Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves are being tested. Next up? A rematch with the Thunder.

In back-to-back seasons, we have seen Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves make improbable runs to the Western Conference finals, losing in five games to the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder.

In back-to-back games this season, we have seen the Timberwolves lose big fourth-quarter leads. On Friday, they watched a 113-105 lead over the Phoenix Suns with under a minute to play turn into a 114-113 defeat. They followed that up on Monday by losing a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter to the Sacramento Kings, making only one field goal in the last seven minutes of regulation before losing in overtime.

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So, what exactly are the Timberwolves?

Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves have had an uneven start to the season. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)

(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

According to NBA.com, they are one of five teams with top-10 ratings in both offense (9th) and defense (10th). Minnesota has scored 110 or more points in all 17 of its games, tying the 1961-62 Cincinnati Royals for the longest streak of 110+ points to start a season in NBA history.

The Timberwolves are also 10-1 against teams below .500, and 0-6 against teams .500 or above.

So, again I ask, what exactly are the Timberwolves? Let’s take a look at where they stand ahead of their highly anticipated rematch with the 17-1 Thunder.

Continuity and expectations

With back-to-back conference final appearances, expectations for this Timberwolves group were high. They boasted roster continuity, which in this league can be viewed as a strength, until it is not.

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Winning is not easy, success is not linear and the Western Conference is unforgiving. But having a winning formula can, in theory, lift your base. The issue is every season is different, new challenges arise, and another year together is another year of prep that teams have on you. One of the more dangerous things a team can do in this league is copy and paste success from year to year.

Why do I bring this up? To understand the current state of the Timberwolves, you have to go back to their mindset on media day.

Anthony Edwards said, “We have a cheat code in a way where we have…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/anthony-edwards-and-the-timberwolves-are-being-tested-next-up-rematch-with-the-thunder-173942179.html

Author : Steve Jones

Publish date : 2025-11-26 17:39:00

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