2022-2023 Timberwolves Predictions (standings/stats/roles)

[Klomp]

Another prediction: KAT will be the starting PF on all star team. KAT’s career number is ahead of Dirk Nowitzki’s at age 26 including 3pt pct. Dirk is 7’0” and 245lb (playing weight?) and KAT is 6’11” and 248lb. If Dirk is a PF, why can’t KAT be a PF. They both have similar playing style. The same defense ability? Dirk plays with Tyson Chandler/Haywood at center. Sure, the NBA is now smaller, faster, and more 3s but Gobert is Tyson Chandler+++

It comes down to voting, and I think that's a bold prediction. Remember, it's just broken down to guards and frontcourt, so I'm afraid Towns and Gobert could sniper each other. They finished 6th and 7th in voting last year. George and Leonard both healthy will be an additional factor.

I actually think Ant would have a slightly higher chance of starting than Towns, even though Towns would get the coaches' vote first. He finished 10th among West guards despite a slow start. He's got star recognition growing with his playoff performance and acting chops. Those things matter.

[Sephiroth]

KAT: 3rd Team All NBA, All Star
25/11/5/1/1.5

Ant: 3rd Team All NBA, All Star
25/5/4/2/0.7 BPG

Gobert: 3rd Team All NBA, All Star
14/14/2.8 (blocks)

DLo:
16/3/7.5

Jaden: 12/6/1/1/1

54 wins / 3rd seed

Nuggets - fully healthy, Jokic too good
Clippers - Best healthy duo in league
Wolves - everything clicks
Grizzlies - last year pretenders, still talented though
Warriors - age, lost key players
Mavericks - losing Brunson hurts

Suns - CP3 age, Ayton drama?
Pelicans - so much talent, no true PG to put it all together though
Blazers - added some talent, healthy Lillard
Lakers - only because the rest of the West is so bad (Thunder, Jazz, Rockets, Kings, Spurs)

[TimberKat]

Another prediction: KAT will be the starting PF on all star team. KAT’s career number is ahead of Dirk Nowitzki’s at age 26 including 3pt pct. Dirk is 7’0” and 245lb (playing weight?) and KAT is 6’11” and 248lb. If Dirk is a PF, why can’t KAT be a PF. They both have similar playing style. The same defense ability? Dirk plays with Tyson Chandler/Haywood at center. Sure, the NBA is now smaller, faster, and more 3s but Gobert is Tyson Chandler+++

It comes down to voting, and I think that's a bold prediction. Remember, it's just broken down to guards and frontcourt, so I'm afraid Towns and Gobert could sniper each other. They finished 6th and 7th in voting last year. George and Leonard both healthy will be an additional factor.

I actually think Ant would have a slightly higher chance of starting than Towns, even though Towns would get the coaches' vote first. He finished 10th among West guards despite a slow start. He's got star recognition growing with his playoff performance and acting chops. Those things matter.

Good points. I am counting on lots of fans to show up and vote this year and the Jazz fans will vote for Twolves players

[Klomp]

Good points. I am counting on lots of fans to show up and vote this year and the Jazz fans will vote for Twolves players

It is a good year for the All-Star game to be in Salt Lake City!

[_AIJ_]

What were the predictions at the start last season?

[KGdaBom]

What were the predictions at the start last season?

I had us at 46 wins.

[shrink]

One of my concerns that could affect our record is having too many people demanding the ball.

Towns: He may have the opposite characteristic - too willing to defer. We were all frustrated that he was third in FGA’s in our playoff season with Jimmy. He is a historically good shooter, so obviously the coaching staff will be wanting him to shoot, particularly with the space and match up advantages Gobert provides,

Ant: His future is now. I wouldn’t blame him if he wanted to average 26 a game to try to make his first All Star game - after all, he is our next superstar. Superstars get the ball.

Gobert: Gobert is going to see easy shots with the attention KAT and Ant will draw, and Russell’s ability to use the pick-and-roll. When he does all that hard work underneath, how can we expect him to pass out from easy shots?

DLo: He just had a so-so season with some occasional good performances with below average overall stats, plus he may feel publicly insulted by getting pulled in the fourth quarter of Game 6. The Wolves may have reinforced that by not offering him a big money extension. Luckily for him, the team brought in perhaps the best player in the NBA to make him look good on both ends of the court. Russell has said this is his contract year.

I’m also a little concerned that Jaden McDaniels and Jaylen Nowell will feel they deserve their shots too,, as they have been named important parts of the future, and they have to be concerned about their next contract as well.


For the Wolves to have a great record, some of these guys are going to have to give up a part of their game, or at least modify it. I am grateful we have Chris Finch to moderate team chemistry, but I think this is one of the threats to a season where we have one of the best records in the West.

[minimus]

I guess the key here is ball movement and touches (not shots). I like that Finch already said they want Gobert to try new things, we might not have enough shots for Rudy outside of dunks, outbacks, but he might get just enough touches to keep ball movement.

