3 Things Wolves fans should root for, 2 things to root against to close the season
By James Siems
With six games left in the 2023-24 NBA regular season, the Minnesota Timberwolves sit atop the Western Conference with a record of 53-23. Despite the nearness to the end of the regular season, it is far from certain who the Wolves will play, and who will be playing for the Wolves come playoff time.
The Wolves could remain the number one seed—an April 10 matchup with the Denver Nuggets will be critical to maintaining position. However, should they falter, they could easily slide to the third seed, a position which would likely result in them facing the Dallas Mavericks or New Orleans Pelicans in round one of the NBA playoffs.
If they grab one of the top two seeds, they will have to wait until the conclusion of the play-in to know their matchup. This could be any one of the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, or Golden State Warriors. The Mavericks or Pelicans slipping into the play-in also isn’t out of the question.
Now is the time of the year when fans of top teams are constantly scoreboard-watching. As the Minnesota Timberwolves close out their final six games of the regular season, what should fans be rooting for and against—both internally and around the league?
Root For: Winning Out
Brace yourself for an out-of-the-box take: Winning a basketball game is better than losing it (unless you’re the “process Sixers”). Winning six straight (eight counting the last two wins) to close out a season is even better. Jokes aside, there are many storylines to follow and internal victories to be won in this home stretch. These things may not help in the playoffs, but they can affect how a team’s season is remembered.
Should the Wolves win out they will have achieved the best regular season record in franchise history. They will have also secured the number one seed for the first time. Achievements like this, particularly when proceeded by a season plagued by what was dubbed one of the worst trades in NBA history, can vault a coach up the coach of the year rankings. Chris Finch currently ranks second in coach of the year odds, according to most sportsbooks.