This whole essay is elite sports writing (by Andrew Sharp), and he captures every bit of why we’re lucky to have the Timberwolves to watch.

What I love most about the Wolves is the reward they give to people who have been paying attention. That dynamic, by the way, is the inverse of many stories the NBA offers today. Study many stars and teams up close and it’s easy to become disillusioned with what sort of behavior is rewarded, who’s succeeding, and at a general level, how annoying everyone is. Not so with Minnesota.

Absolutely cinematic Wolves win last night. One of those games from which you bask in the afterglow. Closed out the series (down three starters to injury) and against seemingly all odds. Huge McDaniels, Gobert, and TJ game, you love to see it come together in the post-season.

Andrew Sharp’s incredibly convincing take-down of one of the NBA league’s most pressing problems: the Oklahoma City Thunder.

…the problem with the Thunder is not that they are too good, but that nothing about what makes them good is interesting. They are boring as villains and unconvincing as heroes.

This is basically the over-optimization problem we see in just about every other industry, and maybe to a degree in other sports leagues, but I’m no expert). It’s not that it isn’t impressive to see a team like the Thunder, it’s that it operates like “a charmless, borg-like juggernaut that doubles as a wonderful foil for would-be playoff heroes”.