3 Wolves selected to BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge 

This afternoon, the NBA announced rosters for the BBVA CompassRising Stars Challenge, and not surprisingly, Zach Lavine, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl-Anthony Towns were selected to participate. 

Andrew Wiggins, sophomore, is 15th in the league in scoring with 20.8ppg. He's finished with 30pts or more in 5 games this season and 20pts or more in 25 games this season. He's been the Wolves best player over the past couple weeks. Let's hope Wiggins takes the next step next season and gets a chance to participate in the game on Sunday.

Zach Lavine, sophomore, has had his ups and downs. He's one of the more exciting 2nd year players in this league, and has had a select amount of games where he has pieced everything together, exhibiting growth and development. Lavine is averaging 12ppg, 3.1rpg, and 3.8apg. Lavine tied Wiggins for a game high 22 points in the game last season.

Karl-Anthony Towns, freshman, has been spectacular. Towns is the frontrunner in this ROY race leading all rookies in rebounds (9.7), blocks (1.8), and double-doubles (22). He's 2nd among rookies in scoring (16.1ppg), free throw percentage (85.4%), and minutes (29.3). There's not enough to say about what this young man has accomplished this season. He's going to be an all-star next year. Write it down.

Attendance

Andy Greder (Pioneer Press) published an article today about how the Timberwolves' poor attendance is about more than losses. I agree.

I believe Flash Seats is a major part of it. They have to sell the tickets at a ridiculously high price to make any sort of revenue. So yeah, you're paying a ton of money to watch a (14-32) basketball team. 

That's all I have to say about that. 

Here's the link to the article: ​http://www.twincities.com/2016/01/27/timberwolves-poor-attendance-about-more-than-losses/

Improvement

After a recent 1-14 stretch, the Wolves have gone 2-3 in their past 5 games. Why? Improved play from the youth. Towns, Wiggins, Lavine, and Muhammad have stepped their game up a notch and it's been fun to watch. Two out of the three losses were against Dallas and Cleveland, and Minnesota fought valiantly taking both teams down to the wire. Let's hope they can build upon their improved play tonight vs OKC. 

That is all. 

Prediction: Wolves win 111-106. OKC runs out of gas in 4Q with tired legs from last night's OT win.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the game. Go Wolves. ​

Gameday Primer: Wolves - Raptors2/10/2016
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By: Dan Slaubaugh

Happy Wednesday, Wolves fans. You're halfway though the week, so just chug a few more cups of coffee and finish strong. 

Hey, look! A new opponent! Finally!

Yes, tonight the Wolves (16-37) host a team they haven't faced this year in the Toronto Raptors, who are currently sitting at the 2 spot (2 games back of Cleveland) in the Eastern Conference. Toronto has won 14 out of their past 15 games and are riding high into the all-star break. Minnesota has won 2 of 3, but turned in a clunker Monday night against New Orleans just fresh off a couple of quality wins against the Clippers and Bulls. 

The Wolves don't play another game till next Friday, so you better tune in tonight. 

The Basics

What: Wolves - Raptors
Where: Target Center. Minneapolis, Minnesota.
When: 7:00pm CST
Where to watch: Fox Sports North
Where to listen: 830 WCCO Radio

What to watch for:

All-Star Backcourt: The Raptors are led by dynamic guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, who combine for about 45 points per game. Lowry, a Western Conference All-Star starter, is averaging 21.1 ppg, 4.9rpg, 6.2apg, and 2.25spg. DeRozan, Toronto's leading scorer, averages 23.2ppg, 4.4rpg, and 4.1apg. There's a reason why both were selected to participate in the All-Star game and the Wolves may find out just why tonight. 

Bench Play: Both teams rely on their benches in different ways. The Wolves rely on their bench more than anyone in the league, with the limited amount of minutes they get from their starting 5. With that, their bench is 1st in minutes played and 3rd in points per game. Toronto, on the other hand, doesn't need to rely on their 2nd unit to pick up the starters, but to maintain the lead the starters have made by productive and efficient play. They have not disappointed, having averaged 36.1 points and shot 49.9% over the past 13 games. If Minnesota wants a chance to win this game, they will need productive minutes out of their 2nd unit. 

Double-Double Machine: Karl-Anthony Towns is currently 5th in the NBA in double-doubles with 29, and has been on a terror over the past 8 games, averaging 21.8 points (60%fg) and 12.5 rebounds, resulting in 8 straight DD's. He does a lot of fun stuff on the court...like this

 Follow
Zach Harper ✔@talkhoopsStop it, rook
8:03 PM - 8 Feb 2016

•  6363 Retweets


•  8989 likes

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And his dunk celebrations may be the best in the league.
​


 Follow
CJ Fogler @cjzeroI love KAT's dunk celebration
9:15 PM - 8 Feb 2016

•  77 Retweets


•  1818 likes

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​It seems like he would be a fun guy to hang out with.
 
Moving on...

