The Wolves are heading to Chicago to take on the Bulls. Can they find a way to play consistently well and build off their victory against the Hornets?
Minnesota Timberwolves at Chicago Bulls
Date: November 7th, 2024
Time: 7:00PM CST
Location: United Center
Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network North
Radio Coverage: Wolves App/iHeart Radio
It’s time for the Minnesota Timberwolves to get off the roller coaster and finally find some consistency. Through the first two weeks of the season, the Wolves have looked like two entirely different teams, depending on the day. Just a few nights ago, they were embarrassed by a young Spurs squad in San Antonio. Fast forward to Monday night, and they looked unstoppable, steamrolling the Charlotte Hornets by 30 points at one point in the fourth quarter. Talk about a Jekyll-and-Hyde performance.
So here we are, heading into Thursday’s matchup against the Bulls, and the Wolves have a golden opportunity to build some momentum. The Bulls, who gave the Wolves fits last season, look like a shadow of the team that swept Minnesota in both meetings last year. And for Wolves fans, those were some painful memories—especially given that Minnesota was the superior team on paper.
But last season, the Wolves just couldn’t keep it together against Chicago. In March, Alex Caruso decided to go full superhero mode, draining threes like he was prime Ray Allen, while DeMar DeRozan, a known Wolves killer, did his thing. And Minnesota, to put it bluntly, got bullied on the glass. That double whammy of hot shooting and weak rebounding sealed their fate against the Bulls last year. But now, Caruso is defending the perimeter in OKC, and DeRozan’s is lighting the beam in Sacramento. That Bulls team? Gone. Time for the Wolves to leave those ghosts behind.
Monday’s performance against the Hornets was a glimpse of what this team can be when they’re firing on all cylinders. They played connected basketball, got out in transition, and were relentless on both ends of the floor. It’s the type of dominance that could turn them into a real Western Conference threat if they can make it stick. And look, coming off an election night break where the league took a timeout to let democracy do its thing, the Wolves have the perfect opportunity to “get back to business” and continue their run.
Here’s where things get interesting. After Chicago, Minnesota’s schedule sets up for a potential hot streak. Three of the next four games are against the Portland Trail Blazers, and in the middle, Jimmy Butler’s Miami Heat roll into town for his return to Target Center (if he decides to suit up). I don’t want to look too far ahead, but if the Wolves can keep their heads down and play to their strengths, we should be talking about a record of 9-3 at the end of the stretch. Winning 75% of their games through the first three weeks would be a strong statement for a team that looked shaky out of the gate.
This is the kind of stretch where a team can either show they are serious contenders or reveal themselves as pretenders. These games against Chicago and Portland are the “take care of business” games, the ones that shouldn’t require superhuman performances from Ant or Rudy. These are the nights when solid team play, focused defense, and not-so-glamorous fundamentals like boxing out should get the job done.
So let’s see if Minnesota’s ready to stop riding the emotional roller coaster and start taking the elevator to the top of the Western Conference. If they can find some consistency, this Wolves team has the potential to become a true force.