Ask NBA fans which team turned heads last season and the Minnesota Timberwolves would likely come up as a frequent answer. Led by rising superstar Anthony Edwards, they made plenty of noise, piling up wins as a top contender in the West. Moreover, it was their playoff run that would really get the basketball world talking. The Timberwolves stunned the Phoenix Suns in the first round, finishing their series quickly with a sweep. Afterward, they faced off against the Denver Nuggets, and it wound up as a blowout-filled seven-game series. Following wins in Games 1 and 2, Minnesota lost three straight, putting themselves in a precarious position. Nonetheless, they emerged victorious in the final two outings, dethroning the 2023 NBA champs for good.
A Western Conference Finals loss ended their campaign, but the Timberwolves still defied expectations. They made the WCF for the first time in two decades, and individual awards were garnered by the likes of Anthony Edwards (All-NBA First Team), Rudy Gobert (Defensive Player of the Year), Naz Reid (Sixth Man of the Year), and Jaden McDaniels (All-Defensive Second Team).
With the same core players returning for another year, the team is expected to tally an impressive record once more. As for the exact number of wins they'll get this time, that will be predicted by the end of the article. First, here's a schedule preview and an analysis of the team.
The Timberwolves' 2024-25 schedule
The 2024-25 NBA schedules are now available to the general public, so fans are probably busy fixing their calendars at present. For the Timberwolves fandom, there's an exciting lineup of games to kick off the season. The team will be traveling to Los Angeles for their season opener against LeBron James and the Lakers on October 22. Furthermore, clashes against two heavyweights are included in the team's first five games. On October 29, a highly-anticipated rematch against the Dallas Mavericks takes place. This is followed by a November 1 outing against the Nuggets. Both games against the Mavericks and Nuggets will be held at home, so Target Center will likely be filled to the brim with roaring spectators.
Luckily for fans living in Minneapolis, the team will be having two stretches of five straight home games. The first will be from February 1-8 and the other will take place from March 14-21.
As for other notable games at home, a clash with the Suns is slated on November 17. The Timberwolves will also be facing Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and the rest of the Los Angeles Clippers on November 29. Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors will be hosted in the Target Center on December 21. In 2025, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the rest of the Boston Celtics will be traveling to Minnesota for a January 2 game. A back-to-back homestand versus the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Milwaukee Bucks is set for February 12 and 13, respectively. And on March 4, Joel Embiid, Paul George and the Philadelphia 76ers will be the ones hearing it from Target Center fans.
The Timberwolves will also be playing on December 25 in Dallas against the Mavericks — the franchise's third-ever Christmas Day game. It's bound to be an exciting year for the organization, with a total of 25 nationally televised games. Here's the full schedule, per NBA.com
The Timberwolves by the numbers
Moving on to the team, the Timberwolves were known for one thing last season: Defense. With long, athletic perimeter defenders and tall bigs to protect the rim, Minnesota was the NBA's top defensive team (108.4 defensive rating). A prime example of the Timberwolves' defense would be during their Game 2 win against the Nuggets in last year's playoffs. Holding Denver to a 34.9% field-goal percentage, Minnesota forced 16 turnovers to come up with a 26-point victory. Overwhelming double teams, rim protection, quick rotations — that game might've been one of the team's best defensive performances as of late.
Throughout the season, the Timberwolves allowed the fewest opponent points per game (106.5) and the lowest opponent field goal percentage (45%) among all teams. In the shaded lane, the team's bigs gave up just 46.1 opponent points in the paint per game — second-best in the league in that category.
However, there were concerns offensively. Throughout their campaign, the Timberwolves averaged a 114.6 offensive rating, which puts them in the bottom half of the league. They tallied just 113.0 points per game — 18th among all NBA teams. While they were efficient in three-point shooting (38.7%) and were a top-10 team in overall field goal efficiency (48.5%), concerns such as turnovers and questionable crunch-time performances haunted the team.
The Timberwolves had trouble taking care of the ball, committing 14.2 turnovers per game — 22nd among all NBA teams. And in the clutch (the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the game is within five points), the Timberwolves' field goal efficiency dropped to 42.7%. In fact, post-All-Star break, the Timberwolves' offensive rating in the clutch was the fifth worst in the entire NBA (97.1).
Notable additions and final prediction
Related NewsArticle continues below
On the bright side, there's more incoming firepower. During the 2024 NBA draft, the Timberwolves were able to secure players such as Kentucky's Rob Dillingham and Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. And from the free agent pool, Joe Ingles' services were availed.
Dillingham averaged 15.2 points per game with the Wildcats last season. A guard who can create and score, he'll likely play behind Mike Conley this coming season. Conley isn't getting younger as well, so if Dillingam's development goes as planned, he may very well be the successor for that starting point guard spot in the coming years.
As for Shannon Jr., he's a scoring wingman who put up 23 points per game with the Fighting Illini this past year. Despite the loaded wing position in Minnesota, Shannon Jr. may just get his minutes due to his aggressive slashing and quickness in transition. He has the physical tools to be a formidable perimeter defender as well, something that Chris Finch will surely like.
Lastly, there's Ingles, who brings three-point shooting off the bench. He may be 36 years old, but the ex-Orlando Magic wingman shot 43.5% from downtown last season, giving the team another weapon.
The final prediction? Another year together means increased chemistry and a full offseason for the team to work on their offensive issues. With more reinforcements to their already competitive lineup, the Timberwolves will likely put up a better record this time around.
Prediction:58-24
