Well, here we are folks: just a mere 6 days away from the start of another NBA season. While it was an offseason (mostly) devoid of any major trades or shakeups, we have not been left without the typical fresh wave of excitement and bold storylines. And I’m here to tell you exactly where our beloved Minnesota Timberwolves fit into all of this!
Coming off a 49-33 season and a 2nd consecutive Western Conference Finals appearance, many people really don’t know what to expect when it comes to the 2025-26 Minnesota Timberwolves. For me, it comes down to two main things:
1. How high is Anthony Edwards willing to go?
2. How do the Wolves fit into the hierarchy of the west?
In his recent media day appearance, Ant made it pretty clear what his focus is on heading into the season.
“We gotta win. I think all MVPs win at a high level. Average a whole bunch of points. Yeah, I think that’s the main recipe. Win and average a whole bunch of points.”
Now, we know that nobody holds Ant to a higher standard than himself. And that bodes well for the Timberwolves. Ant doesn’t talk just to talk. When he specifically mentions MVP and scoring a ton of points as priorities for his game this season, we can bet that he’s got the support of the entire organization behind him. And if he carries over the extremely high volume threes on great efficiency, with an improvement on his midrange game and overall finishing, don’t be surprised if Ant is touching 30 points a game this season. Ant was also asked about taking his defensive game to the next level. His response:
“It’s gon’ be tough, but I’ll try. It’s gon’ take me to be in tip-top shape, man. I been working pretty hard, so it shouldn’t be that hard this year.”
Another main factor in the ultimate fate of the Timberwolves is how they fit into the west. To me, avoiding injuries and all else, the Timberwolves look like a high ceiling-high floor team. While losing NAW is a significant loss to the depth of the team, the Timberwolves truly do have the pieces to withstand the departure. Terrance Shannon Jr. is an electric player that we’ve even seen receive a little Most Improved Player buzz. I don’t disagree with that hype. Naz Reid is Naz Reid. Donte Divincenzo just fits the team. Now you do wonder what happens at the pg spot. Mike Conley isn’t ageless by any means, and so many questions surround the world of Rob Dillingham. In any case, the Timberwolves have options at that spot. You almost have to wonder if Bones Hyland plays into the equation after an impressive preseason and general support from the coaching staff. From a rookie standpoint, I certainly see it as a mainly developmental season for the two international standouts, but they’re in good spots to learn behind Rudy and I wouldn’t be shocked to see one of the two (likely Beringer) get some decent run down the stretch of the season.
Finally, my personal prediction is a 2 seed. I really can’t imagine a world where the Oklahoma City Thunder are unseated atop the west, but the area below them is ripe for the taking. While you expect teams like Denver, Houston, and both LA teams to be around that range, I truly believe the emergence of Ant as a true top 5 talent in this league, and the reliability of Gobert, Randle, and the bench in general to be the main factors in a pretty significant season improvement. Here are my playoff standing predictions in the Western Conference:
- Thunder
- Timberwolves
- Denver
- Mavericks
- Suns
- Rockets
- Lakers
- Spurs
- Clippers
- Grizzlies