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Fresh off their first postseason appearance since 2004, the Minnesota Timberwolves went six games with the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. In their best efforts to build on this success and make a deep run in 2023, the Timberwolves will definitely have their work cut out for them in a deep and top heavy Western Conference where they'll have to compete with teams like the Golden State Warriors, LA Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, and Phoenix Suns.
After the recent additions of All-Star center and 3-time NBA DPOY Rudy Gobert, crafty point-forward Kyle Anderson, and veteran guard Bryn Forbes, Minnesota has now raised their expectations heading into next season. With all this going for the Timberwolves, let's not take a look at the biggest needs they still must address to become 2023 NBA Finals contenders.
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2 biggest needs Timberwolves must address to become contenders
1) Sign a quality back-up center
The pairing of Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns arguably gives the Timberwolves the most dynamic big man duo in the league. Outside of these two versatile big men, the Timberwolves don't possess a ton of depth at the center spot. After losing the rights to Walker Kessler in the Gobert trade, the Wolves did lose some depth, but there's still some quality free agent centers for them to pursue.
There's a few available players who could have an immediate impact for Minnesota, and veteran free agents like Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Montrezl Harrell are all known quantities. All of whom could make a real difference for the Wolves and give them some insurance at the position outside of Gobert, Towns, and Naz Reid.
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2) Add some depth at the power forward spot
In their previous trade with the Utah Jazz, Minnesota also lost Jarred Vanderbilt and this has left a massive void for them at power forward. The re-signing of Taurean Prince and the addition of Kyle Anderson certainly help with this, but adding another set of active hands and some size would certainly help them out a ton in the long run.
With players like Blake Griffin, Eric Paschall, and Juancho Hernangomez still remaining unsigned, this could be a prime opportunity for the Wolves to shore up their frontline. Signing one of these accomplished vets to complete their roster would be vital to their success throughout the season – especially come playoff time. If the Timberwolves are able to fill out their rotation with one of these signings, then the sky's limit for what this team will be able to achieve during the 2022-23 NBA season.
All-in-all, the Timberwolves have a lot going for them and now have the potential to take the next step and compete for an NBA championship. Whether or not they'll be able to follow through on this and live up to expectations is still to be determined. However, with a well-rounded squad in place, things are finally starting to look up for the Twin Cities. Exciting times await for the Timberwolves and after last year's success, they're hoping to reach new heights and put years of disappointment in their rearview mirror.
