The Game
The Wolves are hoping to get back on track in Utah on Monday night.
Minnesota has lost two-straight games at Target Center and the Wolves are now 7-6, good for eighth in the Western Conference.
The Jazz are 8-4, fourth in Western Conference.
This is the first matchup between the two teams this season.
The Wolves were 1-3 against the Jazz in 2018-19.
There are some question marks about who will be available for the Wolves going into this one. Andrew Wiggins, who has been on an absolute tear, has missed the last two games after the death of his grandmother. Josh Okogie, who has been so good off the bench for the Wolves this season, missed Saturday night’s game with a knee injury.
The team will likely have a shootaround in Utah on Monday morning. We should have a better idea of the status of these two players then.
What: Wolves at JazzWhen: 8 p.m. CT, Monday, Nov. 18Where: Vivint Smart Home ArenaWatch: Fox Sports NorthListen: 830 WCCO
New Team, Who This?
Point guard Mike Conley, who (pinch me if you’ve never heard this before) has never made an All-Star Game, was traded to the Jazz this offseason from Memphis, a place where he spent the first 12 seasons of his career.
In his first season in Utah, Conley is still adjusting. Per 36 minutes, he’s averaging 17.5 points, 4.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. Those numbers are fine. When he went to Utah, it was about him having to do less and trust the others around him.
A concerning part, however, is that Conley is shooting a career-low 35.6 percent from the field and just 33.3 percent from the 3-point line.
Conley, 32, will figure it out. He’s playing with new teammates and still trying to figure out how he fits with a new team. We’re only 12 games in and the Jazz are fourth in the West. So far, so good.
In 36 career games against the Wolves, Conley is averaging 15.6 points, 6.1 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from the 3-point line.
Would You Believe Me If I Told You . . .
This is the first of two-straight games against the Jazz. The Wolves host the Jazz on Wednesday at Target Center.
Certainly, a weird scheduling quirk, but such is life with an 82-game schedule.
It’s not the first time this will happen this season for the Wolves, actually.
On Jan. 15 and Jan. 17, the Wolves play two-straight games against the Pacers.
What does this do for teams? It gives Ryan Saunders and Quin Snyder more time to scout for an opponent, knowing things aren’t going to change much over the course of a day in-between the games.
Karl-Anthony Towns needs two blocks to reach 500 for his career.
Injury Report:
Wolves: Wiggins (illness) and Shabazz Napier (hamstring) are doubtful. Okogie (knee) is questionable.
Jazz: Ed Davis (leg) is out.
Projected Starters:
Wolves: PG—Teague, SG – Culver, SF – Graham, PF – Covington, C – Towns
Jazz: PG— Conley, SG – Mitchell, SF – Bogdanovic, PF – O’Neale, C - Gobert