Are the Timberwolves contenders or pretenders?

The Minnesota Timberwolves have given us plenty of reasons to believe they'll contend for an NBA championship and some reasons to doubt that optimistic outlook as well. 

Heading into Wednesday's game at Washington, the Timberwolves (30-13) are second in the Western Conference. Notably, Minnesota is getting All-Star-level play from Anthony Edwards (25.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.2 APG) and Karl-Anthony Towns (22.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, three APG). 

A 7-footer with a great outside touch, Towns is shooting a blistering 44.7% from three-point range on five attempts per game. His shooting ability allows him to play alongside Rudy Gobert (13.2 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 2.1 BPG), who has returned to his dominant defensive ways in his second season with Minnesota. 

Gobert's defense has vaulted the Timberwolves to the top of the NBA in defensive rating (109). (Defensive rating is the number of points allowed per 100 possessions.)

While the defense has been fantastic, the offense has failed to keep up as Minnesota ranks 19th in offensive rating (114.3). (Offensive rating is the number of points scored per 100 possessions.) Despite a mediocre offense, Minnesota is still outscoring teams by 5.3 points per 100 possessions, the sixth-best mark in the league. 

Besides Edwards, Towns and Gobert, the Timberwolves have received strong play from starting point guard Mike Conley (10.9 PPG, 6.4 APG, 43.8 3PT%), forward Jaden McDaniels (11 PPG) and backup center Naz Reid (12.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG). 

While the Timberwolves can revel in their many successes, their most recent game raised concerns. Despite a 62-point performance from Towns, Minnesota lost 128-125 to a terrible Charlotte team (10-31) on Monday. 

Following the loss, head coach Chris Finch made his disappointment clear, telling the media, "We totally disrespected the game, ourselves, and we got exactly what we deserved."

While Finch's concerns about his team's immaturity are warranted and the team's turnover issues are concerning (15.3 per game, 28th in NBA), Minnesota remains a strong contender in the Western Conference because of its elite defense. Per FanDuel, as of Wednesday, Minnesota is tied with the Thunder for the fourth-best odds to win the conference. 

Adding veterans with playoff experience at the trade deadline or on the buyout market would strengthen Minnesota's bench and help the team's young players in the postseason. 

Minnesota shouldn't be favored over the defending champion Nuggets or surging Clippers, but Minnesota clearly has its best team in years. The Timberwolves may not win the West, but they seem poised for a deep playoff run.