Welcome to the inaugural edition of eDraft’s NBA Season Preview. We turn our attention to the Northwest Division, covering everyone from the pretenders to the contenders. Today we take a look at the Timberwolves. This is a young and hungry team, but do they have the talent to make the playoffs in a deep Western Conference?

Key additions: Brandon Roy (G), Andrei Kirilenko (F)


The Timberwolves are the up-and-coming team of the future, and it’s starting to feel like they always will     
be just that. The pieces seem to have been coming together for years, and looking at their reconstructed
roster each autumn before the new season, one always feels like this team might just be ready to make the jump out of the draft lottery into the playoffs, but alas, it never happens. Minnesota has once again retooled around its exciting core of Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio but with this team it’s important to wait and see. Injuries, indifferent play, ill-fitting pieces and bad draft picks over the years consistently force even the most enthusiastic Minnesota fans to confront the cold reality that things always have a way of not working out for the Timberwolves.

The highly anticipated NBA debut of point guard Rubio was no let down. Rubio (10.6PPG-8.2APG-4.2APG-14.64PER) proved to be an above average defender, a better than expected (expectations were low) shooter, and, above all, a majestic passer. Rubio’s court vision is simply much better than most of his peers and he has the special ability to see plays develop on the floor four or five seconds before they actually happen. There are times when Rubio seems to be playing at a different level from everyone else on the floor. And then there are moments when his lack of scoring becomes a real liability. For as good as he is at passing, Rubio is not yet an elite point guard and won’t be until he learns to shoot the deep ball.

As different as the two players are in some respects, Rubio reminds of a younger Rajan Rondo, for better and for worse. Luckily for Minnesota, guards Luke Ridnour and Jose Barea both have proven they can step in and score when needed and even lead the team for long stretches. The Timberwolves will need them to bring their A-games this season as Rubio is expected to be out until at least December.

The Timberwolves have brought in Andrei Kirilenko and Brandon Roy to play the wings, though it is not clear what these two can do at this point in their careers. Kirilenko played well in Russia last season and should be able to at least provide strong defense for a squad much in need of it, and word around the NBA is that Roy can still shoot. Both players once carried franchises during their prime years, but neither will be asked to do much more than provide veteran leadership and solid defense to this young ball club—anything else will be a bonus.

Nikola Pekovic (13.9PPG-7.4RPG-21.47PER) showed tremendous potential last season, and should he continue to progress, the Wolves start to look like a lock for the playoffs. His rise has also allowed Kevin Love (26PPG-13.3RPG-37 3P%-25.41PER) to play the four position and have his way on the glass against outmatched opponents. If you were to just look at the boxscores, you might get the impression that Love is a banger, perhaps a Ben Wallace type with a scoring knack. But Love is a wildly unique player. While Love is as tenacious as his rebounding numbers suggest, he is also blessed with an incongruous jumper that gives opponents fits. Love’s ability to step out and hit the three opens the floor and provides opportunities for his teammates they wouldn’t otherwise get. Which is what makes the lackluster play of Derrick Williams so confounding.

While it’s true that Williams (8.8PPG-4.7RPG-12.98PER) is a ‘tweener’ who always seems to be playing out of position, he was also the second overall pick in the 2011 draft and is a considerable talent. Some players cannot make the transition from college to the pros and perhaps Williams is one of them, but he is an excellent shooter, runs the floor well, understands positioning, and has good moves around the basket—all of which should translate well from one level to the next. It’s too early to make final judgments about Williams, but he will have to show some signs of life this year or the Timberwolves will once again just be another team building for the future.

Reason for optimism: Put this many good players on the floor for any extended period and they will get you the wins.

Reason for pessimism: If the team doesn't make the playoffs, look for Love to push for a trade.

Projected Record: 43-39