The Timberwolves recently lost a playoff series in five games, are embroiled in an ownership dispute, and are likely to be way over the salary cap next season.
Which is a reminder of the old line from your friend with the black eye: “You should see the other guy.”
In the long-running and unofficial rivalry between the two most popular winter sports teams in the Twin Cities, the Timberwolves, regardless of past dysfunction or current litigation, are in vastly better shape than the Wild.
In just about every way.
Even in one way you may not think.
Whatever the Wild’s failings, they could always point to their surprise run to the Western Conference finals in 2003, in their third season of existence, as a remarkable achievement and a reason for optimism.
That run also had to be embarrassing for the Wolves, because they came into existence 13 years before the Wild and at that point had yet to win a single playoff series.
Things, as they are wont to do, change.