Only Just the Beginning
Heading into the regular season in 2021-22, not a lot was thought about the Minnesota Timberwolves after the team finished 13th in the Western Conference. A top pick in the draft was always a constant theme for the Wolves. But after a reinvigorating season, Minnesota finds itself in a position it has not been in for a long time.
This season was the first time since 2018 that the Wolves have been eliminated from the NBA playoffs in the first round. Immediately after that year, Minnesota plummeted out of the playoff picture. But this season's team looks like it could be around for quite some time.
Even though the Western Conference has plenty of star power, the Timberwolves seem up for the challenge, with a plethora of young players who are hungry for their first taste of success in this league. Former Toronto Raptors assistant, Chris Finch, is creating an identity in Minnesota with an emphasis on toughness.
Following the game six defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies, Wolves star Karl Anthony-Towns stated, "That next run is going to be something special, and we know it. I think the league understands who we are, they know what we are. We’re not that laughing stock like everyone has tried to make us for all these years... We came out, we balled out, we gave ourselves a chance. I think this is the beginning of something special."
C/O: Yahoo Sports/Getty Images
The city's franchise player, Anthony-Towns is all-in to sign an extension with the Timberwolves, who have loads of momentum on their side for the first time since Kevin Garnett suited up for the Wolves. Anthony-Towns, alongside Anthony Edwards who announced himself to the entire league during the first round of the playoffs, could grow into something special. Edwards improved in almost every statistical category in his second season as he has become one of the most fearless players in the entire NBA. Edwards has proven himself as a go-to scorer in the clutch for a Wolves team that has been waiting for a young star like this to help supplement what Towns does as one of the best stretch-fives in the entire league.
This Minnesota team has been slow and steady in terms of transactions, acquiring just Patrick Beverley and Taurean Prince in the offseason. No moves were made during the trade deadline this past season compared to its other competitors in the league. Minnesota is a consistent squad that is growing its team the right way under a coach who seems like he has a mission going forward. For a young Timberwolves team, going out in the first round in six games against a deep Grizzlies team that looked a lot like Minnesota last season. The era of super teams is coming to an end and building around homegrown talent like Edwards and Anthony-Towns, alongside adding some supplement players like D'Angelo Russell via trade could be the start of something special in a city that has not witnessed something remarkable from its sports' teams since the "Minnesota Miracle" back in 2018, when the Vikings shocked the Saints in one of the most miraculous winning plays in sports history.
This season was the first since 2017-18 that the Timberwolves made the playoffs. The team has not made it past the first round of the postseason since 2004, when Garnett took home the MVP award, as he averaged a jaw-dropping 24.2 points and 13.9 rebounds enroute to leading that Minnesota team to the number one seed in the Western Conference. During the seasons where the franchise was not finding much success after that conference finals run, there was a lot of turnover in the roster. Anthony-Towns was used to playing with Derrick Rose and Andrew Wiggins one season, and had to transition to the next season to play with a completely new set of players. From a multitude of injuries, to seeing his mother pass away from COVID-19, Anthony-Towns has been through a lot professionally and personally; but it may all be coming together for him and his team seven years after he was drafted with the first overall selection.
After a disheartening defeat in a series that ultimately could have gone either way, Minnesota now looks to the future with more questions. Keeping this same group of guys has been the motto recently, but is that the way to go in a competitive Western Conference? The consensus by many is for the Timberwolves to use this offseason as a growing period for many young guys like Edwards, and the 21-year-old Jaden McDaniels. After finishing 13th in the west the season prior, Minnesota did not have many expectations coming into the 2021-22 season. How will this franchise be able to deal with uncharacteristic higher expectations next season? This is a new frontier for this Minnesota franchise who are not the hunter anymore, but the hunted. Seeing that team compete at a high level in the playoffs put it on the national stage for the entire league to see where the potential of this Timberwolves roster lies.
Winning franchises don't grow in the span of just one season. It takes time to craft a team that can contend in an ever-evolving NBA. This squad, led by Chris Finch, possesses a plethora of young role players who are learning what they bring to a team in this league. Jordan McLaughlin was steady off the bench in game six as Finch benched Russell because of inconsistent production. He could be the player to move if Minnesota wants to make a splash in the offseason, but keeping him around for next season will only create a more cohesive environment.
Russell is not the player he was when he suited up for the Brooklyn Nets just a few years ago, but he still continues to find ways to contribute in many different ways. Russell is the player who has been rumored to be on the trade block, given his outings late in the season, and the criticism he received from one of the team's veterans, following game six. He averaged just 12 points in the series against the Grizzlies, and with one season left on his contract, he could be the player who is on his way out of Minnesota.
C/O: Getty Images
Seeking constant growth and improvement, this Timberwolves team is one with a bright future ahead of them. Questions surround Russell and his importance to the team following an disappointing playoff outing. The growth has been obvious, and well noticed from last season to this one. The Wolves snagged Tim Connelly away from the Denver Nuggets to assume the position as president of basketball operations. There is no question this team was to ascend to the NBA elite, and with Connelly now onboard, the trajectory is moving upward. Minnesota may need a veteran forward to help guide players like Jarred Vanderbilt along. The 2021-22 season was a success and a learning experience all-in-one for the Timberwolves. There is only one direction this team is headed in the future, and that is up.
