Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 bold predictions for 2018-19 NBA season

DENVER, CO - APRIL 5: Tom Thibodeau and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves look on during the game against the Denver Nuggets on April 5, 2018 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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3. The Wolves won’t make the playoffs

While some franchises play for more than just a spot in the NBA’s sweet 16, for a team like the Timberwolves, who hadn’t qualified for the postseason since the days of Kevin Garnett in 2004, just making the playoffs was a huge accomplishment.

Alas, nothing is guaranteed out West, and that rings especially true heading into this season. Quite a few teams have improved tremendously in the hopes of leapfrogging over teams like the Wolves.

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Minnesota, meanwhile, did a little to address its needs in the offseason, acquiring veterans Luol Deng and Anthony Tolliver in free agency. That’s likely not enough to be considered a lock for the postseason.

The Wolves are likely to see improvements from Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, but Jimmy Butler could be traded at any moment, and even if he’s not, he’s ranked near the top in minutes per game over the last few seasons and appeared in only 59 contests last season after suffering a meniscus injury in February.

Minnesota made the playoffs by the skin of its teeth last season, needing overtime to defeat the Denver Nuggets in game No. 82. The Western Conference is somehow better than it was in 2018, and because of that, the Timberwolves will have to raise their level of play to start a playoff streak — something they don’t appear capable of just yet.

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