Timberwolves Giving Fans Something to Howl About

By Joey Cavalier

Last season, watching a Timberwolves game was about as fun as stubbing your toe or stepping on a Lego. This season, however, the T-Pups are one of the most exciting squads to watch in the entire NBA. There is something very special going on in the Timberwolves organization. For the first time since Kevin Garnett was regularly dropping F-Bombs (and countless other vulgarities) in the Target Center, the (quickly growing) fan base is buzzing with optimism.

Although there have been a ton of positive developments with this team, there have been a fair share of disappointments as well.

Let's break down “the good" and “the ugly” through 14 games.

The Good…

The speculation that Ricky Rubio’s game wouldn’t translate to the NBA can be put to rest. Some rubes loved to point out the “fact” that Rubio’s game was “regressing” in Europe. Yet, Rubio has been spectacular for the Timberwolves, and he looks like a savvy veteran in the heat of the game. Rubio ranks 7th in the league in assists (8.3 per game), he is averaging 11 points per game on 40% shooting and he has more steals than any player in the NBA (39). He is also hitting clutch shots when the game is on the line. Rubio is putting the team on his back, and is a top-notch floor general that the Wolves haven’t had in a long, long time. The future is extremely bright for this kid.

Kevin Love has also been terrific. One can even make a case for Love as the NBA’s best power forward. Currently, Love is top-five in scoring (24.06 PPG), top-two in rebounding (14.1 RPG), top-three in efficiency (26.0 EFF), top-three in points/assists/rebounds (with a 39.9 AVG) and is leading the NBA in double-doubles (15). On top of those gaudy numbers, his defense has improved and he is producing in the clutch (e.g. his game-winning three pointer versus the Clippers). Few players in the world can match Love's work ethic, and he's an essential building block for this young team.

Just like it’s weird to see the Wolves with a capable point guard, it is also weird to see the Timberwolves with a coach who knows what he is doing; Kurt Rambis was plain bad, and Rick Adelman is plain good. Adelman is teaching these youngsters how to play basketball, and he's making the right calls late in games. Going from Kurt Rambis to Rick Adelman is like upgrading from a Geo Metro to a Cadillac. Thank you, David Kahn.

Hard work is a necessary ingredient to any successful NBA team, and unlike last year, this squad appears to understand that. Wayne Ellington, Anthony Randolph and Anthony Tolliver have worked extremely hard off the bench, allowing the Wolves to stay competitive while the starters are resting. This trio of subs has provided an offensive punch while putting forth solid defensive effort. Adelman is getting the role players to buy in and work hard. In contrast, Rambis never even defined role players, let alone got them to work hard. The role players for the Wolves have made a huge difference this season.

Last year the Wolves would get blown out on a nightly basis. This season, the Wolves have been competitive in every game. They haven’t lost a game by more than 11 points all year, due largely to their improved defense. Last season, the Wolves allowed an average of 107.71 points per game. This season, the Wolves are only giving up 93.81 points per game. The Wolves could already score, and with their newfound commitment to defense, they can already compete with the top teams in the league.

The Ugly...

Wesley Johnson is starting to concern me. He will flash his potential here and there, but then immediately disappear again. The rip on him coming out of Syracuse was that he had already peaked in college. But the Wesley Johnson we are seeing doesn’t look like the Wesley Johnson from Syracuse. He looks timid and tentative when given the ball. You have to wonder if his lack of growth has stemmed from playing out of his natural position (small forward), but regardless, he's been bad. Currently, Wes is averaging 6.12 points per game on 37% shooting (25% from three-point land), and the Wolves simply need more than that from their starting shooting guard.

Many people are quick to defend Michael Beasley because he scores points, but I am not inclined to do so. When Beasley has been on the court this season he has been a selfish black hole of missed shots. Yes he scores points, but he does so in a very inefficient fashion. This is a problem. The more Beasley hogs the ball, the less opportunities Ricky Rubio has to make something happen. Rubio should be given the ball to make plays, not Beasley. The Wolves really need to figure out what to do with Beasley when he returns. I do not believe he is a good fit for this team. I think it is time to see what we can get for him.

