4 Burning questions that will determine the Timberwolves' championship chances

The Minnesota Timberwolves have made back-to-back Western Conference finals appearances. However, they are, of course, seeking their first championship in franchise history. There will be plenty of swing factors that go into this, though. Let's dive into four questions that will determine if the Wolves can reach their championship goals.

Will they get enough production out of their point guard room?

For much of the offseason, people were wondering if the Wolves would be able to replace Nickeil Alexander-Walker. So far, though, Terrence Shannon Jr. looks the part, and if not for whatever reason, Jaylen Clark is capable of playing real minutes. The bigger question to me has always been the point guard rotation, which is a clear flaw for the Wolves.

Mike Conley is 38, and the Wolves don't want to lean on him too much. The Ohio State product is coming off career lows in minutes and points. Ideally, second-year guard Rob Dillingham can take on backup lead guard duties. However, the Kentucky product is still very raw, and his preseason did little to provide confidence that he could play big minutes. Notably, excluding a game against the Guangzhou Loong Lions, he averaged just 8.8 points, on 38/30.7/50 shooting splits in the preseason.

The 6-foot-1 guard did show some promise as a playmaker, dishing out 6 assists against NBA teams in the preseason. Nevertheless, if Dillingham can't score effiecnety his role and impact will be limited.

It's worth wondering how much production they can get out of a 38-year-old Conley and a 20-year-old Dillingham. Conley will serve as the starting point guard; however, he will receive a lower level of starter minutes. For now, it looks like Dillingham will be competing for a spot in the rotation and will likely see spot minutes rather than a consistent role.

The Wolves will lean on Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, and Julius Randle for playmaking duties. Regardless, a lack of a true lead guard outside of Conley could be a fatal flaw for the Wolves; it certainly hurt them last season. Perhaps the Wolves make a move at the trade deadline, but for now, point guard play seems to be a key flaw.

Can Rudy Gobert maintain his level of play?

Rudy Gobert has been a pillar of consistency and defensive excellence. Since being traded to Minnesota, he has transformed the team's defense and helped them reach back-to-back conference finals. However, the 7-foot-1 is now 33, and last year his 12 points per game were the lowest mark since his third season.

In the playoffs, Gobert averaged just 7.9 points while shooting below 60 percent from the field. This led to Chris Finch reducing his minutes from 33.2 to 27.4. The Wolves will focus on getting Gobert more touches, but if he declines on offense, his role might be limited.

If Gobert's offensive decline continues, he'll likely receive closer to his 27-minute per game average in the playoffs. Regardless of his offensive decline, Gobert is an elite defender, and the Wolves struggled to hold up on defense when he sat last year. Notably, last season, with Rudy on the court, they posted a 108.6 DRTG (equivalent of second), but just a 116.3 DRTG (equivalent of 20th) with him off the court.

As a result, it's also worth wondering how the Wolves' defense will fare if Gobert's offense forces him to have a limited role. Overall, Gobert maintaining a solid offensive impact while remaining an elite rim protector will be key for the Wolves.

Will Jaden McDaniels reach another level offensively?

Outside of the second-year players, Jaden McDaniels is the most obvious candidate for a breakout season. He has long been one of the NBA's best defenders, but has another level to reach offensively. Last season, McDaniels averaged a career high of 12.2 points. In the playoffs, he bumped his scoring average up to 14.7 points. Likewise, from February 1st on, McDaniels averaged 14.1 points.

McDaniels crucially posted career highs in unassisted field goals and shots at the rim, indicating real improvement as a self-creator. As a career 34.8 percent 3-point shooter, developing more consistency from beyond the arc will be key. His career 42 3-point percentage in the playoffs is reason for hope, though. Last season, when McDaniels shot 40 percent or higher from 3-point range, Minnesota posted a 25-9 record.

Clearly, an aggressive McDaniels is connected to more team success. And at 25, it wouldn't be a surprise if McDaniels reaches another level. Ultimately, for the Wolves to reach their championship aspirations, McDaniels improving offensively will likely be necessary.

Will Anthony Edwards make another leap?

In the NBA, you will only go as far as your star will take you, right? Edwards has been miraculous for someone who is still under the age of 25. Still, there's room for him to grow, especially for the Wolves to win a championship. Edwards has made All-NBA second-team over the past two seasons. He is a clear top-10 player, but he likely needs to be a top-five player to lead the Wolves to the championship.

Playmaking, developing as a mid-range scorer, and remaining engaged off-the-ball defensively are key areas of growth for Ant. Notably, Edwards has been focused on becoming a consistent mid-range and post-up threat this offseason. He shot 37.5 percent from the mid-range on 2.7 attempts per game last year and just 30.8 percent on 26 total post-ups. If Edwards can develop this area of his game, he will become a more well-rounded scorer.

Plus, remaining engaged off the ball would help Edwards be a true two-way superstar. Nevertheless, the biggest area of growth for Ant is playmaking. Last season, he posted a subpar 1.44 assist-to-turnover ratio and ranked in the 10th percentile for assist-to-usage ratio per Cleaning the Glass.

The Wolves will depend on Edwards as a playmaker, given their point guard problems. For Minnesota to reach its championship ceiling, Edwards will have to make better decisions, particularly when he's double-teamed. Luckily, Edwards has steadily improved his weaknesses throughout his career.