For a brief moment, it looked like the Minnesota Timberwolves' tendency of inexplicable losses would actually benefit them, as it would set up a first-round matchup with the hobbled Los Angeles Lakers. However, the Denver Nuggets are now 1.5 games ahead of LA, and all signs point to (another) Minnesota-Denver series.
Notably, the Nuggets are on a 10-game winning streak and are the heavy betting favorites to secure the No. 3 seed, while the Wolves are officially locked into the No. 6 seed. Undoubtedly, of the three teams that the Wolves could have realistically played, the Nuggets are the most challenging opponent. And for what it's worth, I said this before the Lakers' injuries.
You may point to the Wolves' untimely injuries and current 2-7 stretch as the reason they are staring down a nightmare matchup. Nevertheless, the reality is that questionable losses and poor habits throughout the season truly caused this situation.
The Wolves' frustrating habits set up a first-round matchup with the Nuggets
Whether it was back-to-back double-digit blown leads to the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings in November, a five-game losing streak in January, or any of the other dozens of odd losses, the Wolves did this to themselves. Frankly, I could be here all day listing every bad loss the Wolves suffered, but I don't think that would be an interesting article to read.
The point is that the Wolves often underestimated opponents, took their foot off the gas, or came out flat throughout the season, and they're now dealing with the consequences of this.
Despite still ranking highly in both offensive and defensive rating, the Wolves have had key issues on both sides of the ball all year long. Defensively, the engagement from Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle has been unacceptable. Furthermore, they've struggled greatly in the non-Rudy Gobert minutes. On offense, the lack of dependable creation outside of Ant has been problematic.
While the Wolves entered the year with championship aspirations, they haven't shown the habits of a championship team 80 games into the season.
I will never write off an Anthony Edwards-led team in the playoffs. At the same time, I wouldn't bet on the Wolves to upset the Nuggets in the first-round. Thus, the most likely outcome seems to be a first-round exit at the hands of their rivals -- something that will undoubtedly trigger plenty of offseason change.
The Wolves may have been destined for a second-round exit anyway, but a matchup with the Lakers or Rockets would have made the chances of another deep playoff run significantly higher. In the end, this should be a good reminder of why taking the regular season seriously matters and how avoidable losses can add up.