Last season, the Minnesota Timberwolves joined the rest of the NBA in partaking in the first ever In-Season Tournament, now known as the NBA Cup. In this brand new tournament, each team in the association is split into a smaller group to take part in regular season games designated as "group play" that count toward standings for the tournament.
When group play concludes, the teams with the highest winning percentage in those games are set up in a bracket-style tournament, with the overall winner taking home the title of In-Season Tournament champion. The winners get an additional cash prize added on to their total salary.
The NBA Cup only alters the total number of games played in the season for the two teams taking part in the championship game. Those two squads will finish the year with 83 games played, while every other team will have additional games added to their schedule so that the typical 82-game mark is reached.
The Timberwolves will compete with the Clippers, Kings, Rockets, and Blazers
As for Minnesota's specific group for next season, they will be in a pool with the LA Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers. All things considered, this is an extremely favorable draw for Chris Finch and his team.
The Clippers just lost Paul George. While they may have added some additional pieces to offset their losses, they will still be in a process of figuring out their new team. None of the other three teams in the Wolves' group are serious contenders. The Kings may have the athleticism to give Minnesota trouble, but Houston and Portland are relatively easy matchups.
All this should contribute toward the Timberwolves having a simplified path to taking home the NBA Cup when the action begins in November.