The Minnesota Timberwolves have been oh so close to finally reaching their first NBA Finals. Once they have gotten to the Western Conference finals the past two years, though, they were clearly the inferior team both times, losing in five games.
Now, Minnesota is looking towards a new season, where on paper, it doesn’t seem they have improved much. Instead, they are relying on internal growth from youngsters such as Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. It can also be said that Anthony Edwards hasn’t even reached his prime yet, as he turns 24 years old on August 5.
Windhorst speaks on Wolves wanting Durant
Prior to being traded to the Rockets, there were plenty of rumors surrounding the Wolves wanting Kevin Durant. On the most recent episode of his podcast, The Hoops Collective, Brian Windhorst sat down with Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to look at the over/under betting win totals for Western Conference teams. Windhorst brought up Durant, plus the fact that Minnesota may still be looking to change the roster, by stating,
“The Timberwolves front office felt that they should chase Durant at the trade deadline, although that was a bit of a fantasy being in the second apron. They chased him again this summer, so they think they may need roster modification, and I would keep that in mind. The contract that they signed Julius Randle to, I think, is a tradable contract.”
Right now, the Thunder clearly look the class of the Western Conference. The Rockets and Nuggets made moves to make them look stronger on paper. At least for now, Luka Doncic looks to be on a mission to prove doubters wrong in his first full season with the Lakers.
Will that put pressure on the Timberwolves, especially if they get off to an uneven start?
New ownership may be looking to improve
Alex Rodriguez has already talked about being obsessed with winning, comparing himself to longtime Yankees team owner, George Steinbrenner.
Steinbrenner certainly never was shy of making a notable deal. Sometimes the deal would be a swing and a miss, like Chris Davis towards the end of his Orioles tenure. Other times, it was a monumental hit like a Mark McGwire long ball in the 1990s.
He was never shy of doing something he believed would help the team. Rodriguez and new ownership could have the same mindset. Just because the team looks very similar to last season’s roster isn’t an assurance it will be like that all season long.