Nope. If you don’t have a superstar, you’re not a contender.
TheGargageMan
I think they will be title contenders next year. This year they are allowed to be in the conversation but not sit at the grown-up table.
xpillindaass
no
Most_Bass6372
for the second round? sure
beyond that? no
the clippers would roast them if they have kat at the 4 guarding kawhi and if they try to hide him on mann then they can start norman powell who will also feast and if they put him on zubac then harden will call for the screen and kill him in pick and roll
on the other end, the clippers can switch really well and kat will be in hell trying to score against kawhi and pg on switches and even harden is a really good post defender
Repulsive-Throat5068
No. I have no faith that front court is gonna work in the playoffs.
KasherH
All the top 3 in each conference are contenders. What a dumb question.
Vexing_Pie
No, they don’t have a bonafide superstar or clear first option
theglicky
The way they are playing as a team I would say so. Biggest concern is they don’t have an established superstar in Ant(yet).
ogqozo
The regularity of NBA asking every year “this team can outscore opponents in dozens of games….. is it possible at all that they might outscore same opponents in a few more games of the same sport??????” keeps amazing me.
Like last season Reddit spent the whole season explaining to me that Denver Nuggets “are not a playoff team”. For what. Why is there a need for such concept that isn’t related to anything real in the sport anyway.
Every team that has better results than before, there has to be everyone repeating “yeah but they’re not REAL contenders, like my guy!”, it’s an obsession every year. And, well, only one team out of 30 wins, so usually they don’t win, congratulations on often hitting a fish in a barrell with the “prediction”, but what’s the point besides that, I cannot get. Wow you said a team cannot win, and maybe they won’t, or maybe they will, it’s so fun to know that.
Poopscooper696969
Not yet
3Ssssssssssssssss
I very much doubt they make the conference finals but i have definitely been wrong before
Fr0_oz3n
If they can send the Lakers home, then I’ll believe.
Produceher
No team is a title contender without more playoff experience.
PAWGle_the_lesser
We always have these teams who look monstrous in the regular season and then flame out or underwhelm in the playoffs. I’d put money on the Wolves not making the WCF.
BruceBrownMVP
Last year my hot take was wolves 1 seed.
This year it was wolves WCF.
So looks like I’m a year behind and Wolves win title in 2025.
Chickensandcoke
They are like the Grizzlies a couple years ago, they have the talent but they don’t have the experience. Can they get crazy hot and do it? Sure, but very unlikely. What is important is getting out of the first round to gain valuable experience.
SlowCrates
No one knows what will happen the rest of the way. In 2002 the wolves started 30 and 10, but went about .500 the rest of the season. They still finished 20 or so games above 500, but they went into the playoffs hobbled and disjointed. It happens to some team every year. Some teams start slow and get hot later. Some teams start slow and stay slow. Some teams start hot and stay hot.
All things being equal though, the wolves are playing with incredible chemistry. Everyone has bought in to the system. Everyone knows what they’re doing and what they’re doing it for. Literally the best basketball I’ve ever seen the Timberwolves play. Oh, and Anthony Edwards always turns it up in the playoffs. He’s having a career season by the way.
hostileclowns
I think it depends on how the offense looks in the playoffs. Right now it’s been alright in the regular season league the defense has been excellent. If the Rudy and KAT combo proves to be an issue in the playoffs I think it could seriously effect their chances
Frosted_Flakes1971
First)No team has ever gone from perennial lottery picks to a title. Second) it’s only December
If they keep this up for the rest of the season and into next year at this time they’ll be contenders. Look at all the playoff disappointment Denver, Toronto, and Milwaukee had to go through to get their title.
Louis-grabbing-pills
Are the best team in the NBA title contenders?
Dysentery--Gary
If would be ironic if the Timberwolves win a title before the Minnesota Vikings.
Mysterious_Rope2292
How’s Ant not a superstar yet?
Stunning_Passion5923
For all those harping about lack of playoff experience, the Wolves have made the playoffs 2 years in a row, and Rudy and Conley have plenty of experience. Not to mention Ant has played like a superstar both years in the playoffs. Are they the favorites? No, but who is definitively better than them?? They match up well against Denver, and the rest of the West is one giant question mark. (Clippers and Phoenix seem like tough matchups, but those teams are older and have way more injury doubts.) The Wolves seem legit until proven otherwise
starfruit213
The lack of experience reason some people have is so ridiculous. It’s like saying the only ‘contenders’ are teams that have won or lost in the finals before
BrockPurdySkywalker
Ya. They good
mrwhite2323
They dont have a superstar.
The last time a team won without a superstar was the 04 pistons
Sleyeme
I’m a strong believer in ANT, He’s gonna make that leap come post season.
SteveWondersForsight
I don’t think they are contenders this year. But maybe next year. Idk it’s hard to win a championship. Can they really beat Boston or Denver in 7?
isit65outsideor
This team doesn’t scare me in a series of7.
