The Minnesota Timberwolves snuck into last season’s playoffs. The road back will be just as tough in 2018-19, especially with some on-court and off-court concerns.
In a loaded Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves look to remain a playoff contender. Sporting two All-NBA players, a couple of former top overall draft picks and a proven head coach is a good place to start. To maximize their talent, the Timberwolves will have to answer some questions during the 2018-19 campaign.
Before addressing these questions, let’s look at the current state of the team. There were no major, franchise-altering additions or subtractions. Most noticeably, the Timberwolves lost forward Nemanja Bjelica. In the draft they obtained Josh Okogie, an athletic combo guard, and Keita Bates-Diop, who was recently picked as the biggest draft-day steal by his peers.
These changes in personnel could bring a slight change to coach Tom Thibodeau’s offensive scheme. Bates-Diop can really shoot the ball and Okogie has explosive athleticism. For the 2017-18 season, Minnesota finished last in 3-point attempts per game and was in the bottom half for transition frequency.
How Thibodeau reacts to his adjusted roster will be fun to watch. There are more pressing issues, however. The most important question of all may have to do with the personalities of veteran Timberwolves.