To get there, Timberwolves must prove they can handle playoff pressure

The Minnesota Timberwolves have long fought the battle to improve their chemistry and cohesion this season. Some of the battles have taken place on the basketball court. Other adversity has been fought in the locker room. Finally, another sort altogether has been fought by the Minnesota Timberwolves front office.

But now, with a record of 39-39, and just four games to play, the Minnesota Timberwolves must prove to the NBA that the hard-fought lessons bore fruit and that this team can handle the tremendous ‘must win now,’ pressure that will haunt them in and through each remaining game that they play.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have the pieces.  Whether this roster is fully healthy or depleted by injury and illness, the Timberwolves have demonstrated on the basketball court that they can compete against some of the best NBA teams in the league right now.

Pressure is mounting

Not all NBA teams were created equally this year. Some teams, like the Cleveland Cavaliers, are more difficult to score against. Some teams, like the Sacramento Kings, are more difficult to keep from scoring. And other teams, like the Golden State Warriors, are simply difficult to keep pace with:

The Minnesota Timberwolves must match their strengths against that of their opponents, and so far the team has split the outcome of their games right down the middle. That may or may not have been the right outcome for the team so far, but it most certainly won’t cut it going forward.

Like it or not, the Timberwolves can no longer be content to win some and lose some. With four games remaining in their 2022-23 NBA season, an almost certain NBA Play-In to get to the NBA Playoffs, and then a best-of-seven series from that point on, losing and regrouping is simply no longer a viable option.

The Timberwolves host the Portland Trail Blazers (32-45), and next travel to face the Brooklyn Nets (42-35). remain on the road to face the San Antonio Spurs (19-58), and finally close out their season at Target Center against the New Orleans Pelicans (40-38). On the Timberwolves’ schedule, the team should be able to win at least two of their last four games. But that is the same win-some-lose-some cycle that this team has coasted through all season.

The pressure is mounting. Pressure turns coal into diamonds. It’s that pressure right now that will show what the Minnesota Timberwolves are all about, and it starts today.