All Things 2023-2024 Minnesota Timberwolves In-Season Thread

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2. Minnesota Timberwolves​


Last Rank 6

Did the trade deadline serve them well? Absolutely love what the Wolves did at the deadline with next-to-nothing to trade in terms of assets. This team struggles with the offense declining when Mike Conley or Anthony Edwards aren’t on the floor, and the Wolves keep turning the ball over too much. Getting Monte Morris should help with both of those things. He missed a lot of time with injuries this season, but he’s one of the best backup point guards in the NBA and takes care of the ball.

Key Stats
Record
37-15
Offensive Rating
114.9 (17th tied)
Defensive Rating
108.5 (1st)

theathletic.com

NBA Power Rankings: Timberwolves back at No. 2; how did the trade deadline affect teams?

Zach Harper explains why the Timberwolves are atop the West again and examines how each team handled the trade deadline.
theathletic.com theathletic.com
 
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Timberwolves' national profile to be raised with ESPN All-Access day​

There will be a Timberwolves takeover of sorts on ESPN next Friday leading up to a nationally televised game against the Bucks.

But for a franchise that hasn't won a playoff series in 20 years, raising a national profile doesn't happen overnight.

Those efforts, however, will get a big boost in one day next week. ESPN will soon announce plans for a "Timberwolves: All-Access" day on Feb. 23 leading up to a nationally televised 9 p.m. game at Target Center that night against the Bucks, Minnesota's first after the break.

Among the Wolves-centered ESPN content that day:

* Stephen A. Smith will co-host "First Take" from Target Center -- a show that will include a live interview with Karl-Anthony Towns -- and will also appear on several other ESPN shows on site.

* Malika Andrews will have a pre-recorded interview with Anthony Edwards, while Naz Reid will join the noon SportsCenter live.

* Rudy Gobert will conduct a film session.

* ESPN will have behind-the-scenes access from practices, pregame, halftime and postgame. It is also expected that Timberwolves co-owner Alex Rodriguez will join the broadcast during the game..

www.startribune.com

Timberwolves' national profile to be raised with ESPN All-Access day

There will be a Timberwolves takeover of sorts on ESPN next Friday leading up to a nationally televised game against the Bucks.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com
 






I don't love it when Ant plays hero ball but it was super fun last night when he came in the game late in the third or early in the fourth (forget which) as the Blazers were mounting a comeback. He basically said to the blazers and their fans, "We are done with this nonsense," and took over the game for the next 3-4 minutes. Game over. We've never had a player like him. Not even KG could do that.
 

Western Conference leading Timberwolves lost half that lead in the 2nd Quarter when Portland shot the lights out themselves, but they got it back. Wolves win by 37. Beat the Trail Blazers 128-91.

They won't play again until they host Milwaukee next Friday night.

After Portland cut the lead to eight at 73-65 with 6 minutes, 43 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Anthony Edwards put his foot down and refused to let this night join a string of calamitous losses over the last few weeks.

Edwards scored 15 points between that moment and the end of the quarter. He finished with 34 points as the Wolves (39-16) won their last four games before the break, all on the road, and now hold a 1½ game lead over Oklahoma City for first place in the Western Conference..

We was in the bonus, so [I was] just getting to the rim," Edwards said. "They fouled me and I go to the line. It's pretty much that simple. I actually took advantage of being in the bonus early in the quarter. So, y'all see it went well. I try to do that more."

Edwards was 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the quarter, but his ability to get to the rim led to a few layups and a dunk. It also freed room to operate for Karl-Anthony Towns, who had nine points in the decisive third on his way to 23 points overall.

