After getting the first overall pick in 2020, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been a team on the rise this season. With a record of 37-29, the Timberwolves sit at seventh in the Western Conference. But with the core of the team being so young, the question can be asked, could the Timberwolves be title contenders in the next couple of seasons?
The T-Wolves are one of the youngest teams in the NBA. They are in the top-five youngest when it comes to average age for teams in the league this year. This is very strange because younger teams tend to lose a lot of games as they attempt to rebuild.
Can the Minnesota Timberwolves be title contenders soon?
This isn’t the case for the Wolves, however, because they are most likely going to be a playoff team this season. But this could also be a disadvantage for the Wolves. The team lacks playoff experience, which might hurt them in this season’s playoffs. That being said, the future in Minnesota is very bright.
With D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns just entering their prime, they look poised to lead this team for years to come. Both Russell and Towns have already been named All-Stars in their young careers, and Towns even recently won the three-point contest.
However, it doesn’t end there. As mentioned, the Timberwolves had the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. They used that pick to select Anthony Edwards, and boy has he been good. In just his second season Edwards has posted averages of 21.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. The youngster is, without a doubt, a future superstar in this league, and will be for a very long time.
With this Big 3, Minnesota’s future looks great, but can they contend within the next few seasons? If Edwards can continue to develop into a superstar, that would very much help the Wolves to become a title contender. Also the Timberwolves quietly have a very good bench. With Naz Reid, Patrick Beverly, Jaden McDaniels, and Malik Beasley coming off the pine, it makes their second unit sneakily strong.
One thing that hurts the Timberwolves, unfortunately, is that they are in the very competitive Western Conference. The Wolves have to compete with the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, and Utah Jazz every season.
Also, expect improvements from the LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and even the Los Angeles Lakers in the coming years. The Wolves will have to compete with them as well.
But all-in-all, with how young their core is, the Minnesota Timberwolves can definitely contend for a championship within the next few seasons. That being said, a lot of things would have to go their way. The most important key is to make it out of the West. If they can manage to chip away at that goal, a championship would certainly be within their sights.