Are the Minnesota Timberwolves for Real?

Read Time:3 Minute, 45 Second

The 2023-24 NBA season has been a wild one as the end of 2023 grows near. There have been several teams that have surprised the league including the Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder, but no team has been more surprising than the Minnesota Timberwolves. A team that finished 42-40 and lost in the first round of the playoffs, the team currently sits first in the Western Conference with a 21-6 record. Have the Wolves become a legitimate powerhouse in the West, or are they just having a great start to their season?

The success of the Timberwolves starts with Anthony Edwards. The first overall draft pick of the 2020 draft has not only made his impact known but established himself as the true number one option on the team and a young superstar in the league. For the second year in a row, Edwards is averaging over 24.0 PPG while averaging 5.4 RPG and a career-high 5.1 APG. His shooting from the field has taken a tiny step back, but at the same time, he’s shooting a career-high from both beyond the arc and the free-throw line. Having back-to-back 30-point games including a clutch shot to seal a win in a comeback against the Miami Heat, ANT has quickly shown the league needs to be on high alert.

Karl-Anthony Towns has also played a pivotal role in the Timberwolves’ season. After years of being the number one option for the team and missing over 50 games last season, KAT has looked strong in the 2023-24 season so far. Averaging 22.2. PPG, 9.5 RPG, and 3.0 APG while shooting career-highs from both the free throw line and three, KAT has thrived as the number two scoring option on the team. Following Minnesota’s win against the Heat, head coach Chris Finch had nothing but praise for Towns:

“What I’m most proud of KAT this season is he’s making a ton of those small, winning plays.”

With rumors of Towns possibly being on the trade market, he has proven that he is a great fit for the Wolves.

Another great fit for the Timberwolves this season, Rudy Gobert has shown that the blockbuster trade for him was not a mistake. While he’s never been the greatest scorer, he’s led the Wolves to a league-best 107.1 defensive rating. Averaging 12.4 RPG and 2.4 BPG, he’s top six in both categories. Like Towns, Gobert has had a bounce-back season after dealing with some injuries. Looking more like the Gobert that won three Defensive Player of the Year awards in Utah, Rudy has proven he’s still one of the best defensive big men in the game.

While Minnesota’s big three has been the biggest talk of the Wolves’ season so far, they have been getting contributions from everyone. After signing a three-year, $41M deal in the offseason, Naz Reid has been an exceptional sixth man for the team averaging a career-high 13.6 PPG and 4.6 RPG. Even though he’s become a meme in the basketball world, Reid is having one of his best stretches, averaging 15.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG in his last 10 games. In his first full season with the Wolves, Mike Conley has been an underrated piece of the team. Conley is the veteran the Wolves so desperately needed for years. He’s been a locker room leader for the team as he’s begun to wind down his career. Other than his play as the starting point guard for the team, the best thing Conley has done is become a mentor for Anthony Edwards. Conley has praised Edwards’ play as the young superstar has quickly blossomed.

In their 26 games played so far this season (at the time of writing), Minnesota has had convincing wins over the defending champion Denver Nuggets, Boston, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Indiana, in addition to numerous blowouts. Looking at the rest of 2023, the Wolves play Sacramento, Dallas, and OKC again, as well as the Lakers (twice). If Minnesota can finish the calendar year strong, they can show they are a legitimate contender the rest of the NBA needs to watch out for. For now, Minnesota has shown that they are one of the best young up-and-coming teams in the league.