Minnesota Timberwolves are learning this important lesson in Round 1 of NBA Playoffs

What must the Minnesota Timberwolves do in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs? Even as the team is suiting up and being humbled at the hands of the veteran Denver Nuggets this season, the team’s front office, coaches, and players ought to be taking notes. After all, the Denver Nuggets are the type of team that the Minnesota Timberwolves hope to be someday:

A perennial NBA Playoff team.

So what happened? The Timberwolves barely scraped and clawed their way for the second consecutive season into the NBA Playoffs this year, but the journey was not exactly the type of chapter that had built the type of consistency, communication, and continuity that the Timberwolves roster needs at this point to win games.

And the Denver Nuggets have all three of those qualities. In fact, of the Nuggets’ starting five, only one player has less than three years of experience playing, and starting, for the Nuggets. Compare that to a Timberwolves roster that has been a virtual turnstile all season long. Case in point, the Timberwolves started two players: PG Mike Conley Jr. and SF Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who had just over 20+ games competing for the Timberwolves this season.

Injuries derailed the Timberwolves’ 2022-23 season as well

When you overlay the injury to PF Karl-Anthony Towns, limiting him to just eight games with his two new teammates, the picture of just how unfamiliar the players are with one another on the Timberwolves roster.

What can fix this issue? Time, and only time. The Timberwolves are facing an uphill struggle to advance in the NBA Playoff this season, but don’t look at this as though the team is taking a final examination and failing. The NBA Playoffs are the most important lesson to be learned by the Minnesota Timberwolves this season.

The Timberwolves will have at least three more opportunities to find ways to compete more effectively, crack the ‘Nuggernauts,’ armor, and create some positive momentum to carry over into the next season.  When do the Timberwolves face the Nuggets again?

The Timberwolves will play once more in Denver, and then travel home to take on the Nuggets twice at Target Center. Can the Timberwolves turn this around? I wouldn’t put anything beyond this team, particularly in light of the fact that the team seemed to hit the wall numerous times in the season, but come roaring back to life unexpectedly.

The Timberwolves made it back to the NBA Playoffs and did so against the odds and in the face of adversity. Is that enough for this team? It may need to be for the time being. After all, the Timberwolves have no way to suddenly get comfortable with one another without the process of competing together.

On the other hand, the Minnesota Timberwolves are well-positioned to have a dynamic and exciting off-season.  What will the team do to become more competitive? While we ponder the possibilities, let’s hope the Timberwolves can split the series at Denver before flying home.