5 things the Timberwolves need to do to get the No. 3 seed

#4 – Win the ‘easy’ games

This is the NBA, and no game is ever ‘easy’. But for a fourth-seed team in the West looking to find their way into the top-three, a team outside the top 10 shouldn’t be much worry.

In 2018, the Wolves have recorded losses to Chicago, Atlanta, Orlando and Brooklyn — all teams that the Wolves absolutely should not be losing to. Those four teams are the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Combine Atlanta and Orlando’s win totals and you’ve got the Timberwolves’ win total — it’s that bad.

So how did these teams manage to get the better of the Wolves? These losses all came on the road, but that shouldn’t be an excuse. The Timberwolves need to treat the bottom-tier teams the same as they treat a contender, and prepare accordingly.

Losses like these, in completely winnable games, are what will allow the Spurs to take the third seed ahead of Minnesota, and if they aren’t careful, allow other teams to overtake them, too.

The Wolves remaining games against Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Memphis should all be completely winnable, and could add valuable W’s to the win column.

When the Western Conference is as tight as it is currently, with just five wins being the difference between third and tenth, these ‘easy’ games are all the more important to help the Wolves distance themselves from the back of the pack.

If you have a look at the previous slide, you’ll see the Wolves may have a tough time adding to their win column throughout March, so these games are crucial to the Timberwolves’ clinching the third seed.