Is Minnesota a Top 4 team?

[Klomp]

Easy question. Do we finish Top 4 in the West? Do we advance to the second round?

[Note30]

Easy question. Do we finish Top 4 in the West? Do we advance to the second round?

I don't think we finish top 4, or get passed the second round but we will the season after next.

[winforlose]

Easy question. Do we finish Top 4 in the West? Do we advance to the second round?

If we stay healthy yes. If not, depends on who is hurt, how long, how our depth comes together, and more. Moore and Minott shocking the world and both being major contributors would certainly help with depth.

[D1SGRUNTL3D]

We improved our team, immensely, and pretty much tied every playoff team ahead of us in regular season records.

I think Denver, Clippers, us, pelicans will improve via moves or players coming back.

Stagnant: warriors

I think Dallas, Phoenix will fall back a bit. Just because of losing Brunson, and we have no idea what Phoenix will look like….and CP3 clearly lost a step in the playoffs

Grizz don’t have JJJ for a good portion of the first half of the series. Wouldn’t shock me if they’re the 6th and we’re the 3rd seed for round 1.

Utah and San Antonio are out. Utah probably competes for a play in if they keep Mitchell because the west can have only so many tankers-okc, houston, SA, SAC

[theGreatRC]

I think we'll be the #1 team in the NBA tbh.

3 all-stars on the #1 team in the NBA

[Worm Guts]

We better be.

[shangrila]

It's impossible to tell.

If we were the best team in the West next season I wouldn't be surprised. On paper we've got an amazing starting 5 that's well balanced with complimentary skillsets with an equally well balanced and versatile bench.

But other teams have improved/gotten healthy too and there's no guarantee that KAT at the 4 or DLo at the PoA works. Maybe we're middle of the pack instead?

If I were betting I'd put money on being #1 over being in the play-in though, so I'll say yeah we'll be top 4/HCA.

[younggunsmn]

Not until we fix the mental toughness issues that cost us the Grizzlies series.
We didn't lose in the playoffs because of a lack of talent.
Nearly every player on the roster put up a worse PER in the playoffs than regular season.
D-Lo put up a putrid 6.8 PER for that series after having a statisically respectable 16.3 regular season (albeit with less than efficient shooting). KAT dropped from 24.2 down to 13.9 because of so many bad turnovers.
McLaughlin was the only one above league average (15) on our entire roster for that series.

Now Gobert is both extremely talented and a mentally tough veteran.
Can he bring the others up to his level or will him setting a higher standard cause problems with certain mercurial stars we have who have reps for wilting like flowers when the going gets tough?
If he can bring the rest of the team up to his level, and we stay healthy, there could be no stopping us.
Others have tried and failed.
Rudy should have a lot more to work with than a washed Mike Conley and Bogdanovic traffic cone teammates.
But I do know this, talent alone guarantees nothing. That's what makes this all-in move so hard to judge.

[Colbinii]

The team definitely has not only the potential to be the #1 team in the Regular season, the path is clear and the vision of the parts all fitting and coming together make sense.

The 2021 Jazz were 52-20, far and away the best team and the regular season and if not for injuries to Conley and Mitchell could have won a championship. The Jazz were 9-deep and I can see Nowell/Reid [either of them being our 9th best player] as good as Niang for Utah [Their 9th best player]. The thing about that Jazz team is they were relatively healthy for the regular season with none of those 9 missing more than 21 games and 7 of the 9 missing no more than 5 games all season.

McDaniels can easily fulfill the Royce O'Neale role. The bigger question is Towns/Edwards/Dlo able to match Mitchell/Conley/Ingles and then can SlowMo/Prince/Nowell/Reid able to match Bogdanovic/Clarkson/Favors/Niang.

I'm excited, I'm optimistic and I will wothhold any actual predictions until closer to the seasons start.

[KGdaBom]

To me this question is a no brainer yes. The only reason I can see anybody voting no is they've been conditioned over years of frustration to only see the negative. With GoBear last year we sweep the Grizz. The only teams that IMO can hang with us are the Warriors assuming health and the Clippers assuming health. Does anybody really count on those teams to be healthy?

[Note30]

To me this question is a no brainer yes. The only reason I can see anybody voting no is they've been conditioned over years of frustration to only see the negative. With GoBear last year we sweep the Grizz. The only teams that IMO can hang with us are the Warriors assuming health and the Clippers assuming health. Does anybody really count on those teams to be healthy?

All I'm saying is, it's easier to be like we'll suck and have that happen than to have our hopes up and crushed. OBVIOUSLY I want this team to be a top 4 seed and win the WCF but I also have been let down time and time again.

[YaleS]

I see Min as a 3-6 seed, we should be good in the regular season. Playoffs are a different thing, I see us going out 1st or 2nd round.

[younggunsmn]

To me this question is a no brainer yes. The only reason I can see anybody voting no is they've been conditioned over years of frustration to only see the negative. With GoBear last year we sweep the Grizz. The only teams that IMO can hang with us are the Warriors assuming health and the Clippers assuming health. Does anybody really count on those teams to be healthy?

All I'm saying is, it's easier to be like we'll suck and have that happen than to have our hopes up and crushed. OBVIOUSLY I want this team to be a top 4 seed and win the WCF but I also have been let down time and time again.

I totally get this,
This has to be in the DNA of every long time Minnesota sports fan after so much spectacular failure.
Funny how when I was a little kid watching the Twins in the World Series, never doubted them.
Either we get cynical as we age or MN sports really suck lol. Probably a little of both.

