The Minnesota Timberwolves should have one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NBA next season between the continued rise of Anthony Edwards, the addition of LaMelo Ball, the dominant defense of Rudy Gobert and Ayo Dosunmu and Jaden McDaniels to round things out.
They were already one of the most exciting teams to watch last season with their thrilling offense and scrappy, never-say-die attitude, something that helped them upset the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs last season, and adding Ball alone should bump that excitement up another level.
All in all, Minnesota should be must-see TV no matter who lines up on the other end of the court, and clearly the NBA agrees.
The NBA's full schedule has been released, including the slate of nationally televised games for each team, and the Timberwolves have one of the biggest pieces of the national slate in the entire league.
Minnesota on the Big Stage
The Timberwolves will have 27 nationally televised games next season, tied for fourth-most in the NBA with the Boston Celtics and only behind teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks.
Being tied with one of the biggest NBA teams in the league and only trailing teams that include the defending champions and teams that feature some of the best players in the league is certainly good territory for the Timberwolves to be in, especially for a team that's in a relatively small market compared to the heavy hitters in the league.
It's a huge indication of the growth that the Timberwolves have undergone in the Edwards era and of the NBA's recognition of the star power potential of an Edwards-Ball pairing, leading the league to endure that fans are able to enjoy Minnesota basketball for over a quarter of the season.
Earning the National Spotlight
There will certainly be big expectations for the Timberwolves this season as they have one of the best rosters they've had in years and are looking to finally get over the playoff hump and make it to the NBA Finals or even win a championship for the first time in franchise history.
It won't be an easy task, but the Timberwolves have made deep runs before and this roster, more than any other, has the chance to make history, or at least play some great basketball in the process, and no matter what happens this season, the Timberwolves will find themselves on the national stage at least 27 times.