This NBA season figured to challenge the Timberwolves in many ways that were plain to see.
Because they weren't in playoff contention last year when COVID halted play in March, they didn't get invited to the NBA bubble in Orlando — leaving them without valuable on-court time that a mini-camp of sorts couldn't come close to replicating.
And when the NBA announced an accelerated offseason — running the draft, free agency and training camp in a tiny stretch of barely more than a month from Nov. 18 until the Wolves' first regular-season game on Dec. 23 — it further hurt teams like the Wolves, who were still playing catch-up and didn't have much continuity on a young roster in the first place.