Minnesota is going to be very good under Tom Thibodeau if for nothing else than he knows how to manage young talent. He had a very good team in Chicago until they got tired of working hard, but now Jimmy Butler comes up to Minnesota knowing how to deal with Thibodeau. The team is going to be much better overall just because they have help from veterans who know how to deal with this coach. Can Minnesota be competitive in the west? Yes they can. Can they stand up to the pressure? I think they can.
Working hard is ok
I think that it is fine for a team like the Wolves to work hard, but I also think that Thibodeau learned a lesson or two by working with the Bulls the first time around.
He probably figured out that young ups need to be given a little bit more freedom, and he probably learned that he cannot push everyone as hard as he would have pushed someone like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. This team is going to be good because it will represent all he things that he has learned as a coach. I do not think that Minnesota can win a title, but I think that they can get a lot better.
What if they get overworked?
The Wolves could get overworked if they want to complain and gripe about how they are learning to play the game. I am not sure that this team is going to be like that, but that would be what makes them worse. I anticipate that Jimmy Butler will tell all the young players to shut up and listen, and I also think tha tthere are a lot of guys on this team who are going to be new to this style of play will need some time to adjust.
They are the sixth to eighth seed in this conference, but that is about it. It is not because they might get tired. It is just because the conference is so stacked with talent.
How long can this last?
I think that the Wolves can be competitive, but they might only last a couple years because they have to start showing results before the team gets blown up again.
I know that a lot of teams are going to be aiming for the Warriors, but the Timberwolves are not a team that will be able to take their throne. That means that the Wolves will be one of those second level teams. With that being the case, we have to assume that this can only last a couple years. However, I think that Thibodeau can keep his job because he is clearly doing the right things in terms of trying to put this team together. That means that the team would improve a lot, and it also means that they would be completely changed in terms of their perception around the league.
