Timberwolves Need to Hit Tank Button on 2021

By    |  
Updated:

The Minnesota Timberwolves lost again tonight, the 10th loss in their last 11 games. This one, however, was extra special. The Wolves held the Orlando Magic to just 10 points in the 2nd quarter and held a 20 point lead in the 2nd half.

That lead didn’t hold, of course, and the game ended in heartbreaking fashion. Jarred Vanderbilt went to the free throw line with just under 2 seconds remaining on the game clock. One make would have stretched the lead to 3 and both would have given the Wolves a victory. He got neither and then this happened.

It’s over.

Any hope that the Minnesota Timberwolves had for 2021 are dead. This gut-wrenching loss sent the forever spiraling franchise to 3-10 on the season, good for the second-worst winning percentage in the league (.231).

This team just sucks without Karl-Anthony Towns and he will still sit for a couple more games, due to COVID protocols. With KAT on the court for a full season, the Wolves might be a borderline expanded playoff team. Now that they’ve dug such a big hole without him, there’s no chance they dig themselves out even after he does return.

So what are we doing? Because this isn’t a normal season, when it comes to the Wolves and their draft picks. Thanks to Andrew Wiggins, the Wolves will lose their draft pick to the Golden State Warriors if they do not finish in the bottom-3 of the 2021 NBA standings.

Finishing in the bottom 3-10 teams and then having to give our lottery pick to Golden State because of Andrew Wiggins, would make for the most depressing offseason in Timberwolves history (and there have been a lot of them).

Tank is easy.

Luckily for the Minnesota Timberwolves, hitting the tank button on 2021 is easier than it normally would be. KAT has made it very clear that he’s endangering himself and his future by playing through his wrist injury.

So, let’s send him off to surgery and shelf him for the season so he can heal fully. There, that’s it. Tank-mode engaged.

Tank is rewarding this season

The reward for tanking is well worth it in this year’s draft, too. Securing a top-2 pick in the lottery would guarantee one of two extremely dynamic point guards in (hometown boy) Jalen Suggs and Oklahoma State 6’7″ freshman, Cade Cunningham.

These are two can’t-miss prospects that the Wolves cannot afford to miss out on. With both Karl and DLo on max contracts, they cannot afford the type of free agent upgrades they need to be successful with this roster.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Mentioned in this article:

More About: