5 reasons the Timberwolves can make a run at the NBA title

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MARCH 18: Jamal Crawford #11 of the Minnesota Timberwolves shoots the ball against Ryan Anderson #33 of the Houston Rockets (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

3. Jamal Crawford has two-plus Jamal Crawford games

He’s 38, is playing in his 18th NBA season and has been one of the best players in the history of the game at what he does.

And he’s still got it.

Jamal Crawford, three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year, can still come off the bench and light it up from all over the court. The Timberwolves went out and got him this offseason for exactly that reason.

Houston’s bench doesn’t play a ton of minutes but they’re the second best unit in the NBA and have five or six players that would start on several teams. They trail only Toronto in plus/minus and net bench rating. Minnesota is in the bottom third of the league in both categories. They have, though, had games that blew their season average out of the water. Almost all of those have come from Crawford heating up and going for 25 points in 18-20 minutes.

The Timberwolves will need a couple 25-30 point games from Crawford this series not just to carry the bench but to answer the Rockets when they go on runs and start hitting threes in droves. Crawford is absolutely capable of delivering and if he does, it could easily swing a game or two in Minnesota’s direction.