Entering Saturday, the Minnesota Timberwolves were on a five-game winning streak. Attempting to win their season-high sixth game in a row, the team instead came out flat and lost in blowout fashion to the Orlando Magic.
On the latest episode of the Bill Simmons Podcast, Simmons spoke with Zach Lowe on a variety of NBA topics. When they got to talking about the Timberwolves, Simmons said,
“I don’t understand Minnesota either…I really wanted to believe in Minnesota, I was dying to believe, they were 33-1 to win the title heading into that Saturday game. Every time we feel like we’re getting momentum with…here’s the mystery contender we needed for the stretch run, and It’s Minnesota. And then they just suck in a game.”
There are times when it’s obvious Minnesota can be a title contender, led by one of the top scorers in the league, Anthony Edwards. Saturday also wasn’t their first confounding loss, as letdowns have happened often. This Jekyll and Hyde act has left fans confused all season long, and Simmons' comments reflect this mindset.
Simmons surely isn’t the only one having a tough time understanding the Wolves. Seemingly playing well entering Saturday, losing by 27 points to the Magic is unacceptable. The team scored just 58 points outside of Edwards in the lopsided loss.
Still third in the Western Conference despite numerous confounding performances
At 40-24, the Timberwolves currently sit third in the Western Conference standings. They are also just 1.5 games ahead of the sixth-seeded Denver Nuggets and three games above the Phoenix Suns, who are in a play-in spot at seventh. So with 18 games remaining, there is still a lot for Minnesota to play for.
While the record is certainly solid, you can’t help but wonder why they’ve had so many performances that seem like complete no-shows. Their last three losses have now come by a combined 73 points. Yes, they have eight wins in that stretch as well, but it’s strange to see them partake in so many non-competitive games that they lose.
Minnesota has also lost outings against tanking teams like the Utah Jazz and Brooklyn Nets. They had two complete meltdowns at the end of games back in November against the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings.
The Wolves now head on the road for a four-game West Coast trip starting Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers. After that, they face the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, and Oklahoma City Thunder. Going at least 3-1 could turn Simmons and others back into believers.
Regardless, there's no denying the Wolves are one of the hardest teams to gauge in the league.