How Good Are We **Poll**

[Rusty Kuntz]

I am always optimistic about the Wolves, but things feel different this year. I think we are good, like really good. Western Conference Finals and possibly The Finals good. Best D by a mile, Rudes driving the ship while ANT is the man and is gonna be in the MVP talk. You can say we are in the top 3, which is where I have them, but we just beat the 1 and 2 teams, so are we not #1? We just need Kat to get it together.

[Hornets]

I am always optimistic about the Wolves, but things feel different this year. I think we are good, like really good. Western Conference Finals and possibly The Finals good. Best D by a mile, Rudes driving the ship while ANT is the man and is gonna be in the MVP talk. You can say we are in the top 3, which is where I have them, but we just beat the 1 and 2 teams, so are we not #1? We just need Kat to get it together.

I have similar thoughts Rusty....but these are our Pups and we know how quickly things can go pear shaped. Maybe this year is different!

[flexbuffchest]

top 4 seed minimum unless major injuries.

[Moses Scurry]

Talent wise, top 5, as they are the Timberwolves, top 7.

[OliverMiller]

I'll say top 7 for now.

[Beef Supreme]

We will not be sweating the play-in game.

[Rusty Kuntz]

Click here to learn how to add YouTube Videos to your phpBB forum

[witljon]

I'll say top 7 for now.

I voted top 5

[RubeTube]

I voted top 5. Thought they were going to be that last year.

[T_J]

If their defense continues to be this awesome, they shouldn’t really ever get routed meaning they’ll be in every game.

A top 4 seed should be the goal…I think they’re that good, but am still a tad skeptical.

[Roy Kent]

I don't know guys. These are the Timberwolves. If they stay healthy, continue playing within the system, and the refs don't jack them every game I see top 7 for sure. But again, we are the Wolves. We need to reassess in a month.

[somuchyummy]

we need to weather some injuries first to see how it goes - because that's bound to happen, and not just to guys like JMac - who we have other options for - ready to get some PT. i think - and i know quite a few don't think this - that we are actually a pretty deep team - and pretty versatile position-wise, so there'd be a lot of different ways to cover an absence. Unless it's for a couple of guys whose names i won't mention because, yeah, while i don't believe in jinxes, why mess with it?

but Naz obviously is a great bench piece - and Luka always is ready to play. Slo Mo started almost all last year for us and was one of the most effective guys on the team. Troy, Shake and NAW have a shared (but pretty equally split) 169 NBA starts and over 15,000 NBA minutes played - and all are still young men (24-27). I think everyone here is anxious to see how Leonard Miller translates to the league - he sure ripped up the G last year.

I voted Top 5.

[Mnwild1128]

Conference or league wide.....

[Mnwild1128]

I voted top 5. Thought they were going to be that last year.

Towns missed 53 games. Add 3 wins to be conservative that would have put us at 4 or 5 depending on tie breakers. Up against the Suns.

[Mnwild1128]

#1 D last year was 109.9
#30 D was 119.6
Mid was 111.6
Difference of 9.7


Wolves D this year 100.4
#30 D is 121.0
Mid is 113.5
Difference of 20.6

[Ask Not]

Let's get a road win before we get too haughty.

[shuttlesworth]

We're talkin minimum eight-peat

[Mnwild1128]

Should be able to score a ton tonight. Worst defense in the league in the Spurs.

[shuttlesworth]

But actually, the hype has gotten out of control. National media members are comparing Anthony Edwards to Michael Jordan. Bill Simmons said Ant reminded him of the "best players [he'd] ever seen." Rudy is now the odds-on favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. Kendrick Perkins put the Wolves #2 in the West behind the Nuggets. A few national NBA bloggers had the Wolves #1 in their Power Rankings.

That's too much this early. Last season the Pelicans started 23-12 and were the first seed in the Western Conference on January 1; they did not make the playoffs. The Lakers started last year 2-10; they made the Western Conference finals. The Wolves's start has been encouraging for a ton of reasons, but they haven't even played 10 games. If the Wolves were an NFL team, this would be like them starting 2-0. With no previous track record of deep playoff runs, it's way too early to say they are a legitimate contender.

Things are also about to get harder for the Wolves. Other teams are going to start taking them more seriously. Coaches are going to make adjustments and start throwing different looks at Ant. Future opponents won't repeat Boston's mistake of leaving McDaniels open. They will find the weakest spot in the Wolves' rotation and go hard at it. (It might end up being Conley, given his age and small stature.)

The Wolves also need to show that they can ignore the hype. In the past the Wolves have shown a serious lack of mental maturity, playing down to the level of their opponents and losing focus when they build a lead. So far this season, they've showed a lot more maturity (except for the Hawks game), but this version of the Wolves hasn't experienced this type of national media adoration before, and they can't let it go to their heads or they'll end up exactly where they were last year. That's why I always find this sort of national media attention bittersweet: it feels nice when national talking heads heap praise on a Wolves team that I've been waiting for two decades to see succeed (I once told my friend, in the wake of the Garnett trade, that it was the perfect time to start watching the Wolves because he was "getting in on the ground floor" of the Al Jefferson/Sebastian Telfair/Gerald Green dynasty) -- but at the same time it's a bit scary, because it puts the team under more of a microscope. And when the Wolves hit a rough patch and lose 4 straight at some point this season (and they will), those same media talking heads are going to be burying the Wolves, and how will the Wolves react then?

[flexbuffchest]

The media is starting to take notice

[Nightfly]

Are these options for the West -- or the entire league?

[Jack Soo 5]

Talent wise, top 5, as they are the Timberwolves, top 7.

Kind of where I'm at. voted an optimistic top 5, but could see top 7 as well. It's early, but this is the best I've felt at this point in the season in a while. Gonna be fun watching them against Wemby tonight!

[BBG]

I never thought running it back would work this well.

Top 5

[Night Train]

I would consider getting past the first round of the playoffs a success. There's still a lot of season ahead, hope they can keep it going.

[ChrisPaulGeorgeHill]

The next few games are going to be brutal. Should be interesting nonetheless.

I also question our PG depth and health as the season goes on.

I just feel if someone on our squad significant goes down with an injury we may be fucked.

It’s the MN way, sadly.

[witljon]

The media is starting to take notice

Hopefully he can remain healthy

[DonaldDouchebag]

#1 D last year was 109.9
#30 D was 119.6
Mid was 111.6
Difference of 9.7


Wolves D this year 100.4
#30 D is 121.0
Mid is 113.5
Difference of 20.6

Holy fuck, boys.

[RubeTube]

The media is starting to take notice

Some wanted to trade him for a stick of bubble gum.

This is the guy we thought we were getting.

Now just Towns out of here for what you gave up for Rudy.

[Bob Wiley]

I am assuming that top-five means top-five in the west. Although sometimes it looks like our offense is the same as pick up at the YMCA. Our defense has improved pretty dramatically. I think we are definitely a top five in the west team.

[somuchyummy]

#1 D last year was 109.9
#30 D was 119.6
Mid was 111.6
Difference of 9.7


Wolves D this year 100.4
#30 D is 121.0
Mid is 113.5
Difference of 20.6

Holy fuck, boys.

they need to drop that just one tenth of a point and KFAN will have a collective orgasm.