Minnesota Timberwolves: 2017-18 NBA season preview

Predictions

The Minnesota Timberwolves will begin the season as one of the most-hyped squads, with fans and media alike excited to watch their ascent into the Western Conference elite. With a healthy rotation and sky-high expectations, this team will be feeling good come opening night.

The presence of Gibson and Butler will help stabilize this defense, but the loss of Rubio will likewise hurt the defense, so the improvement won’t be incredible at first. As the season progresses, Towns will show he has taken a step forward defensively, and he will be among the league-leaders in blocks by the end of the year.

Offensively, KAT will also have a big year, taking the mantle of this team’s top scorer by Jan. 1. It will be clear that while Butler is a great player, this is Town’s team, and he will make his first All-Star team come February.

The lack of a bench will hurt this team, and they will lose a few leads and thus a few games as the season goes along. Crawford will finally show his age, and his production will decline precipitously. Teague will put forth a middling season, and the question of who gets the ball will come up multiple times.

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In the end, this team will take a large step forward, but not quite as far as many are anticipating. In the end, 46 wins will mark a 15-win improvement. The Timberwolves will finish sixth in the Western Conference, third in the Northwest, and push the Oklahoma City Thunder to six games in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs.