The polls have closed and the comments section has spoken. The Timberwolves are going to win the 2025 NBA championship!
We received 58 participants in the first edition of the 2024-2025 season of Canis Pulsus. It’s our annual opportunity to shoot our shot and later claim that we have receipts on accurate predictions. Trust me, I keep everything.
What do you think will happen in the 2024-2025 NBA season?
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What record to you think the Timberwolves will finish the season with?
54-28 / 52-30 record (17.2% each)
Last prediction: 50-32
Last season, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Timberwolves season win total line at 44.5 while Canis Pulsus results predicted a 50-32 record. The Wolves crushed both of those projections with a 56-26 record.
This season? The line is set at 52.5 as Minnesota made a big roster change while the West only got deeper. Voters felt that was just about right, with two tied answers at 54 wins and 52 wins.
Full voting results:
What seed will the Wolves finish within the Western Conference?
2nd seed (29.3% each)
Last prediction: 3rd/5th seed (24% each)
Over 80% of votes indicated the Wolves would finish anywhere between the second to fourth seed in the regular season. Having homecourt advantage for the first round of the postseason would be a great and important achievement, as the playoffs will surely be grueling.
Full voting results:
The MVP of the Timberwolves will be…
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Anthony Edwards (96.6%)
Last season: Anthony Edwards – 88%
No surprise here. It’s unequivocally Edwards’ team and he is primed for a big year. If preseason was any indication, Ant is locked and loaded. Shoutout Luka Garza and Josh Minott, who both received one vote each.
Full voting results:
The best defender on the Timberwolves will be…
Rudy Gobert (63.8%)
Last season: Jaden McDaniels – 75%
Last season, the masses were convinced that Jaden McDaniels was going to be the Wolves best defender. That number has dropped all the way down to 31%, but that may have more to do with Rudy Gobert’s return to form. The now four-time Defensive Player of the Year easily wears the crown as the best defender on the team.
Full voting results:
The best bench player for the Timberwolves will be…
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Donte DiVincenzo (74.1%)
Last season: Naz Reid – 41%
The Wolves may soon experience what the 2021 Utah Jazz did, where Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles garnered 99 of 100 first-place votes for Sixth Man of the Year. The former ended up with the trophy, and the latter is now in Minnesota. Donte DiVincenzo has reenergized Wolves fans post-Karl-Anthony Towns trade and looks to be one of the most important cogs for the Wolves. DiVincenzo and Naz Reid will spearhead one of the best benches in the league.
Full voting results:
The best locker room guy on the Timberwolves will be…
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Mike Conley (82.5%)
Last season: Mike Conley – 64%
The freshly turned 37-year-old will continue to serve as an important voice in the locker room. Especially with Kyle Anderson no longer in the picture, the Wolves can definitely benefit from his maturity. His former running mate in Utah, Joe Ingles, also received 12.3% of votes. That’s no surprise if you watched his interview during media day.
Full voting results:
The player on the Timberwolves who will impress the most is…
Donte DiVincenzo (32.8%)
Last season: Anthony Edwards – 63%
DiVincenzo and Edwards combined to receive over 60% of the vote. Their chemistry is evident throughout preseason and though we know what Ant can bring, DDV has brought a new dimension that has fans excited.
Full voting results:
Now that season is about to begin, my feelings on the direction of the Timberwolves are…
Very optimistic (56.9%)
Last season: Very optimistic (45%)
Over 90% of participants enter the season feeling optimistic. That’s a bump up from the 87% a season ago and to be expected considering the Wolves are coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance.
Full voting results:
My hottest Timberwolves season take/prediction is…
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You know the rule. You mention Ricky Rubio, your vote gets featured. There were many playoff predictions and Donte DiVincenzo takes, but having Ricky Rubio return as an Assistant Coach takes the cake. Here are some of my other favorite hot takes:
3) Randle and Gobert get into a fistfight on the bench sometime in Decembe.
2) Sign Dwight Howard
1) Ricky returns as an assistant coach
The Most Valuable Player will be…
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Luka Dončić (27.3%)
Last prediction: Nikola Jokić – 51%
Luka Dončić is a yearly candidate for MVP, but voters might be feeling a bit of Jokić fatigue. Will his momentum from his first NBA Finals appearance bolster his campaign enough this time? Both Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander each earned exactly 21.8% of the vote as well.
The Defensive Player of the Year will be…
Victor Wembanyama (61.1%)
Last prediction: Jaden McDaniels – 35%
Is it time for the Wembanyama reign on DPOY to begin? The counting stats will surely be there for him. His advanced numbers may depend on the success of the San Antonio Spurs, which might very well be the only thing holding Wemby back from winning every single regular season award out there.
