The Minnesota Timberwolves have shocked the NBA world again and have cruised through the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs. They beat the third-seeded Lakers in five games and the seventh-seeded Warriors (coming off an upset victory in a series against the Rockets) in five games as well.
Following a preseason trade that involved their all-NBA center, Karl Anthony Towns, moving to New York in exchange for two role players, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, the Timberwolves appeared to be relinquishing their potential to return to the Western Conference Finals. The team accomplished that feat last year, seemingly because they had two all-stars (KAT and Ant) and the Defensive Player of the Year (Rudy Gobert). In a league that is so star-focused, it seemed like trading one of their three stars was tantamount to giving up, but that wasn’t the case.
The Timberwolves have been excellent, especially in the playoffs, and they’ve done it without relying on a lot of excitement or flashy traits. When you look at their team in NBA 2K25, none of their players have three-point ratings above 87. The team’s composite outside scoring rating is tied for the worst in the game, with the Pistons sitting at just 76.
Reviewing the ratings categories in NBA 2K25, the Timberwolves are underwhelming across the board:
- Inside Scoring: Tied for 17th in the league (74 rating)
- Outside Scoring: Tied for 29th in the league (76 rating)
- Athleticism: Tied for 18th in the league (80 rating)
- Playmaking: 28th in the league (65 rating)
- Defense: Tied for 9th in the league (70 rating)
- Rebounding: Tied for 16th in the league (56 rating)
- Intangibles: 26th in the league (71 rating)
The Timberwolves (at least in NBA 2K25) don’t do anything well, ranking in the top ten in the league in only one category (tied for ninth in rebounds) and sitting in the bottom five of the league in three of the seven big categories. So, how did the team secure a spot in the Western Conference Finals for the second straight year? How are the Timberwolves only one series away from its first NBA Championship appearance in its 36-year history as an NBA franchise?
The answer is multifaceted and can be divided into three parts. The first part is that 2K underestimated them. The second part is that Anthony Edwards is a beast. The most crucial factor contributing to their success despite their shortcomings is balance, which I’ll elaborate on later.
Underrated In 2K
Over the seven categories, the Timberwolves only land in the league’s top half once, but when you look at the real-world stats this season, the Timberwolves overperform their 2K rating in nearly every category.
They rank:
- 14th in points
- 16th in FG%
- 4th in 3P% (and 5th in 3-pointers made)
- 13th in defensive rebounds
- 15th in offensive rebounds
- 17th in assists
- 18th in steals
- 14th in blocks
- 5th best in points allowed defensively
- 6th best 3P% allowed defensively
It might not be the best statistics in the league, but it’s certainly better than what NBA 2K has attributed to them.
The Anthony Edwards Factor
Ant is tied for the ninth best player in NBA 2K25 with Donovan Mitchell and Victor Wembanyama. No offense to those guys, but Edwards should be rated much higher. Ant should be in the top five alongside Joker, SGA, Luka, and the Greek Freak, but 2K shafted the Timberwolves with underrated ratings, even for stars like Ant.
During the 2024-2025 regular season, Edwards has had:
- 4th most points scored
- 2nd most three-pointers made
- 4th best PIE (player impact estimate)
- 16th best efficiency rating
- 8th best assist %
In the playoffs, he’s had:
- 8th most points per game
- 10th most assists per game
- 13th most steals per game
- 20th most rebounds per game
He might be one of the most clutch players in the NBA, and when the lights are brightest and the pressure is highest, he’s at his best. That has allowed the Timberwolves to win crucial games despite not being dominant in terms of statistics and skills.
Balance
This one is crucial to the Timberwolves’ success. When analyzing the team’s statistics from an offensive or defensive perspective, it’s a middle-of-the-road team with little chance of making a deep playoff run. The team’s numbers are still better than those in NBA 2K25, but they’re not yet great. However, once you examine how the defense and offense work together, you begin to see a clearer picture — a picture of a team that controls the pace and tone of a game through a combination of effective offensive runs and consistent defensive play.
The team’s statistical differentials are the numbers to really pay attention to when you want to see their true potential. They are:
- 4th in point differential
- 13th in FG% differential
- 3rd in 3P% differential
- 6th in FT% differential
- 9th in rebound differential
- 12th in assist differential
- 9th in block differential
- 15th in turnover differential
The point differential is the most important and represents a 10-team jump from their raw offensive PPG numbers. They actually jump up in the rankings in every category when you compare it to raw offensive or defensive numbers.
The Timberwolves team may not be the best team in the game on paper, but they’re proving to be a true contender in real life.
