Timberwolves’ Best Path Through Lottery

The Minnesota Timberwolves are only 2.5 games out of 8th place in the West. So why is the lottery their best option?

NFL Hall of Famer Charles Haley once said, “If you sacrifice early you’ll win late.” This perfectly summarizes what’s at stake for the Minnesota Timberwolves this season.

The Timberwolves are better off not making the playoffs.

*Ducks*

*Begins typing again*

Related Story: Minnesota Timberwolves--25 Best Players

They are only 2½ games behind the Denver Nuggets for eighth place in the Western Conference. Although the two teams don’t play each other again this season, there is still plenty of time for Minnesota to make up ground.

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table

If absence really does make the heart grow fonder, then the Timberwolves are going crazy for love right now.

Only four players on their current roster have playoff experience.

Live Feed

FanSided

Minnesota hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2003-04 season, when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers four games to two in the Western Conference Finals.

They dissipated a golden opportunity that year: Kevin Garnett won the MVP and the Timberwolves finished with the best record in the Western Conference.

The ongoing playoff drought of 12 seasons and counting is the longest active streak in the NBA. The Timberwolves have also never won an NBA championship.

To make matters worse, Minnesota has only made the playoffs eight times in their 28 seasons. With a franchise playoff record of 17-30, they have only won two playoff series, both in 2003-04.

The desiccation has agonized Timberwolves fans who are desperate to cheer for their team. Or for anything really.

Minnesota fans are the type who perpetually fantasize about what their seasons could be or could’ve been. They are eternally unrealistic with their expectations (whose fans aren’t?) but are the most loyal fans you will find.

They love the humble, hard-working, down-to-earth type players. The Ricky Rubios, Carlos Gomezs, or Marcus Sherels of the teams. They will stick with their team from beginning to end, no matter the results.

At the beginning of the season, some experts predicted Minnesota to slip into one of the last spots in the playoffs. But not like this. Never like this.

The Timberwolves are 11 games below .500. That means they perch just as close to eighth place in the West as they do to having an 8.8 percent chance of drawing the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Minnesota, parallel to all small-market teams, has a difficult time enticing superstar players to their city. That might even be an understatement.

The Timberwolves already have two budding stars on their roster and a third in Zach LaVine who exhibited great potential before his injury.

Minnesota Timberwolves

LaVine’s future is somewhat uncertain at this point. With the advancements made in modern medicine all signs point towards a speedy and healthy recovery.

However, there are always players who never fully recover (Derrick Rose) or where one injury leads to another not too far down the road (Jabari Parker).

The only practical opportunity Minnesota has to land another possible star player or even a great role player is through the draft.

The draft levels out the playing field for small-market teams to acquire a future superstar. All draft conspiracies aside, it can allow the Timberwolves to draft a player to be another piece to the championship puzzle.

As we saw last offseason in Oklahoma City, the future is never certain. The Thunder have drafted three superstar players and have only been able to preserve one so far. Who’s to say that won’t happen to the Timberwolves?

The draft will also allow the Timberwolves to have potential top-notch talent locked up under a very reasonable contract. The rookie deals are far and away the most valued contracts in the NBA.

It gives you four years of control (for a first-round pick) and restricted free agent rights in the fifth year.

The 2017 NBA draft class is supposed to be loaded, especially at the point guard position. I understand the Timberwolves just drafted their point guard of the future last season, but I’m a big advocate of drafting the best player available.

If you end up with two stud points, that is something that can be figured out down the road.

If anything is certain in the NBA it is this: nothing is certain.

The Timberwolves schedule is merciless down the stretch. They have the second-most difficult remaining schedule behind only the Utah Jazz.

Minnesota has 19 games remaining, 12 of those on the road, and five of THOSE against teams who have winning records. If they do end up making the playoffs it will be unquestionably hard-earned and well-deserved.

An additional reason the playoffs would be squandered is the opponent once they get there.

The Golden State Warriors hold a minuscule lead over the San Antonio Spurs for first place in the West. If the Wolves end up getting in, they will conceivably play either one of those teams.

More from Hoops Habit

• The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout

The Warriors have been in somewhat of a funk since Kevin Durant went out with a knee injury. The Spurs are hot on their heels and a showdown is looming this Saturday night between the two teams.

Regardless of who ends up in first, the conclusion will still be the same for the Timberwolves. They will get swept in four blowouts and get sent home with their tails between their legs.

Is that genuinely a positive learning experience for this young Wolves team?  My answer is no.

I want to see Minnesota play the long game. The same game the Spurs are playing. Every year, San Antonio rests their guys in the regular season to obtain their ultimate goal: an NBA championship.

Minnesota’s best chance at building a championship team is not overpaying mediocre players to come to Minnesota through free agency. It is building through the draft.

Next: 25 Greatest ABA Players of All-Time

The Timberwolves franchise deserves a championship in Minnesota. The best way to get one is to make a sacrifice. Minnesota must sacrifice short-term gains for long-term success. Only then can Minnesota truly field a championship team.