If you haven’t been paying close attention to the NBA this year, the Western Conference standings may come as a bit of a shock. Sitting in the top two? None other than the long-suffering Minnesota Timberwolves who, as recently as last season, were taking heat for what was beginning to look like perhaps the worst NBA trade this millennium. Incredibly, their 67 straight days with a least a share of first place in the conference (they have a 30-13 record along with the Oklahoma City Thunder) are by far the most in club history; prior to this year, the Wolves had been in first a total of 20 non-consecutive days.
It seems the Timberwolves didn’t get the memo about being terrible and they’re shaping up to be a true championship contender in a Western Conference that’s as wide open as in recent memory. So what changed? How did the Timberwolves reverse course?
A star is born
The signs of the ascent that was to come from Anthony Edwards have been around for a while. As far back as the 2022 playoffs, it was starting to become clear that he was more than worthy of his 2020 No 1 overall pick status. But in order for the Timberwolves to transcend the middle-dwelling Groundhog Day they’ve been stuck in, the freak athlete was going to have to make the leap from star to superstar, and the 2023-24 season appears to be that year. He’s averaging 25.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists a game on the season, and has shown he is absolutely good enough to be the best player on a true championship contender. And that’s ultimately the most important component to the Wolves’ success.
Play the hits
When the doomsday preppers were shoring up the bunker for the Wolves last season (myself among them), one of the biggest demerits was the apparent regression of Rudy Gobert’s defensive prowess, which to that point had been the polarizing Frenchman’s calling card. What looked then to be, perhaps, a defender entering his post-prime has shaped up to be something more of a temporary divergence. He’s gone back to focusing on what he excels at, and what’s earned him three Defensive Player of the Year awards: being among the most punishing defenders in the league. He’s anchoring the Timberwolves’ defense and it’s working: they have a league-best 109 defensive rating. A fourth DPOY award could well be coming his way.
Relinquish the spotlight
One of the biggest doubts about the potential for this Minnesota team was that its success, in many ways, hinged on Karl-Anthony Towns’ willingness to defer to Edwards. Towns was mentioned in numerous trade rumors throughout the summer, and it’s been reported that the Wolves did, in fact, try to move him. It certainly couldn’t have been easy for the former face of the No 1 overall draft pick himself, to accept a role as Robin when he spent his entire career being Batman. And he’s had a moment or two of backsliding into a bad habit or two – he’s still prone to foul trouble late in games, and as recently as this week he faced “immaturity” criticism from even his own coach in his stat-padding quest that came in a loss at home against the Charlotte Hornets (in which he scored a franchise-record 62 points). But he deserves credit for buying in to a sidekick role and his general willingness to serve as a mentor for the ascendant star that is Edwards.
Best supporting actors
One thing every championship contender has in common, besides at least one superstar to carry them across the finish line? A solid supporting cast that fill specific roles – and have fully bought into them. Enter stage right for the Timberwolves: point guard Mike Conley, a one-time All Star who is universally beloved in the league and known for his basketball IQ and steadying locker room presence; defensive savant Jaden McDaniels who, wall-punching outbursts in the playoffs last year aside, has proven invaluable to forming the defensive identity of the team; and Naz Reid, the overqualified sixth man who has won the hearts of Timberwolves fans with his tenacity, enthusiasm and rare combination of size and ball handling.
Steady the ship
Coaches may very well be the most underrated component of an NBA team’s success. When things are going poorly, they’re the first to shoulder blame. But when things are going well, they’re often the last to receive credit. Chris Finch took a lot of heat last season when the Wolves were struggling, although it’s probably fair to say that questions about the savviness of the roster construction insulated him from a little of the flak. But that roster has remained, for the most part, intact, and the results are worlds apart. Yes, the players mentioned above (and some who aren’t) are mostly to thank for that. But Finch is due praise for getting the team to buy into a defensive-minded identity that’s paying dividends, and for clearly being a savant in ego management.
In early January, it’s too soon to say if the Timberwolves are having their best season in team history (although, statistically, they’re on pace to). That honor currently belongs to the Kevin Garnett led team of 2003-04: 58 wins, and the deepest playoff run in franchise history (the first and only time they even made it to the Western Conference finals). Exactly 20 years later, Minnesota Timberwolves fans are experiencing what can only be described as a basketball renaissance. And by the time June ends, they may finally have some hardware to show for it.