"I just think it speaks to us being able to re-establish a focus in our standards in the middle of a game and get back to work," Towns said of the Wolves' third quarter. "So, obviously disappointed we couldn't keep those standards up in the second quarter.".

www.startribune.com

Timberwolves take 30-point lead in first quarter, smash Trail Blazers 128-91

The Timberwolves led 44-14, let the Trail Blazers get close in the second half and then pulled away for a one-sided victory to head into the All-Star Break on top of the Western Conference.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com




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Realize +/- for a game can be misleading, but check out Edward’s.
+36 Wow!
Edit: should have added this, ONE turnover
Think I read they now have the tiebreaker over OKC after last night’s game.
Also read Towns hasn’t played in the 4th in any of these 4 victories. Haven’t needed him.
Rest of the schedule is 17 home games and 10 road games.
 
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tikited said:
Not too many 30 point leads in the 1st qtr.
Click to expand...

"Only one other time in franchise history did they have a better first quarter than Thursday.

The Wolves opened up a 44-14 lead, and the 30-point margin was the second largest positive point differential they've had in a single quarter in franchise history. The only better quarter was a 31-point lead after a first quarter on Feb. 7, 2001 against the Kings. It was also the best point differential after a first quarter in the NBA this season."
 

* You were almost all wrong about the Rudy Gobert trade, and you were wrong because you thought that the modern NBA has to be all about guard and wing play.

The pendulum is always swinging when it comes to sports trends. As soon as small lineups became a trend, someone was eventually going to try to capitalize on that trend by building a dominant front line. The Wolves, with Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid, have a dominant front line.

Admit this, too: You assumed the Gobert trade was a joke because the Timberwolves made it, even though the individual who closed the deal, Tim Connelly, assembled the team that won a title in Denver.

* Your Karl-Anthony Towns slander was overdone, in a classic case of blaming an individual for a franchise's failings.

Towns has been an outstanding player his entire career. This year, he's an All-Star who has cut down on his arguing with refs and has received only one technical foul. He's the second-best player on the team leading the West, and has been uniformly unselfish in welcoming another prominent center to the team, and supporting Anthony Edwards as he becomes the face of the franchise..

The Clippers have the NBA's best record since Dec. 1, and the Wolves just went to LA and toyed with them..

* The website Vegas Insider lists Edwards as the 13th-most likely player to win the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award this season. The players listed ahead of Edwards: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brunson, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Durant, Domantas Sabonis and Steph Curry.

Jokic and Embiid may be the best players in the league, but the Nuggets are easing their way through the season, and the MVP is a regular-season award, not a legacy award. Embiid is injured. Tatum is the best player on the NBA's best team.

Everyone else is either not as good as Edwards, or isn't driving his team's success the way Edwards is.

I don't think Edwards is the league MVP at this moment, but if he continues to excel, play virtually every game and lead the Wolves to a No. 1 seed, he should be much higher than 13th on anyone's list. Maybe even in the top three. He's top 20 in points (26.3 per game), shots made (473), free throws made (285) and steals (63). The national media should wake up..

The Wolves are an excellent team, and they don't need rumors about trying to acquire LeBron James to be relevant. Someone might want to mention them this weekend, right after that exclusive insider report on what LeBron had for breakfast.

www.startribune.com

Dear NBA, meet the Minnesota Timberwolves. They're a lot different than what you remember.

It's NBA All-Star Weekend — and the national media will need notes on this remade franchise, best in the West and the best story in pro basketball.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com
 

Iceland12 said:
* You were almost all wrong about the Rudy Gobert trade, and you were wrong because you thought that the modern NBA has to be all about guard and wing play.

The pendulum is always swinging when it comes to sports trends. As soon as small lineups became a trend, someone was eventually going to try to capitalize on that trend by building a dominant front line. The Wolves, with Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid, have a dominant front line.

Admit this, too: You assumed the Gobert trade was a joke because the Timberwolves made it, even though the individual who closed the deal, Tim Connelly, assembled the team that won a title in Denver.

* Your Karl-Anthony Towns slander was overdone, in a classic case of blaming an individual for a franchise's failings.

