The Minnesota Timberwolves have clinched their spot in the 2023-24 NBA Playoffs with eight regular-season games to spare since they own the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference with a 51-23 record.
Assuming they finish the regular season as one of the top four seeds, the Minnesota Timberwolves are likely to have home court for at least one series. But even with all of this, their former guard-turned-analyst Jamal Crawford is not a big believer in their playoff chances.
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“Don’t be fooled by the Minnesota Timberwolves. I love the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards is my favorite player to watch right now. Let’s make that clear,” said Crawford on NBA TV.
“But, I’m just not sure that their regular season success will translate in the playoffs. The game’s gonna slow down. There’s going to be even more pressure on him to score and make plays. Who knows if Karl-Anthony Towns is going to be back healthy?” he added.
“They’re a strong matchup. If they get the Lakers in the first round or somewhere early? That could be tough.”
Minnesota Timberwolves are out to prove doubters wrong
The Minnesota Timberwolves have made back-to-back playoff appearances in 2022 and 2023 but were eliminated in the first round by the Memphis Grizzlies and the Denver Nuggets, respectively.
However, they have a great chance to win their first playoff series since 2004 this season because they’re coming as a higher seed compared to seasons past.
They are one of the best teams in the league this year because of their improved chemistry and the emergence of Anthony Edwards, who put the team on his back, especially when Karl-Anthony Towns suffered a torn meniscus a few weeks ago. Ant is averaging 26.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.3 steals per game this season.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are going to get even better if Karl-Anthony Towns returns to the court soon, and owner Glen Taylor recently said that KAT is “ahead of schedule” in terms of his recovery process.
Before his injury, Karl-Anthony Towns was averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per contest, shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from three-point land.
