Are the Minnesota Timberwolves Finals Contenders?
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The Minnesota Timberwolves have been red hot to start the season currently sitting with a record of 12-4. This has certainly been one of the biggest surprises of the NBA season so far as the Timberwolves finished last season as the 8 seed in the west with a record of 42-40. One of the biggest reasons for Minnesota’s success is their defense. Minnesota is currently tied for first in the league in defensive rating, compared to 10th last season. This improvement in defense is in large part due to both the interior presence of Rudy Gobert, and the perimeter presence of Jaden McDaniels who has proven himself to be one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. Minnesota’s offense has also taken a step up this year as they are 13th in the league in offensive rating this year compared to 23rd last year.
With all of this in mind it is seeming as though the Rudy Gobert trade may have not been as abysmal of a trade as originally thought. Last season the Timberwolves failed to meet expectations after the trade for Rudy Gobert. This was partly due to the team not getting enough time to gel on the court as Karl Anthony Towns missed 53 games last season due to injury. Now the Timberwolves are fully healthy (minus the recent Jaden McDaniels injury) and have proven that they can be a powerhouse in the west. Giving up five first round picks for Rudy Gobert is still absurd, however, the Timberwolves have proved that the trade has shown some success as the Timberwolves are currently the number one seed in the West as well as having the number one defense in the NBA in large part due to Gobert.
While these numbers are promising, the regular season and the playoffs are two different animals. A team led by Rudy Gobert has proven in the past that they can have great regular season success, yet still struggle come playoff time. In the 2020-2021 season the Jazz, led by Rudy Gobert, finished with the best record in the NBA at 52-20, however they lost in the second round to the Clippers in 6 games. The Timberwolves have been very promising this season, however, the team needs more playoff experience before they become legitimate contenders in the West. Teams like the Nuggets and the Suns are more so the favorites right now as these teams have proven it in the playoffs before, both making it to the finals within the last three seasons.