Why I am a bigger believer in the Minnesota Timberwolves right now
By Bret Stuter
Reason III Timberwolves and the NBA Playoffs
While the Minnesota Timberwolves managed to finish the 2022-23 NBA season with a record of 42-40 and end up as the eighth-seeded team in the NBA Western Conference, they failed to earn a spot in the NBA Playoffs yet, as the team lost against the Los Angeles Lakers.
As a result, many Timberwolves fans are asking themselves the obvious question on the day after that loss: Can the Timberwolves roster salvage their NBA Playoffs opportunity? Before we answer that one, we have to first ask ourselves if Kyle Anderson and Rudy Gobert can compete effectively in Game 3 of the NBA Play-In Tournament.
Kyle Anderson believes that they can.
Kyle Anderson when asked if he and Rudy Gobert can make up and play together going forward:
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) April 9, 2023
“Ah, yeah. It is what it is, and move forward. We want to win games. It is what it is. It ain’t the first time someone has swung on me. It is what it is. We keep it in house.”
So how about the other side of the dispute?
Gobert is ready to shine for the Timberwolves
In Rudy Gobert’s view, will they be able to compete together?
I've been working on a piece about Kyle Anderson's leadership and his blunt, honest way of talking to teammates. I asked Rudy Gobert about him yesterday. He's what Rudy said. pic.twitter.com/l0kDs94lR5
— Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) April 9, 2023
Family feuds can be common among even the closest-knit families. And it’s that ability to twist and shout one moment, yet celebrate with an embrace the next, that is a tell-tale sign of a closely knit group.
The Timberwolves organization, and every player on the roster, knows that they need the optimal performance of every player to advance. That means that there is no wiggle room on the Timberwolves roster for hard feelings, grudges, or lingering dissension. The Timberwolves remain one game away from competing in the NBA Playoffs. That will be the team’s motivation for Game 3 of the NBA Play-In Tournament.