It’s common knowledge that the Western Conference is more competitive than the Eastern Conference. However, this upcoming season, the gap is even more significant with many teams in the West getting better, along with Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton suffering injuries. The Minnesota Timberwolves still have a championship-level core despite not making any massive improvements this offseason. Nevertheless, being in the West makes things more challenging.
The West is miles better than the East
The Oklahoma City Thunder are bringing back a nearly identical roster after winning 68 games and the NBA championship. Furthermore, the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Clippers all made significant improvements that addressed their roster flaws. Adding a go-to scorer in Kevin Durant will certainly benefit the Rockets, while the Nuggets and Clippers made improvements around the edges that can’t be ignored. All of these teams, and the Wolves, are clear contenders.
Beyond that, the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers are still competitive at the least, given their star power and experience. Perhaps the Clippers belong in this tier given their age and injury history. Regardless, the point still stands that the West is ultra-competitive. The San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, and Memphis Grizzlies are also all playoff-caliber teams. Many of these teams are young and thus poised to continue being massive threats to the Wolves.
Conversely, the Eastern Conference has three contenders: the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, and Orlando Magic. While the Cavs have proven to be an elite regular season team, they have yet to translate this to playoff success. The Knicks arguably have the best combination of playoff experience and roster talent. Orlando undoubtedly improved by adding Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones. However, they still lack playoff experience.
Outside of the top three, the East is wide open. The Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, and Miami Heat could all be in play for a top-four seed. However, there is no clear favorite in this group. The Hawks and Magic are the only two teams in the East who clearly improved this offseason. Miami could be included in this group to a lesser extent. Nonetheless, it’s unclear if this will lead to true contention, especially considering the Hawks didn’t even make the playoffs last season.
The Wolves are still contenders
While it will be an uphill battle for the Wolves in the West, they are absolutely contenders. Minnesota has made back-to-back conference finals appearances. They finished the regular season with a 16-4 record in the last 20 games and dominated in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Bringing back most of this core will benefit the Wolves despite not making any major additions.
Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle give Minnesota the star power needed to compete for a title. Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid, and Donte DiVincenzo make up a loaded supporting cast. Second-year players Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Jaylen Clark could be in line for bigger roles. Furthermore, Randle and DiVincenzo being in the fold for a full year will benefit the Wolves. Overall, the Wolves have the versatility, depth, and star power needed to be one of the top teams in the league. Regardless, being in the West makes the Wolves' path to contention more challenging.