In the 2023-24 season, the Minnesota Timberwolves went 56-26. It was their second-best record in team history, behind only their 58-24 record in 2003-04.
Over the past two seasons, Minnesota has been good during the regular season, but the team has also been somewhat underwhelming. The Timberwolves have had consecutive 49-33 records and finished sixth in the Western Conference both years.
Yes, they’ve had some playoff success, but they have ultimately fallen short. Certainly, the hope is that Minnesota can finish better than sixth in 2026-27.
Primed to get off to a better start
Five playoff series wins in the last three years are great, but they haven't been good enough for the Timberwolves to earn their first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. They have beaten a higher seed in each of the last three years, but only one team seeded sixth or lower has ever won a championship: the 1995 Houston Rockets.
Minnesota has a good enough squad to finish better than sixth, but that could have been said the last two years, too. In those two seasons, the Wolves took some time to get going.
In 2025-26, they started 10-8. The Timberwolves also experienced a lull in late January, losing five straight games, including contests against the non-playoff contenders Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz.
In 2024-25, the team took half the regular season to really get going. The team underwent a huge transition, trading away Karl-Anthony Towns while acquiring Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. Their first 43 games were barely over .500 (22-21) before they put it together in their final 39 regular-season outings (27-12).
The schedule is set up so the Timberwolves shouldn’t allow themselves to have another slow start. Twelve of their first 18 games will take place at Target Center. If they protect their home court, they should be more than a couple of games over .500 by that point.
Anthony Edwards has been durable throughout his career, and the hope is that last season was a one-off. He missed more games than he had in his first five seasons combined. LaMelo Ball does have a somewhat lengthy injury history, but he’s coming off his healthiest season in years. Both are likely to miss games, but Minnesota can’t afford to have them both out at the same time.
Joan Beringer needs to show that he is ready for an extended role because he has the potential to be a great rim protector. If he’s not ready, Minnesota doesn’t have another big man on the roster, besides Gobert and Beringer, who can make opponents think twice about driving to the basket.
Finishing in the top two in a conference where the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs reside will not be easy. Another 49-win season may place Minnesota higher than sixth, though, with anti-tanking measures now in place and fewer games that can automatically be chalked up as wins.
The Timberwolves can win as a lower seed in the postseason. There’s no proof they can reach the Finals from that position, though. Every team will experience some lull during the regular season, so Minnesota needs to make sure it never has one for long, and starting the season strong would be a great way to do so.
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