Minnesota struck gold, or at least silver or bronze, on NBA draft night every year from 2013-15.

From Shabazz Muhammad to Gorgui Dieng to Andrew Wiggins to Karl-Anthony Towns to Tyus Jones, Flip Saunders found contributors with every selection. And each of those players came to Minneapolis with a similar goal.

“I want to make my team a playoff team,” Muhammad said on draft night in 2013.

“We’re going to do everything we possibly can, me and Tyus (Jones), to contribute to the success of this team and making us become a playoff contender,” Towns said the day after he and Jones were selected in the first round in 2015.

But still, despite those sound draft selections which infused an abundance of talent into the Timberwolves’ roster, the playoff drought remains – 13 years and counting, much to the chagrin of the Timberwolves’ youngsters. Related Articles Timberwolves head into team bubble excited to spend time together, on and off the court

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And while second-year coach Tom Thibodeau and newcomers such as Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, Jeff Teague and Jamal Crawford all talk about their want to end Minnesota’s playoff drought and return this franchise to the playoffs, it’s tough to imagine they want it more than the guys who have been with this franchise for years, and are continually knocking on the door of the playoffs, but still not yet able to knock it down.

“I made a promise to Flip Saunders that I would win and I would end the playoff drought, and I intend to do that and keep my promise,” Towns said. “So I think of all my years, I think last year was a great opportunity that we had. We were close, we weren’t close enough. But this year, it feels like the opportunity is really in the palm of our hand and we’ve just got to take it.”

NO WINS, NO GLORY

Towns and Wiggins have had plenty of individual successes early in their careers.

Wiggins was 16th in the NBA in scoring last season (23.6 points per game). Towns was 12th in scoring (25.1) and sixth in rebounding (12.3). Statistically, both seasons were impressive – particularly Towns’ – but neither resulted in any individual accolades.

Losing has that effect on you.

“How’s (losing) impacted my career?” Towns asked. “I guess, for my career, zero all-stars, zero All-NBA selections, disrespected by many. Yeah, that’s what happens when you don’t win. So for me personally, it’s hard to lose. You always want to win.”

The good news for Towns and Wiggins is the losing won’t cost them financially. Wiggins signed a max extension worth $148 million this month. Towns is expected to sign a similar deal next offseason. But not everyone has been so lucky. Muhammad wasn’t offered a long-term deal in free agency this summer. Although some of that has to do with deficiencies in his game, the fact his teams haven’t won likely played a part in it.

And despite his scoring prowess, many outside of the franchise wondered if Wiggins was worthy of the big deal he recently signed. Rather than focusing on his successes, critics lament his lack of defense, rebounding and, yes, winning.

“I feel like if you’re on a winning team, people look at you differently,” Wiggins said.

THE PROCESS

Years of losing has to have some impact on a player. In their four-year NBA careers – all spent in Minnesota – Muhammad and Dieng have won 35 percent of their games.

But the Wolves try to frame those experiences as a positive. Muhammad said the years of futility have made him “hungrier.”

“(It teaches you) to take nothing for granted,” Jones said, “and that every game, you’re playing against great basketball players and you’ve got to be ready to go every single night.”

Towns viewed his first two years as a necessary process.

“You know (winning is) not going to happen (like you) just turn on a switch and it’s on,” Towns said. “It doesn’t work like that. It takes time. We went through the process.”

Perhaps that process is nearing its completion.

“We had so many long years of not winning,” Wiggins said, “so this hopefully is the year to turn it around.”

“It’s important to just have a fresh mind-set, a mind-set coming in that we want to change what’s been going on around here, and so far that’s what our mind-set has been,” Jones said. “We’re trying to get better each and every day.”

BEST TIME OF THE YEAR

Supposedly, the playoffs are the peak of the NBA season. So the young Wolves are told.

“Everyone tells me I’ve never won in this league yet, I’ve never been to the playoffs,” Towns said. “But everyone who’s won in this league always says it’s the best time. That’s when you have the most fun.”

Muhammad has heard similar sentiments from his new veteran teammates, with Gibson and Butler relaying tales of their playoffs experiences. Muhammad said “it’s always good to hear those stories” but acknowledged he’s also “definitely sick of hearing it.”

At the start of his fifth NBA season, Muhammad is ready to experience the postseason. That’s one reason why he re-signed with Minnesota on a one-year, minimum level salary, passing up on the opportunity to receive a modest raise elsewhere.

“I want to be a part of that, and that’s why I came here and sacrificed a lot,” Muhammad said. “I came here so I can be winning and be in the playoffs.”

NOW IS THE TIME

Expectations are high for a Wolves team poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004. How many times have fans heard that? That was the message as recently as last season, when Minnesota won all of 31 games.

“Two years in a row we’ve given (fans) a lot of hope and came up short,” Towns told reporters in China. “I think the fans this time have a feeling that those two years were the warmup to this moment.

“It hurts, 13 years of not making the playoffs, last two years having a great opportunity and not capitalizing, but coming so close. Every year we’re getting closer and closer, and I think the fans understand that it’s a process and it’s something we had to go through for us to be a better team at the end.”

Wiggins acknowledged the excitement from those within the franchise, and suggested a similar excitement has been present in recent years, “but (this year is) different,” if for no other reason than talent on the roster.

“This is the best team we’ve had since I’ve been here, going on my fourth year, and the best team Minnesota’s had in a very long time,” Wiggins said. “So I think everyone’s excited, because we have big things planned for this year.”

Wiggins said bringing Minnesota to the playoffs, and beyond, has been the “main goal” from the day he was traded to the Timberwolves in 2014.

“And every year we’ve gotten better, the team has gotten better and now I feel like we’re at that point where we’ve got to take that jump,” Wiggins said. “Just trying to make the best of every situation, make the playoffs and one day bring a championship to Minnesota.”

With an influx of veterans, a developing core and a top-level coach, those goals finally look to be attainable. Now is the time for Minnesota’s young, talented players to make the jump from dreamers to doers.

“I know not many times in people’s career do you get this much talent at this points in their careers together,” Towns said. “So I’m very appreciate of what I have here. I understand that the situation plays in our favor, and I understand that we have a moment that we’ll never get back. So I want to take advantage of every single moment that I have on the court with these guys and my teammates and make the most of it.”