A Q&A with Eric Goldman of SB Nation’s Timberwolves site Canis Hoopus.

What needs to happen for this to be an enjoyable season for Timberwolves fans?

Make the playoffs. Simple answer, but when you have been in the desert for 13 years, simple goals are the answer. Of course, making the playoffs in the Western Conference probably means more than slipping in with 42 wins, so reaching the playoff goal probably means the Wolves are pretty damn good.

Minnesota Timberwolves / Projected Starters
Position	Starters	Bench
Guards	Jeff Teague	Tyus Jones Aaron Brooks
Wings	Jimmy Butler Andrew Wiggins	Jamal Crawford Shabazz Muhammad Anthony Brown
Bigs	Karl-Anthony Towns Taj Gibson	Gorgui Dieng Nemanja Bjelica Justin Patton (injured) Cole Aldrich

What makes Timberwolves fans most excited about this year? What makes Timberwolves fans most nervous?

Seeing Jimmy Butler in a Wolves uniform is incredible. What a coup. Gonna enjoy him on and off the court this season. We’re also excited to see Karl-Anthony Towns take the next step on his path to superstardom.

We’re nervous about the potential lack of three-point shooting, lack of depth on the wing, and (relatedly) Tom Thibodeau running his key guys into the ground.

Gut Check

Survey data collected from site writers and editors. The wider the graph the more optimism and trust the fans have in their team! The grey line indicates the average of all sites' collected data.

7.5

Out of 10

How good will your team be this year

9.8

Out of 10

Are they on the rise or on the decline

8.3

Out of 10

Are fans happy with the team’s direction or angry

8.3

Out of 10

Are they trying to win now or build for the future

What storyline might a national audience be missing about the Timberwolves?

Several choices here, including what appears to be suboptimal roster-building after the monster trade on draft night. But we’ll go with Andrew Wiggins.

We suspect the national audience already perceives him as a star, but his development has been scattershot at best over his three seasons thus far. His growth is absolutely key to deciding if the Wolves emerge as a contender over the next few years. He has to get better in several areas.

Why should neutrals pay attention to the Timberwolves this year?

Why shouldn't they? Up and coming team, a spectacular young talent in Towns, an established star in Butler, and a thrilling wildcard in Wiggins. They should be competitive and entertaining.

What's your prediction for the season?

44-38, No. 8 seed. A lot of people are expecting more, but after this many years of disappointment, we’ll err on the side of caution until proved otherwise.