How did Timberwolves fans grade players for the 2023-24 regular season? Are they confident about the first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns? Find out!
78 voters participated for the final regular season edition of Canis Pulsus.
Did your Minnesota Timberwolves graduate summa cum laude? Are they going to sweep the Phoenix Suns? It’s time to reveal the results of Canis Pulsus Vol. 33 – Final Grades & Postseason Predictions.
(Note: Canis Pulsus Vol. 33 data was collected through 4/17)
Rudy Gobert
A (69.7%)
Quarter 1: A+
Semester 1: A
Quarter 3: A
No player finished with better overall grades this season than Rudy. I have to say, it was quite unexpected given how the 2022-2023 season went, but a welcome surprise nonetheless.
Full voting results:
Karl-Anthony Towns
B+ (25.0%)
Quarter 1: A-
Semester 1: A-
Quarter 3: B+
KAT spent a good amount of time in the latter half of the season out with a knee injury. Despite that, he was still able to garner a solid B+ grade. I would venture to guess his grade has more to do with how quickly he bounced back from rehabbing his knee.
Full voting results:
Mike Conley Jr.
A- (29.7%)
Quarter 1: A
Semester 1: A
Quarter 3: A-
We continue to enjoy the fruits of Minnesota Mike’s labor. Though his assist to turnover ratio was getting uncharacteristically low to end the season (1.52 in April), his sharpshooting from perimeter remained elite (51.2% in April). A solid season for the 36-year-old who just reupped on a team-friendly deal.
Full voting results:
Anthony Edwards
A- (38.2%)
Quarter 1: A-
Semester 1: A
Quarter 3: A-
Ant has had to carry the load more than ever this year, finishing with a solid A- grade. His blips of inconsistency likely hurt his chances for All-NBA First Team, but his continued ascension during his fourth year was filled with signature moments and performances.
Full voting results:
Naz Reid
A (42.1%)
Quarter 1: A-
Semester 1: A
Quarter 3: B+
Naz Reid? Naz Reid.
Full voting results:
Monte Morris
B (45.3%)
Quarter 1: N/A
Semester 1: N/A
Quarter 3: B
I consider Monte’s grade to great indicator of what he brought to the Wolves in less than half a season. He was still recovering from a tough quad injury as he acclimated to a whole new team, yet still provided positive value on the court. We’ll see what Monte’s future will be in a Wolves jersey, but until then, he may play a vital role in this postseason run.
Full voting results:
Kyle Anderson
B (25.0%)
Quarter 1: B-
Semester 1: B-
Quarter 3: B
Slow Mo is one of the more polarizing players on the roster and despite some rough patches, his leadership both on and off the court is visible. The versatility he brings has been a great connector for this team and he has obviously earned the trust of Finchy.
Full voting results:
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
A- (32.9%)
Quarter 1: B+
Semester 1: B+
Quarter 3: A-
I hope NAW has a very lengthy future in Minnesota. His hard work and selfless style of play has earned many fans, myself included. He may not be the most reliable offensive weapon, but when his shot is dropping, he becomes a top five player on this team because of his two-way ability. Just another legend who donned #9 for the Wolves.
Full voting results:
Jaden McDaniels
B (35.5%)
Quarter 1: B
Semester 1: B
Quarter 3: B-
Many fans felt that this season was a bit of disappointment for Seatbelt. A good part of this feeling could be accredited to the unnaturally fast ascent of his rookie counterpart, setting us up for unreal expectations. The majority of his numbers have dipped this season, but part of Jaden’s beauty is that his impact is hardly measured by box scores.
Full voting results:
Wendell Moore Jr.
Incomplete
Quarter 1: Incomplete
Semester 1: Incomplete
Quarter 3: Incomplete
There is an upcoming team option of Wendell’s contract this summer. His Wolves tenure has been as uneventful as it has been disappointing for the 22-year-old. Hopefully he has an opportunity to figure it out elsewhere moving forward. No matter what, we’ll always have that Memphis game.
Full voting results:
Jordan McLaughlin
B (29.3%)
Quarter 1: N/A
Semester 1: C+
Quarter 3: B
The graph below shows that JMac did much better than just a B this semester. A whopping 54.7% of voters gave him a B+ or better. That’s what happens when you shoot 53.7% from deep beginning February. There’s not too many better storylines for this year’s Wolves than JMac’s ascension back to one of the most impactful backup point guards in the league.
Full voting results:
Daishen Nix
Incomplete
Quarter 1: Incomplete
Semester 1: Incomplete
Quarter 3: Incomplete
I just love calling Daishen the Point God. He hasn’t had to do much this season, but maybe that’s for the best. The vibes captain was fun to watch on the sidelines, for sure.
