The 2023-24 NBA season was a resounding success for the Minnesota Timberwolves. They finished third in a stacked Western Conference and reached their first Conference Finals in two decades, where they lost to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Wolves have taken steps to improve, bringing in exciting rookie guard Rob Dillingham, an older, athletic rookie wing in Terrence Shannon Jr., and adding Joe Ingles’ experience and three-point shooting. Kyle Anderson, Jordan McLaughlin, and Monte Morris are left in free agency. Still, a younger and more athletic roster is certainly exciting ahead of the new season, with Anthony Edwards’s rise to superstardom progressing daily.
But how are the other Western Conference contenders shaping up this offseason?
Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City is a favorite in the West for a reason. The Thunder were the first seed from last season and have replaced Josh Giddey‘s clunky fit with ultimate role player Alex Caruso. They also signed Isaiah Hartenstein to give them the rebounding and perimeter defense they badly needed.
The Thunder added Caruso and Hartenstein to a well-balanced roster. They have a superstar in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and have two improving young players, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Oklahoma City has one of the league’s strongest, most dynamic rosters. Given that they are already one of the best teams in the league, it’s hard to look past the Thunder as the team to beat in the West right now.
Denver Nuggets
It’s been a strange summer for the Nuggets. They have lost starting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and replaced him with a declining Russell Westbrook, who will presumably lead the second unit. They will rely on young players such as Christian Bruan and Peyton Watson to replace KCP, which seems like a risk.
Nikola Jokić provides a floor to any team, but concerns persist with Jamal Murray after he was atrocious in the Olympics. Given how other franchises have taken clear steps to upgrade their rosters, it feels as if Denver has fallen back. As long as Nikola Jokić is healthy, they will be in a playoff spot in the West, but it’s hard to see them compete at the top of the conference with so many issues and concerns elsewhere.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs are difficult to project, given that they have modified their starting lineup by adding Klay Thompson, one of the greatest shooters of all time. They have lost Derrick Jones Jr. to the Los Angeles Clippers, but this gives the offense even more juice – if it needed it already with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
The big question will be around fit. However, with the gravity the two guards attract, it appears that Thompson will be a fantastic fit offensively. Add the growth of Dereck Lively to the impressive P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, and you have a nice mix of talent, speed, and athleticism across the roster. If the offense clicks, this Mavericks team could easily win the West. Still, given Doncic’s issues and Thompson’s rapid decline on that end of the floor, they need to answer questions about perimeter defense.
Phoenix Suns
Phoenix’s offseason has been slightly more low-key than previous years. Their significant additions are point guards Tyus Jones and Monte Morris, which addresses one of their two main issues from last season: a lack of primary ball handlers.
One of Phoenix’s struggles against Minnesota was that the Wolves often pressured full court, and without primary ball handlers, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal found life much more difficult.
While Jones and Morris will help, the Suns still have an issue with their lack of size. Although they have added Mason Plumlee, it’s unclear whether Jusuf Nurkic can be the starting center on a contending roster. The Suns’ guards alone will improve their roster. If their big three – Booker, Beal, and Kevin Durant – can stay healthy, it’s hard to look past them as one of the strongest teams in the West.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers’ big issue is losing Paul George for nothing to the Philadelphia 76ers. They tried winning with George, but it didn’t work. However, without future picks, given what they still owe to Oklahoma, they still must try to contend. That means that Kawhi Leonard must carry the team to playoff success. Given his injury history, that seems like too big of an ask.
They added Derrick Jones Jr. from Dallas and Kris Dunn from the Utah Jazz. Still, it’s just tough to see how this roster continues to compete in a tough Western Conference. It will be well past James Harden leading the team if Leonard misses significant time. In 2025, that’s not enough for success in this league. It seems plausible that the Clippers may not even reach the play-in this season, let alone the playoffs.
New Orleans Pelicans
Dejounte Murray is New Orleans’ most notable addition. He seems to fit the roster well, with some positional size and versatility. He is another ball handler who can help during Zion Williamson’s prime, alongside other key pieces such as Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, and Jose Alvarado.
Brandon Ingram remains a big question mark after a terrible 2024 playoff performance. Given that he is still young enough to bring back potentially significant pieces in a trade, the Pelicans roster may see another shake-up.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are trying to maximize LeBron James’ window – or keep him happy. Dalton Knecht is a smart addition from the draft, but the notable change is rookie coach JJ Redick. They may still make a move to upgrade the roster, possibly by trading D’Angelo Russell. Still, in their current form, even if Redick is an upgrade on Darvin Ham, it’s hard to see this Lakers roster be higher than the play-in.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors hoped to make a bigger move this summer by adding Paul George or Lauri Markkanen. When neither of those options panned out, but Steph Curry is still around, this team is stuck in the middle. They will be much too competitive to think about tanking, but the ceiling seems like the upper end of the play-in. Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, and De’Anthony Melton are smart additions, but it’s hard to argue that this Warriors roster got any better.
Memphis Grizzlies
The key factor for Memphis is that Ja Morant returns and whether he can stay healthy. If he can reach his previous heights, the Grizzlies will likely be in the fight for a playoff spot, possibly even home court. Still, lots of question marks remain. Zach Edey is an interesting addition in the draft. Otherwise, it’s a case of hoping Morant and others, such as Marcus Smart and Jaren Jackson Jr., can get fit and stay fit.
Sacramento Kings
Sacramento added DeMar DeRozan and may need some time to work out that fit, given that his style does not match the fast-paced, energetic Kings roster. Keeping Buddy Hield and extending head coach Mike Brown may well turn out to be their best business. At first glance, it seems like Sacramento had a good offseason, but questions about the exact fit will persist. A DeMar DeRozan team has only made the playoffs once in the last five years.
Houston Rockets
Houston hopes to build on a promising last season by adding Reed Sheppard from the draft. The Rockets have a lot of players to fit into a rotation and a big question mark about who leads the team between Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun. If they can sort that out, and the growth from last season continues, a play-in spot is certainly achievable in Houston.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs may be forced to compete with Victor Wembenyama’s growth because they added Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes in free agency and Stephon Castle via the draft. If Wemby’s growth continues at the current rate, surely the Spurs will be too good to be one of the worst teams in the conference.
Utah Jazz
Utah has extended Lauri Markkanen and will probably win more games than it would like to. Otherwise, it’s a young roster that still needs time to develop at the NBA level.
Portland Trail Blazers
Only Portland is set up to be one of the worst teams in the league. Out of 15 teams in the Western Conference, at least 12 are probably chasing a play-in spot. And possibly as many as 14.
For the Timberwolves to be successful, there can be no taking nights off. Fitness and attitude are more important than ever, given that this might be the toughest season in the Western Conference in the history of the NBA.
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=66c0950789ee49f0b317fd9e80d756b0&url=https%3A%2F%2Fzonecoverage.com%2F2024%2Ftimberwolves%2Fhow-is-minnesotas-competition-shaping-up-in-the-west%2F&c=4970880486987577609&mkt=en-us
Author :
Publish date : 2024-08-16 04:30:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.