NBA Predictions: The Utah Jazz will rise in the Northwest Division

4. Minnesota Timberwolves

Key Additions: Anthony Edwards (the player, not the actor), Ricky Rubio, Jaden McDaniels (R)

Key Losses: James Johnson

The Minnesota Timberwolves are coming off an awful season where they weren’t even good enough to qualify for the NBA’s restart bubble. Despite having two All-Stars on the roster and Karl-Anthony Towns averaging 26 points and 11 rebounds per contest, the Wolves didn’t put up much of a fight against anyone last year.

They had a very good offseason though they drafted Anthony Edwards (no, not Goose from Top Gun) with the number one overall pick. They also acquired hometown-favorite Ricky Rubio via trade and signed Malik Beasley to a lofty contract despite recent off-court troubles. When you mix in those guys with Joshua Okogie, last year’s first-round draft pick Jarrett Culver and rookie Jayden McDaniels, the Wolves could be a pretty frisky team this upcoming season.

Last year, the Wolves were subpar in both offense (24th in offensive efficiency) and defense (19th in defensive efficiency) and really faded badly before COVID stopped the season. For such an athletic team that played at a very high pace, they couldn’t put up much fight against the better NBA teams. One area of concern I still have is their poor shooting – they were one of the three worst 3-point shooting teams in the League last year. While the acquisition of Ricky Rubio will help with leadership and defensive toughness, his career 31 percent 3-point shooting won’t exactly cure their 3-point shooting woes.

The Wolves are loaded with interesting pieces that could form together nicely. However, unless Anthony Edwards (no, not Dr. Greene from the TV show ER) can produce at a Ja Morant-level his rookie season or Karl Anthony-Towns can elevate his game to yet another elite level, it’s hard to see the Wolves staying above .500 in the brutally tough Western Conference.

Projected Record: 31-41