It is fairly evident that there are a lot of good teams in the Western Conference. It’s also true that there is a clear favorite amongst them in the Thunder. The reigning NBA champions are coming off a season where they finished with the best point differential in league history. Zach Lowe of The Ringer uses OKC as an example for why it may be difficult for the Timberwolves to take a step forward in the upcoming season.
Thunder are expected to be a problem once again
On the most recent episode of his podcast, The Zach Lowe Show, Lowe talked with Rob Mahoney about how NBA teams can get over the hump. When discussing the Timberwolves, Lowe believed the team is just short.
"They just feel like a couple of ingredients short of the kind of offense that’s going to be able to score against the very, very best defenses, Lowe said. And really the problem they have more than anything else is that Oklahoma City is unsolvable on defense…they just feel a little bit short of offensive creativity and vision."
Of course, it was the Thunder that eliminated Minnesota in the 2025 Western Conference Finals in five games. While the Wolves scored 144 points in their Game 3 win, they had two other games in the series of 88 and 94 points. Their two best offensive players, Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, combined for barely more assists (38) than turnovers (44).
In the regular season last year, the Wolves finished eighth in the league with a 115.7 offensive rating. It dropped to 113.6 in their playoff run and was at 111.7 in their five meetings with the Thunder.
Youth expected to make strides on the offensive end
That’s why many are pointing to the Timberwolves’ youth to help on the offensive end. In particular, two players that should see more time are 2024 first-round picks, Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. Shannon Jr. was a scorer in college at Illinois and displayed that ability once he was finally inserted into the postseason rotation. At this point, Dillingham likely has a higher ceiling on the offensive end than Mike Conley.
Another player who is pointed to in hopes of improved scoring is Jaden McDaniels. Turning 25 years old on September 29, he is already seen as one of the best perimeter defenders. McDaniels remains an inconsistent scorer, though, but he has shown improved shooting and scoring in the last two postseasons.