It's officially time to panic and unleash hot takes about the Minnesota Timberwolves

It may officially be time for the Minnesota Timberwolves to hit the panic button.

After making the last-minute blockbuster trade centered around Karl-Anthony Towns, it was clear that the Minnesota Timberwolves were taking a huge risk. Everything the team had built last year was on the line and in jeopardy. But that clearly didn't stop the Wolves from making a big trade that could help give them added financial freedom down the road. At its core, that's truly what the KAT deal was all about.

At least through the first quarter of the regular season, it does appear as if that risk is beginning to backfire on the Wolves. Having lost seven of their last nine games, the Wolves are now 8-10 and are currently sitting outside of the top 10 in the Western Conference standings. With how inconsistent the team has been this season, it may be time to hit the panic button in Minnesota.

To put their struggles so far this season into context, the Wolves didn't lose more than two games in a row last year. They have a three-game losing streak already early this season and are currently in the midst of a four-game losing skid. It just goes to show just how much the team has struggled so far this season. At the very least, the Wolves haven't been able to hit their stride as a team so far. At the most, this is a team with fatal flaws. The next couple of months for the team should be telling and will dictate how this team should approach the NBA Trade Deadline.

What has gone wrong for the Minnesota Timberwolves?

It's hard to pinpoint what exactly is the Wolves' biggest problem. Right now, they're a pretty average team all around, and on both ends of the floor. They're not terrible offensively or defensively. Both Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle are playing at a pretty high level. There just hasn't been much consistency, aside from maybe Naz Reid, anywhere else on the roster. And that's hurt the Wolves, perhaps more than anything, this season.

What makes it more frustrating is that there doesn't appear to be much chance of this team progressing to a mean. They may be playing at it right now. Aside from Edwards, there's nothing on this team that suggests they aren't an average team. It might be what they are. The Wolves are average.

However, the problem with that assertion is that last season changed the perception for and of the franchise. Not living up to what the team was last year or picking up where they left off was always going to be considered a disappointment. The Wolves are a different team and aren't going to be that level of contender this year. It's time to realize that. It will make the rest of this season that much more digestible.