Middle aged dudes watching the Twins in '87 might have been pessimistic after all those Vikings Super Bowl losses and the Dodgers in '65. '65 seemed like a lifetime ago in '87, but that was only 22 years. Its been 31 years since one of the major 4 sports in MN have made a title game/series. Maybe this is our year.

[DaMplsKid]

I went with yes. I think the Clippers should be better then last year. but don'[t think Memphis will be as good. We just have to beat the team we are expected to beat no more loses to the Orlando magics of the world.

Phx, GSW, Clips, and Us should be the top 4 and to be honest the other 3 teams have more veterans who could take time off.

[Worm Guts]

It would seem to me that we have to get past the first round otherwise this trade failure. I suppose not necessarily this upcoming season, but we for sure need to make a serious run in the next 3. We were already capable of losing in the first round without giving up 5 first round picks. There has to be some sort of tangible improvement.

[jpatrick]

Comes down to injuries. We lost so much depth. Need Nowell to take a major step up and everyone to stay relatively healthy.

I think Nuggets, Clippers, and Warriors are probably favored to have more wins. In part because we’re going to have some growing pains as we gel as a team.

We’re probably in the same general win area as the Griz, Mavs, Suns, Pels, and Lakers (w/Kyrie). Even Portland could surprise.

I think we end up 3-6, but I could see anywhere from 1-8 in the West.

[winforlose]

Comes down to injuries. We lost so much depth. Need Nowell to take a major step up and everyone to stay relatively healthy.

I think Nuggets, Clippers, and Warriors are probably favored to have more wins. In part because we’re going to have some growing pains as we gel as a team.

We’re probably in the same general win area as the Griz, Mavs, Suns, Pels, and Lakers (w/Kyrie). Even Portland could surprise.

I think we end up 3-6, but I could see anywhere from 1-8 in the West.

Did we lose depth? I mean really think about it. Anderson replaces V8. Forbes replaces Beasley. Moore Replaces Bolmaro. We never had Kessler so it isn’t a loss. Rudy replaces Bev, and we have Minott as the young X factor. The only players we haven’t replaced are Layman (no loss there,) and JO (a defensive depth loss, but a player with obvious problems.) If anything I would argue we improved our depth a bit because we are likely to get better 13 and 14 guys than we sent out.

[minimus]

Comes down to injuries. We lost so much depth. Need Nowell to take a major step up and everyone to stay relatively healthy.

I think Nuggets, Clippers, and Warriors are probably favored to have more wins. In part because we’re going to have some growing pains as we gel as a team.

We’re probably in the same general win area as the Griz, Mavs, Suns, Pels, and Lakers (w/Kyrie). Even Portland could surprise.

I think we end up 3-6, but I could see anywhere from 1-8 in the West.

Yes, I thought the same. Load management and depth will be a huge factor. Also We might see wild season. DEN and Murray have lost Morris, while Murray will return after long injury and might be on minutes limit. Same with Kawhi and LAC, same with Dame and POR, AD and LAL. It really might be at some point a marathon. These teams might think about playoffs and championship and dont care much about regular season standings.

[D1SGRUNTL3D]

Comes down to injuries. We lost so much depth. Need Nowell to take a major step up and everyone to stay relatively healthy.

I think Nuggets, Clippers, and Warriors are probably favored to have more wins. In part because we’re going to have some growing pains as we gel as a team.

We’re probably in the same general win area as the Griz, Mavs, Suns, Pels, and Lakers (w/Kyrie). Even Portland could surprise.

I think we end up 3-6, but I could see anywhere from 1-8 in the West.

Yes, I thought the same. Load management and depth will be a huge factor. Also We might see wild season. DEN and Murray have lost Morris, while Murray will return after long injury and might be on minutes limit. Same with Kawhi and LAC, same with Dame and POR, AD and LAL. It really might be at some point a marathon. These teams might think about playoffs and championship and dont care much about regular season standings.

I could definitely see a trend of taking games off in January/February and risk giving up home court over it.


I’m not sure if home court is as big of a deal as it once was. They’re pros and probably aren’t intimidated being on the road. Crowd gives the home team an extra boost but that only lasts for so long

[winforlose]

Comes down to injuries. We lost so much depth. Need Nowell to take a major step up and everyone to stay relatively healthy.

I think Nuggets, Clippers, and Warriors are probably favored to have more wins. In part because we’re going to have some growing pains as we gel as a team.

We’re probably in the same general win area as the Griz, Mavs, Suns, Pels, and Lakers (w/Kyrie). Even Portland could surprise.

I think we end up 3-6, but I could see anywhere from 1-8 in the West.

Yes, I thought the same. Load management and depth will be a huge factor. Also We might see wild season. DEN and Murray have lost Morris, while Murray will return after long injury and might be on minutes limit. Same with Kawhi and LAC, same with Dame and POR, AD and LAL. It really might be at some point a marathon. These teams might think about playoffs and championship and dont care much about regular season standings.

I could definitely see a trend of taking games off in January/February and risk giving up home court over it.


I’m not sure if home court is as big of a deal as it once was. They’re pros and probably aren’t intimidated being on the road. Crowd gives the home team an extra boost but that only lasts for so long

I think it is easier to think that way once you have won something. Guys like KAT and Ant are hungry. They want to advance in the playoffs, they want to get to and surpass the 03-04 Wolves. They want their names to be the new KG and Cassell. Telling them to give up finishing first overall to rest for the playoffs is going to be quite difficult. Even if we are talking about the difference between 4 and 5 I think they will want to compete for 4. If we win the title this year, then next year we might think more like those other teams.