Timberwolves shown no love with 2023 In-Season Tournament schedule
By Bret Stuter
Are you versed in the NBA’s new wrinkle this season? Well, the Minnesota Timberwolves have gotten no favors in the inaugural 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament. But, before we dissect the challenges facing the Minnesota Timberwolves in the tourney, perhaps it’s as good of a time as any to refresh everyone on exactly what the NBA In-Season Tournament is all about.
Because the NBA competes in such a long 82-game schedule, the powers that be have long been interested in ways to infuse excitement and recharge fans’ interest. The NBA In-Season Tournament schedule has been established, and Round 1 games are embedded in the NBA regular season.
Why try to describe the process, when I can count on ESPN to give a solid review:
In the end, it’s one more way to infuse postseason excitement into the middle of the season. So what do the Minnesota Timberwolves face this season?
Timberwolves NBA In-Season Tournament schedule
- Date Opponent Time
- Nov. 10, 2023 @ San Antonio Spurs 7:00 pm CT
- Nov. 14, 2023 @ Golden State Warriors 7:00 pm CT
- Nov. 24, 2023 Sacramento Kings 7:00 pm CT
- Nov. 28, 2023 Oklahoma City Thunder 7:00 pm CT
So why is that a problem?
Well, the Golden State Warriors are perennial powerhouses when it comes to NBA postseason competition. And that will most certainly be the case in the 2023-24 NBA season. Another opponent, the Sacramento Kings, is a rising team that has tasted the 2023 NBA Playoffs and is eager to take another shot.
But perhaps the greater challenge to the Minnesota Timberwolves comes when the team faces the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. You see, the Spurs boast rookie Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-5 209-pound phenom who has already been anointed as a shoo-in for the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
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But do not overlook the Oklahoma City Thunder, who will finally benefit from big man Chet Holmgren. While Holmgren stands just 7-foot-1 and weighs 194 pounds, he has a similar skill set to Wembanyama. His advantage is that he returns to a Thunder roster that already exceeded expectations in the 2022-23 NBA season.
What it all boils down to is that there are no gimme games for the Minnesota Timberwolves this season in terms of the NBA In-Season Tournament. In fact, the Timberwolves could end up 0-4 or 4-0 this year. Worst of all, as competitive as the Timberwolves’ In-Season Tournament games might be, not one will be nationally televised this year.
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That doesn’t say much for the Timberwolves at this point. But with the pressure off, that could bode well for the Timberwolves chances. Stay tuned, because the Timberwolves schedule is due to be made public today at 2:00 pm CT.
We’ll have a lot more to discuss when that happens.