Towns has been an outstanding player his entire career. This year, he's an All-Star who has cut down on his arguing with refs and has received only one technical foul. He's the second-best player on the team leading the West, and has been uniformly unselfish in welcoming another prominent center to the team, and supporting Anthony Edwards as he becomes the face of the franchise..

The Clippers have the NBA's best record since Dec. 1, and the Wolves just went to LA and toyed with them..

* The website Vegas Insider lists Edwards as the 13th-most likely player to win the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award this season. The players listed ahead of Edwards: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brunson, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Durant, Domantas Sabonis and Steph Curry.

Jokic and Embiid may be the best players in the league, but the Nuggets are easing their way through the season, and the MVP is a regular-season award, not a legacy award. Embiid is injured. Tatum is the best player on the NBA's best team.

Everyone else is either not as good as Edwards, or isn't driving his team's success the way Edwards is.

I don't think Edwards is the league MVP at this moment, but if he continues to excel, play virtually every game and lead the Wolves to a No. 1 seed, he should be much higher than 13th on anyone's list. Maybe even in the top three. He's top 20 in points (26.3 per game), shots made (473), free throws made (285) and steals (63). The national media should wake up..

The Wolves are an excellent team, and they don't need rumors about trying to acquire LeBron James to be relevant. Someone might want to mention them this weekend, right after that exclusive insider report on what LeBron had for breakfast.

www.startribune.com

Dear NBA, meet the Minnesota Timberwolves. They're a lot different than what you remember.

It's NBA All-Star Weekend — and the national media will need notes on this remade franchise, best in the West and the best story in pro basketball.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com
Click to expand...
The last line is hilarious. And needed to be said.
 

IMG_4916.jpeg
There was a point early in last night’s game where they were so concerned with Edwards that 4 players went to guard him. It was hilarious. Edwards passed out of it to Conley who hit a 3 pointer.
 

Iceland12 said:
* You were almost all wrong about the Rudy Gobert trade, and you were wrong because you thought that the modern NBA has to be all about guard and wing play.

The pendulum is always swinging when it comes to sports trends. As soon as small lineups became a trend, someone was eventually going to try to capitalize on that trend by building a dominant front line. The Wolves, with Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid, have a dominant front line.

Admit this, too: You assumed the Gobert trade was a joke because the Timberwolves made it, even though the individual who closed the deal, Tim Connelly, assembled the team that won a title in Denver.

* Your Karl-Anthony Towns slander was overdone, in a classic case of blaming an individual for a franchise's failings.

Towns has been an outstanding player his entire career. This year, he's an All-Star who has cut down on his arguing with refs and has received only one technical foul. He's the second-best player on the team leading the West, and has been uniformly unselfish in welcoming another prominent center to the team, and supporting Anthony Edwards as he becomes the face of the franchise..

The Clippers have the NBA's best record since Dec. 1, and the Wolves just went to LA and toyed with them..

* The website Vegas Insider lists Edwards as the 13th-most likely player to win the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award this season. The players listed ahead of Edwards: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brunson, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Durant, Domantas Sabonis and Steph Curry.

Jokic and Embiid may be the best players in the league, but the Nuggets are easing their way through the season, and the MVP is a regular-season award, not a legacy award. Embiid is injured. Tatum is the best player on the NBA's best team.

Everyone else is either not as good as Edwards, or isn't driving his team's success the way Edwards is.

I don't think Edwards is the league MVP at this moment, but if he continues to excel, play virtually every game and lead the Wolves to a No. 1 seed, he should be much higher than 13th on anyone's list. Maybe even in the top three. He's top 20 in points (26.3 per game), shots made (473), free throws made (285) and steals (63). The national media should wake up..

The Wolves are an excellent team, and they don't need rumors about trying to acquire LeBron James to be relevant. Someone might want to mention them this weekend, right after that exclusive insider report on what LeBron had for breakfast.

www.startribune.com

Dear NBA, meet the Minnesota Timberwolves. They're a lot different than what you remember.

