Even after a Western Conference Finals run, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a lot to prove heading into the 2024-25 NBA season.
After an impressive step forward in their progression as a franchise last season in which they made a run to the Western Conference Finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves will be entering a season with real expectations for the first time in a while. Even after trading Karl-Anthony Towns in a blockbuster deal centered around a return of Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, the Wolves are still considered to be one of the favorites to come out of the Western Conference.
Whether or not they'll be able to live up to such lofty expectations remains to be seen, but this is a team that does appear to have all the pieces to make a championship run in the next couple of seasons. As pre-season games continue to pick up, we explore two potential season-defining questions and make one bold prediction for the Wolves.
How fast will Julius Randle learn the system?
Even though Karl-Anthony Towns never truly reached his ceiling as a player during his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves, it would be foolish to say that he wasn't an important part of the team's championship build. If Minnesota is going to be able to pick up where they left off last year, they're going to need Julius Randle to quickly fill the void that KAT will leave.
One of the bigger questions for the Wolves revolves around how quickly Randle will be able to learn the team's system and look comfortable as part of the offseason. There are likely going to be some learning curves but if Randle could hit the ground quickly and find some rhythm with this team right away, it could make all the difference for their championship chances.