The Minnesota Timberwolves have had mixed results all year. Following the blockbuster Karl-Anthony Towns trade, where they acquired Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle from the New York Knicks, the Wolves have struggled to find consistent enough form to look anything close to the team they were last year.
But Minnesota’s stunning 131-128 win in overtime against the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night reminded the league of something very important.
You still can’t disregard the Timberwolves this season.
For the most part, the year has been frustrating. Disappointing losses quickly follow a handful of wins. The 10-win Washington Wizards snapped their five-game winning streak. Declining performances from the once trustworthy Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert duo, while Chris Finch didn’t play Minnesota’s rookies until injuries forced his hand.
So, following Minnesota’s home-and-home series against the Thunder, where do they sit among the league’s best teams? And how likely are they to repeat or better last season’s playoff run?
The Timberwolves are the only Western Conference team to have won multiple games against the Thunder and Denver Nuggets. Of the teams outside the 4-seed, the Wolves are probably the only team with enough firepower to make a real playoff run. It’s never been about Minnesota’s talent. Instead, it’s rather fit and team chemistry.
Minnesota has had to play smaller lineups after Gobert and Randle suffered injuries. That meant starting Naz Reid at center, with Jaden McDaniels sliding up to power forward. McDaniels’ huge increase in rebounds this season (5.8 per game compared to 3.1 in the previous season) has allowed them to play smaller but remain physically competitive.
Minnesota’s injuries have also extended its rotation. Jaylen Clark’s emergence as a legitimate All-Defense caliber point-of-attack defender and Terrence Shannon Jr.’s ability to play in transition and bulldoze to the rim have given the Wolves something different they can use.
With Clark’s emergence and Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s consistency, the Wolves have often used McDaniels against forwards, allowing him to play as a rim protector or low man. That has given the Timberwolves an alternative look they can throw at teams, and it was particularly effective against the Chet Holmgren-less Thunder on Monday night.
Minnesota’s biggest threat to its success this season is themselves. Despite two wins against the Thunder in their last four games, the Wolves are only 5-6 this February. They will rue disappointing losses against the Wizards and a Milwaukee Bucks team without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
How far the Wolves can go this season will depend on how they continue to grow as a group. Finch has an even tougher rotation problem than at the start of the season when many senior players looked out of rhythm. Finch knows he has young players who can impact a game rather than being merely a possibility. He can no longer persist with a stubborn eight-man rotation, even when the roster is fully healthy.
The benefit is that the Wolves can throw multiple looks at any team. If they need to play bigger and protect the rim more, Gobert should get more minutes. If an opposition team has multiple elite guards, Clark might get more burn. And if their opponent has limited perimeter defense, that’s a game perfectly set up for Shannon’s driving ability.
The Wolves must put their egos aside to contend this season. One of the most notable factors in the comeback win over Oklahoma City was that Anthony Edwards spent crunch time on the bench, not returning until midway through overtime. Still, nobody was happier for the team or cheering on them on more than him. To win playoff games, the Wolves must use innovative, matchup-based lineups.
Right now, nobody in the Western Conference should truly scare the Wolves. They will not be favorites against the Thunder and, in all likelihood, the Nuggets. Still, they can beat any other team in the conference in a seven-game series. Even though Oklahoma City and Denver have better records, Minnesota is 4-2 against them this season.
It has taken the best part of the season, but the Wolves have gradually become more assured of themselves. Given the roster changes, they will never be the same team as last season. But perhaps they have even more versatility with potentially 11 rotation-caliber players now.
The question is whether they can beat their own worst enemy: Themselves.
Seven of their next 10 games are against teams below .500 in the standings. The Wolves can’t afford any more slip-ups if they’re going to contend themselves. They aren’t the perfect basketball team, but the Western Conference is so competitive that it might not even matter.
