Minnesota Timberwolves: 2016-17 Season Outlook

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Feb 20, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine (8) and guard Ricky Rubio (9) against the New York Knicks at Target Center. The Knicks defeated the Timberwolves 103-95. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /

Best-Case Scenario

Minnesota’s 27th ranked defense from last season experiences a rapid one-year turnaround under Thibodeau, and despite the roster’s youth, the Wolves put together a respectable, middle-ranked unit.

KAT takes the next giant step toward his MVP potential, while Wiggins slightly improves his three-point shot and establishes himself as a lockdown wing defender.

LaVine continues the upward trajectory with his three-point efficiency and sharpens the blunter edges of his game, while Dunn and Rubio show some signs of being able to co-exist on the same roster. Well, for now at least.

MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION? THANKS.
MY TAKE IS THAT THIBS NEEDS TO HANDLE THE RUBIO/DUNN SITUATION LIKE ATLANTA HANDLED TEAGUE & SCHRODER
— Patrick Fenelon 🌹 (@Patrick_Fenelon) June 25, 2016

Dunn garners some Rookie of the Year chatter but mostly takes a backseat to a career year from Rubio, who earns Thibs’ trust thanks to his elite defense and experience.

The West has another down year and although their success does not earn them a high selection in a deep 2017 NBA Draft class, the Timberwolves manage to sneak into the Western Conference playoffs as the eighth seed, surprising the world with 42 or so wins.

Worst-Case Scenario

Rubio once again has problems staying healthy and Thibodeau’s first year at the helm is a rude awakening for a coach accustomed to working with elite defensive talent. Though the Wolves have the makings of a top-10 defense, Thibs is unable to harness it in the first year of a new learning experience.

Thanks to Rubio’s injury and Dunn putting up nice looking numbers in extended minutes, Minnesota decides to prematurely pull the plug on their Spanish floor general, selling low on his value with a trade rather than building on it or waiting to see if he and Dunn can co-exist.

KAT only makes minimal strides after his earth-shattering rookie season, Wiggins has yet another decent season scoring the basketball while doing little else and LaVine’s three-point shooting comes back down to earth as he looks more and more like a single-faceted player.

The Wolves win around 30-33 games again as Thibodeau rides his starters into the ground. Minnesota misses out on playoff spot, but doesn’t quite lose enough games to earn another top-5 pick to add to their stellar core.

Next: Predictions

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