The worst-case scenario for the Minnesota Timberwolves happened on Sunday night as they drew the Denver Nuggets in the first-round of the playoffs.
Playing a Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets team on a 12-game winning streak is a difficult task in the first-round. If they are fortunate to pull off an upset, their prize is (likely) playing a 62-win San Antonio Spurs team. And if Minnesota somehow beats the Spurs, the defending champion 64-win Oklahoma City Thunder will (likely) be waiting for them.
That's not ideal an ideal path to say the least.
If hypothetically the Timberwolves reach the finals (which, to be clear, is highly unlikely), they will have beaten the league's top-three MVP candidates and overall players. This would easily go down as one of the most challenging playoff runs in league history. In reality, though, the Wolves escaping the "gauntlet of death" feels like the ultimate long shot.
Another deep playoff run feels unlikely for the Timberwolves
The Spurs and Thunder would have always been there waiting for Minnesota. However, it's unfortunate that the Nuggets beat San Antonio on Sunday, as the Wolves could have drawn the Los Angeles Lakers in the first-round. Another trip to the conference finals or breaking through to the NBA Finals would feel unlikely still, but the hobbled Lakers would have made a second-round appearance all the more likely.
Despite clearly facing an uphill battle, I can't count out the Wolves against the Nuggets, particularly since they don't have a natural matchup for Anthony Edwards. However, the Nuggets are understandably entering this series as clear favorites.
The next two rounds (especially after what projects to be a grueling series with the Nuggets) are where things would truly get brutal for the Wolves, though. With all due respect, if they make the NBA Finals or even another conference finals run, it would feel like somewhat of a miracle.
If the Wolves had shown more consistency over the course of an 82-game season, I wouldn't be nearly as dismissive of their playoff chances. Regardless, the Wolves have proven all season long that they're a notch below these top-end teams.
Thus, it was always clear that making another deep playoff run would be a tall task, and with this bracket, that now seems like a borderline impossibility.
As a basketball fan, it's hard not to be excited about the playoffs, and the first-round series between Minnesota and Denver should be highly competitive. Still, purely from a Timberwolves perspective, the deck feels stacked against them, and the expectation is that another conference finals run isn't in the cards.
If and when the Wolves bow out early, it's fair to expect some roster changes this offseason.