Draymond Green recently made a statement about the Minnesota Timberwolves that has fans engaged in an intense debate. As the NBA world should be aware, the Timberwolves greatly exceeded expectations this season by making it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. They even eliminated the defending champions in the second round in order to do so.
However, it looks like the Timberwolves’ impressive postseason push is nearing an inevitable end. After all, they are currently in a 0-3 deficit against the Dallas Mavericks and are just one loss away from starting their offseason. While Timberwolves fans must undoubtedly be feeling a sense of frustration, Draymond’s statement appears to be applying salt to their wounds. That said, a closer look at the situation is required.
Draymond Green believes that nothing will change if the Minnesota Timberwolves never win a title
Although all the teams across the NBA have a respectable fanbase and share a desire to win a coveted championship, some teams have never actually accomplished the ultimate goal of winning a title in their entire franchise history. The Timberwolves were looking to raise their first-ever championship banner this season.
Draymond Green recently appeared on a podcast alongside former NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal. While discussing what a championship would mean for the teams remaining in contention, Green opined that nothing would change if the Timberwolves never won an NBA championship.
“You never expect a team in Minnesota to win the NBA finals… If the Minnesota Timberwolves never win an NBA finals, nobody’s batting an eye… It’s Minnesota.”
Do you agree with Draymond Green here? 🤔
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“You never expect a team in Minnesota to win the NBA finals. Like, let’s just face it. If the Minnesota Timberwolves never win an NBA final, nobody’s batting an eye…Like it’s Minnesota.”
It is undoubtedly bold to claim that a team would never face any amount of scrutiny for failing to win an NBA championship regardless of how deep they go into the postseason. Some fans believed that Green’s statements held some validity while others completely dismissed it.
How many franchises in the NBA have not raised a championship banner?
While the Warriors star did not break down his reasoning to a great extent, it is clear that he believes that there are no expectations for a team like the Timberwolves. Especially when compared to the Lakers, Celtics, and so on. Moreover, the Timberwolves’ fanbase is simply not as dominant in contrast to other teams such as the New York Knicks.
There are several teams across the NBA that have never won an NBA championship ever since the league came into existence. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Clippers, and Orlando Magic have all never raised a championship banner so far.According to Draymond, the pressure to win and expectations reduce for teams that have never won an NBA title and are used to falling short. Fans are left wondering if there is any merit to his notion.
