With 27 national TV games, the Minnesota Timberwolves rank eighth in the league. Fans are in for an entire season full of exciting matchups, and I myself cannot wait to see the electric new backcourt of Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball turn up at Target Center.
Out of the 27 national TV games the Wolves got, they'll face 16 different teams. This is my ranking based purely on how exciting I project the matchups to be.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder: @ OKC 11/25, 12/25, @ OKC 3/2, 3/28
It seems like the NBA world knows how electric this rivalry is, with all four games being on national TV, including the Wolves' first-ever home Christmas game. The boo's for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be deafening during the two home matchups, and the games will certainly be down to the wire.
2. San Antonio Spurs: @ SAS 1/22, 2/18
I'm surprised only two of the matchups between these teams are nationally televised. After Victor Wembanyama intentionally elbowed Naz Reid in the face during the playoffs last season, the Wolves fan base grew a certain dislike for him. After how the playoffs between the two teams ended up as well, you can bet the Wolves will be out for revenge.
3. Charlotte Hornets: 1/29, @ CHA 2/15
I am super happy that the league chose to televise both of these matchups nationally. Both Naz Reid's and LaMelo Ball's homecoming to their former teams should be met with both a lot of emotion and a lot of excitement, with both teams probably playing with something to prove.
4. Denver Nuggets: @ DEN 12/28, 12/31, 1/27, @ DEN 3/7
This is another matchup where every single game is nationally televised, and for good reason. These teams hate each other. The Wolves embarrassed the Nuggets in the playoffs last year and showed the entire NBA community who the superior team is. The Nuggets will want their get-back, but they still haven't fixed their "bad defenders" problem.
5. Toronto Raptors: @ TOR 1/7
The Raptors aren't a rival by any means, but I'm super high on them for next year. They have a real chance to be the best defensive team in the league, and assuming the Kawhi Leonard situation gets resolved, they'll have one of the best closers in the game on top of that. Given how tough it's been historically for the Wolves in Toronto, it should be a fun and challenging matchup.
6. Philadelphia 76ers: 3/13
The only reason the 76ers are this low on my list is that the game isn't until March, and frankly, I would be stunned if all five of their starters are healthy when this game comes around. But with LeBron James rumored to join the Wolves and ultimately choosing otherwise, I'll be willing to bet he gets a fair share of boos when he's in town. These teams project to be two of the best teams in the league, which should equal an elite heavyweight matchup.
7. New York Knicks: @ NYK 1/18
I understand the significance of Madison Square Garden, but the only nationally televised matchup between these two teams not being at Target Center confuses me. With the love that Karl-Anthony Towns always receives when he's in Minnesota, I thought it would be a no-brainer for that to be a home game for the Wolves. Nevertheless, the Knicks are the defending champions, meaning this will be a fun test for the Wolves.
8. Los Angeles Lakers: 12/16, @ LAL 4/7
There's nothing super special about the matchup with the Lakers, especially now that LeBron is gone, but they're still a good basketball team and a potential playoff matchup for the Wolves. Plus, it's always enjoyable to see Luka Doncic try to put Rudy Gobert in isolation as many times as possible when they match up.
9. Brooklyn Nets: 11/23
You might be wondering why Brooklyn isn't dead last on this list, considering they're projected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA, but there's one reason why I am personally looking forward to this specific matchup at home quite a bit. Julius Randle will be back in town, and I am expecting some *loud* boos given how his Wolves tenure ended. Maybe not on the Jimmy Butler level, but one tier below that.
10. Miami Heat: @ MIA 10/21, 2/6
The exciting part of this matchup is that it will be the first official game on their new teams for both LaMelo Ball and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The season opener always brings a special level of excitement, and for these two teams, that excitement is probably one notch higher.
11. Houston Rockets: @ HOU 1/5
While there aren't a ton of storylines connecting the Rockets and the Timberwolves, similar to the Lakers, they're a tough Western Conference team that could also be a potential playoff matchup. The added KD and Ant drama always makes for a good show as well, with Edwards seemingly turning into a Michael Jordan clone when he sees Durant line up across from him.
12. Boston Celtics: @ BOS 2/12, 2/28
In the past few years, the Celtics and Wolves have always played very close and entertaining games against each other. Jayson Tatum and Ant have had a little bit of a friendly rivalry for a few years now, and each game turns into must-see-TV.
13. Portland Trail Blazers: @ POR 2/2
I don't really know what to think of the Blazers. They have approximately 5 million guards on their roster, and they plan on starting two sub-6-foot-3 point guards next to each other: Ja Morant and Damian Lillard. I expect an offensive explosion from Ant and LaMelo. It will also be weird having former assistant coach Micah Nori coaching against us.
14. Golden State Warriors: 4/2
You'd think this matchup would be higher up on the list with Draymond Green's antics towards Rudy Gobert, and the utter hatred the fanbase has for Jimmy Butler, but frankly, I don't think this Warriors team will be good at all. It's still a mystery if Butler will play this year, and it's quite literally a "Steph Curry and friends" type of roster. But the drama between the teams prevents them from being last.
15. Atlanta Hawks: 3/10
The Hawks are a hard team to evaluate. They have a lot of firepower on the defensive side of the ball, but on offense it can be a little hit-or-miss. It will be nice to see a familiar face in Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who was loved by fans in his 2.5 years here, but other than that, there are no real storylines other than it being, hopefully, a competitive game.
16. Detroit Pistons: 3/22
I thought about putting this matchup higher due to the fight that happened two years ago between the two teams. But the two main antagonists on the Pistons during that fight were Isaiah Stewart, who's now in Memphis, and Ron Holland III, who plays about 15 minutes a game. It should still be a good game, however, with both teams having championship aspirations.
The Wolves have the luxury of having two global superstars on their team, leading to a large number of nationally televised games, and while all should be a show, this is how I would order them on excitement level.
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