page in the summer league. The 6-foot-11 Frenchman’s raw numbers have not fully told the story, with him failing to score in double figures yet. However, he has a monstrous frame and gets up and down the floor far quicker than you would expect. Count on him to continue to anchor the Timberwolves’ defense and be a key part of the team’s success. Jaylen Clark, Leonard Miller, Amari Bailey and Tristen Newton each also have some limited NBA experience under their belts and have had some nice moments. No. 45 overall pick and new two-way player Rocco Zikarsky also has an intriguing skillset and will hopefully see more of an expanded role soon.
Suns vs. Timberwolves Pick, Best Bet
This is the second night of a back-to-back for the Timberwolves, so keep an eye out if they elect to rest some of the notable young talent against this inferior opponent. While the Suns have some nice rotational talent on the summer league roster, not having a true floor general has hurt them. This is especially the case with players like Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach, who are so dependent on having shots created for them. Minnesota has an abundance of guard talent, and this has been especially evident in the summer league.
The 8.5 line is a notable spread by summer league standards, but the Timberwolves look to be legitimate threats to win the entire summer league and are taking the event seriously. They defeated the Pistons by 16, the Nuggets by 11 and the Pelicans by seven points thus far. Count on the advantage of NBA experience on Minnesota’s roster to show and for the Timberwolves to stack another win. Beringer will be comfortable matching up wth Maluach, and it will take a hot shooting night from Brea or an uncharacteristic offensive output from Ighodaro or Dunn for Phoenix to have a chance. Look for the Timberwolves to keep their foot on the gas, and don’t be shocked if this game gets out of hand early. Count on Minnesota to produce its third double-digit victory and for the Phoenix Suns to pick up their third straight double-digit loss.
