For the second consecutive season, the Minnesota Timberwolves' season came to a screeching halt in the Western Conference Finals. In 2025, however, they seemed farther away than ever from finally breaking through and making it to the NBA Finals. After at least being competitive against the Dallas Mavericks last year (keeping games close before faltering in the end), it didn't look as if they belonged in the same league as the Oklahoma City Thunder, especially in Game 5.

The temptation for teams that come so close yet fall so far is to make drastic moves so they could finally get over the hump. Perhaps that is still the case for these Timberwolves. Nonetheless, they have a solid pathway to contention for at least the next few years, especially when Anthony Edwards, as great as he is today, is only about to enter his age-24 season and has plenty of room to grow even as he's already made it deep to the playoffs multiple times.

“The greatest compliment we can give Ant is how much he's won at such a young age especially coming into a team that hadn't enjoyed much success in the years prior. I think the strides that he made this year… I think the sky's the limit. We think he's going to be one of the best players of all time. We really think he's on that track,” Timberwolves president Tim Connelly said of Edwards in his presser, via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

It's not too often that an all-time great manages to break through with a championship early on in one's career. Oftentimes, going through adversity is a necessary part of the process, and Edwards has certainly experienced this with the Timberwolves. This should only harden him for whatever is coming as he and his team look to take the final step towards claiming that elusive NBA championship.

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Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves are on the right track

Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half during game four of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center
Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Timberwolves have to be doing something right to be able to make the Western Conference Finals for the second straight season. As for Edwards, time is on his side anyway, so it's not like he should be beating himself up for coming up short in the WCF once more.

The likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant had to know what playoff heartbreak was like before they managed to climb the mountaintop. Edwards and the Timberwolves simply have to reinforce the team and keep on giving themselves a shot at a title year-in, year-out.