Since the beginning of the season, the Minnesota Timberwolves have stood as a team filled to the brim with talent, but as the season has gone on, they've ascended to a level of not just being an exciting team, but a legitimately contending team. 

The Timberwolves have risen all the way to the third-seed in the Western Conference at this moment, surpassing teams like the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers, all teams that seemed like they had the better of Minnesota at the start of the season. 

Anthony Edwards is having the best season of his career and he's arguably playing at a MVP level, Julius Randle has settled in with Minnesota and brings a crucial playmaking element, Rudy Gobert brings his signature defense and the supporting cast of players around them have all stepped their games up to a new level. 

It's not just noticeable in the team's record, though. This shift is apparent in their attitudes on the court and their mentalities when the opposition pushes back at them. 

That was the energy shift that Gobert described after the Timberwolves' 115-107 win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday. The Raptors came in hot and confronted the Timberwolves with hard physicality that kept Minnesota just one point ahead at halftime, but how the Timberwolves came out of that half is what made Gobert proud.

"I really loved the energy that we brought in the third," Gobert said (via Timberwolves). "When we play with that kind of edge... it's super fun and it feels right. It feels like this is a team that's hungry for something bigger."

The Oklahoma City Thunder may still appear to be the premier championship contender in the NBA, but the Timberwolves are determined to make that path challenging, or walk it themselves. 

Consistently in the playoffs, playing first round spoiler for someone else more often than not, the Timberwolves haven't been able to enjoy much long-lasting playoff success, and they certainly haven't attained a Finals victory.

The Timberwolves as an entire franchise have never even appeared in the NBA Finals, but if there was any squad that could break that cold streak, the 2025-26 team with Edwards at the helm look poised to do so. 

It would still be a challenge, but based on the way that the Timberwolves have been carrying themselves lately, they're up for any challenge. 

As Gobert put it, they're playing with an edge and if they find a groove, they could very well be unstoppable.