Charles Barkley Says the Timberwolves Aren’t Relevant

Charles Barkley has consistently criticized the Minnesota Timberwolves, suggesting a personal grudge, though the reasons remain unclear. The author acknowledges the team's historically poor performance, including drafting missteps, empty statistical achievements, and locker room turmoil, which made them a long-standing punchline in the NBA.

However, the Timberwolves have recently transformed into a legitimate contender, making back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances. They are now led by emerging superstar Anthony Edwards and have competent ownership, directly contradicting Barkley's dismissive comments.

Barkley recently claimed on a podcast that the Timberwolves are "not relevant," despite them having recently eliminated the Lakers in the first round. The author points out the flaw in this logic by noting that Minnesota also defeated other top teams like the Warriors, Nuggets, and Suns in recent playoffs, which would render those teams "irrelevant" by Barkley's own definition.

The author further criticizes Barkley's Western Conference power rankings, which placed the Thunder, Nuggets, and Rockets above Minnesota. While acknowledging the Thunder's strength, the author highlights the Wolves' six consecutive wins over the Nuggets and questions ranking the Rockets—who acquired an aging Kevin Durant at significant cost—as a contender, contrasting this with the dismissal of Minnesota's proven success.