5 Teams most similar to this year's Timberwolves (and how their seasons ended)
By James Siems
4. 2019-20 Toronto Raptors
Record: 53-19
Fate: Lost in Eastern Conference Semifinals to the Boston Celtics
Raw Similarity Score Rank: 2nd
Like the 76ers, the 2019-20 Raptors appear further down on the list than their initial similarity score would suggest. The post-Kawhi Raptors were led by a strong defense thanks to the versatility of OG Anunoby and the interior presence of Mark Gasol and Serge Ibaka. Pascal Siakam led the scoring charge, averaging 22.9 points per game, and their guard trio of Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, and Norman Powell also made significant contributions with their respective playmaking and shooting.
Also similar to the 76ers, the Toronto Raptors cruised through their first-round matchup, sweeping the seven-seed Brooklyn Nets. However, in round two they ran into a tough Boston Celtics team. In a series where the home team won every game until game seven, the Toronto Raptors fell just short—their lack of true star power finally catching up with them.
This Raptors team falls further down the list because of two weaknesses they have that the Wolves do not. First, the 2019-20 Raptors lacked an elite-level scorer. Provided Towns has returned to full health, the Timberwolves should have two. Not one player on the Raptors averaged more than 20 points per game in the 2020 playoffs. Anthony Edwards is averaging 28.1 points per game in his 11 playoff games, and while Towns has only averaged 18.6 points per game during his playoff career, his regular season numbers indicate he is capable of more.
The second weakness of the 2019-20 Raptors is that they could not keep teams off of the offensive glass. Despite decent interior size, and a hard-nosed rebounding guard in Kyle Lowry, they ranked in the bottom 10 in the league in offensive rebounds allowed.
The Timberwolves, on the other hand, have been near the top ten all season. These two weaknesses combined with the fast pace in which they ran their offense led to the 2019-20 Toronto Raptors falling below less statistically similar teams in this ranking.