Predicting how many games will the Minnesota Timberwolves win in 2020-21

Predicting the Minnesota Timberwolves’ final record in 2020-21

The experts and analysts that we’ve taken a look at have ranged anywhere from 28 to 36 wins for the Wolves. That means that the most optimistic of projections has the Wolves right at the .500 mark at 36-36.

Playing in the Western Conference complicates things considerably; if the Wolves were in the East they’d likely be projected to finish somewhere in the No. 6 to No. 8 range and solidly in the playoff conversation.

Alas, the Wolves are stuck competition in the league’s tougher conference, with every team other than Oklahoma City genuinely trying to make the playoffs. There won’t be as many layups on the schedule such as Cleveland, New York, Charlotte, and Detroit in the East.

But don’t forget that the Wolves have zero incentive to tank this year, even at the end of the season. They owe their 2021 first-round pick to Golden State, and it’s only top-three protected. Unless the bottom completely falls out, the Timberwolves will be doing their best to win games until Game No. 72.

The Wolves will surely be better than last season, even assuming only relative health. The roster is better and deeper than it was a year ago, and the franchise wants to compete.

It’s also easy to forget about the true dominance of Karl-Anthony Towns. He’s already one of the league’s premier offensive talents, and if he turns in an average performance on defense, he’s easily a top-15 player leaguewide.

Teams with top-15 players aren’t ever terrible, and assuming the rest of the roster is as improved as it appears to be on paper, then this team will challenge the .500 mark, even in the rough-and-tumble Western Conference.

The prediction here is a final record of 36-36 and the No. 10 spot in the West, giving them an opportunity to win a pair of games and earn the No. 8 seed in the tournament.