If the NBA season ended today, the Minnesota Timberwolves would finish as the sixth seed in the Western Conference and just 3.5 games behind the third-seeded Utah Jazz.
It seems a bit deranged to think that a team that could not finish as a top-10 seed last season is now on track to bypass the league’s play-in tournament consisting of conference seeds 7-10. With a record above .500 (11-10), it’s seemed like ages since fans of this franchise have felt the feeling of rooting for a competent team.
The last time the Timberwolves had this promising of a record was back during the start of the 2019-20 NBA season.
I mean, how could fans forget the season in which their beloved team started with a winning record of 10-8? And how could fans forget the season that saw the Timberwolves’ Twitter account give us this cursed gem, which seemed to be the spark that set off a nine-game losing streak and nearly two hopeless back-to-back Wolves seasons:
Yes, that shortened season where Wolves finished 19-45 gave us the high-soaring, flip phone-fan favorite Anthony Edwards. But besides bringing us Mr. A1 From Day 1 himself, what else did that lukewarm start of a season bring us? Despair?
Do fans really want to spend another early off-season breaking down game film of the top 20 or so college and international prospects again instead of watching Minnesota duke it out in a playoff atmosphere?
Hell no.
I’m sure I’m speaking for every Wolves fan when I say this team must at least make the play-in tournament. Anything less than being the 10th seed in the West would be a complete wash of a season. Frankly, I’m not sure if I can handle another year of Wolves-related headaches and heartbreaks.
But this team is the sixth seed, and they’ve earned it. And barring any significant injuries, there’s no reason to believe that this team can’t keep up the tremendous amount of momentum from their last eight games and transfer it into finishing as a top-six seed in the loaded Western Conference.
Before this season, ESPN projected Minnesota to finish 31-51, 13th in the West.
Yes, that projection was a bit harsh. But to be fair, this team has done enough over the last decade or so to back up this estimation. Repeatedly, the Timberwolves have tricked us in the NBA’s opening weeks by winning their fair share of contests, only for them to go on seemingly endless losing streaks.
But this Timberwolves team is much different from the ones of Wolves’ past, especially when it comes to maintaining the lead they built. Just throughout these last few games, how many times did you think to yourself late in the fourth quarter, We’re going to blow this game? I’ve been able to tally up 11 so far.
There’s a hunger within the roster to fight on both ends of the floor. D’Angelo Russell is looking to be the player we hoped he could be back when ex-president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas and Co. acquired him in February 2020. (Just read Chelanga’s article on DLo’s improvement on the court and as a leader for this young, scrappy squad). And guys like Patrick Beverley and Jarred Vanderbilt provide their teammates with some much-needed energy even when they are unavailable to play.
Taking a look at the Western Conference standings, Minnesota is currently ahead of four teams (the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, and Portland Trail Blazers) that made the playoffs just a season ago. Grizzlies star Ja Morant is out for a couple of weeks. The Lakers currently appear to be in shambles, with their All-NBA power forward/center Anthony Davis being the least efficient shooter across the league and LeBron James sidelined for at least ten days due to entering the league’s health and safety protocols.
And the Nuggets, a top-3 seed led by last year’s MVP Nikola Jokic, are severely short-handed. Jamal Murray admitted a little over a week ago that he’s still got a long road to recovery ahead of him, and max-extension-signing Michael Porter Jr. has to undergo season-ending back surgery.
I’ve caught myself repeatedly checking after every Wolves game, win or loss, to see where the Wolves rank defensively. I was sure that I would see them take a drastic plunge eventually. But 21 games into the season, Minnesota ranks seventh amongst all teams in defensive rating, proving time and time again that they could finish the season with one of the best defenses in the league.
As I scroll across Timberwolves Twitter, I can’t help but notice the number of pessimistic fans who can only seem to wait for another Wolves tragedy to lead this team into lottery hell again. But with the vast amount of improvements across the board, I can’t help but think that this may finally be the year this team doesn’t just get over the hump, but rather treat the hump like Edwards did to Miami Heat guard Gabe Vincent.
I’m not sure if I’m dipping my cup a bit too much into the bowl of blue and green punch, but this season feels like it’s going to be one of the more exciting and memorable that we’ve seen in quite some time.