CaLiKiNG805
I don’t see them beating Denver or LA in a playoff series. I don’t think Gobert matches up particularly well against Jokic and AD.
Denver is an especially difficult matchup because they have so any adjustments they can make over the course of a playoff series. Jokic’s ability to run the offense away from the basket is a hard counter for pure rim protectors. Jokic’s ability to dominate the boards and bang down low is a hard counter if you try to play small.
ComfortableDino
Absolutely not.
Lol
SilvioDantesPeak
Lol no
T4hunderb0lt
Nah. They don’t have the superstar talent needed to win. Maybe in the future if Ant takes a leap. And Gobert has been played off the floor in the playoffs before.
Zeeron1
There’s often teams that get into the top 3 that arent actually real contenders (Grizzlies and NO come to mind in recent years, but this MIN team feels different. I think they are legit
idkwhatevs1234
No lmao they’re not even as good as the fake contender Utah team with Mitchell and Gobert
Headlesshorsman02
Let’s see them in the playoffs but they look very legit
NoWayNotThisAgain
They’re absolutely a contender. I’ll go even further and say that if they avoid injury they’re one of the favorites.
But contender? Thats a stupid question. Of course they’re a contender.
SandyMandy17
No GoberL will never win anything
Conley and edwards are real easy to root for though
rudebwoy100
Kat and Gobert in the frontcourt is still an issue and i don’t care what anybody says.
KCPcorner3
They don’t have a top 5 guy in the league, KAT is prone to meltdowns and can’t be trusted AT ALL in big games, and gobert has a long history of being less effective in the postseason. This is like the Jazz team in 2021 or 2015 Hawks. Great regular season team, but WCF is the absolute ceiling and if probably better against it
due_culture123
Based on past champions they have a very very low chance of winning the title. People throw around the word contender when a team is good in the regular season but that’s only one indicator. The other indicator is that you need to have a top 25-40 player of all time. Look at the past champions and you’ll find the common denominator of an MVP caliber player(s). They don’t have anyone who fits that bill.
Awanderingleaf
One good season doesn’t make a title contender unless you have proven playoff performers which the Wolves do not have. They’ll win 52-54 games and get tossed in the second round.
Xsy
The Wolves are just so historically bad, that even when they’re as good as they are now, I can’t consider them title contenders until they’re deep in the playoffs.
Daconvix
Respectfully nah. I can see them getting bounced in the second round
Knightbear49
A bunch of “ball knowers” in this thread.
JaylenBrownAllStar
You just need one year of everything clicking, it’s happened before
Plants_R_Cool
Everyone will clown us if we don’t go deep in the playoffs, but I’m just enjoying watching a good and fun basketball team for once. There’s so many loveable guys on the team, Conley, Naw, Jaden, Naz. They don’t get the credit for our wins but they’re incredible role players and easy guys to cheer for.
47 Comments
Nope. If you don’t have a superstar, you’re not a contender.
I think they will be title contenders next year. This year they are allowed to be in the conversation but not sit at the grown-up table.
no
for the second round? sure
beyond that? no
the clippers would roast them if they have kat at the 4 guarding kawhi and if they try to hide him on mann then they can start norman powell who will also feast and if they put him on zubac then harden will call for the screen and kill him in pick and roll
on the other end, the clippers can switch really well and kat will be in hell trying to score against kawhi and pg on switches and even harden is a really good post defender
No. I have no faith that front court is gonna work in the playoffs.
All the top 3 in each conference are contenders. What a dumb question.
No, they don’t have a bonafide superstar or clear first option
The way they are playing as a team I would say so. Biggest concern is they don’t have an established superstar in Ant(yet).
The regularity of NBA asking every year “this team can outscore opponents in dozens of games….. is it possible at all that they might outscore same opponents in a few more games of the same sport??????” keeps amazing me.
Like last season Reddit spent the whole season explaining to me that Denver Nuggets “are not a playoff team”. For what. Why is there a need for such concept that isn’t related to anything real in the sport anyway.
Every team that has better results than before, there has to be everyone repeating “yeah but they’re not REAL contenders, like my guy!”, it’s an obsession every year. And, well, only one team out of 30 wins, so usually they don’t win, congratulations on often hitting a fish in a barrell with the “prediction”, but what’s the point besides that, I cannot get. Wow you said a team cannot win, and maybe they won’t, or maybe they will, it’s so fun to know that.
Not yet
I very much doubt they make the conference finals but i have definitely been wrong before
If they can send the Lakers home, then I’ll believe.
No team is a title contender without more playoff experience.
We always have these teams who look monstrous in the regular season and then flame out or underwhelm in the playoffs. I’d put money on the Wolves not making the WCF.
Last year my hot take was wolves 1 seed.
