Losses To Good Teams Can Still Provide Valuable Experience For the Wolves

Every matchup down the stretch has meaning for the Minnesota Wolves' future, regardless of who they play. Seeding is crucial as they try to secure a guaranteed top-6 playoff spot. This team is young and still has so much room to grow, so everything they go through should be seen as a learning experience. However, they are more than capable of stealing a spot away from the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, or Utah Jazz.

The Wolves have players of various levels of experience. Karl-Anthony Towns' only playoff experience was as the 8-seed against Chris Paul, James Harden, and the Houston Rockets, and he struggled. D'Angelo Russell has only played in one series: Against the Philadelphia 76ers in 2018 when he was with the Brooklyn Nets.

Patrick Beverley easily has the most postseason experience. He has not missed the playoffs in his career, something he takes pride in and has been preaching won't happen this year. This team has a ton to prove as they climb back into NBA relevancy and look to reach their second playoff appearance since Kevin Garnett was in Minnesota.

Competitive Game Atmosphere

The Wolves usually have a losing record at this point of the season. Therefore, they are typically looking to see who is a part of the future and don't need to prioritize winning down the stretch. Now the Wolves are playing in meaningful games and need to beat losing teams to keep pace in the Western Conference. While their record has been improving, they finally have closed in on Denver, Dallas, and Utah. If they can finish the season as the 6-seed or above, they will be guaranteed a playoff series.

Monday's game against Dallas was a perfect example of critical games that could have future ramifications on seeding. The game had runs by both sides. The Timberwolves led early, but the Mavs took the lead into the half. The Wolves slowly crawled back, but they could not execute down the stretch enough to win. Two late shot clock layups, the Mavericks' second-chance three, and Minnesota's execution eliminated their chances to come home victorious.

The Mavericks game was plagued by miscommunications, leading to corner threes by Reggie Bullock or Luka Doncic feeding Dwight Powell lob dunks. Ultimately, the Wolves prevailed against the NBA's second-best point allowing defense, keeping it close enough to stay within reach on the road. Minnesota was not favored to beat Dallas, but they easily showed that they could if they had taken an extra step forward.

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Ironing Out Lineups

Rotations and minutes will change in the playoffs. Many teams lean on their core players when matching the opposition's personnel. On Monday, the Wolves leaned towards a spacing-heavy lineup, with Malik Beasley and Jaylen Nowell picking up heavy 4th quarter minutes over Jarred Vanderbilt. Jaden McDaniels would likely have gotten minutes here if he was healthy, but it highlights that the Wolves have different options they can use based on the situation.

Chris Finch used shooters and spacing to match the undersized Mavericks personnel, which helped the Wolves get back into the game effectively. Finch is comfortable rolling with who he believes in during the specific moment, even if it means benching point guard D'Angelo Russell for a stint. Russell struggled after a hot start, and the team was playing better with him sitting out for a bit. If it leads to winning, few will be frustrated.

In the stretch run of the season, we will have to get used to Minnesota getting heavy minutes from the best players and keep an eye on who has a specific matchup advantage over the opponent.

Potential Matchups

We can soon begin to picture who the Wolves could face in the playoffs. It would be ideal to avoid Phoenix in the first round because they have shown they are a strong team that will be getting Chris Paul back come playoff time. The Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies are the intriguing options if the Wolves land at the 6 or 7 seed. Minnesota has had great performances against Golden State and Memphis this season, not to mention the size advantage KAT has against Golden State.

Ultimately, the Timberwolves need to push for the best seed because they could win a series if they get the right matchup. The future is in their hands. But if it doesn't go their way, it can only be viewed as a building block as they move forward.