Timberwolves over-under set at 47.5 and they are going over
Bet Online has set the Minnesota Timberwolves’ over-under win total at 47.5 for the upcoming season.
Last season, the Minnesota Timberwolves only were better than two teams in the Western Conference. Minnesota’s 31 wins was only better than the win totals of the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers. Mike ‘Randball’ Rand of the Star Tribune is reporting that a source called Bet Online has put the over-under win total for the Wolves for this upcoming season at 47.5 wins. That’s a big jump, but a jump that the Wolves are going to go over.
Improving by 10 wins is a tough thing to pull off for any NBA team. That means that improving by 17 is darn near impossible, but it should happen for Minnesota.
This past season, 48 wins would have been given a Western Conference team the sixth seed in front of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trailblazers. That sixth seed is right around the sweet spot of what Timberwolves fans should be expecting for the upcoming season.
Look at the teams that you think are surely better than Minnesota right now in the Western Conference. That list includes the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and, maybe, the Thunder. The fifth seed last season was the Utah Jazz won 51 games, so a 48 win fifth seed would not be a crazy thought, either.
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According to Basketball Reference, Jimmy Butler had a win share of 13.8 in 2016-17. That is with a less talented supporting cast than what he now has with the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins in Minnesota, but the presence of Butler alone should help the Wolves rise up at least another 10 wins. Throw that in with another year of development from Towns and Wiggins, Jeff Teague as a point guard that can hit a shot, and Taj Gibson to help provide some grit and toughness, well, that’s a good concoction that Tom Thibodeau has all stirred up.
The Wolves are still in desperate need of someone off the bench that can score and this all will only work if none of the big three of Butler, Wiggins and Towns goes down with an injury, but the path looks clear for Minnesota to win over 47.5 games. I hope it’s not just the Wolves Kool-Aid talking.
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