The Minnesota Timberwolves wound up finishing as one of the best teams in basketball last season. Chris Finch took his team to the Western Conference Finals, and Anthony Edwards took another step to superstardom . Is it realistic to think they might have peaked too soon?
A decline coming for the Minnesota Timberwolves?
Once you reach the top, it is certainly difficult to stay there. The Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t win an NBA Championship last season, but they did announce their presence as a force in the league . No team is going to let the Timberwolves off the hook. A slight decline may be coming. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton dubbed the Timberwolves as among the most likely teams to decline.
“Health is a key reason the Timberwolves could take a slight step backward after finishing just one game out of first in the Western Conference last season… When weighing games missed by average minutes, the Timberwolves were the second-healthiest team in the NBA behind the Oklahoma City Thunder … Only Oklahoma City has a better win total in the West than Minnesota, so the Timberwolves should still end up near the top of the conference. But don’t be surprised if that comes with a weaker record than they had last season.”
Kevin Pelton on the Timberwolves decline in 2024-25 (ESPN)
It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Timberwolves deal with more injuries this season. It will matter who those injuries happen to, however. Last season Karl-Anthony Towns missed significant time due to his knee injury. That was the only key malady. Mike Conley is getting older, but has remained remarkably healthy for Minnesota. Any injury to Anthony Edwards would certainly be catastrophic.
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Should the Timberwolves stay healthy, they are built for yet another run at the title. This collection can show what they learned from last season. Edwards also brings growth experienced from playing with Team USA in the Olympics.
Timberwolves could be better despite win total
A season ago the Minnesota Timberwolves finished with 56 wins and the third best record in the Western Conference. Oddsmakers have set the 2024-25 win total a bit lower with Minnesota projected for just 52.5 wins. On paper that would suggest the Timberwolves are a worse team, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case.
Chris Finch has added rookies Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. to his potential rotation. Veteran scorer Joe Ingles also comes to the squad . It could take time for those three to work their way into the chemistry on court. Even if the Timberwolves take a step backwards in the win column, the playoff result can solidify a greater result.
Last season the Timberwolves were bounced against the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. Making it to the championship, or winning one, would absolve whatever regular season win total slide takes place. The Timberwolves should be most focused on solidifying their spot in the playoffs, and generating the most ideal path through them.
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If this team can come together when the biggest games are being played, the collection has a chance to do something special. On paper it seems as though Finch has his best roster yet.
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