That is the perfect season in historical past for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who’re now not the worst franchise in sports activities historical past.
In 2021, the Timberwolves dropped below the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the worst successful proportion for any franchise within the 4 main United States skilled sports activities leagues. Because of the crew’s 15-4 begin, the Timberwolves have handed the Buccaneers again and are actually solely the second worst.
There are mitigating components, in fact. Tampa has two championships, successful the Tremendous Bowl after the 2002 and 2020 NFL seasons. Minnesota has solely superior out of the primary spherical of the playoffs as soon as in franchise historical past (2004). The Buccaneers are nonetheless digging themselves out of a gap from their first two seasons when the crew misplaced its first 26 NFL video games.
It is a concrete signal that behind 2020 No. 1 decide Anthony Edwards and large males Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Cities, the Wolves are good once more. Not solely that, they could be higher than they’ve ever been. Minnesota’s 13-2 November was the best month in franchise historical past. They beat good groups, too, handing the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics their first losses and beating the Golden State Warriors in back-to-back video games in San Francisco.
Final weekend, the battle to remain out of the cellar received heated, as each the Timberwolves and Buccaneers defeated groups from North Carolina on consecutive days. Minnesota beat the Charlotte Hornets 123-117 Saturday for its fourth straight win, whereas Tampa Bay saved its playoff hopes alive by beating the Carolina Panthers 21-18.
Two groups not named after a metropolis, sure by years of incompetence and overly-long crew names, battling to remain out of the cellar. A phrase of warning to the Wolves: If Tampa Bay can win its remaining 5 video games, Minnesota should go 14-2 by means of Jan. 7 to remain forward of the Buccaneers’ successful proportion.
Sadly for Minnesota, it is too far behind the LA Clippers to catch them for the second-worst NBA successful proportion of all time. It could possibly do one thing the Clippers by no means have: Win a championship.