The Timberwolves' playoff run
Last season, the Minnesota Timberwolves snuck into the Western Conference final for the first time in 20 years. After a high-flying regular season, a quality playoffs culminated in a Game 7 win over the Nuggets in the semi-finals, before giving up the ghost against the Mavericks, buoyed by an incredible Luka Doncic.
But while expectations were high for what was to come, the front office cooled everyone off by sending Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks. Officially, for financial considerations. Julius Randle had a hard act to follow, and the Timberwolves notched seven fewer wins in the regular season. But the smell of blood in the playoffs transformed the team.
Whether it was against the Lakers or the Warriors, Minnesota unleashed their basketball, imposed their defence, put opposition stars to the sword and won both series 4-1 without shaking for a single second. It's hard not to classify this franchise as a playoff team when you see them in full flight.
In doing so, the Wolves became the first team to string together two Western Conference Finals since the Warriors (2015-19), which shows just how good they are.
Unfortunately, the Thunder were far too strong this time, winning 4-1, with a thrashing in the decisive game. Honestly, Minnesota never looked like winning the series. Equally reassuring and worrying, their playoff run was clearly paradoxical.
Reassuring, because they have established themselves as an official force in the West, the toughest of the two conferences. Worrying, though, because in the two conference finals contested, the Wolves have never looked capable of overcoming that obstacle. Have they reached their limit, perhaps? In this way, it seems so.
The disappointments
Can Anthony Edwards be seen as a disappointment? 'Ant-Man' carried his team through the first two rounds, averaging nearly 27 points with a high of 44 against the Lakers.
Against the Thunder, though, he never found his groove and saw his average drop to 23, albeit against the best defence in the NBA, which no doubt sweetens that stat slightly. Nevertheless, a leader must set an example, and he was unable to do so regularly.
But the true disappointments undoubtedly come from elsewhere. Neither Rudy Gobert nor Naz Reid really tipped the balance. The French pivot's limitations in attack are well known, but an average of 5.8 points at this level is unheard of.
Reid, a recognised energiser and Sixth Man Of The Year last season, was never able to get the Wolves bench past second place, and didn't even average 10 points. That's a key area that cost them a lot in the end.
As for the rest, the supporting cast as a whole were far too inconsistent, even if they came close to saving the day in Game 4. In the end, only Julius Randle lived up to expectations. All of which raises some important questions for this summer...
The Timberwolves' future
Randle and Reid have a player option for next season. If they take it (which should be the case), the Wolves will already have over $187,000,000 committed. It's hard to improve the team with that kind of money, especially as we imagine the trio of Edwards, Gober and Jaden McDaniels to be untouchable. Trading Randle would seem to be the primary solution, but what would they get in return?
They could try to install Naz Reid in the starting five, which would deplete the bench, but then they could use Randle as a bargaining chip. Why not go for a quality sixth man, who would be useful in both the regular season and the playoffs?
That's a lot of questions to answer, and even if the Wolves don't have a huge contract (only Edwards will exceed $40,000,000), there aren't many possibilities. Unless, of course, the management decides that this team has reached its peak. After all, two conference finals without actually having had a chance to see the NBA Finals is a perfectly reasonable angle to take.
Keep the aforementioned trio and send everyone else elsewhere? Reluctantly part with McDaniels in a package to bring back a superstar? It probably wouldn't please Ant-Man, but sometimes, in order to win, you have to sacrifice some soldiers.