This year it was wolves WCF.
So looks like I’m a year behind and Wolves win title in 2025.
They are like the Grizzlies a couple years ago, they have the talent but they don’t have the experience. Can they get crazy hot and do it? Sure, but very unlikely. What is important is getting out of the first round to gain valuable experience.
No one knows what will happen the rest of the way. In 2002 the wolves started 30 and 10, but went about .500 the rest of the season. They still finished 20 or so games above 500, but they went into the playoffs hobbled and disjointed. It happens to some team every year. Some teams start slow and get hot later. Some teams start slow and stay slow. Some teams start hot and stay hot.
All things being equal though, the wolves are playing with incredible chemistry. Everyone has bought in to the system. Everyone knows what they’re doing and what they’re doing it for. Literally the best basketball I’ve ever seen the Timberwolves play. Oh, and Anthony Edwards always turns it up in the playoffs. He’s having a career season by the way.
I think it depends on how the offense looks in the playoffs. Right now it’s been alright in the regular season league the defense has been excellent. If the Rudy and KAT combo proves to be an issue in the playoffs I think it could seriously effect their chances
First)No team has ever gone from perennial lottery picks to a title.
Second) it’s only December
If they keep this up for the rest of the season and into next year at this time they’ll be contenders. Look at all the playoff disappointment Denver, Toronto, and Milwaukee had to go through to get their title.
Are the best team in the NBA title contenders?
If would be ironic if the Timberwolves win a title before the Minnesota Vikings.
How’s Ant not a superstar yet?
For all those harping about lack of playoff experience, the Wolves have made the playoffs 2 years in a row, and Rudy and Conley have plenty of experience. Not to mention Ant has played like a superstar both years in the playoffs. Are they the favorites? No, but who is definitively better than them?? They match up well against Denver, and the rest of the West is one giant question mark. (Clippers and Phoenix seem like tough matchups, but those teams are older and have way more injury doubts.) The Wolves seem legit until proven otherwise
The lack of experience reason some people have is so ridiculous. It’s like saying the only ‘contenders’ are teams that have won or lost in the finals before
Ya. They good
They dont have a superstar.
The last time a team won without a superstar was the 04 pistons
I’m a strong believer in ANT, He’s gonna make that leap come post season.
I don’t think they are contenders this year. But maybe next year. Idk it’s hard to win a championship. Can they really beat Boston or Denver in 7?
This team doesn’t scare me in a series of7.
I don’t see them beating Denver or LA in a playoff series. I don’t think Gobert matches up particularly well against Jokic and AD.
Denver is an especially difficult matchup because they have so any adjustments they can make over the course of a playoff series. Jokic’s ability to run the offense away from the basket is a hard counter for pure rim protectors. Jokic’s ability to dominate the boards and bang down low is a hard counter if you try to play small.
Absolutely not.
Lol
Lol no
Nah. They don’t have the superstar talent needed to win. Maybe in the future if Ant takes a leap. And Gobert has been played off the floor in the playoffs before.
There’s often teams that get into the top 3 that arent actually real contenders (Grizzlies and NO come to mind in recent years, but this MIN team feels different. I think they are legit
No lmao they’re not even as good as the fake contender Utah team with Mitchell and Gobert
Let’s see them in the playoffs but they look very legit
They’re absolutely a contender. I’ll go even further and say that if they avoid injury they’re one of the favorites.
But contender? Thats a stupid question. Of course they’re a contender.
No GoberL will never win anything
Conley and edwards are real easy to root for though
Kat and Gobert in the frontcourt is still an issue and i don’t care what anybody says.
They don’t have a top 5 guy in the league, KAT is prone to meltdowns and can’t be trusted AT ALL in big games, and gobert has a long history of being less effective in the postseason. This is like the Jazz team in 2021 or 2015 Hawks. Great regular season team, but WCF is the absolute ceiling and if probably better against it
Based on past champions they have a very very low chance of winning the title. People throw around the word contender when a team is good in the regular season but that’s only one indicator. The other indicator is that you need to have a top 25-40 player of all time. Look at the past champions and you’ll find the common denominator of an MVP caliber player(s). They don’t have anyone who fits that bill.
One good season doesn’t make a title contender unless you have proven playoff performers which the Wolves do not have. They’ll win 52-54 games and get tossed in the second round.
The Wolves are just so historically bad, that even when they’re as good as they are now, I can’t consider them title contenders until they’re deep in the playoffs.
Respectfully nah. I can see them getting bounced in the second round
A bunch of “ball knowers” in this thread.
You just need one year of everything clicking, it’s happened before
Everyone will clown us if we don’t go deep in the playoffs, but I’m just enjoying watching a good and fun basketball team for once. There’s so many loveable guys on the team, Conley, Naw, Jaden, Naz. They don’t get the credit for our wins but they’re incredible role players and easy guys to cheer for.