The top seed in the NBA Western Conference is currently occupied by not the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers or even Sacramento Kings, but rather the Minnesota Timberwolves. Through 39 games, the Timberwolves sport a 28-11 record and currently have the best defense in the NBA! That is quite a far cry from a team that started the season with +6600 odds to win the championship.
Projected at just 44 wins in the preseason, Minnesota looks like it may smash that total. With a corps of Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert, Minnesota certainly looks like it can finally somewhat compete in the West. With 41 games in the season remaining, there is still a long way to go, but winning 28 out of your first 39 games is no small feat.
Minnesota Timberwolves Key Players Hit Their Stride
While Andrew Wiggins did not really work in Minnesota, it seems that the Timberwolves finally have their number one guy in Anthony Edwards. Yes, Karl-Anthony Towns was drafted number one in 2015, but he was probably a bit overhyped. Injuries have somewhat plagued his career, but it became fairly obvious that he could (and can) not be the number one guy. He does not have the pressure anymore, as Edwards has blossomed into a full-on star.
After being selected number one from Georgia, it looked like Edwards would need at least a year to fully develop. That was true, but since his rookie season (he is now in year four), Edwards has continued to increase his scoring average while increasing his field goal percentage. Now, averaging 26 points per game on 46% shooting and 38.5% from the three-point line, Edwards is one of the best scorers in the NBA. In addition to his scoring increases, Edwards has also upped his passing numbers. Last season, Edwards averaged 4.4 assists per game, which has been upped to 4.9 this year. Edwards has legitimately turned into a star in the NBA, as proved by him having 15 30+ point games, compared to six games below 20 points.
As for Towns, having the liberty of Edwards taking over the offense, has turned him into one of the better number two options in the NBA. His scoring numbers are down (due to Edwards’ emergence) since his young All-Star days, but his shooting percentages are at or above what they were in those seasons. While Edwards’ shooting numbers have increased, his slashing ability is still the best part of his game. To be able to create a dynamic high-low has helped Minnesota’s offense. The weakest part of Towns’ game, which is still true to this day, is his defense, but with better play from the rest of the team, I am not sure Towns’ defense matters that much.
Much of the reason why Towns’ defense does not matter that much is because of the great play from Rudy Gobert. Gobert is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and, according to the sportsbooks, might be again this season. Gobert has anchored Minnesota’s defense to a number-one rating in the NBA, in regards to defensive rating. Like a perfect yin-yang combination with Towns, Gobert’s game has always struggled on the offensive side of the ball. Averaging 13.1 points on 63.6% shooting, most of Gobert’s points continue to come in the paint. Gobert is not asked to be a scorer, which plays perfectly into his game.
Minnesota Sports a Good Mix of Youth and Experience
Outside of their “Big Three,” the Minnesota Timberwolves have seen a great deal of production from the role players. Guys like Mike Conley, Naz Reid, Kyle Anderson and Jayden McDaniels have provided in big spots for the Wolves. At 36 years old, Mike Conley has found his role as a veteran leader and efficient playmaker. Starting all 38 games at the point guard position this season, Conley has increased his assists per game by 1.4 this season. As has always been the case in his career, Conley continues to protect the ball, turning the ball over just 1.1 per game. Talking about veteran leadership, Kyle Anderson has been good as well. While he is not shooting the ball well from behind the arc, Anderson still provides the length and defense needed off of the bench to switch onto anyone on the opposing team. What he does on defense is invaluable.
As for the youth, Jayden McDaniels has been the fifth starter for the team for most of the season. The 23-year-old out of Washington has averaged 10.5 points on 51.2% shooting this season. Similar to Anderson, McDaniels’ impact doesn’t necessarily show up in the stat book, but rather on the court. For his youth, it would seem like McDaniels is a seasoned vet, as when his number does get called, he rarely misses the opportunity. Turning the ball over just 1.2 times per game, he is coming up with almost one steal per game. I would argue that McDaniels is currently one of the best fifth starters in the NBA.
Also, how can you talk about the Minnesota Timberwolves without bringing up talking about Naz Reid? Every team needs the energy guy off of the bench who is adored by fans. For the Timberwolves, that is Reid. Naz Reid is having his best scoring season (12.7 ppg on 50.5% shooting) and is providing a much-needed spark off of the bench. Shooting the three-ball at a 40.3% clip this season, Reid isn’t going to win the Sixth Man of the Year, but he should be in the conversation.
How Far Can the Minnesota Timberwolves Go?
Given that they have never been to an NBA Finals before, I understand that is hard to say they are going to win the championship. With that being said, we are almost halfway through the season and the Timberwolves are leading a very tough Western Conference.
This season, Minnesota has wins over Miami, Denver, Boston, Philadelphia, the Clippers and the Lakers twice. When faced with competition, they have held their own. In fact, out of their 11 losses, only two have come by double digits. Once again, it is too early to say that Minnesota is a championship favorite, and to be honest, we will probably never say that, but if the play of their big three continues to be strong, role players continue to do their jobs and they keep getting wins over good teams, the Timberwolves will have to be taken seriously.
With the NBA Trade Deadline approaching, I can’t imagine that Minnesota will be very active. However, I think another three-point shooter, like Bogdan Bogdanovic, could be a piece to help them get over the hump.
