The approximate midway point of the NBA season is here, and things haven’t exactly turned out the way a number of teams thought they would by this point.
A couple of teams that went very far in last season’s playoffs are struggling right now, and one of those teams is the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have a 23-21 record.
They made the Western Conference Finals last spring, but late in the offseason, they made a stunning move by sending star big man Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.
On ESPN’s “NBA Countdown,” Kendrick Perkins called them “the most disappointing team” and even said the aforementioned trade is on the verge of being, in his mind, the worst in league history.
“Minnesota Timberwolves. They’re the most disappointing team … they’re on the verge of making the worst trade in NBA history.”@KendrickPerkins weighs in on the Karl-Anthony towns trade 🤔 pic.twitter.com/QsMayDu1a8
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 23, 2025
At the time of the trade, some felt Minnesota had made a deft move that would lead to better roster cohesion, but all that has happened is that they have taken a big step back, while the Knicks have become legitimate championship contenders.
Randle, who was an All-Star the previous two seasons, has seen his offensive production drop, and the team’s defense has also declined.
Last season, they were first in defensive rating, but so far this season, they have slipped to seventh in that category.
The Timberwolves have plenty of serviceable role players, but other than Anthony Edwards, they simply lack the type of star power that is needed to be a title contender.
NEXT: Stat Shows Troubling Trend For Anthony Edwards
