This season has been unbelievably confusing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. And yet, if you have followed the Wolves in recent years, it also makes far too much sense. Minnesota has struggled incredibly with consistency. At times, they have looked like one of the best teams in the league. And in other moments, they have completely failed to show up.
The highs have matched the lows with this team. Let's just consider a few telling examples. Within the same month in February, the Timberwolves reached some extraordinary heights while also falling to some of the most pitiful depths. Within the same four weeks, they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder twice while also losing to the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz.
Outcomes like these have led many to question just how far this team will go in the playoffs. The biggest question is, which version of Minnesota will we see show up in April and May? Will it be the world-beaters that can beat any team on any given night, or will it be the lackadaisical team that plays down to competition and gets ousted in round one?
The Timberwolves are their own worst enemy
What this season has shown us so far is that the Timberwolves are their own worst enemy. They have shown us they can go on an eight-game winning streak that raises everyone's eyebrows. But just when they are beginning to be discussed as a serious threat in the Western Conference once again, they promptly lose three of their next four.
Likewise, after three losses in four contests, the national audience begins to count them out yet again. In response, Minnesota goes out and wins four more in a row, including gritty victories over the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets in double overtime. Naturally, the public's opinion of the Wolves is swinging in the opposite direction right now, but for how long exactly?
This roller coaster ride Minnesota is taking everyone on this season is clearly going to end up one of two ways. Either they will retain some consistency in the postseason and be a real threat to reach the conference finals again, or they will fizzle out immediately. One thing is for sure: The biggest thing blocking the Timberwolves from winning a championship is themselves.
Minnesota is clearly a pressure-performing team. If you give them a game that is widely considered a freebie, that is not a situation they have thrived in. But when matched up with top teams, the Wolves are typically at their best. At this point, success is just going to be about getting out of their own way.