Minnesota Timberwolves
2008-09 Record: 24-58
Anticipated Starting Five
PG- Jonny Flynn
SG- Wayne Ellington
SF- Ryan Gomes
PF- Kevin Love
C- Al Jefferson
Key Reserves: Corey Brewer, Chucky Atkins, Darius Songalia, Damien Wilkins
Biggest Strength: Front Court
Kevin Love and Al Jefferson produced 34 points and 20 boards per game last season for the Wolves. If Jefferson returns healthy from his knee injury I expect those numbers to go up a bit. Jefferson should remain stable as a 20+ and 10+ guy. But I am expecting Kevin Love to improve his scoring ability and lift his field goal percentage from 45.9% this season.
Those two guys were the reason a 24 win team ranked 5th and 14 in defensive and offensive rebounding % respectively.
Biggest Weakness: Field Goal Shooting
Last year the Wolves ranked last in field goal %, 24th in three point % and 28th in eFG%. This team could not put the ball in the hole. Now consider this season they no longer have their top 3 players in eFG% (Craig Smith, Mike Miller and Rodney Carney) and their best three point shooter (Mike Miller).
That puts a lot of pressure on their rookie backcourt of of Flynn and Ellington. With some good inside players the Wolves need to find a way to surround them with shooters to make teams pay when they double team (which every team will). I expect Ellington to play a lot because of this.
Key Player: Jonny Flynn
As ridiculous as David Kahn’s first couple draft picks were I understand what he was thinking. He needs to find a dynamic playmaker and leader at the point to with Love and Jefferson. So rather than drafting one and hoping he got it right, he hedged his bets by choosing two. Not to mention he had to factor in that Rubio might not come over right away.
Flynn is a nice player, but more importantly he is already a vocal leader that his teammates like. He should infuse this team with energy and toughness right away. He could be the catalyst for the Wolves exceed expectations this year. He can create shots for himself as well as getting in the lane and dropping off passes to Love and Jefferson for easy baskets.
Note: Minnesota just signed restricted free agent Ramon Sessions – yes another point guard. If the Bucks don’t match Flynn will likely be a reserve. But I still think his energy and leader are very important to this team going forward.
Biggest Question: Uhhhh….Where’s Ricky?
One of the things I was most excited about this basketball season was seeing what Ricky Rubio could do. Ever since I heard about his 51 point, 24 rebound, 12 assist, 7 steal game in the 2006 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship Final, I was intrigued. I didn’t really have a strong opinion about whether he would be good, but I wanted to find out this season. As it turns out, after the Wolves completely botched their draft by picking 2 PGs back to back, Rubio decided he would prefer to play in Spain for the next 2 years instead. So – we won’t know if the hype behind Ricky is real until 2011. Consider me greatly disappointed.
Best Individual Season of All-Time: Kevin Garnett, 2003-04
24.2 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 2.2 BPG
The only 2 seasons in basketball history where a player went for 24 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks and 1.5 steals a game were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975-76 and Kevin Garnett in 2003-04. Garnett won the MVP this season, and with the help of Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell, nearly won the NBA Title but fell short in the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers.
Pete’s 2010 Outlook: 5th place, Northwest division / 13th place, Western conference / 25th place, NBA
I had the Wolves as my surprise team last year – thinking that Mike Miller wouldn’t stop trying (he did), Randy Foye would be significantly better (he wasn’t) and Corey Brewer could finally stay healthy (he couldn’t). This year, I think they are going to be a scrappier team, but just won’t have the experience or depth to make a mark. I think that Jonny Flynn is going to be the runner-up behind Blake Griffin for Rookie of the Year and has a chance to be a star in this league. I like Kevin Love and Al Jefferson down low as well and am curious to see what Love will do after an impressive rookie campaign. They have some good pieces, but they are a year or two away (with some good drafting) from being a playoff team.
Dannie’s 2010 Outlook: 5th place, Northwest division / 14th place, Western conference / 25th place, NBA
I like this team. I like their future more. I like their front court and young backcourt. I don’t know much about Kurt Rambis as a head coach but I think adding Bill Laimbeer to his staff was a very good move. This team was putrid defensively and lacked toughness. I have to imagine changing this will be Laimbeer’s main responsibility.
If they can find some guys to make perimeter shots (Sessions won’t help) and commit to playing tough, scrappier (as Pete said) defense (Sessions will help) to go with their strong rebounding the Timberwolves could surprise some people.
See all 2010 NBA team previews
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As a lifelong Gator fan I can tell you Brewer, when healthy, is a shutdown defensive player who can guard the 1-4 positions. His offense did not translate to the pros his first season. I think the statement ” and Corey Brewer could finally stay healthy (he couldn’t)” is inaccurate. He played in all but 3 games his rookie season and played in 106 games in 3 years for the Gators. What I’m trying to say is while Brewer has been a bit of a bust in the NBA, he still has the ability to be a key contributor to the T-Wolves and last year was the first year in his basketball career he had ever had serious injury issues and it is unfair to say that his health was a serious issue heading into last season and to say there was a question as to whether or not he could finally stay healthy.
i know their roster is thin, but i find it hard to believe ellington will be their starting 2 guard. if so, he would challenge willie green & deshawn stevenson as the worst starting SGs over the last couple seasons. i know you guys are UNC fans, and i like ellington too, just not as a starting 2 guard this early in career.
