J. Kyle Mann

Because...

As much as I like Minnesota, they have an alpha who can go toe-to-toe with anybody in the league.

We know what the Wolves are.

I love the IO addition.

I think he's absolutely perfect for their team.

I just don't trust their offense enough to win four games against the healthy Thunder and the turnover-forcing machine that the Thunder are.

Now, if you tell me the bracket breaks right and the Spurs eliminate the Thunder in the second round and it's Wolves-Spurs, I can see the Wolves making the finals.

I just don't know that they can beat the Thunder, although they have played them well.

Most notably in Minnesota, they blew him out recently.

Tons of injuries to the Thunder.

I just can't... I think it would be a great series.

I think there is some chance Minnesota wins it, but I would not pick them.

And that leaves the Spurs, who have sort of famously gone 4-1 against the Thunder this season.

Now, the last of those victories, the Thunder didn't have Shea and Chet, so just throw it out, say 3-1 in games where everybody was trying.

But it was like a notable...

The combination of Wemby and all of these dynamic ball handling guards to deal with the pressure of the Thunder's defense seems to be a real thing that gives the Thunder some problems.

You don't want to overreact to a small sample size, but that meant something to me.

And yet the Spurs are also very young.

They're relying on a first-year guy and a second-year guy to do a lot

they've sort of run into this, like the Harrison Barnes magic has run out a little bit and they've brought them off the bench recently.