What will hold the Minnesota Timberwolves back this season?
The Minnesota Timberwolves will be looking to get back to the Western Conference Finals after making the Conference Finals in 2024 and 2025 before losing in the second round in 2026.
The team made a big change this offseason, trading former Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for LaMelo Ball.
They also traded Julius Randle, who served as the starting power forward the past two seasons, to the Brooklyn Nets in a move that served as a salary dump.
The Timberwolves will come into this season with renewed focus given their new backcourt and likely a different play style that includes a quicker tempo and more movement.
What Will Hold Them Back?
Injuries can't be ignored. Anthony Edwards played fewer than 72 games for the first time in his career last season and suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss games and limited him in the playoffs.
LaMelo Ball played 72 games last season, but hadn't played more than 47 games in the prior three seasons.
If they are without Edwards or Ball for an extended period of time, it's going to be tough sledding for the offense and the team identity.
The Timberwolves had relatively good health last season, but every team has to deal with injuries, and no team can run from them.
The Biggest Anchor
The frontcourt depth.
Rudy Gobert is still one of the best defensive players in the league with elite rim protection and communication, but he's 34 years old and is limited offensively in how much he can contribute.
Joan Beringer will be the backup center, and while the Timberwolves have high expectations for him, he's played 314 career minutes, and only 173 of those minutes were non-garbage time.
Trey Lyles could end up being the starting power forward, and he played last season overseas. He shot well from three in the Euroleague and is being billed as a stretch four, but he's a career 34% three-point shooter in the NBA
Jaden McDaniels is their other frontcourt option. He will play minutes at the four but is undersized for the position. If he's able to hold up at the power forward position, that will go a long way for the team, but their depth is still questionable.
Right now, their frontcourt isn't good enough to compete in the West. The Spurs have Victor Wembanyama and Tobias Harris, the Thunder have Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, the Nuggets have Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon, and the Rockets have Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant.
