MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: 44.5 WINS – OVER
Key Additions
- Shake Milton (free agency)
- Leonard Miller (draft)
- Troy Brown Jr.(free agency)
Key Subtractions
- Taurean Prince
Rotation
- Guards
- Mike Conley, Shake Milton, Jordan McLaughlin
- Wings
- Anthony Edwards, Troy Brown Jr.
- Forwards
- Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson, Leonard Miller
- Bigs
- Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid
Random thoughts, opinions, comments, declarations, queries, editorials, etc.
The fallout from the Gobert trade was historic. Some say the Wolves lost the trade, while most say they lost the most lopsided trade of all time. Five 1st round picks, along with 2023 FIBA World Cup alum Walker Kessler, for the rights to a 30 year old center with zero post moves and the worst hands in the league? Not only did they drastically lose the trade, but they got blown out in the PR competition too. How did nobody talk the Wolves’ front office out of this?
Trader Dan certainly got the best of Tim Connelly, as Ainge is one to do. However, consider the fact that Minneapolis is arguably the least sexy free agent destination in the entire league, a place that generally stays below freezing from Thanksgiving to Easter every year. The T-Wolves are the NBA’s equivalent to the Moneyball Oakland A’s. The odds are inherently stacked against them. So, they took a swing. A big swing. And, though they didn’t hit a homer, they did make contact. This is a good team that is well-coached, and Gobert is still one of the best defenders in the NBA. PLUS, they didn’t have KAT (injury) or Conley (mid-season trade) for most of the year, and still made the playoffs. They’ll be much better this season, healthy, with more playing time together, and the leap Anthony Edwards has seemingly made.
Last Year – Interesting Stats
- Since January 1st, the Wolves went 26 – 19 despite KAT missing most of that time.
- 3rd in FG%, 4th in BLK, 5th in STL
- Mike Conley shot 42% from 3 on nearly 6 per game
- Jaden shot 40% from 3 on over 3.4 per game
Keys to Success
KAT’s Health, Jaden’s corner 3 consistency, Rudy catches in traffic
Potential Obstacles
Ant vs KAT, Rudy’s Fist vs Kyle Anderson, Jaden’s Fist vs Wall
Hot takes
The Wolves win 66%+ of games Conley, Ant, KAT, and Rudy all play in, while finishing 3rd in the West.
STANDINGS PREDICTION: 2ND IN THE WEST
