#6 – Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are another squad that has started to find themselves facing some struggles. Between a meniscal injury to leading scorer Jimmy Butler and a much more challenging schedule after the All-Star break, they’ve started to buckle somewhat under the pressure. Minnesota had climbed all the way to third in the West, but have lost six of their last ten to drop down to sixth in the ever-shuffling Western Conference standings.
Most of those losses, including their latest to the Utah Jazz, have been justifiable ones against tough teams. However, they’ve looked less than formidable without Butler and considering the heavy minutes Tom Thibodeau tends to run his starters, I could see them fizzling out down the stretch.
That seems especially possible considering the tough stretch ahead for Minnesota in which they’ll play the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and LA Clippers all right in a row. All of those opponents are capable of beating the Wolves, especially with Butler sidelined, and that upcoming slate could very well send them plummeting down the standings.
From there, Minnesota’s schedule eases up somewhat, although they do still have to face the Denver Nuggets twice as well as go up against the determined Jazz one more time. I foresee Denver dropping out of the standings over Minnesota, but if the Nuggets turn it around with Paul Millsap back in action while the Butler-less Wolves flounder, I wouldn’t be surprised to see myself proven wrong.
Minnesota’s remaining two contests against the Nuggets could very well make or break their playoff chances, depending on how things go in their daunting six-game stretch ahead.