Despite making back-to-back conference finals appearances, the Minnesota Timberwolves rarely get brought up as true contenders. But frankly, I don't understand why. The Wolves are 26-14 (fourth in the Western Conference but just 1.5 games behind the second seed) and have all the ingredients of a championship-level team.
Star talent and two-way balance are the two biggest indicators of a championship contender -- the Wolves have both. Anthony Edwards is a top-five-level player. Edwards has already proven that he is capable of being the best player on a team that makes a deep playoff run, but he is continuing to level up and is currently in the midst of a career season.