Wolves Season Predictions…Playoffs?

The mighty Timberwolves kick off their season against the Detroit Pistons tonight at the beautiful dump that is the Target Center. As a hardcore fan there is a lot to look forward to, while the casual fan may not be too terribly excited. I’m here to give my season long predictions about your hometown squad.

Most improved player: Jarrett Culver

I wouldn’t call this obvious but after coming off of a disappointing rookie campaign, Culver has all the chances in the world to bounce back in a big way. Culver was BAD last year when it came to shooting. This should come as no surprise if you saw his broke ass shot. He did shoot a lot better after the all star break, which was encouraging. He has also looked a lot better in the pre season thus far and his shot looks completely different. I’m optimistic this means good things going forward. Wolves fans should be hopeful about his development. I think he comes on strong and proves himself a valuable asset this season.

MVP: KAT

Hard to argue this one I suppose. KAT is clearly the best player on this team and it’s been that way since his first game with the Wolves. He’s an offensive juggernaut and frankly the best shooting “true big” in the game.

Now he has yet to take that next leap in his game and become a good defensive player. I think even he admits that both he and the rest of the team need to improve on the defensive end to win against good teams. Whether or not that happens, he is still the best player on this team. This team will go as far as he takes them and I expect another big year numbers wise. Let’s hope it translates into wins this year.

Record/Seed: 33-39, 9th in the West

As much as I truly believe this team is good enough to make the playoffs, I just find it very unlikely it happens this year. Somewhere around .500 is where I see them and in the bloodbath that is the western conference, I don’t think their record will be good enough to snag a playoff spot.

This roster has been completely flipped upside down over the past year and there are just so many moving parts. Things would have to go almost perfect this year for the Wolves to make the playoffs. This team has potential, but they need to find an identity and find out what kind of team they will be in a hurry. The talent is there, but I’m not sure you can call it a “team” yet. Once these guys get some more time together on the court under their belt, I think you will see flashes of their potential and what they can do.

For now I’m sure this year is a classic Minnesota Sports year of sadness and disappointment in the win category, but the team will be very fun to watch. As a Wolves fan, frankly all I can ask for is for us to be entertaining and fight for the playoffs. The expectations are quite low, but I’m excited for the season to kick off…..let’s just hope it isn’t too sad. If it is, well, that’s why they invented alcohol.