Kevin Love provided Minnesota Timberwolves fans with some terrific highlights over his six years with the club, but the franchise was never able to garner a winning season or a playoff berth with the three-time All-Star. With Love gone to Cleveland to join LeBron James, Minnesota tips off its next chapter Wednesday at the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis, which is attempting to post 50 wins for a third consecutive season, will get the first look at Andrew Wiggins, the 2014 overall No. 1 pick.
Minnesota will be hard pressed to match last season’s win total, but the T-Wolves have some impressive pieces for the future in Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, both acquired in the James deal, and their own collection of three first-round picks from the last two years. “These young guys are part of what we are and what our future is, and they’re going to have to play,” Saunders said. “They’re going to go through some growing pains so it’s one of those things where it’s exciting to see the way they do react.” By contrast, Vince Carter is the only big addition for Memphis, which comes back pretty much intact from a club that extended Oklahoma City to seven games in the first round of the playoffs a season ago.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Memphis), FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (2013-14: 40-42): Ricky Rubio joins Wiggins as the face of the organization and GM Flip Saunders decided to oversee this overhaul personally by naming himself coach after Rick Adelman retired. Gorgui Deng, Shabazz Muhammad and Zach LaVine, Minnesota's own first-round picks from the last two years, will also be counted upon to lift the team to prominence in the future. Bennett, the 2013 overall first pick who was injured and out of shape last season in Cleveland, lost 20 pounds over the summer, rededicated himself to the game and is expected to backup newcomer Thaddeus Young.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (2013-14: 50-32): Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Mike Conley are the cornerstones for the Grizzlies, who depend on grinding out games on both the offensive and defensive ends. The 37-year-old Carter will help replace the 3-point shooting of departed Mike Miller and provide a much-needed offensive lift on the wing. Defensive stopper Tony Allen and Courtney Lee will start, with Tayshaun Prince, Quincy Pondexter and first-round pick Jordan Adams joining Carter off the bench.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Memphis went 34-13 down the stretch to take the No. 7 seed in the West after Gasol returned from missing seven weeks with an MCL sprain.
2. Minnesota lost 12 straight games decided by five points last season after winning the season opener, and its .365 winning percentage over the past three seasons in such games ranks ahead of only Orlando (.346).
3. Carter, who has shot 40 percent on 770 3-point tries over the past two seasons with Dallas, should help a Memphis team that has attempted the fewest 3-pointers in each of the last two seasons.