Darko Milicic is not your typical draft-lottery bust. He is a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, and hidden in a labyrinth. One minute he is sinking baby-hooks and blocking shots, while the next minute he is getting burnt and chucking the ball against the backboard. I have never seen an NBA player try so hard in the first five minutes of a game, and then just completely check out for the rest of the game. Darko is clearly gifted, but simply doesn’t possess the will to be a solid NBA center. He has had some big games this year (he put up 22 points against DeAndre Jordan recently), but the Wolves will not be able to depend on him for the long term.

An area in which the Wolves have lacked discipline is in their three point shooting. Wolves average 22 three-point attempts per game (4th highest across the league). Obviously, with Ricky Rubio’s dribble penetration, three-point opportunities will be aplenty, but the Wolves need to choose their shots more wisely.

Another area of weakness for the Wolves is their tendency to struggle early in games. The Wolves have stumbled out of the gates in many games, offensively, and have needed to make valiant comebacks. While it’s nice that they are showing an ability to muster a comeback, you do not want them doing that on a nightly basis. They need to shoot better in the first quarter if they want to be a winning team. Also, while the Wolves defense has improved greatly, they are still giving up too many easy buckets early in games. Opposing teams have gotten out to good starts against the Wolves, and the Wolves have lost a lot of close games… You do the math.

All in all, there is a lot to be excited about if you are a Timberwolves fan. Rick Adelman, Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love make this team fun to watch. More importantly, not only are the Wolves fun to watch, but they are showing that they have what it takes to be a winning team in this league—something Minnesota fans have longed for since the days of the Big Ticket.

Timberwolves Post-Draft Musings and the Next Steps

By Joey Cavalier

The dust is finally settling on the Timberwolves' draft, giving me a chance to catch my breath and sort things out. Draft night for the Wolves started with the team selecting Derrick Williams at No. 2, and ended with a bullet storm of trades executed by the mad scientist, David Kahn.

The Wolves absolutely did the right thing in selecting D-Will. The kid is excited to play for the Wolves (which makes him one of a kind), and he possesses as much skill and potential as any prospect in this year's draft class.

The ensuing trades were almost impossible to follow, but when it was all said and done, the Wolves ended up with several cash considerations and a player that could have easily went in the first round, Malcolm Lee. The UCLA product is a legitimate perimeter defender who can shut down either guard position. Additionally, he has good vision and can play either the 1 or the 2 (though he is more of a natural shooting guard at 6’5").

Overall, I have to give Kahn a B+ for his draft night performance. He would have gotten an A if he had drafted Marshon Brooks and/or shipped out scrubs like Wayne Ellington and Martell Webster via savvy trades. But a B+ grade is good nonetheless, and I have to credit Kahn for not panicking and giving away the No. 2 pick for a large, three-item pizza topped with expiring contracts…

So, now that the draft is over, the biggest question for the Timberwolves is this: Where do we go from here? Well, the first step is to get rid of the bench baggage in order to acquire veteran role players and leaders/mentors. Kahn has said that he would like to add key veterans to the roster who can help groom the young players and contribute in clutch moments in games. The only way this can be done effectively is if players like Webster, Ellington, and Nikola Pekovic are moved to create minutes and locker space for the incoming vets. Kicking Jonny Flynn to the curb was an encouraging start.

The next step is to find a new coach, as Kurt Rambis failed miserably on multiple levels. He didn't develop the young talent, he refused to take ownership of the team’s struggles, he tried to shove a bogus (for this roster) system down the team's throat, his rotations were baffling, and he seemed detached, dazed and even disinterested at key moments during games. Assuming reports are true and Rambis is on his way out, the Wolves need to find someone to develop the young talent and improve in the win column. Sam Mitchell seems like a logical candidate, but the University of Washington's Lorenzo Romar appears to be Kahn's top choice for what might be the league's worst coaching position. Romar's probably a long shot, and Kahn has even pursued Coach K, so only time will tell.

