Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 Bold predictions for the 2022-23 season

3. Timberwolves Make The Western Conference Finals

Whether the Timberwolves wind up with a top four seed or not, they’re going to be in the playoff picture regardless. The question is, how far can they reasonably go? With the brilliant moves the front office made in the offseason, I think it’s fair to say they’re primed for a very deep postseason run next year.

The players the Timberwolves lost in the Rudy Gobert trade weren’t insignificant, and the hole they left behind might have crippled a less competent front office. But Tim Connelly and company devised a well-rounded plan, replacing the production of lost role players with fresh talent like Kyle Anderson and Bryn Forbes.

With the new additions they made and after drafting well in June, Minnesota shouldn’t miss a beat and should be set up to reap the full benefits of adding a star like Gobert to their roster in the playoffs.

https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/1471333012507807748?s=20&t=Hps-0C7LGJ8ZscRr4QR64Q

The modern era of basketball has taught us that perhaps the most valuable piece you can have in a playoff series is an offensively versatile guard or wing that can generate offense at will. The best players on championship teams tend to be these types of players.

Thankfully, the Timberwolves have their own budding offensive superstar in Anthony Edwards. His self-creation abilities are rare and he’s already shown he can produce on the biggest stage. Ant will undoubtedly be the biggest factor in determining how far Minnesota goes next year.

If this group plays to their potential, they can make it back to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the Kevin Garnett days in 2004. Doing so would likely require eliminating a Western Conference heavyweight or two, but that’s just how special this group can be.