Full voting results:
Leonard Miller
Incomplete
Quarter 1: Incomplete
Semester 1: Incomplete
Quarter 3: Incomplete
The rook wasn’t called upon for any important minutes this year, but he continues to be the intriguing prospect baking in the oven. In a more typical Wolves season, Lenny might be the most interesting player on the roster. Cheers to Miller dominating Las Vegas Summer League in a few months.
Full voting results:
Josh Minott
Incomplete
Quarter 1: Incomplete
Semester 1: Incomplete
Quarter 3: Incomplete
Minott only participated in 12 Iowa Wolves games this year, getting more time sitting on the bench for the big team. His role moving forward seems a bit ominous as there may not be a clear opportunity for playing time or his specific skillset.
Full voting results:
Luka Garza
Incomplete
Quarter 1: Incomplete
Semester 1: Incomplete
Quarter 3: Incomplete
Luka has dominated his fellow garbage time competition on the nights where his number was called. Will he play any meaningful minutes in the postseason? Maybe not. But fans will continue to pour out their love for this man.
Full voting results:
Coaching staff
A (33.3%)
Quarter 1: A
Semester 1: A
Quarter 3: A
It’s unfortunate that Finchy’s chances of a Coach of the Year award likely came down to the final day of the regular season. It didn’t quite work out, but that can’t take away how great of a job he and his staff have done to turn this team into a defensive stalwart. They will go down in the record books as one of the most elite defensive units the NBA has ever seen.
Full voting results:
Front office
A (66.2%)
Quarter 1: A
Semester 1: A
Quarter 3: A
Not too many notes here. They upgraded Garza’s status so he can be available for the postseason roster. Nailed down TJ Warren as their end of the bench guy. Solid work for a solid season. Let’s all pray that TC doesn’t exercise that opt-out contract due to uncertainty from…
Full voting results:
Ownership
F (36.0%)
Quarter 1: A-
Semester 1: A-
Quarter 3: A
Yikes. All they had to do was stay out of the spotlight and after teetering on the edge, but they finally bellyflopped into the national headlines in total Wolves fashion. If Minnesota’s season ends in disaster, then we know who the first to blame will be.
Full voting results:
With regular the season over, my feelings on the direction of the Timberwolves are…
Slightly optimistic (42.9%)
Quarter 1: Very optimistic (89%)
Semester 1: Very optimistic (88%)
Quarter 3: Very optimistic (61%)
It was a rough landing during the final three games of the regular season. The Wolves didn’t get to finish their 82-game campaign with a blowout against a team who wasn’t trying, but perhaps it’s better that they save their best performances for what’s to come. The Phoenix Suns team may look scary, but there’s a reason the Wolves are the top seed entering this matchup.
Full voting results:
What will be the result of the round one Phoenix Suns matchup?
Wolves in 6 (36.4%)
Not many people have Minnesota emerging out of the first round. Regular season history and big name bias has mostly convinced all the talking heads that the Wolves are screwed. But it hasn’t scared us. With great humility, we have decided to give the Suns two games. Over 70% of voters picked the Wolves to defeat the Suns. Seems obvious to me.
Full voting results:
The key for the Timberwolves to defeat the Suns is…
Limit turnovers
Over 25% of answers included taking care of the ball. The Wolves certainly have had issues on that front throughout the entire regular season (14.2 TOV per game), but even more so when they faced Phoenix (16.0 TOV). There were a smattering of “Shoot the ball better” and “Play better defense,” though I must acknowledge the answer of “Getting our head out of our a**,” as the most important key.
My hot take from the Wolves-Suns series is…
NAW and/or KAT will be key
Similar to the previous question, there were several answers to choose from. However, most common answers revolved around NAW and KAT playing significant roles, perhaps mutually exclusive of one another. There were also just as many takes that “KAT will save the Wolves,” as “KAT will sink the Wolves.”
Then you had some scorchers like my favorite one, “Durant is a beast.”
What do you consider a successful Timberwolves playoff run?
Competitive 2nd round series (37.7%)
Though a competitive second round was the majority vote, nearly 45% of voters chose a Western Conference Finals result. Clearly, fans have their eyes on something more than just a quick appearance. If Once they move to the second round, it’ll be either the defending champion Denver Nuggets or evil Los Angeles Lakers waiting in the wings. Light work.
Full voting results:
The Wolves were on track for record high 3.56 grade point average, but thanks to the billionaire squabble, they miss out on cum laude honors with modest a 3.26 grade point average. Though my mother would not be impressed, the rest of us should consider what a success it has been! Here are the previous season’s final GPAs for reference:
2023: 2.75
2022: 3.35
2021: 2.62
Keep following along as we journey into the postseason. We’ll certainly love to hear your voices on your favorites memories and moments.