Once a coach is selected, his job will be to define, develop and commit.

This new coach must define the roles of the young talent. Starters need to know they're starters. Stars need to know they're expected to be stars (Ricky Rubio?). Supporting pieces need to understand their place in the grand scheme of things.

This new coach must develop the plethora of young talent that exists on the roster. The team is filled with potential stars who need to be chiseled into professionals.

Finally, the organization needs to commit to players for the long road. They cannot just keep adding “talent” to the team and expect to improve. Without committing to key players, there's no stability. The Wolves are in dire need of stability.

Rambis failed to define, develop and commit. Unless the next coach can succeed in these areas, the Wolves will continue to be a punchline for NBA writers and commentators.

This will indeed be a long offseason (especially with the impending lockout), and the Wolves' organization has its work cut out for them. But with Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, Rubio and Williams on roster, the future has a chance of being really, really bright.

4 Ideal Draft Night Scenarios for the Timberwolves

By Joey Cavalier

1) Draft Derrick Williams. Subsequently, trade Michael Beasley and Jonny Flynn for center, Marcin Gortat.

Bottom Line: Derek Williams is going to be a star. He is very polished offensively, he's shown improvement every year in his game, and he's a violent, aggressive playmaker. The most ideal situation for the Wolves would be to draft D-Will at No. 2, and then subsequently trade Beasley and Flynn to the youth-starved Phoenix Suns for the underrated center, Marcin Gortat (this would mean Williams is our starting small forward). Gortat would bring stability, defense, low-post scoring and rebounding to a team that is in need of a solid starting center.

2) Draft Derrick Williams, and keep the rest of the roster intact.
As you can see, I like Derrick Williams a lot. Even if the Wolves do not move Beasley, I still want them to draft D-Will and commit to him. The mix-and-match frontcourt of Love/Williams/Beasley could easily grow into one of the most offensively dangerous front courts in the NBA. If this were to happen, Beasley would need to grow in his ability to play for long stretches at power forward, and Love would need to focus on his defensive game, as he would find himself playing center for extended periods. The occasional lineup of Rubio/Johnson/Williams/Beasley/Love may be weak defensively, but have fun trying to stop them from putting up an absurd amount of points.

3) Package the No. 2 pick, Wayne Ellington and Johnny Flynn for DeMar DeRozan and the No. 5 pick. Use the fifth pick on forward Jan Vesely.
If the Wolves do happen to trade the No. 2 pick, they need to get a guy like DeMar DeRozan and a high lottery pick for it. DeRozan would instantly step in and start at shooting guard, while Wes Johnson would become a very versatile sixth man who could play either shooting guard or small forward. With the fifth pick, the Wolves then select Jan Vesely, the electrifying 21-year-old small forward out of the Czech Republic. This kid is 6’11, he's a terrific finisher around the hoop, and he's a very efficient post player as well. Vesely is most noted for his ability to elevate in traffic, where he scores and rebounds aggressively. Jan Vesely would bring a powerful, physical style of play to the Timberwolves offense.

4) Draft Enes Kanter, and keep the rest of the roster intact.
If for some reason the Wolves do not select Derrick Williams, they must take the Turkish center, Enes Kanter. Though he is pegged as inexperienced (which he certainly is), the kid is an absolute freak of nature. He's very driven, and his ability to bang in the low post is something the Wolves need badly. Kanter also possesses a decent mid-range jump shot, which would allow him to stretch opposing defenses. His attacking style of play would be a great addition to a squad that's as tough as Charmin Ultra Soft in the paint. Oh, and if someone were kind enough to take Darko off our hands after the draft, that would be great!