© Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Schedule gives Timberwolves shot at historic season
There are 30 teams in the NBA and 28 of them have a more difficult remaining schedule. That sentence should produce drool from the mouths of Timberwolves fans because at 14-4 they have shot at a historic season.
For a team that has won 50+ games just four times in franchise history, this year’s hot start coupled with a friendly-ish schedule could juice not only the fifth 50-win season in team history, but maybe even a rare 60-win campaign.
Last year, in our bold predictions story, we said the Timberwolves would win 60 games and be the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Karl-Anthony Towns got injured in mid-December and the season went off the rails. Still, Minnesota won 42 games and had they been perfect in 18 games that they lost after blowing double-digit leads, they would’ve had 60 victories.
Perfection can’t be expected, but these 2023-24 Timberwolves are closing out games that last year’s team couldn’t.
According to Tankathon, the Timberwolves have the 29th-hardest remaining schedule. That’s a dumb way to say they have the second-easiest schedule remaining in the league.
The hardest games yet to come include three games against the Nuggets, three against the upstart Thunder, two against the Bucks, two versus Orlando, and one each against the Celtics and 76ers.
They also have a laundry list of easier opponents.
- 3 vs. Spurs
- 3 vs. Grizzlies
- 2 vs. Pistons
- 2 vs. Wizards
- 2 vs. Bulls
- 2 vs. Jazz
Minnesota could play .500 ball the rest of the season and still finish with 46 wins, which would go down tied as the sixth best regular season in franchise history. Go ahead and laugh at that, because if you don’t you might cry.
If they play .600 ball rest of the way they’ll win around 52 games. Playing .650 ball over the final 64 games equates to 55 or 56 wins.
The best season in franchise history was the 2003-04 squad that won 58 games and reached the Western Conference Finals.
At 14-4, the Timberwolves have a .778 win percentage. They probably won’t keep winning at that pace, but if they do it’ll translate to 63 or 64 wins.
There have been 12 teams to win 60-plus games in the past decade.
- Phoenix - 64 in 2021-22
- Milwaukee - 60 in 2018-19
- Houston - 65 in 2017-18
- Golden State - 67 in 2016-17
- San Antonio - 61 in 2016-17
- Golden State - 73 in 2015-16
- San Antonio - 67 in 2015-16
- Atlanta - 60 in 2014-15
- Golden State - 67 in 2014-15
- San Antonio - 62 in 2013-14
- Oklahoma City - 60 in 2012-13
- Miami - 66 in 2012-13
The Nuggets won the West last season with 53 wins. Nobody is saying the Timberwolves will reach 60 wins, but if the table was ever set to make it possible, this is the season.
