The Empire Strikes Back. The Godfather Part II. The Dark Knight. Terminator II: Judgment Day. Paddington 2.
A good movie sequel picks up from the prior story, showing the next step of a character journey. A great movie sequel takes things to such a new level that it actually changes the perception of the movie that came before it.
Why all this talk about movie sequels?
Well, the 2023-24 Minnesota Timberwolves are a sequel team. The majority of the main cast is back, there was just enough promise in the original to set high expectations, and the studio (ownership in this case) has bet a lot of money on blockbuster-caliber success.