The Minnesota Timberwolves sit as the 7th seed in the Western Conference at 39-37. Minnesota is a half-game back of the 6th-seed Golden State Warriors, which would give them a confirmed playoff spot.
The Timberwolves made an aggressive trade this offseason, acquiring Rudy Gobert in a trade. It was an odd pairing, as they already had star center Karl-Anthony Towns. Gobert and Towns haven't played much together, as Towns suffered a Grade 3 calf strain that kept him out for 52 games.
Towns has appeared in two games since coming back and is averaging 20.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while shooting 49.3 percent from the floor and 34.1% from three this season. The 27-year-old big man is one of the key components of the team, and with him back in the lineup, Minnesota has a shot in the postseason.
Guard Anthony Edwards has taken a jump in his third season, helping Minnesota be right in the playoff hunt despite Towns' extended absence. Edwards is averaging 24.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.6 steals. He is shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 36.9% from behind the arc. Their other key player is Gobert, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year award winner.
Gobert anchors the defense for the Timberwolves. While Minnesota may not be a championship contender, they have the talent to put up a fight. It will all come down to the matchups that the Timberwolves get.
With that said, here is the Timberwolves' nightmare seeding scenario, matchup for 2023 NBA Playoffs.
Timberwolves' nightmare seeding scenario: Nuggets
Minnesota's nightmare scenario would be to be in the play-in tournament. The play-in tournament is composed of the 7th-10th seed. The Timberwolves are currently the 7th seed, but falling to the 9th or 10th seed would be the worst possible situation.
If they fall to the 9th or 10th seed, they would have to win two straight games to make it to the playoffs. While Minnesota is the 7th seed, they only have a 1.5-game lead over the 9th-seed Los Angeles Lakers.
In the play-in tournament, there could be some tough matchups. If they had to play the Lakers, that could be a tough matchup. Los Angeles has a retooled roster after the trade deadline, and they could be a dangerous team in the postseason. Matching up against them would be tough for the Timberwolves. The Lakers have championship experience as they are led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The other play-in teams are very beatable for Minnesota, as Towns coming back gives them a big boost. However, even if the Timberwolves make it out of the play-in, they will have to face off against the one or two seed. This matches them up with either the Denver Nuggets or Memphis Grizzlies.
The worst matchup out of those two for Minnesota would be the Nuggets. Denver has superstar center Nikola Jokic, who has dominated Gobert over the years. The Nuggets have the third-best record in the NBA and have a great roster.
What would prove difficult for the Timberwolves is defending Denver. Jokic is an elite offensive player, averaging 24.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 9.9 assists while shooting 63.4 percent from the field and 39 percent from behind the arc.
With Gobert guarding Jokic, Towns would have to guard a perimeter player. This likely puts him on Aaron Gordon, who is much faster and more explosive than Towns. Gordon could take advantage of this matchup. One way to try and counter this is to run zone defense instead of man-to-man. The problem with this is Jokic's ability as a passer. He constantly finds his open teammates and has shooters around him with Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr, and others.
While the Timberwolves have a tough road ahead, they still have a chance to work their way up the standings. If Minnesota matches up against the Nuggets in the postseason, it would be an extremely tough matchup to overcome.
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