[Nick K]

One underrated aspect of next season will be players pairs who might help each other to elevate their game. I can see of following pairings (except for obvious things like DLo-Gobert, Towns-Gobert etc):

Reid-Anderson. Against some bench units this front-court might work very well. Last season Reid played with TP/MCD/V8 at PF and as result our bench unit was painfully small, however this year we can use Reid-Anderson-TP front-court. Same with Towns-Anderson

Gobert-Moore. Moore will benefit from Gobert screens and rim runner gravity, Gobert will benefit from Moore defense

Gobert-Nowell. Nowell has already an elite mid range game, Gobert might make him even better

Gobert-MCD. I expect MCD to play a lot as weakside rotation big and low man, he will provide Gobert with help in defense. In offense I expect MCD to get a lot of alleyoop passes, just because an opponent big will be attached to Gobert

I doubt Moore gets much run with Rudy. I don’t know if Naz gets any run at all (assuming KAT plays most or all C minutes not taken by Rudy.)

Your other pairings are interesting. Rudy should have a very good effect on JMAC as JMAC has proven he can hit Naz on the roll. JMAC pin point passing or lobbing to Rudy will allow Rudy to feast. Moreover, Rudy will cover for JMAC when he lets defenders get by him. But the little ninja defense will also take some pressure off Rudy on a few possessions.

Yeah, Moore needs time. But I just see him as successful role player next to Gobert, because of multiple connecting points. With regard to Reid, I still think with load management and current roster construction 3rd unit might get some minutes during regular season. I really dont know how McLaughlin as backup PG will work, he is an incredible kick-out passer, now he will have multiple targets, he also gives effort in defense.

Yep. I don't see him getting hardly any minutes except when were comfortably ahead. Our depth and maturity is night and day from last year. All of that works against Moore. He just needs time.

[Movics]

Over 58.5 wins and at least second seed if not winning the whole conference.

Spoiler:

We’re going to be watching Wolves basketball in June

Ant will take that superstar leap in season 3 when the greats really start separating themselves from the mortals. I hope he can lower his turnovers and increase his FTA.

Finch COY finalist, Gobert and Towns All NBA 3rd team as all stars in February, Gobert All Defense 1st team, McDaniels receives all defense votes just like Ant all nba votes but neither will make any of the teams. I could see Ant making the ASG as an injury replacement.

[wolves_89]

Read on Twitter

I'm not really familiar with the guy who posted this (so I'm unsure how much weight to put on the information), but I found it interesting.

[winforlose]

Read on Twitter

I'm not really familiar with the guy who posted this (so I'm unsure how much weight to put on the information), but I found it interesting.

I don’t get what it is trying to convey.

[Klomp]

One of my concerns that could affect our record is having too many people demanding the ball.

Towns: He may have the opposite characteristic - too willing to defer. We were all frustrated that he was third in FGA’s in our playoff season with Jimmy. He is a historically good shooter, so obviously the coaching staff will be wanting him to shoot, particularly with the space and match up advantages Gobert provides,

Ant: His future is now. I wouldn’t blame him if he wanted to average 26 a game to try to make his first All Star game - after all, he is our next superstar. Superstars get the ball.

Gobert: Gobert is going to see easy shots with the attention KAT and Ant will draw, and Russell’s ability to use the pick-and-roll. When he does all that hard work underneath, how can we expect him to pass out from easy shots?

DLo: He just had a so-so season with some occasional good performances with below average overall stats, plus he may feel publicly insulted by getting pulled in the fourth quarter of Game 6. The Wolves may have reinforced that by not offering him a big money extension. Luckily for him, the team brought in perhaps the best player in the NBA to make him look good on both ends of the court. Russell has said this is his contract year.

I’m also a little concerned that Jaden McDaniels and Jaylen Nowell will feel they deserve their shots too,, as they have been named important parts of the future, and they have to be concerned about their next contract as well.


For the Wolves to have a great record, some of these guys are going to have to give up a part of their game, or at least modify it. I am grateful we have Chris Finch to moderate team chemistry, but I think this is one of the threats to a season where we have one of the best records in the West.

Keep in mind a better team should hopefully mean more blowouts, which will keep counting numbers down somewhat for starters. But then also, Beasley on the second unit had a crazy volume that probably won't be replicated on the second unit, likely will shift to starters with more firepower there. Ant already had essentially a green light. He should get more efficient, but not sure if volume will change. Towns probably won't change much, but scoring could jump based on more 3s.

[shrink]

I don’t get what it is trying to convey.

It means we get to beat OKC four times, and they get to lose to us four times.

[KGdaBom]

I predict that the agony of waiting for this season to start will drive me insane and I will pull out all of the remaining hair I got.

[winforlose]

I predict that the agony of waiting for this season to start will drive me insane and I will pull out all of the remaining hair I got.

Your not the only one brother

[Klomp]

Finch gets a lot of credit for empowering Jokic in Denver. We see what he has become as a de facto PG, but that's not as much of what he did in 2016-17 when Finch ran the offense. That version of Jokic isn't that far off from how we've seen Finch use Towns, and I think some actions can easily be used for Gobert as well. There are obviously transition opportunities that are pretty unique to Jokic, but other actions can probably be replicated.

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[Klomp]

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[Dewey]

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These predictions assume lots of things… specifically a healthy roster, ANT playing like an all-star, DLo plays with grit, McD steps up, and the Gob/Kat chemistry clicks.

It’s a world of the willing & able… in basketball it’s simple… ya have to be willing to prepare and able to play winning basketball.

I’m concerned on the loss of Beverly and I’m concerned with DL’s grit. I’m still in the 50-52 wins, these two issues remain in the back of my mind.

[KGdaBom]

Read on Twitter

I never heard of the guy, but I googled him and he's a basketball writer of some significance. Glad he likes our chances of winning a lot of games. Too bad he predicts the wrong team winning the title.