OKC Thunder: Ladder shifts shake up tank wars in week 19, Ep. 3

Minnesota Timberwolves: (20-44)

Of the teams in the bottom portion of the ladder, the one which made strides upward this week was the Minnesota Timberwolves. It’s a little surprising since their pick will be conveyed to the Warriors if they don’t collect one of the top three picks.

That said, simply finishing with a record above 28th doesn’t guarantee the pick will be conveyed. Just as the Thunder has to wait until the lottery to confirm what pick the Rockets collect, so too will the Warriors with Minnesota’s pick.

The Wolves are one of the hottest teams at the moment having won four games in a row and six of their last eight matches. This may be more of a statement on the franchise trying to appease Karl-Anthony Towns. The Wolves can’t afford for KAT to become disillusioned and end up asking for a trade.

This trio of victories by Minnesota this week was substantial as they defeated the Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors as well as the Rockets. This weekend they have one contest versus the Pelicans who are invested in collecting wins to get into the play-in tournament.

In terms of the Thunder and Wolves, like the Magic, Minnesota has 1.5 fewer losses than OKC. If they continue to amass wins it will benefit the Thunder.

So Thunder Nation, cheer for the Wolves to keep winning as it will serve to improve the odds of your team improving their shot of winning the Cade Cunningham sweepstakes!