Sleeper Team In The NBA's Western Conference? Here's the Team
Over the past 17 years, the Minnesota Timberwolves have only made the NBA Playoffs one time.
When they had All-Star Jimmy Butler, they made the NBA playoffs during the 2017-18 season, which ended a 13-year drought from the postseason. That number is mind-boggling in a league where 16 of the NBA's 30 teams make the playoffs every season, eight in each conference.
Since the 2017-18 season, they have undergone major changes to the roster. Karl-Anthony Towns is the only player still who still remains from that playoff team.
Therefore, the last three seasons have been filled with lots of change, and they have not won 40 games in a season since.
Fast-forward to the modern-day, and the Timberwolves — at least offfensively — have one of the most talented rosters in all of basketball. Yet, no one seems to be giving them their fair share of optimism heading into the 2021-22 NBA season.
For instance, the sports gambling website SISportsbook.com has the Timberwolves at plus-550 to make the playoffs, which means a $100 bet gets $550 in return. SI has the over/under total on the Timberwolves at 35.5.
If you shop around, you can even find better deals. For instance, the FanDuel website is giving out plus-610 odds for the Timberwolves to make the playoffs, which means a $100 bet would net $610. Fanduel's over/under wins total for the Timberwolves is only 33.5, and two games can often make a big difference.
Both of those projections show that the betting markets are not expecting a good season for the Timberwolves.
But they would be wrong. Here are several reasons why:
Why you should believe in the Timberwolves
They have star power
- Karl-Anthony Towns is a two-time All-Star who has career averages of 22.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists per game while just under 40% from the three-point range. He missed 22 games last season, and an entire season should have him back to being known as one of the best big men in all of basketball and a potential All-Star appearance.
- Anthony Edwards was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and during his rookie season, he averaged 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. At just 20 years old, his ceiling is unlimited, and there is no question he will be an even better player in his sophomore season.
- D'Angelo Russell is the most important piece to the entire team. He is the only player on the roster who has been a team's best player that led a team to the NBA playoffs without another All-Star. With the Brooklyn Nets in 2019, Russell was an All-Star, and they were the sixth seed in the playoffs. He missed 30 games last season, and a fully healthy season with Towns will form one of the best duos in all of basketball. He will reclaim his spot as one of the best point guards and young stars in all of the NBA.
They have the right coach:
- Chris Finch took over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the middle of last season after they fired Ryan Saunders. The team looked a lot better under Finch, and he has now had an entire offseason and part of last season to get accustomed to the franchise and the players. The players seem to like him, and he has a proven track record as an offensive mastermind. He has loads of experience as an assistant coach on the Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Pelicans, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets. Some of those teams had incredible offensive firepower.
No one realizes they weren't healthy last season:
According to StatMuse, Russell and Towns over the past season and a half have only played 25 games together. Their record in those games? 13-12. Without much playing time together they have an above .500 record. Imagine what they can do with the supporting cast they have now; Edwards entering his second season, a full season of Malik Beasley and continuity at head coach.
The Timberwolves are going to make the playoffs, so it's time to buy low, so you can sell high at the end of the year.
