The Minnesota Timberwolves took the San Antonio Spurs to six games in the Western Conference semifinals. While they won two contests, the series seemed like a blowout, particularly because the Spurs won Games 4 and 5 by a combined 59 points.
I’m sure many of the Timberwolves players are keeping an eye on the NBA finals. San Antonio is trailing the New York Knicks 3–1, blowing a 29-point third quarter lead in Game 4.
Looking on should give Minnesota a bit more hope that this Spurs team is not unbeatable and continue their belief that with some small tweaks, they may be able to find their way into the finals soon.
Timberwolves can’t lose sight of title aspirations Â
The Wolves have won five playoff series in the last three years. Unfortunately, the three series in which they have been eliminated over that time haven’t been all that close.
Still, watching the finals shows that with some slight roster tinkering, the Wolves can have a chance against a team like the Spurs. Julius Randle was terrible against San Antonio, so trading him will rid the team of someone they seemingly can’t count on in the postseason. There's certainly reason to believe that there's more growth on the way from Anthony Edwards, who turns just 25 on August 5.
The Spurs are young (and haven’t fallen short of the ultimate goal yet). Maybe they need to get this out of their system before coming back next year stronger than ever. It's rare to see a young team able to accomplish a championship in any sport during what is their first crack at it in the postseason.
There is last year’s champion still around, as well as in the Oklahoma City Thunder. Maybe injuries to Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell are the reason that they aren’t currently in the finals. There are impending apron concerns coming for them, though, and key players such as Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort could be gone next season.
The Timberwolves already have their franchise player in Edwards. They have a core around him of players that will be 27 or younger next season, which includes Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels, Terrence Shannon Jr., Joan Beringer, and Ayo Dosunmu (if re-signed). Tim Connelly will do his due diligence in making moves to improve the roster, which could include trading Randle.
Right now, it seems like the Spurs and Thunder will be in the mix for many years to come. That doesn’t mean that the Wolves should sit around and wait for them to drop off.
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