To win an NBA Championship, some level of experience is required. This is often referred to as "playoff scars." Simply put, most teams don't climb the mountaintop on their first go-around. At the same time, overly veteran-laden teams often can't sustain success for 82 games, plus a three-month playoff run.
As such, there's an ideal balance between experience and youth—thankfully, the Minnesota Timberwolves have this needed balance. They have made two conference finals runs in three years while having one of the youngest rosters in the league. During Jonathan Kuminga's introductory press conference, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly discussed this balance.
"I think while we're young in age, I think we're going to have one of the youngest starting lineups in the Western Conference," Connelly said. "I don't think we're young in experience; there's not a lot of teams that boast the amount of playoff experience that he's (Kuminga) seen or Ant's seen or Jaden's seen. So, I think it's time for these guys; they're already grown up. I think it's time for them to take even more responsibility for how the team plays on a day-to-day basis."
The Timberwolves are built to win now and down the road
Having this combination of talent that's ready to win now and young enough to sustain success puts the Timberwolves in an ideal spot. This is particularly true as they navigate life without draft capital and while they try to catch up to the juggernauts that are the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Rudy Gobert, Trey Lyles, and Donte DiVincenzo are the only three Timberwolves players who are older than 26. This is pretty staggering given their championship aspirations and the fact that they were on the older side last year.
While they have a young team, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels have been central parts of the Wolves' conference finals runs. Likewise, Gobert (even though he's older) has a ton of playoff experience. Kuminga was part of a championship-winning team with the Golden State Warriors during his rookie season. DiVincenzo won an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Ayo Dosunmu has some playoff experience under his belt after this past season, and, generally speaking, his all-around skill set lends itself to high-leverage situations. LaMelo Ball comes into the fold without any playoff experience. Regardless, he is an ultra-talented point guard, which has long been a need for the Timberwolves.
Despite Joan Beringer not having any real playoff experience, that should change this season, and he gives the Timberwolves a clear plan for when Rudy ages out.
The point is that Minnesota has a core with the experience needed to win at the highest level while having the youth needed to succeed for years to come. When it's all said and done, building a sustainable contender is the ultimate goal for every NBA team, and it's one the Timberwolves have accomplished.
Few teams are built to be sustainable contenders
When you look across the league, only the Thunder and Spurs can truly match this balance. And yes, with their slew of draft picks, both teams are in a better spot than Minnesota. Still, who else is truly a sustainable contender?
The defending champion New York Knicks are one of the oldest teams in the league, with four starters being 30 or older. If you even want to call the Denver Nuggets a contender, they face a similar problem once Jamal Murray turns 30 in the middle of this season. Plus, both teams are devoid of future picks. The Philadelphia 76ers are on the older side, given how important LeBron James and Joel Embiid are.
One could argue that the Houston Rockets are a sustainable contender, but Kevin Durant is their best player, so they don't qualify. The Los Angeles Lakers have some elements of sustainable contention. Yet Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are slightly above the 26-and-under mark.
All of this is to say that the Timberwolves are in a great spot because of their combination of youth and experience.
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