With the beginning of the new year, many of us set resolutions in the hopes of bettering ourselves. We say This year, I’m gonna read that book or lose that weight or do that project. If you’re like me, that book is still gathering dust on the shelf, and that project never got done. See, the turning of the calendar isn’t some fix. We want to believe that the new year can be a refresh and we can emerge as a new, better version of ourselves. Unfortunately, that is rarely the case.

However, the “New year, new me” adage has rung true for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Since the start of 2022, the Timberwolves have been playing less like a play-in team and more like a playoff team.

Take a look at how the Wolves have turned around this year:

The Wolves have had the best offense in the league in 2022, and they’ve done much of it while Anthony Edwards deals with knee tendonitis. Before the season, I was convinced that the best outcome for this team was to end the year with a top-five offense and a middling defense. The hot start on the defensive front was always fool’s gold, but Minnesota’s efforts on defense kept them afloat for long enough for them to figure out their offensive game.

Finally, we are seeing an optimized offense under Chris Finch. A big reason for their success is that Malik Beasley has found his groove again. He’s shooting 40% from 3-point land in 2022 in what is a much-needed return to form for Minnesota. Beasy’s hot shooting has added yet another high-quality option to the Timberwolves’ offensive attack, which is centered around Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and Edwards. The offense has finally caught fire, and although they may not actually be the best offense in the league, the offensive talent on the squad makes me believe that this run is more representative of what this team can be than the top-10 defense they had to start the year.

But the most impressive feat by the Timberwolves has been their performance in back-to-back games. Before their game against the Golden State Warriors on March 1, the Wolves were 3-7 on the second night of back-to-back games this season. It was easy to look at Minnesota’s slate of games and basically schedule losses in those contests. But the Wolves came out of the gate against Golden State looking to change that and left the Target Center with a decisive 129-114 victory. They followed that performance with a “supposed-to” win against the severely short-handed Portland Trailblazers.

The Portland game marked the end of four consecutive back-to-backs where the Wolves went 6-2. Even more impressive: In that run, the Wolves defeated the Memphis Grizzlies, Warriors, and Cleveland Cavaliers — all teams who are firmly in the playoff picture.

During the Wolves’ back-and-forth win against the Cavs, the Cleveland broadcasters, John Micheal and Austin Carr, raved about Minnesota’s energy and hustle, saying, “Can you imagine playing this team in a playoff series? I would not want to play this team.” The Timberwolves have been showing up and showing out against good teams.

All this has been really good for the Wolves, who are vying to get out of the play-in tournament. The New Orleans Pelicans look menacing, and there is a chance that Zion Williamson could return before the end of the season. The Los Angeles Clippers have had the Wolves’ number all season long, and the “Washed King” just put up 56 against the Warriors.

The problem is that the Wolves aren’t the only team that has had a good 2022. The biggest competition for Minnesota’s playoff spots are the sixth-seed Denver Nuggets and the fifth-seed Dallas Mavericks. Since the dawn of the new year, the Nuggets are 21-10 and the Mavs 23-7. It’s been nearly impossible for the Wolves to gain any ground.

As I write this, the Wolves sit 2.5 games back from the 6th seed and have a 3.5-game edge above the eighth-seed Clippers. But while the Wolves are indeed playing like they belong in the playoffs, they seem ultimately bound for the play-in tournament unless something significant changes. But the longer this stretch of quality play goes on, the more I believe in Minnesota’s chances of making it out of the play-in.

Chelanga Langason

Chelanga Langason is a youth worker, a musician, and most importantly a Timberwolves fan. He's been obsessed with the Timberwolves since 2012. Zone Coverage is Chelanga's first writing gig. You can hear more of his incredible takes on the CnD NBA Podcast available on all streaming platforms. @Chelangason on Twitter

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