5. Minnesota Timberwolves
X-Factor: Jimmy Butler
Minnesota is quickly becoming one of the more talked about teams in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves did not live up to the expectations last season falling to 31-51 at season’s end. With the addition of Jimmy Butler in the offseason however, the time is now to strike for Minnesota.
Starting at point guard is newly-signed Jeff Teague. Playing last year for Indiana, Teague averaged 15.3 PPG and 7.8 APG while starting all 82 games. With the Timberwolves lack of depth, they’ll need similar consistency from Teague this year.
Andrew Wiggins is quickly becoming the star he was destined to be. Taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Wiggins scored 23.6 PPG and improved his 3PT% to 35.6%. It appears Wiggins hasn’t hit his ceiling either, a scary proposition for the rest of the Western Conference.
The two bigs are newly-acquired Taj Gibson and Karl Anthony-Towns, who enters his third year in Minnesota. Gibson will bring experience and consistency, a great mentor for Karl Anthony-Towns. The 21-year old is on the brink of superstardom. He’s started all 82 games in his first two seasons, a rare feat in today’s NBA. He’s already considered a top-3 NBA center, and he could break away from the pack with another 25+ PPG and 10+ RPG season.
As talented as the starters are in Minnesota, the Timberwolves have some work to do on the bench. For now, the only players that will get significant minutes will be: Tyus Jones, Jamal Crawford, Nemanja Bjelica, Gorgui Dieng, and Cole Aldrich.
The talent is there in Minnesota. This team has all the pieces to be a top-4 seed in the Western Conference, but depth is a real issue. If Thibodeau’s squad can remain healthy, this team can compete with anyone.
Final Record: 44-38