2023-24 Season Update: February Edition

So, I have to admit that I try not to be superstitious but when I started writing season previews for the Wild and Wolves, I published the Wild one and they started out terrible. Obviously the Wolves took off, so I was somewhat concerned if I posted about them that they would suddenly lose their muster. However, given they have gone through a slump already this year, I am going to write a update anyway!

My Expections Before the Season
While I don't have documentation for it, I had expected the Wolves to finish between seeds 5 and 9 in the Western Conference with a record around 48-36. Minnesota returned almost the same roster as last season, however the hope was that they could keep the starting 5 together for the majority of the season. I personally wanted to see what this group could do when they are healthy for a decent chunk of time, as we never got that last season.

Beginning of Season to Now
The Wolves started the season with a loss to Toronto. However, since then they have hardly looked back and currently sit atop the Western Conference as the number 1 seed! This is the first time Minnesota has had the 1 seed for any length of time since the 2003-04 season, which was the lone year the franchise made it past the first round of the playoffs and lost to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. However, this season, the Wolves held the 1 seed from November 18, 2023 all the way to January 27, 2024. This is the longest the franchise has held the top seed ever, and the only time they held the top seed in the regular season was for 3 days in the aforementioned 2003-04 season at the end of the season. In that time period, Minnesota has consistently remained at the top of the league in scoring defense, top 3 in field goal percentage allowed, and is in the top 10 in 3 point percentage allowed and blocks per game. This makes the Wolves one of the NBA's top 5 defenses this season. For a team that just two seasons ago was around 15 or 16 in the NBA, and really was even worse then that the season before, this is spectacular! While the Wolves' offense has taken a hit this year in the scoring category, they are 2nd in the league in 3 point percentage, and 7th in field goal percentage.
My point is: this isn't some wild fluke. Minnesota is at the top of the West for a reason. They have a 19-10 record against teams that currently have a record of .500 or above, and have a 15-4 record against teams under .500 at this point in the season. That last stat is even more important considering last season was a major struggle against bad teams. Minnesota is also 5-3 in one score games this season, not a bad stat.

Rest of the Season
The Wolves have a bright future. While they have entered a mid-season slump over the last two weeks, they just recently capped that with a big win over the Thunder who remain only a game behind Minnesota, and a 30+ point win over the Mavs at home. 
With the standings as they are right now, Minnesota will play a total of 17 games against teams .500 and above throughout the remainder of the season. There are 34 games remaining, so that would be about half of the remaining games. That also means, Minnesota needs to take care of business against the other half of those teams that they should most definitely be able to beat. If the Wolves can sustain the success they had most of the season so far, I feel fairly confident they can end up as a top 3 seed come playoff time. However, things could change if they lose focus.

All I know though, is they can be damn fun to watch! Its quite a time to be a fan of the Minnesota Timberwolves. And those of us that have watched them for many years, decades even, deserve times like this. I hope folks remember these days, and hold on to them, no matter what happens if the Wolves make the postseason. Cause if the past has taught us anything, next season could very easily slip back into the mid to bottom tier of the West.

The Wolves take on the Orlando Magic tonight at Target Center, have a great night everyone!

​#RaisedByWolves