The Rookie of the Year will be…
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Reed Sheppard (31.8%)
Last prediction: Victor Wembanyama – 42%
The third overall pick of the 2024 NBA draft, Reed Sheppard, has quite an opportunity with the Houston Rockets. Though they have a hefty guard rotation featuring Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green, his play has been impressive enough for him to warrant the majority of the vote for Rookie of the Year. His ability to thrive on both ends of the court, with or without the ball, will surely do his minute allocation well. The Wolves top pick, Rob Dillingham, also earned an admirable 25% of votes as well.
The Sixth Man of the Year will be…
Donte DiVincenzo (38%)
Last prediction: Naz Reid – 28%
It was outlined above how impactful DiVincenzo may be for the Wolves this year. Does he have a case for 6MOY in the NBA? I would certainly think so. Meanwhile, Naz Reid earned exactly 28% of votes once again, but only finished as the runner-up in this edition of Canis Pulsus.
The Most Improved Player of the Year will be…
Jaden McDaniels (23.5%)
Last prediction: Jaden McDaniels – 24%
Once again, Wolves fans gave Jaden McDaniels the Most Improved Player of the Year award. He wasn’t close to winning the actual award at the end of the season, but there may be much more of an opportunity considering that Towns’ usage will need to be soaked up by other players. McDaniels has impressed in preseason so far. Hopefully that continues into the regular season.
The Coach of the Year will be…
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Chris Finch (62.5%)
Last prediction: Chris Finch – 45%
Finchy finished third in last season’s Coach of the Year voting. Had the Wolves finished atop the Western Conference standings, he very well may have earned himself a new trophy. He has another chance to build on his progress this year in an even more competitive season. Funnily enough, former Wolves President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach, Tom Thibodeau was the runner-up in our poll with 8.3% of the vote.
The 2024-2025 Eastern Conference winners will be…
Boston Celtics (66.1%)
Last prediction: Boston Celtics – 59%
The Celtics remain champion until proven otherwise. They didn’t lose any significant pieces to their roster and are looking to run it back. The new look New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers were the only other teams garnering over 10% of votes.
Full voting results:
The 2024-2025 Western Conference winners will be…
Oklahoma City Thunder (47.3%)
Last prediction: Denver Nuggets – 52%
It appears our comments section is following the general narrative that the Oklahoma City Thunder are going to be the top dogs in the West (again). They had a very impressive regular season and much like Boston, have chosen to run it back with their core. Aside from swapping Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso and adding Isaiah Hartenstein, it’s hard to argue against them getting worse. The Wolves took 29.1% of votes.
Full voting results:
The 2023-2024 NBA Champions winners will be…
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Minnesota Timberwolves (49.1%)
Last prediction: Denver Nuggets – 29% each
You don’t have to win the West to win the Larry O’Brien trophy. Wolves fans are bullish on their chances to win title number one (of many) while giving the Celtics just half the amount of votes. It’s our time!
Full voting results:
The NBA’s next team turmoil will be…
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Los Angeles Lakers (18.2%)
Last prediction: Philadelphia 76ers – 37%
How do you think a team that was basically swept in the first round of the playoffs, have no real young talent, hired a first-time head coach with on professional experience, and drafted the best player’s son will do? I take a ton of delight in this response, although I do fear LeBron James retiring and followed by the folding of the NBA. The only other teams with 10% of more of the vote are the fellow first round sweepee Suns, and the Kawhi-strung Los Angeles Clippers.
Full voting results:
The NBA’s next team turnaround will be…
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Houston Rockets (23.6%)
Last prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder – 34%
Will ROY Reed Sheppard help turn the Rockets around? Perhaps he won’t even be needed, as Alperen Şengün and Jalen Green have started to really blossom. A well-coached team with plenty of other tertiary young talent has all the makings of a team that will soon be competing. The Memphis Grizzlies (21.8%) and San Antonio Spurs (16.4%) also received a good amount of votes.
Full voting results:
My hottest NBA season take/prediction is…
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There were plenty of takes about the Wolves ownership arbitration, potential expansion, and even relocation. A common answer was also Detroit being (creatively) good enough to convey their first round pick to Minnesota. However, it always comes back to just Two Words.
3) Lebron retires, league dissolves
2) New York Knicks winning the Chip and KAT winning the MVP finals award and Spike Lee making a documentary about the KAT vs DiVincenzo trade saga
1) Naz Reid wins the 3pt Contest – Best Shooting Big Ever
Who’s ready to see these predictions come to life? With a number of Canis Hoopus members earning hundreds of Hoopus Pointz after correct predictions a year ago, we will be in contact with you as the Wolves begin their quest for title number one.