Despite having assembled a core of some of the best young talent in the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves have failed to exit second gear.
During the 2014-15 season, the Timberwolves finished with the worst record in the NBA at 16-66. Last year they improved, but still only mustered 29 wins, finishing 13th in the process. Time seems to be running out for Minnesota to finally up their game, as they once again attempt to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
The post-Garnett era
For the majority of the summer, Kevin Garnett's potential retirement was the number one discussion point among fans of Minnesota. The 40-year-old announced his decision to leave the game just over a fortnight ago, having played in the game's elite league for over half of his life. The big man re-joined the 1989 expansion franchise last year with the intention to retire as a member of the Timberwolves.
Garnett will still be involved with the steam and will be joined by the side's new head coach, Tom Thibodeau. The 58-year-old's last job was with the Chicago Bulls, which was a five-year tenure that ended in 2015.
From 394 regular-season games, Thibodeau won 255, a win percentage of over 60 percent. The other main change in the T-wolves roster is the addition of Kris Dunn via the draft. The point guard was the fifth pick of the first round and adds more youth to their potential line-up.
Karl-Anthony Towns to lead the way
With the pressure heating up on Minnesota to reach the playoffs once again, a lot of weight will fall on Karl-Anthony Towns' shoulders. The 20-year-old center finished the season having averaged a double-double of 18.3 points of 10.5 rebounds. KAT is now among great company in being listed as one of the top 15 MVP candidates, with the center boasting better odds than Damian Lillard and Carmelo Anthony.
Towns is expected to improve on his numbers from his rookie season this year, although he's expected to be helped by fellow youngster Andrew Wiggins.
How will they do?
Anything less than playoffs this year for the Timberwolves will definitely be seen as an underachievement.
The roster that the side has now, complete with the likes of Zach LaVine and Ricky Rubio, should really be challenging for the seventh or eighth seed in the Western Conference.
With the talent boasted by the likes of the Portland Trail Blazers and the Houston Rockets in the middle of the conference, it's unlikely that the side will be able to push any higher.
A return to the playoffs would be most welcome to the Championship-less franchise and would go some way in proving their doubters that they could compete with the big boys in the future.