Can’t win for losing
In summary, the Timberwolves played very well against good NBA teams. in fact, the Minnesota Timberwolves were 25-22 against winning teams. That was the fifth-best record against tough opponents in the NBA.
- Team                         Rank       Record
- Boston Celtics                 1            33-15
- Milwaukee Bucks                2            31-17
- Philadelphia 76ers         3            30-18
- Denver Nugget               4            29-18
- Minnesota Timberwolves  5           25-22
That’s some pretty good company, isn’t it? But the Timberwolves delivered a mixed bag last season, and through the course of the 82-game season, it became very clear that the Timberwolves roster had a very frustrating habit of taking their foot off the gas against bad teams.
Bad teams beat the Timberwolves
So how well did the Minnesota Timberwolves do against NBA teams that seemed to struggle last season? Well, that is where things got downright ugly for the team.
- Team                         Rank       Record
- Detroit Pistons                30          10-21
- San Antonio Spurs              29          11-20
- Houston Rockets          28         12-18
- Charlotte Hornets           27       13-18
- Orlando Magic                     25           15-16
- Dallas Mavericks                 25           15-16
- Minnesota Timberwolves 24           17-18
That is perhaps the single most damning factor that held the Minnesota Timberwolves stuck to mediocrity last season. So what happened? Why were Timberwolves players so good against good teams, yet so bad against bad teams? Grab a coffee, tea, or cold beverage, because we’re going to dive into this one a bit further.