Minnesota Timberwolves
The 2022-23 Minnesota Timberwolves can be defined by squeaking into the playoffs via the play-in and losing to the eventual champion Nuggets in 5 games.
What did we learn?
The Gobert trade was even more dismal than we thought.
From the jump, the fit between Towns and Gobert and the new-look Wolves was wonky. The Wolves played like a team missing their high-energy and culture guys from last season (Pat Bev and Vando).
It didn’t help that KAT got hurt (again), a calf strain at the end of November that caused him to miss nearly three months. Towns played in just 29 games this season.
On the contrary, Anthony Edwards played in 79 games, increasing his numbers across the board with a jump in usage. Ant-Man is a fiery competitor. We love that he cares about playing as many games as possible and being available for his team.
Sure, he was visibly annoyed at this team at times this season. Can you really blame him? The dude is 21 years old and already has had to carry the team night in and night out. He has the star power and the one-on-one game to pull it off, but it’s still a draining task.
Rudy Gobert’s arrival to Minnesota could not have started worse. His numbers were down across the board and it stung considerably more given the fact that rookie Walker Kessler’s per-36 numbers were on par with Gobert’s. You could easily argue that you would rather have Kessler over Gobert right now straight up. (And when you consider the contracts, it’s a no-brainer.)
Then you remember everything else the Wolves gave up to get him and you hope Wolves fans are okay if they are reading this.
The T-Wolves salvaged the season at the trade deadline by saying goodbye to D-Lo and hello to Mike Conley, who helped out Gobert tremendously. The previous rapport that Conley and Gobert built in Utah translated to Minny. Conley set the table for the Wolves on offense, giving them much-needed structure and organization.
For the second straight season, the calendar flipping from December to January sparked something inside the Wolves.
Oct. 18 - Dec. 31: (16-21 record)
Jan. 1 - April 9: (26-19 record)
Ant-Man found his groove and had seven 30-point games in January after having eight over the first 2.5 months of the season, igniting the Wolves to close out strong.
The T-Wolves finished a shade over .500 and with the No. 8 seed in the West, losing the first play-in game to the Lakers, blowing a 15-point lead. But they handled the undersized Thunder in the second play-in game, winning by 25 to get in the postseason.
For the most part, the Nuggets rolled, but the Wolves were able to win Game 4 in OT after nearly blowing another late lead. Ant-Man was about the playoff life, putting up 31-5-5, and it’s important to remember that the Wolves were missing Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and Kyle Anderson, three of their top-7 players.
Going foward, it’s all about maximizing the talent and roster around Anthony Edwards. Chalking the Gobert trade as an epic failure and cutting your losses this early would be a tough look, but Gobert’s value is not going to go up. Moving on from Towns would also be difficult, but the Wolves don’t have many other avenues to make upgrades. That’s the position they have put themselves in.
The T-Wolves say they are committed to the two big-man game with Towns and Gobert…
But with Ant-man:
You don’t want another KG in Minnesota situation all over again.
Additional Notes
When KAT was out and Gobert also missed time, Naz Reid really held it down. An underrated power dunker and 3-point shooter, sometimes the Wolves looked their best with Reid at the 5, giving Anthony Edwards the most room to work.
For being deemed “untouchable” last season, Jaden McDaniels had an underwhelming season on the surface, averaging 12 points in 30 minutes per game. But McDaniels played 79 games, put up good shooting numbers and was tremendous on defense. Somehow he was left off the All-Defense teams. But he was the only player in the league with at least 75 steals and 75 blocks. He was not available in the playoffs, breaking his hand after punching a wall that was supposedly behind a curtain.
Kyle Anderson was a beneficial player to have around this season, starting 46 games and helping Chris Finch with lineup flexibility. However, Anderson’s season will be remembered most for the fight with Gobert.
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Did our preseason Over/Under prediction hit?
The playoffs are another story, but this team seems built to excel in the regular season. Over 48.5 wins.
T-Wolves 2022-23 record: (42-40)
Nope. But it ended up being a lot closer than we thought after the first two months.
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What’s Next?
No draft picks is tough. Well, the Wolves do have the No. 53 pick in the second round. So there’s that.
Take care of the lesser teams on the schedule. The Wolves were 6-12 this season against the Hornets, Spurs, Rockets, Pistons, Wizards and Blazers.
Naz Reid is a free agent, and Minnesota would be silly to let him go. Then again, a lot of their money is already tied up…
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Favorite T-Wolves Highlight of the 2022-23 Season:
This space is usually reserved for an Ant power dunk, but this time it’s a power block.
