The Minnesota Timberwolves: They Still Exist!
Dec 16, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) looks to pass as Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins (22) defends during the second quarter at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
This past summer, after the Andrew Wiggins and Kevin Love trade was finalized, the hype leading up to this Timberwolves season was almost unprecedented. Season ticket packages were selling like hotcakes and everyone seemed ready for the fresh start the trade brought for the franchise. It’s difficult to remember now, but the season actually got off to a promising start, with wins against Detroit and Brooklyn as well as narrow losses against Memphis and Chicago.
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Unfortunately, the balloon popped with Ricky Rubio’s gruesome ankle injury. Kevin Martin and Nikola Pekovic soon followed with injuries of their own, and the Timberwolves have been playing with 2/5ths of their original starting five ever since. There have been many games where the Wolves have had no choice but to start Wiggins and Zach LaVine. Starting two 19 year olds simultaneously is rare, and the lack of experience has been apparent. The Wolves have been 3-17 since Rubio went down in Orlando.
The offense has not been great this year, averaging 98.3 points per game, which is good for 20th in the 30 team NBA. That said, the largest issue has been on the defensive end, where the Wolves are giving up a whopping 108.5 points per game, which is second worst in the Association. This should come as no surprise. For one, trading out Rubio, a plus defender, for a rookie who is raw is a clear downgrade. Secondly, Wiggins has been matched up against some of the best scorers in the game. While he projects as a plus, or even elite, defender down the road, he does not have enough strength to shut down some of the stronger small forwards and shooting guards for an entire game.
That being said, there are positives in the early going. Wiggins has looked more aggressive as of late, and is up to 12.6 points per game. Shabazz Muhammad’s work over the summer was well-documented, and has paid dividends. He was always aggressive last season as well, but his stamina seemed to be lacking. This year, his energy has been palpable and sustainable.
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The big news of the day today was the Timberwolves trading Corey Brewer for Troy Daniels and a couple of second round picks. Trading Brewer became almost inevitable after the team’s terrible start. Brewer can be a valuable asset on a playoff contender, but can’t help a young, rebuilding team nearly as much. I’ve always liked Brewer, so I’m happy he gets a chance to more than likely play in the playoffs again this season. This is year one of what promises to be a near complete roster overhaul. Outside of Rubio, the only probable holdovers from the squad two seasons ago is Pekovic, and no one knows for how long.
Unfortunately, much the same as too many teams in our state lately, the key to this season for the Timberwolves is to develop their youngsters are much as possible and hope they can grow together as a group. I still feel essentially the same as I did six weeks ago; this team has a ton of potential, and the key to high-level success or failure will be Wiggins. If he truly is a superstar, this team will start winning sooner rather than later. If not, then it will be back to the drawing board once again.