Coming into the 2016-17 season, it would have been easy to project the Minnesota Timberwolves would start the season on a good note due to what appeared to be an “easy” schedule early on. From then, the hope would be the team would grow and, maybe, hold its own against a tougher part of the schedule. Starting the season 11-26 presented the Wolves with an extremely uphill battle for the rest of the campaign.
Fortunately for Minnesota, the eighth spot in the Western Conference never drifted out of reach. Since the abysmal start, the Wolves have appeared to turn things around over the last 11 games, as they have posted an 8-3 record — including wins in five of their last six games — and sit in a three-team tie for 10th place in the conference, just three games out of the final playoff spot.
The win-loss record over the last 11 games and the fact that the standings are at least worth looking at has given a franchise and its fans a rare glimpse of meaningful basketball after Christmas.
The 8-3 record is the team’s best over an 11-game span since a Kevin Love-led run in the second half of the 2013-14 season.
Amidst the excitement, it is fair to wonder if the Wolves recent play has been “real” or if the Wolves and their fans are falling victim to fool’s gold.
So are the Wolves for real, or did they just capitalize on relatively weak schedule and catch a couple breaks along the way?
Over the last 11 games, the team has enjoyed playing Brooklyn, Orlando, Phoenix and Dallas (twice) — all teams with worse records than Minnesota’s 19-29 mark. On the other hand, they have had wins over Oklahoma City, Houston, Denver and the Los Angeles Clippers (albeit without Chris Paul and Blake Griffin).
So are the Wolves for real, or did they just capitalize on relatively weak schedule and catch a couple breaks along the way? Well, we might be finding an answer to that question soon as Minnesota faces a slightly more daunting slate of opponents over the next two weeks.
The nine-game stretch includes a pair of games against the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers and single games against Detroit, Memphis, Chicago, Toronto and a red-hot Miami team. Mixed in are games with Denver and New Orleans — two of the teams competing with Minnesota for the last playoff spot.
Although the schedule features tough opponents, the Wolves will benefit from playing six of the nine games at the Target Center — where they are winners of six of their last seven contests.
If the Timberwolves can build off their recent play and go, say 6-3, in their next nine games, they will be setting themselves up to play meaningful basketball after the All-Star Break. If they falter and fall 12 or 13 games below the .500 mark heading into the break, they may be looking at a bleak final seven weeks of the 2016-17 season.
Regardless of what has happened over the first 48 games, and if you believe the Wolves can contend for their first playoff spot in 12 years, the next two weeks are looking like it might be make-or-break time.
