How the once-derided Minnesota Timberwolves became contenders

Minnesota's trade for Rudy Gobert was attacked as laughable by critics. But this season the team are making waves in the Western Conference

If you haven't been paying close attention to the NBA this year, the Western Conference standings may come as a bit of a shock. Sitting in the top two? None other than the long-suffering Minnesota Timberwolves who, as recently as last season, were taking heat for what was beginning to look like perhaps the worst NBA trade this millennium. Incredibly, their 67 straight days with a least a share of first place in the conference (they have a 30-13 record along with the Oklahoma City Thunder) are by far the most in club history; prior to this year, the Wolves had been in first a total of 20 non-consecutive days.

It seems the Timberwolves didn't get the memo about being terrible and they're shaping up to be a true championship contender in a Western Conference that's as wide open as in recent memory. So what changed? How did the Timberwolves reverse course?