Timberwolves likely face Play-In to earn NBA Playoffs berth

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been a hot team, and the Minnesota Timberwolves have been a cold team, but the Minnesota Timberwolves have most certainly not been a consistent team. It’s been their streakish nature that has been vexing, a befuddling inability to build any type of constant positive momentum. After rising through the ranks to a record of 39-37, the Minnesota Timberwolves have fallen back to the mean, a record of 39-39, with just four games to go to close out the 2022-23 NBA season.

Even if the Timberwolves win out and finish at 43-39, this team will likely need plenty of help to avoid the Play-Ins to get into the NBA Playoffs. the fifth and sixth-seeded teams, the Golden State Warriors and the LA Clippers boast records of 41-37. If the Timberwolves hope to overtake either team, the Timberwolves will need to win out and hope that either team loses three of their final four games.

While the Timberwolves had the opportunity to hold a much better record with just four games remaining, there is no more time to entertain what-if scenarios. By losing a game to the Los Angeles Lakers, the team failed to defeat a direct competitor for an NBA Playoff berth at Target Center, and must now rally to close out the season.

When will it show up on the basketball court?

The Minnesota Timberwolves, despite playing more cohesive basketball as a team, has only managed a 9-11 record since the NBA Trade Deadline. The Los Angeles Lakers, a trade partner, has played to a 14-7 record since that three-team trade. Of course, the Lakers bolstered today’s roster at the expense of their future assets. The final team, the Utah Jazz, has played to a 9-12 record since the deadline. But the Jazz emerged with a lightly protected Lakers first-round draft pick.

The Timberwolves must find a way to rally now and will have their chance on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at 2:30 pm CT by hosting the Portland Trail Blazers at Target Center.  Hopefully, the Timberwolves will rediscover their playmaking ability, as the Timberwolves have squandered halftime leads in both of their losses.

As it stands right now, the Minnesota Timberwolves will likely face one of these teams in an NBA Play-In contest:

Golden State Warriors (41-37)
LA Clippers (41-37)
Los Angeles Lakers (39-38)
New Orleans Pelicans (39-38)
Oklahoma City Thunder (38-40)
Dallas Mavericks (37-40)

Of that group, the Minnesota Timberwolves face the New Orleans Pelicans in the final game of the season. Will the Timberwolves hang on to even earn a shot at the NBA Play-In? With a team that is both hot and cold like the Timberwolves, there are no guarantees.

Ideally, the Timberwolves get hot enough to win out the season, win their Play-In game, and then compete hard in the NBA Playoffs. Curiously, this scenario would likely have the Timberwolves facing Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly’s former team.

But one step at a time. These Timberwolves need to find some way to win, again.