Buckle up and enjoy the ride, Timberwolves fans
The events of the Minnesota Timberwolves were not how I imagined the team might perform, nor were the overreactions that followed the team’s events and victory any great surprise. This is a dramatic time we all live in, and the ability to transmit instantaneous knee-jerk reactions has been both a boon and a bane in modern society. It’s a boon to have news of disastrous events shared instantly, allowing others to mobilize aid and positive responses quickly.
It’s a bane to have news and information of private conversations and discourse that is best limited to a small number of persons leaked to the general public. That bane places NBA head coaches like Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch into the crosshairs of controversy, when the more important priority is preparing a Timberwolves roster to face a quite healthy Los Angeles Lakers team without backup center Naz Reid and defensive savant forward Jaden McDaniels.
Timberwolves star trek: Going where this team has not gone in 17 seasons
The Minnesota Timberwolves have plenty to be proud of this season. That’s not just hyperbole nor is it some team-inspired scarecrow tactic. This is a Timberwolves team that has finished better than .500 for the second consecutive season, a feat that this team has not accomplished in 17 seasons.
Let me restate that. The Minnesota Timberwolves have followed up their 2021-22 NBA season with a record of 46-36 by going out and finishing their 2022-23 NBA season with a record of 42-40. That’s two consecutive seasons with a winning record, a feat that this team last accomplished in the 2004-05 NBA season.
Despite the nervousness and uncertainty of the moment, the truth is that the Minnesota Timberwolves should return just a competitive if not even better a year from now. This is a team that has climbed to the cusp of NBA greatness but allowed distractions to steer the team from the path. Distractions like the current controversial clash between Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson.