The Minnesota Timberwolves are routinely one of the most-traveled teams in the NBA. That doesn’t change for the 2017-18 season.
Due primarily to the division alignment, the Minnesota Timberwolves have always had one of the toughest travel schedules in the entire NBA. It’s one of the major downfalls of being part of the Western Conference despite their solid midwest location.
In every other major league sport, Minnesota is placed in competition with teams from Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan. That’s not the case in the NBA.
According to Ed Kupfer, an NBA stats master, the Wolves will travel more miles than any other team this coming season:
With routine trips to Denver, Portland, Utah and Oklahoma, this should come as no surprise to Wolves’ fans. That doesn’t even include the seven trips they will have to make to California.
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The wear and tear of the frequent travel will undoubtedly have a negative effect on the players. There’s no way around it. I’m sure Tom Thibodeau and co. will have a plan in place to help the players fight through this adversity. Given it’s his second year as the lead decision maker, he should have added experience on how to work around it.
The travel distance isn’t a built-in excuse for poor performances. However, neither can it be swept under the rug as a non-factor.
Unfortunately for Minnesota, there isn’t a better way to align the divisions. The only possible solution is for the NBA to expand and add a couple of teams. I know there are a few cities out there that could present realistic plans to field and host an NBA franchise. Seattle and Las Vegas are two that immediately come to mind.
Next: Minnesota Timberwolves: Top offensive lineup
In his short tenure, Adam Silver has proven to be a forward-thinking commissioner. Hopefully, he comes to terms with this monstrosity and takes the necessary steps to fix it.