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NBA Insider Casts Doubt on MN Timberwolves
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- NBA Insider Casts Doubt on MN Timberwolves
Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
At 27-16 the Minnesota Timberwolves have just recently cross the midseason point. After an emotional loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night, they will look to regroup against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.
Anthony Edwards has been in and out of the lineup of late. When in though, he remains the straw that stirs the drink. His 55 points against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs set a new career-high, and he's still seeking a new level.
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Unfortunately it may take Edwards doing even more if the Timberwolves are going to get past the Western Conference Finals. The results right now leave something to be desired.
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Lukewarm feelings on Minnesota Timberwolves season
Tim Connelly has been looking for point guard help all season. The Minnesota Timberwolves have been forced into using both Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo in a miscast role . Chris Finch needs that sort of player for the rotation. Kevin Pelton (ESPN) still sees some serious issues with the roster makeup.
A 51-win pace obscures concerns for the Timberwolves, who have played the second-easiest schedule thus far among West teams, according to BPI. Minnesota has also generally been healthy, with its preferred starters together for 31 of 43 games. That's important because 2024 first-round picks Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. have been unable to fill the void left by Nickeil Alexander-Walker's departure in free agency, with Bones Hyland emerging as Alexander-Walker's primary replacement. Keep an eye on how injuries could expose the Timberwolves' shaky depth.
Pelton assessed the Timberwolves a B-which is indicative of both their current situation, and reflective of expectations. Given the up and down nature depending on competition, it's almost worth wondering if that's being too generous.
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There's no denying that the MN Timberwolves are a good basketball team. The problem is that good teams rarely win it all. To get over the hump, Minnesota must be great.
Bones Hyland has been a nice addition , but he doesn't possess the talent to produce in an NBA Championship-caliber capacity. Given the age of Mike Conley , it's almost reprehensible the Timberwolves haven't done something sooner.
Of course there was hope (which has proven fruitless) that both Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. could play key roles. They both may still get there, but the fit doesn't work on a high-level team needing to win now.
Trade could turn Timberwolves tide
We are just over two weeks away from the NBA trade deadline. The Minnesota Timberwolves are facing a luxury tax bill north of $24 million as it stands currently. They also have the fifth-highest current tax payroll.
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For Tim Connelly to pull something off, he'll need to get creative regarding both the assets moving as well as the numbers. There's no doubt he should have interest in trying to make something work though.
In each of the past two seasons, the Timberwolves have come up just one round short. Anthony Edwards is averaging a career-best 29.6 points per game while shooting the best percentages of his life. It's time to do something with that sort of superstardom.
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