It's NBA All-Star Weekend — and the national media will need notes on this remade franchise, best in the West and the best story in pro basketball.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com
Click to expand...
FWIW -

Wilbon said the other day thst at this point, 🐜 had his vote
 

I don't think that Gobert's value moves to where it is now without the Conley deal. He emphasizes finding Rudy when he flashes in the lane and the rest of the team has followed suit. Gobert is much more engaged and active on both ends of the floor.
I've got to disagree with the points about Karl. He was a big reason why the Butler experiment failed. He was a whiny, entitled brat as a young player. To his credit, he's grown a lot as a player and person. Let's all just forget that Charlotte game ever happened.
 

At the break, the Wolves are 39-16 and in first place in the Western Conference by 1½ games over Oklahoma City with only 27 games remaining in the regular season. They have the most road wins in the league (20) and entered the break on a four-game win streak as they tried to put behind a choppy final few weeks that saw them take preventable losses to sub-.500 teams in Charlotte, San Antonio and Chicago.

During the final eight weeks of the season, the Wolves will be trying to secure the second No. 1 seed in franchise history, joining the 2003-04 team. Their primary rivals for that spot seem to be Oklahoma City, the Los Angeles Clippers (two behind) and defending NBA champion Denver (three behind).

Of course, a championship is the ultimate goal, but their success — and lack of it in the playoffs — begs that question of how vital the Wolves view earning the No. 1 seed in helping them achieve the goal of winning a title..

www.startribune.com

Timberwolves gunning for No. 1 seed in the West: 'We have a purpose'

With 27 games remaining in the regular season, the Wolves are leading the pack in the conference at the All-Star break.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com
 

Too funny. Didn’t watch it, just viewed clips. Edwards launching those left handed shots in the skills challenge. Is he going to also shoot left handed during the game itself? Said he was.
 

fan of Ray Williams said:
Too funny. Didn’t watch it, just viewed clips. Edwards launching those left handed shots in the skills challenge. Is he going to also shoot left handed during the game itself? Said he was.
Click to expand...
I watched and 🐜 was saving up his energy for today. His left handed effort was horrible, including one off the side of the backboard.

KAT was great in the three point contest and Dame had to hit his final shot to beat him, he was shooting last, by one point. KAT’s final shot rimmed out otherwise he would have won as well.
 
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fan of Ray Williams said:
Too funny. Didn’t watch it, just viewed clips. Edwards launching those left handed shots in the skills challenge. Is he going to also shoot left handed during the game itself? Said he was.
Click to expand...

Gopher_In_NYC said:
O watched and 🐜 was saving up his energy for today. His left handed effort was horrible, including one off the side of the backboard.
Click to expand...

Ant did look awful. One of Edwards' partners, Victor Wembanyama, was laughing watching Edwards. The third partner was not.

Maybe he was just saving his energy for tonight. Though sure seems like Anthony wants the league and the public, to view him as a great player and a real badass and maybe a villain too.

This "us against the world" stuff can get complicated.
 

Iceland12 said:
Ant did look awful. One of Edwards' partners, Victor Wembanyama, was laughing watching Edwards. The third partner was not.

Maybe he was just saving his energy for tonight. Though sure seems like Anthony wants the league and the public, to view him as a great player and a real badass and maybe a villain too.

This "us against the world" stuff can get complicated.
Click to expand...
It’s one thing to goof on yourself, it looks classless when others are involved; it’s all part of the maturation process.

The male brain is still developing until 25, or in my case 45. He’ll get there eventually.
 



Hoping Karl-Anthony Towns doesn’t have a shoulder injury from 35 attempts in 28 minutes. Even in an NBA all star game, that’s incredible.
 


Wolves have to sign a full time player by Feb 22.

Any guess on who it will be?

I think they sign some schmuck to a 10 day while waiting for the buyouts to materialize
 

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