Britt Robson

After years of disappointments, the Wolves are suddenly expected to make the playoffs this season. Should we believe the hype?

After a series of moves — including trading Ricky Rubio to Utah — the 2017-18 Timberwolves will be older, blunter, bruising, expensive and better.

Butler is the best player the Timberwolves have ever acquired via a trade in the 28-year history of the franchise — and an absolutely perfect fit given the team’s current circumstances. 

Thibs, Wiggins and Towns are inextricably tied to each other. Can they synergize their extraordinary skills in a manner that elevates the Timberwolves?

A coach of Thibs’ pedigree deserves a season-long mulligan if it is prelude to the great leap forward. But that mulligan has eight games left. Then that vaunted reputation is on the clock.

The second half of a 78-minute interview with Minnesota Timberwolves head coach and President of Basketball Operations Tom Thibodeau.

Put bluntly, the great danger here is that the heralded coach and the star trio are a bad match.

The Wolves this year are like one of those doorstop Russian novels — only poorly written, with precious few plot twists and a predictably disheartening resolution.

It didn’t seem like it in the preseason, but a wretched start to the season perhaps reordered Tom Thibodeau’s priorities.