As basketball season draws near, surely every Minnesota Timberwolves fan has been part of a conversation in which a friend or coworker claims the Wolves could — or should — host a playoff series, avoid the Play-In Tournament, or make it to the second round of the NBA Playoffs. While that person might very well be right, those statements often come without much context.
Are the Nuggets going to fall? The Suns won’t stay healthy? The Grizzlies start the year slow without Ja Morant? The Kings regress? Chris Paul doesn’t gel with Golden State?