19. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ playoff window seems to be closing for the time being. It’s not because the Wolves aren’t good, though. It’s because the Western Conference is so deep.
If the Wolves were in the East, they’d be a playoff team for sure. Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the best players in the entire league, so he’d definitely dominate in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately for the Wolves, though, they have to play with the hand they were dealt. For them, that means finding ways to win in the Western Conference.
The Jimmy Butler experiment clearly didn’t work for Minnesota. It blew up in their faces in less than two years. That, of course, set them back quite a ways. I’m sure the Wolves would rather have Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen on their roster right now than have had a season and a half of Jimmy Butler.
Now, the Wolves are left with KAT, Andrew Wiggins and Robert Covington. Is that a good group of guys? Absolutely. Is it good enough to compete in the West? No. Don’t be surprised if you see the Wolves miss the playoffs again next season.