The 2023-2024 season has the potential to be the biggest in Minnesota Timberwolves history. Some may scoff at this idea with a team who has needed to use the play-in the last two seasons to make the playoffs however this year could be only the second time ever that the Timberwolves advance in those playoffs past round one. If you want to look into the wolves development this offseason look no further than Antony Edwards leading team USA in scoring at the FIBA World Cup. Ant-man was able to put Team USA on his back and score at will during times in the United States fourth place finish, and he also sparked a national debate about his future in Minnesota despite signing a five year extension earlier in the offseason. Many national NBA media members believe that Edwards is next up as the face of the NBA similar to Lebron, Jordan, Bird and Magic before him. This had led to some questioning how long he as a player should give Minnesota to build a championship core around him despite him only being twenty-two years old. Conversations like this create pressure in the Timberwolves organization from ownership all the way to the locker room. If the Timberwolves want to compete for a championship this season three major things will need to happen.
Edwards Makes the Leap to Superstardom
While Edwards is a quote machine off the court and a bucket machine on the court his on court play has not hit consistent superstardom yet. It was clear Edward’s NBA game grew a lot last season with the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns as he was arguably one of the hardest all stars Denver dealt with on their run to their first championship. Despite this Edwards still isn’t talked about daily in the national media like most superstars and he has yet to make an All-NBA team so far in his young career. Many including myself believe Edwards will hit this point with the new number five on his back and he will take over as the Timberwolves alpha dog this season. If this happens the sky could be the limit for the 2023-2024 team.
KAT is Healthy and Fitting With Gobert
Last season at this time many wondered how Karl-Anthony Towns would fit along Rudy Gobert after the Timberwolves made a blockbuster trade to acquire the former defensive player of the year. Unfortunately the Timberwolves will go into the 2023-2024 season with similar questions. Karl-Anthony Towns missed fifty-one games with a torn right calf last season and after coming back it was clear he wasn’t fully at his best. If the current Timberwolves roster wants to advance in the playoffs they need KAT at his best and fully healthy come April. They also need head coach Chris Finch to figure out a good way to play to both of his star center’s strengths in the rotation. This will be no easy task as Gobert looks to regain the form he had as a member of the Utah Jazz after a down season in 2022-2023 with his new team. While Edwards may be the team’s best player these two players will be the most important not just for success this season but also looking at roster building once the season ends. If the two centers can’t learn to play with each other they could put the front office in a very tough position looking at the 2024 offseason.
The New Fits In Minnesota
With the trade of D’Angelo Russell at the trade deadline last season the Timberwolves were finally able to find the Point Guard help they have desperately needed in former all star Mike Conley. He is back for 2023-2024 for his 17th NBA Season with one year left on his deal making him a potential trade deadline candidate again. To help boost the point guard depth the Timberwolves signed twenty-six year old guard Shake Melton from Philadelphia who will lead the bench unit along with newly re-signed center Naz Reid. Minnesota will also return rotational players in Kyle Anderson, Nickell Alexander-Walker, Jordan McLaughlin, Wendell Moore Jr, Luka Garza, and Josh Minott. However after the team saw a loss of depth between 2022 and 2023 due to the Gobert trade bringing in veteran shooter Troy Brown Jr and G League Ignite second rounder Leonard Miller should help create the depth the team had during their 2021-2022 season. These players coming together along with the continuing development of starting forward Jaden Mcdaniels could make or break Minnesota’s 2024 campaign.
Season Prediction
The reality for the Timberwolves is there has to be a leap made in the standings otherwise changes will be made around Ant Edwards. This team can’t settle for another year of getting to the playoffs via the play-in and then losing in a quick series in the first round. If the Wolves fail to make the jump it is likely KAT, Gobert, and Conley are all potential moving pieces in the next calendar year. As a Wolves fan I am optimistic of the core and willing to see the fit between Gobert and Towns before judging this core. However the Timberwolves have never been the franchise that capitalizes on optimism in the past. The difference between the Timberwolves of the past and this year’s team is Antony Edwards. This team will go as far as he takes them in his first pivotal season of his career. I see the Timberwolves season being a fifty plus win team as a ceiling this season and hopefully looking at a home court advantage in the first round of the tough Western Conference. However, given how competitive the west will be this year the floor of this team could be out of play-in similar to how the Dallas Mavericks missed the postseason last year if injuries or bad stretches occur. No matter what, this will be an intriguing year of Timberwolves basketball as this core looks to prove they aren’t the same old Wolves of the past.
West Coast Hoops 