4 NBA playoff teams most likely to take a surprisingly bad step back in 2024-25

Minnesota Timberwolves

If I had to make a prediction of whether the Minnesota Timberwolves will end up taking a step forward or step back this season, I would have to guess backward. The Wolves were one of the biggest surprises this past season and it's hard to envision just how they're going to improve off of last season. Aside from Anthony Edwards taking another step toward superstardom, the Wolves didn't make any big offseason additions. If anything, there's no guarantee that Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert will continue to have as much of an impact on the game for Minnesota heading into this next season.

If the Wolves' championship chances hinge on the supporting cast around Edwards, I don't have much confidence in that. Minnesota doesn't have a bad supporting cast, but they also don't have an exceptionally great one.

At the end of the day, I believe there's a better chance the Wolves end up taking a bad step back this season rather than emerging as a better team compared to last year. If nothing else, it's something to keep an eye on heading into next season.