This Western Conference team can’t afford a first-round playoff disaster

With three active Western Conference playoff series, it's fair to wonder which team is under the most pressure to advance to the second round. After Sunday's win, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a commanding 3-1 lead over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Golden State Warriors are up 2-1 over the Houston Rockets. The Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers are tied up 2-2 in a tough battle.

The Nuggets-Clippers series is truly a 50/50 toss-up and feels poised to go seven games. Neither team losing would be a massive disappointment. The Nuggets shockingly fired their head coach and general manager just before the playoffs, so nobody was expecting a deep playoff run while the Clippers have outperformed expectations all season.

It could be argued that the Warriors have some pressure as they don't have many more chances to make a deep run in the Stephen Curry era. However, if they lose, Jimmy Butler's injury will undoubtedly be a factor. Conversely, a young Rockets team losing wouldn't be surprising or disappointing. They have one of the brightest futures in the league and are poised for title contention for the next decade.

Why the Timberwolves have the most pressure

With a 3-1 lead, there's always some pressure to close out the series. While most people didn't pick the sixth-seeded Timberwolves to beat the Lakers, their early series dominance gives them pressure to close out the series. So far, the Timberwolves' size, defense, and physicality have overwhelmed the Lakers.

Anthony Edwards is having an incredible series, averaging 29.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists while shooting 43.2 percent from beyond the arc. Ant's playmaking has been elite as he has just six total turnovers compared to 5.8 assists per game. His two-way contributions have been on full display. Edwards' 43-point, nine-rebound, six-assist outing to put the Wolves up 3-1 was one of the best games of his career.

Julius Randle is having the best series of his career, averaging 22.5 points on 45.5 percent 3-point shooting. Randle has also played great defense on LeBron James. As a team, the Timberwolves have taken away Luka Dončić's playmaking and made life diffcult for LA with their frontcourt size. With how Minnesota is playing, they could be in for their second consecutive Conference Finals run.

Despite Minnesota's stellar play, you can never count out a team led by LeBron James and Luka Dončić, which adds to the pressure for the Wolves. Currently, the Timberwolves seem likely to win the series, but if they don't close out the series within the next two games, pressure will be at an all-time high in Game 7.

The Timberwolves are committed to this core and only own their draft pick in one season (2028) from 2025 to 2031. Additionally, key players Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are free agents this summer, and it's unclear if Minnesota can afford to re-sign them. Rudy Gobert turns 33 this summer and could significantly decline.

With Edwards on your side, you will always have a chance at making a title run. However, this could be Minnesota's best chance at a title run in the next few years; you never know how long your title window is open for. Regardless, it feels likely the Timberwolves will close out the series. Ultimately, while the Timberwolves face pressure to close out their series against the Lakers, Anthony Edwards and the rest group are perfectly equipped to handle it.