According to MinnesotaBets research, the fanbase for the Minnesota Timberwolves ranks among the least rewarded in the NBA.
That’s not a surprise, considering the trajectory of the franchise in the NBA’s Western Conference. The good news is that might be changing.
The Timberwolves finished seventh in the conference last season, with a record of 46-36, clinching a playoff spot by winning the play-in.
Before last season though, it was a series of bottom-of-the-barrel finishes, going back a decade-plus – a 47-35 season in 2017-18 being the one exception.
So this season is all about flushing the bad taste of years past and building on last season’s momentum. The team acquired Rudy Gobert to complement Karl-Anthony Towns, two all-star centers up front now working in tandem. Towns can now focus more on offense with Gobert, a three-time defensive player of the year, in the lineup.
But is the offense too clunky and slow?
It’s going to be interesting to watch it play out for sure.
Anthony Edwards is a rising star (21.29 PPG, 3.82 APG, 4.76 RPG, 35.7 3FG% in 2021), despite some off-court immaturity issues. Point guard D’Angelo Russell (18.09 PPG, 7.08 APG, 3.32 RPG, 34.0 3FG% in 2021) is another key cog in what’s an all-in season in Minny.
Minnesota sports betting is not legal, but in the meantime, MinnesotaBets is happy to bring you research pieces like this that go deep into NBA data.
How It Adds Up
MinnesotaBets developed the system for all 30 NBA teams covering the past 11 seasons.
The first category “Minutes Spent Per Win” was determined by taking the amount of regular season games played by each team (from 2011-12 season to 2021-22 season) multiplied by the average length of an NBA televised game (2 hours, 13 minutes).
Once we calculated that number, we divided it over the amount of wins during those same seasons to arrive at the final amount. The final amount represents the amount of minutes watched by fans per regular season win over the last 10 seasons.
The second category “Points Deducted for Playoff Success” was utilized to decipher the value of seeing playoff success during those 10 seasons gathered in the first category. The point values were 1 point per playoff berth, 3 points per playoff series win, 3 points per NBA Finals appearance, 15 extra points for NBA Championship win.
After adding all the points together for every postseason from 2011-12 season to 2021-22 season, the points were deducted from Category 1 to arrive on the final points and rankings.
Bottom of the Fray
Minnesota is ranked No. 27, at 335 fans’ minutes spent per win, minus two points for playoff success, for 333 overall points.
The Golden State Warriors are ranked No. 1 on the chart, at 213 minutes, minus 143 points for playoff success, for 70 overall points.
What team is at No. 30? That would be the Orlando Magic – 369, minus three, for 366 points.
Will this be the season when the Timberwolves finally show their fans more appreciation? Time will tell, but early results are somewhat promising.
The Timberwolves are off to a 4-3 start to the season, highlighted by a win over the LeBron James-led Lakers. Edwards, the former No. 1 overall pick, also looks to have taken a leap, averaging 23 points a game so far.
