5 Flaws that could crush Timberwolves' playoff dreams

1. Clutch woes

The Wolves will have to claw out wins in the playoffs. There is no team in the top ten in the Western Conference standings with a worse offensive rating, and their turnover issues are well-documented. Minnesota must rely on their defense and will be forced to win close games.

The Timberwolves have struggled late in tight contests since trading for Rudy Gobert. They have a negative-10.6 net rating in clutch situations this season and score just 104.8 points per 100 possessions. Last season, their offense was worse, but Minnesota had a 1.8 net rating behind their stellar defense. Anthony Edwards is becoming a superstar, but he can get too locked in on scoring and push the Wolves offense out of whack.

A lot of factors play into the team’s struggles in the final five minutes with the score within five points. It is a small sample size, but fans can see their lack of spacing and ball movement hinders their offense. Ant-Man may have enough star moments to render it pointless, but it is certainly something they should try to iron out before the playoffs.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the best teams in the West. They have the talent to make a run, so stay tuned to see how the franchise fares in their third straight postseason appearance.