Minnesota Timberwolves: No more excuses for the talented Wolves
It’s time to win for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Minnesota Timberwolves may not seem like a team that is entering the 2021-22 season with much expectation, but this could be a make-or-break season for this franchise for several reasons.
Year after year, the Wolves have been considered as one of the biggest letdowns. Led by Karl-Anthony Towns, one of the most talented big men in today’s game, the Wolves continue to find ways to fall short of expectations – they haven’t made the playoffs in three years, have only made it once with Towns on the roster (mostly than to Jimmy Butler), and as a franchise have only one postseason appearance in nearly two decades.
Either this is the year that the Wolves are finally going to breakthrough in the Western Conference, or this is the year that is going to prompt major changes for the franchise. Either way, in a sense, there are no more excuses for this talented roster.
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The Minnesota Timberwolves have an abundance of talent in place
Aside from Towns, who is arguably a top 5 player at his position, there is much more talent on this roster. The team’s second-leading scorer from last season, Malik Beasley, isn’t even considered their second-best player on the roster.
Beasley is a talented 24-year-old scoring machine that would probably be better served as a super sixth man for this team. He is a three-level scorer and is one player around the league that doesn’t seem to get enough love. He has some off-the-court issues, but his offensive talent should not be ignored on this roster.
Coming off a sensational season in which he averaged 19 points per game, Anthony Edwards quickly emerged as the team’s second-best player a season ago. Even though he didn’t win the Rookie of the Year award, he was more than deserving. He should be in line for an exceptional sophomore season with the Wolves – and the sky is the limit for the young man.
With the recent play of Beasley and Edwards, it’s easy to forget about D’Angelo Russell. When he’s healthy, he’s also an explosive offensive player at the guard position. He leaves much to be desired on the defensive end, Russell is a player that should be in line for a strong season after battling injuries last year.
If this team is healthy, the Wolves have four strong offensive players on the roster that should be able to make life difficult for opponents every night of the year. The Wolves also added Patrick Beverley, who should help defensively, during the offseason.
Minnesota has some catching up to do defensively – they were ranked 28th on that end of the floor last season – but this team is too talented to not find themselves in a race for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Additionally, the Wolves have also been linked to Ben Simmons. Such an acquisition could drastically change the perception (depending on who they would have to give up) as well.
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Whether they’re able to land Simmons or not, there’s no question that the excuse-making is over for the Wolves. This team has enough talent already on the roster where they should be competing for a playoff spot. If they can’t, perhaps it’s time for some major changes. And perhaps it should begin with Towns.