Timberwolves should win close to 50 games

San Antonio -- Jerry Zgoda and I will cover the Timberwolves' opener tonight in San Antonio. We just finished with shootaround interviews, and I was struck by how uncertain everyone is about how this team will play together.

Not uncertain in a bad way, not anxious, but curious about the unknown.

Who will take big shots? Probably Jimmy Butler, but wouldn't you want Karl-Anthony Towns to touch the ball on every important position? If you need two points, wouldn't you want Andrew Wiggins to be involved?

How quickly can new players become acclimated to one another while playing under increased expectations?

Perhaps most to the point, what are the proper expectations for this team?

I think this is the best roster the Wolves have ever had. But they also play in one of the toughest conferences in sports, and are trying to meld veteran newcomers with young players still learning the league.

Last year, the Wolves were expected to win 40-plus games. They won 31. It was a brutal season given the level of talent and the expected coaching expertise.

Can this year's team really be expected to win 15 or 20 more games?

I think it should. Jimmy Butler is the ideal fit for this roster. Taj Gibson brings toughness, rebounding, defense and experience. Towns and Wiggins have another year of experience.

I think this team should be able to win close to 50 games. Let's set the over-under at 48, and see if the Wolves, for the first time in 14 years, can provide a pleasant surprise.

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