Minnesota Timberwolves Preview

Hello Readers,

I apologize that it seems the previews are fewer and farther between, but I have not forgotten. I have just been busy with work and med school stuff. Anyways the season is rapidly approaching, and i still have a lot of teams to go. So...

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

Key Additions: Brandon Roy (retirement), Andrei Kirilenko (Russia), Chase Budinger (Trade), Greg Steimsma (FA), Alexey Shved (Russia)

Key Losses: Michael Beasley, Darko Milicic, Martell Webster, Anthony Tolliver, Wayne Ellington.

Projected Starting Lineup:
PG: Ricky Rubio
SG: Roy
SF: Kirilenko
PF: Kevin Love
C: Nikola Pekovic

Role Players: Budinger, Derrick Williams, Luke Ridnour, Jose Juan Barea, Steimsma, Shved

Comments: The Timberwolves GM, David Kahn, is notorious for stupid offseason signings and trades. He acquired stalwarts such as Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Martell Webster, and of course Darko Milicic, and paid them significant amounts. Well, these moves kind of sucked, but starting with drafting Ricky Rubio and holding out until he decided to play for Minnesota, the moves are turning in the right direction. That is, as long as bringing in Brandon Roy and Andrei Kirilenko aren't total busts.

Rick Adelman did a great job with this team last year, until all of his key players ended up getting injured (Love, Rubio, Pekovic). They were headed toward the playoffs last year before this, and this team will be very disappointed if they don't make them this year. It has been a long turnaround since the Kevin Garnett days, but as Love develops into the best PF in the game, the team should make the jump. Adelman has the experience (see Kings of the early 2000's and Rockets of the last few years) to lead this team and develop its budding stars.

The T-wolves are deep at PG beginning with Rubio. Rubio began last year as the clear ROY favorite. He brought his spanish flare to the NBA, with incredible passing ability, ball-handling, and even a little shooting. It was unfortunate that he succumbed to injury (knee), because he was one of the most exciting players to watch. Knee injuries can be difficult to recover from (see Roy, Brandon in the next paragraph), especially for someone who relies on lateral movement. Rubio still needs to develop a more muscular body and keep improving his shot, but his passing skills already make him a very good point guard. Ridnour is a solid veteran backup. He has the ability to control pace, calm the team down, and make good decisions with the ball. He won't hurt the team really in any facet, which is why Barea gets screwed by being on the wolves. He is very quick and is fearless. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d12YVBOrP00&feature=related. He had a great Finals with the Mavericks, got his payday with the Wolves, but now gets to sit on the bench. The T-wolves don't need the quickness off the bench with Rubio starting, they would rather have the slow but solid Ridnour. I expect the Wolves to make a decision on whether to keep Barea or trade him for a shooter soon.

The Wolves are very uncertain at SG. Brandon Roy was last seen playing in the NBA in the spring of 2011. This guy used to be an all-star combo-guard. He could dish the rock, penetrate and score, and knock down fade-aways with the best of them. He was also ridiculously clutch. (also look for Yao Ming's clutchness) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOdj9wmCIzM (gotta watch till the end). Anyways, after multiple knee injuries, Roy lost his ability to move with the basketball, so he decided to retire last year. I guess by design, this was just a year off. He rested his knees, and now is supposedly ready to play. He will never be the all-star he used to, but he should provide some scoring. And this team desperately needs a second scorer after losing Beasley. Shved off the bench should be an interesting player. He was pretty good for Russia in the Olympics. We will see if his play can translate to the NBA style.

Like Roy, it will be interesting to see what the Wolves get out of Kirilenko at SF. Kirilenko, last seen in the NBA in 2011, played all last season in Russia, where he was really good. At his prime Kirilenko was a premier defender with the ability to block shots, steal at a high rate, and rebound well. He was never much of a scorer, but in Russia he was the MVP and best player by far. So, he decided to give the NBA another shot. The Wolves need him to be a stabilizing force on defense, because the Wolves lack any other real quality defenders on their team. Budinger should provide a lot of the scoring off the bench for the Wolves. He is a quality outside shooter, and somehow was athletic enough to make a dunk contest even though he is white. P. Diddy agreed with me too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJLioRoBq0M.

Kevin Love is the best PF in the NBA as of today. He has surpassed Pau Gasol, Dirk, KG, Duncan, all of them. He is the best rebounder even though he is only 6-10, he can score inside, shoot outside to the 3. He had a 30-30 game, many 30-15 games, and had like 60 consecutive double-doubles. His defense could be better, and he never seems to take over games, but his overall game is just really good. I think he was 7 overall in ESPN's player rank. Anyways, Derrick Williams is more interesting. The second pick in last year's draft, Williams was placed on a team that didn't need a PF. Williams is pretty similar to Love in that he is a good rebounder and can score in different ways. He needs playing time to find his game in the NBA. If I ran the Wolves I would play small with Williams and Love in the frontcourt along with Kirilenko. Williams was dangled around in trade rumors as well, specifically trades involving Pau Gasol, but the Wolves do seem to value him highly, as he is still on the team.

Pekovic improved faster than any player I saw last year. He started out as the random international player behind Darko in the Wolves lineup. All of a sudden, this guy was putting up double digit points and rebounds like he was David Robinson. He had moves inside, little baby hooks, and knocked down a jumper here and there. As surprising as his rise to success was, I am skeptical that it will last into this year. Due to injuries, his season was shortened, and I have too small of a sample size to project that he will become more than a quality role player. Steimsma, the backup, knows he is just that. The white Bill Russell can block shots and will try oh so very hard, but once better players come along, he will have a permanent spot at the end of the bench.

The T-Wolves are primed for a big year. As long as Roy and Kirilenko are healthy, and contribute something, this team will make the playoffs, probably as a 7th or 8th seed where they will be eliminated quickly. But, its improvement, and as Rubio continues to blossom, and he fits with the pieces around him, the Wolves will be as competitive as they were when Garnett was still in the blue and green.

Next Up, Portland Trailblazers