I am still not sure the Love/Jefferson combo can work offensively and especially defensively; I think figuring this out is Rambis!s biggest job this season. Love has to consistantly hit the jumper to go with his very good highpost passing skills. Flynn has to show me he can get to the rim against this competition although I like his leadership quality!s. I wonder why V.Wafer wasn!t a target for this team with the money spent on Sessions when Flynn seems more ready to play than Ellington, though that is just my opinion.
Mike-
yea there really isn’t anyone else i guess
Pete: I have a feeling that Damien Wilkins might start for the TWolves this year at SG. Real underrated pickup from Seattle/OKC by Kahn. During his stint with the Sonics/Thunder, he was almost always in a perennial logjam with 80 other wingmen…but when they (Ray, R Lewis, Ridnour, Earl Watson or Flip Murray) would go down with injury, Wilkins always stepped in and surprisingly chipped in anywhere from 10-15 ppg, played tough D, and passing the ball well. Smart move to get him for a roster gutted by SG’s, as you said.
If Wilkins doesn’t get the nod, I’d expect them to move Corey Brewerto the SG spot. I agree with Jurnee…this is a guy that is capable of not just being a good, but a LOCK DOWN, as in top 15 in the NBA lockdown, wing defenders in the league. I always thought his offense and shooting abilities were very overrated in Florida and that he was undeserving of a top 5 pick, but I believe with health he will not be a “bust” but more in the lines of Joe Smith: a very productive defensive/intangibles player that can be the glue a team needs.
And I would just like to say I am STILL @!#$ing angry that we do not have a guy like Wayne Ellington, Jodie Meeks, Marcus Thornton, etc on our team. WHY did ES not trade for a late 1st round/early 2nd round pick? They were going like hotcakes…grrr.
The wing player that proves they can make perimeter shots and be capable on defense will start at shooting guard.
Like I said in the post this team was pretty horrible shooting the ball from the field and at that position they need a shooter. Who on that team is a better shooter than Ellington?
Corey Brewer, meh. I don’t care how good defensively he MIGHT be, if he continues to shoot the ball as poorly as he has he will not be a starter ever in this league. Bruce Bowen figured this out and worked his way into a decent three point shooter to compliment his defensive prowess. Brewer needs to get a clue and learn to shoot at an average level at the very least before I would ever consider putting him in the starting line-up.
Further you also have to consider who your point guard is. Flynn is a penetrator he needs kick out options in addition to his dump off options with Jefferson and Love.
If they end up with Sessions you added another poor perimeter shooter to your line-up and a great distributor he will need someone to pass to on the perimeter that compliments his game.
Wilkins might start the season as the starter but again if he doesn’t make shots when their bigs kick out and Flynn or Sessions kicks it out to him don’t be surprised to see Ellington logging more minutes than expected.
it really sucks that we’re going to have to wait 2 years to see rubio
Greatest strength(s):
-Post up plays
-Strength
-Target Center (young teams play better at home!!)
–No pressure!!
-Plenty of trade chips!
Greatest weakness(es):
-Perimeter shooting
-Youth
-Road woes
-Double teams
-The bigs playing uptempo this year (They need skates!)
IF they can keep Sessions, that would be a plus. The rest is all unknown, except for the fact that they will not make the playoffs. Plus, it is great to see Bill Lambeer get a coaching gig in the NBA as an assistant.
I say that the Timberwolves will be 4th in the Northwest , 14th in the West!!
(On a side note, the Sixers will be (2-0) against the Timberwolves. The game at the Target Center will be a close one, but the Sixers can squeak by now that we have Elton Brand in the post again.)
Mike -
The Sixers are signing Rodney Carney to the fourth-year minimum (guaranteed)..
http://www.phillyburbs.com/opinions/blogs/intell_blogs/tom_moore.html
Greatest strength(s):
-Post up plays
-Strength
-Target Center (young teams play better at home!!)
–No pressure!!
-Plenty of trade chips!
Greatest weakness(es):
-Perimeter shooting
-Youth
-Road woes
-Double teams
-The bigs playing uptempo this year (They need skates!)
IF they can keep Sessions, that would be a plus. The rest is all unknown, except for the fact that they will not make the playoffs. Plus, it is great to see Bill Lambeer get a coaching gig in the NBA as an assistant.
I say that the Timberwolves will be 5th in the Northwest , 14th in the West!!
(On a side note, the Sixers will be (2-0) against the Timberwolves. The game at the Target Center will be a close one, but the Sixers can squeak by now that we have Elton Brand in the post again.)
Recent change: F Darius Songalia & G Bobby Brown to New Orleans for G Antonio Daniels & 2014 2nd round pick. (AP, 9/10/09)