Minnesota Sports Forum

If the Wolves don't make the playoffs this year after the big trade, many here will be on suicide watch. So we need a thread which monitors our playoff position.

And has there ever been a year where the Western standings were more bizarre halfway through the season? Take away the top 2 teams and the bottom 2 teams, and the other 11 teams are only separated by 6 games...and there's only 2 1/2 games between the 5th and 12th place teams! Our Fighting Wolves are currently in a 4-team logjam for 7th place, but just a half game out of 6th and ahead of 11th. To make things even odder, I don't really fear any of the 6 teams ahead of us, but three teams behind or tied with us make me a little nervous.

An optimist would say we are playing .500 ball without KAT and JMac (and currently without Rudy) and we could take off if we ever get everyone back. But a pessimist might say we weren't that good at the start of the season with everyone healthy. The picture is as cloudy as it could be.

But I guess I'm feeling good with our recent play, so I'm going to predict we easily finish in the top 8...assuming KAT comes back reasonably soon. I see us eventually passing the Kings, Pelicans and Jazz, but also suspect a couple currently injured teams might pass us. I think we end up 5th or 6th and hopefully healthy for a playoff run.

One thing I know for sure...our opinions on this topic will whipsaw back and forth as the season progresses. Miles to go before we sleep.

I don't think KAT's coming back til mid March. Supposedly he said his calf strain was really a grade 3 calf strain

WildWolf2813 wrote:I don't think KAT's coming back til mid March. Supposedly he said his calf strain was really a grade 3 calf strain

Ouch, that would be unfortunate. Where did you get the info that it was Grade 3 and the mid-march return, WW? I have only heard it described as a Grade 2, which is why the original recovery period was 4-6 weeks.

Is JMac also Grade 3?

Edit: Okay, KAT acknowledges in this morning's Strib that it is indeed Grade 3. No idea when (or if) he is coming back this season. Horrible transparency by the organization (trying to sell tickets to future games by hiding injury details?) and only compounded by the silence around JMac's injury. Fans deserve more than this.

FNG wrote:

WildWolf2813 wrote:I don't think KAT's coming back til mid March. Supposedly he said his calf strain was really a grade 3 calf strain

Ouch, that would be unfortunate. Where did you get the info that it was Grade 3 and the mid-march return, WW? I have only heard it described as a Grade 2, which is why the original recovery period was 4-6 weeks.

Is JMac also Grade 3?

Johnny Athletic was pretty clear weeks ago (about the 5-week timeline) that Towns was "not close" to returning.

I think at some point, we'll be wondering if he'll even return this season.

A painful loss to Houston...I didn't watch the game, but I don't see any way to sugarcoat it. And yet this morning we still find our team tied for 9th place and in the thick of the playoff race, only one game out of 6th place and only 3 games out of 4th place. It's the weirdest standings bunching I've ever seen. It's bizarre that we can be so close to 4th place playing the way we have.

Last night we missed KAT and JMac as we have for several weeks, and also missed Prince who has been a steady influence on the court this season. In addition, nobody can convince me that Rudy, SloMo and Naz are anywhere near 100%...all three have missed games recently, and don't look the same recently. Almost all teams are facing some injury adversity, but few if any have had to face what we've faced this year. I still think we will make the playoffs even with all the missing bodies, but we won't go anywhere in the playoffs if we don't get healthy,

FNG wrote:A painful loss to Houston...I didn't watch the game, but I don't see any way to sugarcoat it. And yet this morning we still find our team tied for 9th place and in the thick of the playoff race, only one game out of 6th place and only 3 games out of 4th place. It's the weirdest standings bunching I've ever seen. It's bizarre that we can be so close to 4th place playing the way we have.

Last night we missed KAT and JMac as we have for several weeks, and also missed Prince who has been a steady influence on the court this season. In addition, nobody can convince me that Rudy, SloMo and Naz are anywhere near 100%...all three have missed games recently, and don't look the same recently. Almost all teams are facing some injury adversity, but few if any have had to face what we've faced this year. I still think we will make the playoffs even with all the missing bodies, but we won't go anywhere in the playoffs if we don't get healthy,

The Timberwolves are 1 game from the #13 seed in the West... and Towns may not return this season. And even if he does, the team will have to figure out how to play with him. Remember, they weren't good with him as the great science experiment started very slowly.

And you're discounting what other teams have had to go through with injuries.

Golden State is now healthier
Phoenix is now healthier
The Clippers are now healthier
The Lakers are now healthier (and just got better via trade #1)
OKC is not tanking
Utah is not tanking (yet)

We're going to have to accept that the Wolves are just a middling team and there's a possibility things could actually get worse.


[Note: Edwards hasn't missed a game yet, and his backcourt mate, Russell, has only missed three games.]

Even I, the eternal optimist, am having trouble seeing our way into the playoffs. We have a very tough stretch of games upcoming against good teams. We could see a losing streak hither to unseen. The only ray of hope is we have a 6-game homestand after the Pelicans.

If we do manage to hover around .500 into the all-star break, then maybe, just maybe, we have a shot.

60WinTim wrote:Even I, the eternal optimist, am having trouble seeing our way into the playoffs. We have a very tough stretch of games upcoming against good teams. We could see a losing streak hither to unseen. The only ray of hope is we have a 6-game homestand after the Pelicans.

If we do manage to hover around .500 into the all-star break, then maybe, just maybe, we have a shot.

Yup, I've been in that place for a while now, so just trying not to get too upset about the bad losses as it seems like a real uphill climb with KAT out and the various other injuries.

The nature of a .500-ish team is a mix of some bad losses, some great wins, and then a bunch of losses and wins one would expect. All the other teams that have had injury issues in the West are in the same boat - hanging right around or just below .500.

Just make the tournament with this group and be relatively healthy. They'll be fine.

Q-was-here wrote:

60WinTim wrote:Even I, the eternal optimist, am having trouble seeing our way into the playoffs. We have a very tough stretch of games upcoming against good teams. We could see a losing streak hither to unseen. The only ray of hope is we have a 6-game homestand after the Pelicans.

If we do manage to hover around .500 into the all-star break, then maybe, just maybe, we have a shot.

Yup, I've been in that place for a while now, so just trying not to get too upset about the bad losses as it seems like a real uphill climb with KAT out and the various other injuries.

The nature of a .500-ish team is a mix of some bad losses, some great wins, and then a bunch of losses and wins one would expect. All the other teams that have had injury issues in the West are in the same boat - hanging right around or just below .500.

Lots of teams with more vet and playoff experience and infinitely better franchise history are struggling as well regardless of injuries. It's up for grabs. If people don't believe the Wolves can do it that's fair and again injuries both for the Wolves and other teams will play a part.

What's a little interesting is the Wolves according to BB reference are 12th in defensive rating. That's a little disappointing with Gobert on the roster but not that bad. Meanwhile they are 20th in offensive rating. Last year that offensive rating was what turned around big time. Can the Wolves become a better offensive team without Towns (and to some extent McLaughlin) playing games? Honestly I think they can and offense is Finch's strength as a coach. Like last season (ok maybe not THAT good) the Wolves COULD get on track and get on a roll. I also think there is a chance their defense actually improves further than it has and last year they were playing way over expectations in that regard.