Preview: Game 1 is a thank you letter from Warriors to Timberwolves

Minnesota’s blunders have been blessings for the Dubs. Time to pay them back in the playoffs.

Let’s talk about basketball karma and the art of franchise philanthropy, Dub Nation. The Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t just an NBA team; they’re the silent architects of Warriors greatness – a basketball Santa Claus delivering championship-caliber gifts with the enthusiasm of someone who doesn’t realize they’re being robbed in broad daylight.

And now they get a chance to see what they created, live in Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors in the semifinals of the Western Conference playoffs.

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves

WHEN: Tuesday, May 6th, 2025; 6:30pm PDT

WATCH: TNT

The Draft Day Donation (2009): Curry × 2

Remember 2009? When skinny jeans were the rage, Twitter was just finding its footing, and a scrawny Davidson sharpshooter sat in the green room like an unclaimed lottery ticket? The Timberwolves held the basketball equivalent of a royal flush with picks #5 AND #6. They needed a point guard. They needed a culture-changer. They needed salvation.

And what did they do with this golden opportunity?

That’s right. Minnesota had TWO CONSECUTIVE CHANCES to grab the greatest shooter in basketball history and instead opted for a matching set of point guards who couldn’t shoot.

Big thanks Minnesota, couldn’t have done it without you.

The Butler Blunder (2018): Creating “General Soreness”

Fast forward to 2017-18, when Minnesota was tired of missing the playoffs (for 13 consecutive years) and traded for Jimmy “I’ll Fight Your Starters With Third-Stringers” Butler.

Butler delivered, dragging them to their first postseason since flip phones were cool. So naturally, Minnesota’s front office decided the appropriate response was to create the NBA’s most spectacular villain origin story since “The Decision.”

After an extended team absence, Butler infamously showed up to practice, chose the third-stringers, OBLITERATED the starters, and then went on ESPN to gloat about it. This wasn’t just a practice; this was an execution. This was Jimmy taking Minnesota’s hopes and dreams, putting them in a blender, and serving the smoothie back with a decorative umbrella.

When Butler needed time off, the team listed him with “general soreness” – quite possibly the pettiest injury designation in NBA history. It’s the basketball equivalent of calling in sick with a case of “I’d Rather Watch Paint Dry Than Play For This Team-itis.”

Minnesota fans eventually gave him the military moniker “General Soreness” and have been chanting “WHERE IS JIMMY?” during games for nearly four years now. Since November 24, 2021, Butler hasn’t played a single minute in Minnesota – avoiding the frozen tundra with the dedication of someone with a restraining order.

“Don’t ask me about Minnesota,” Butler told reporters after the Warriors’ recent playoff victory. The response of a man tired of being asked about a regrettable spring break decision for the 500th time.

The Wiggins Wonder (2020): From “Bust” to All-Star

Not content with their previous charitable contributions, Minnesota decided in 2020 that the Warriors dynasty needed one final piece. They traded Andrew Wiggins and a top-3 protected pick to Golden State for D’Angelo Russell in what must have been negotiated on the back of a Denny’s napkin.

Golden State proceeded to transform Wiggins from “overpaid bust” to All-Star starter champion with the efficiency of a luxury car detailer. That pick? It became Jonathan Kuminga. Now we know he’s a work in progress, but he’s a wild card that is great to have in the back pocket because his athleticism and size are so tantalizing. Wiggins and Kuminga both contributed to the ‘22 championship and extended the dynasty.

The stunning transformation of Wiggins under Warriors guidance wasn’t just surprising – it was systematic. Look at his defensive assignments during the championship run:

• Luka Dončić: 23-of-48 shooting with 11 turnovers when guarded by Wiggins
• Jayson Tatum: 21-of-56 (37.5%) with 8 turnovers and only two free throws
• Jaylen Brown: A catastrophic 2-of-13 (15.4%) when Wiggins was his primary defender

And remember when Wiggins absolutely posterized Luka in the Western Conference Finals? That wasn’t just a dunk; it was the basketball equivalent of hanging a portrait of yourself in someone else’s living room.

“We’d be dead without him,” Steve Kerr said after that game. The words of a man who recognized Minnesota’s inadvertent philanthropy.

The Butler Boomerang (2025): The Ultimate Cosmic Joke

But the basketball gods weren’t done with their cosmic comedy. Because this year, through the alchemy of NBA roster movement, the Warriors somehow turned Wiggins – the very player Minnesota discarded – into Jimmy freakin’ Butler bahahaha.

That’s right. The player Minnesota ran out of town with pitchforks, Golden State casually reacquired in the trade equivalent of “Oh, you’re done with that? I’ll take it.”

Since Butler joined the Warriors, they’ve transformed from a team struggling to stay at .500 to a #2 seed slayer. The Curry-Butler pairing has produced a combined shot chart that looks like abstract art against opposing defenses.

But Dub Nation isn’t completely selfish. We’ve also run our own charity program for the league.

Take Anthony Edwards – this man is a monster now, but in 2020, Steve Kerr clowned him in a pre-draft workout like a disappointed AAU dad. Told him, “That’s all you got?” Ant went full anime villain origin story. Now he’s hunting legends.

You’re welcome, Minnesota.

Then there’s Donte DiVincenzo. He came to the Warriors trying to heal from injury, left the Bay with a crash course in Splash Bro University and a new four-year bag and a shooter’s conscience. All it took was a year under Steph in the Kerr system to unlock a higher tier of his potential.

We didn’t have to do that. We chose to.

The Final Accounting

So as the Warriors and Timberwolves face off in this playoff series, let’s take a moment to appreciate the full ledger:

• 2009: Wolves pass on Curry twice, gifting the Warriors a dynasty cornerstone
• 2018: Wolves mismanage Butler, creating the NBA’s most motivated villain
• 2020: Wolves trade Wiggins plus a pick (Kuminga) for D’Lo, giving the Warriors two key championship pieces
• 2025: Warriors convert Wiggins into Butler, forming a new superteam with Minnesota’s castoffs

This isn’t just a playoff series. This is karma wearing a Warriors jersey. This is Golden State’s final symphony. The OGs’ Last Waltz. They’ve built careers, legacies, and empires out of moments like this.

And now? They’ve arrived to show Minnesota the cost of all those missed opportunities.

The Wolves think they’re ready for the crown?

Hilarious! We forged it with materials they gave us.