Minnesota hasn’t always enjoyed a lot of success since the Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles way back in 1960. The Timberwolves joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1989-90 alongside the Orlando Magic and have made it beyond the first round of the playoffs just once in their entire existence. But things are finally looking up for the Wolves this season, with a lot of things coming together for them to make a run.
The Minnesota Timberwolves clinched their 42nd win of the season against the Milwaukee Bucks, thus ensuring a winning record this season even if they should somehow lose all 10 of their remaining regular-season games. This is just the second time the Timberwolves have managed a winning record since 2005, having posted losing records in all of those seasons except one.
The Timberwolves have secured their 2nd winning season since 2005. They rank:
1st in points per game
2nd in threes per game
3rd in blocks per game
4th in steals per game
8th in point differential
They have the best record since All-Star break. pic.twitter.com/nCf1DfdDUh
— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 19, 2022
As the statistics show, it’s not just the win record that is impressive for the Wolves, it’s the way they’re doing it as well. Leading the league in points per game, their offense is clearly among the best in the NBA. Being 8th in point differential is also a telling stat, the Wolves are beating teams handily, an important factor going into the postseason as it serves to boost morale.
The Wolves haven’t had a truly elite player since Kevin Garnett left for the Boston Celtics, but Karl-Anthony Towns is earning himself a reputation as one of the best players in the league this season. Russell and Edwards are both excellent as well, and Pat Beverley has brought winning culture and some much-needed fun to the team. That he has powered them to the best record since the All-Star Break is also huge, getting hot at the business end of the season is something all NBA teams strive to do.
The Timberwolves sit just a game and a half behind the 5th-seeded Dallas Mavericks and a game behind the Denver Nuggets who are 6th. They have an excellent chance to finish the season as the 5th seed, which would be their highest finish in the standings since the 2003-04 season. For fans that have suffered through some terrible seasons, this could end up being one to savor and remember.