Leading Scorers

Minnesota
Points: Andrew Wiggins (20.7)
Rebounds: Karl-Anthony Towns (10.1)
Assists: Ricky Rubio (8.6)
Steals: Ricky Rubio (2.2)
Blocks: Karl-Anthony Towns (1.8)

Toronto
Points: DeMar DeRozan (23.2)
Rebounds: Jonas Valanciunas (9.4)
Assists: Kyle Lowry (6.2)
Steals: Kyle Lowry (2.3)
Blocks: Bismack Biyombo (1.5)

Team Lineups

Injury Report

Minnesota

Questionable: Kevin Martin (wrist)
OUT: Kevin Garnett (knee)
OUT: Nikola Pekovic (foot)

Toronto

Questionable: Amir Johnson (ankle)
OUT: DeMarre Carroll (knee)


That's all I have for this one. Jerry Zgoda (Strib) just reported that Tayshaun Prince will miss tonight's game so he can attend Chauncey Billup's jersey retirement tonight in Detroit, which means Kevin Martin will get some minutes if his wrist feels better tonight. It also means that Lavine or Bazz will most likely slide into the starting lineup playing alongside Wiggins in the backcourt.

​Let's hope the Wolves can finish the first half strong and pick up some of the momentum that was lost in the clunker against New Orleans. 

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the game. Go Wolves. 

0 CommentsWolves Leadership is an Uncertainty That Can Wait to be Addressed2/9/2016
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By: Alex Berg
​
When Flip Saunders tragically passed away in October, major holes and question marks filled the Minnesota Timberwolves organization. He was the president of basketball operations, head coach, and minority owner of the team.

Now, as the 2015-16 season is into its back half, majority owner Glen Taylor has to be thinking about the future leadership of this team. Who does he want to be in charge of putting a roster together? Who should be the head coach? Should he give the same key to both vehicles? Perhaps most importantly, does he want to sell the team?

It seems as if everyone is already replacing interim head coach Sam Mitchell. Heck, I am guilty of this myself. Even as someone who feels like he has become a “Sam Mitchell apologist,” I have a “wish list” of who I would like to see coach the Timberwolves next season. But the reality is that we have all jumped the gun on that front. It would be incredibly redundant to replace Mitchell before addressing the question marks higher up in the organization.

General manager Milt Newton was hired for his position by Saunders in September 2013, but it was widely assumed Saunders was the one calling most of the shots. It is believed by many that Newton’s hands are still tied to an extent in regards to having the power to make a drastic roster move.

In no way am I calling for Newton to be replaced, all I am suggesting is the team either needs to commit to him as the guy or find someone to commit to before even thinking about finding a new head coach, or even committing to Mitchell for an additional season(s.) With signs of improvement from many young players and better lineup combinations, Mitchell has shown measurable improvement since the beginning of the season that could justify both him and Newton returning for the 2016-17 campaign. *Ducks*

No head coach with other options would willingly step into job where he might have a new boss(es) in the very near future. Also, not many general managers will rush into a power struggle with a head coach that just took over an incredible amount of young talent. This does not even touch into the possibility of potentially having new ownership making decisions as well. Hiring the right people (KAHNNNNN!) to make leadership decisions for the Timberwolves hasn't exactly been Taylor's strength over the years, so with the pieces in place already on the roster, it will be important to put the right people in charge. 

The David Blatt, Jeff Van Gundy, and Tom Thibodeau conversations are tempting to have right now. But the reality is no ideas of replacing anybody should be entertained until this season is over. I think it is important for Wolves fans to remember why the team is in this situation and to take this season at face value for what it is. This offseason will likely be very crucial in deciding the future of the franchise, but it can wait until then.

0 CommentsQ&A with Kyle Ratke of Timberwolves.com2/8/2016
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Posted by: Dan Slaubaugh

Today, I had the privilege of conducting a Q&A with Timberwolves.com Web Editor/Team Reporter Kyle Ratke. Topics discussed are Timberwolves (of course), relationships, and Kyle's favorites. Enjoy!

DS: Well hello, Kyle! Thank you for taking the time out of your day to participate in this Q&A. It is greatly appreciated.

KR: No problem at all, Dan. Thrilled to be here.

DS: How are things holding up in the office this time of the season?

KR:You know, this time of the year is always busy. We’ve got the All-Star Game coming up in Toronto, which will be an absolute blast. LaVine in the dunk contest, Towns in the skills competition and Wiggins along with them in the Rising Stars Challenge. It should be fun to watch if you’re Wolves fans. Two more home games before that, though.

DS: It would be really cool if the Wolves could head into the all-star break with 4 straight wins (LAC, CHI, NO, TOR), giving fans some rejuvenated hope heading into the 2nd half of the season.

KR: You’re absolutely right. This is a team that is learning to win. The win on Saturday against the Bulls, I mean yeah, Chicago was without some big names, but that’s still a pretty dang good win. We’ve seen that the Wolves can win games this season. They just haven’t finished consistently. A lot of that has to do with the majority of these guys are under 25 years old. Towns, Wiggins and LaVine would still be in college. I mean, I remember when I was 20, 21. I was not a very responsible person. These guys are growing up right in front of us. No playoffs this season, but there’s potential - obviously.

DS: Definitely. The Wolves are starting to figure out how to close games. In the beginning part of the season, they excelled in crunch time (CHI, ATL, MIA), then they kind of went into a dry-spell and struggled to finish, which is typical for a young team. 

KR: Very typical indeed. These guys are used to playing 30-40 games in college. And boom. All of the sudden by January you’ve already played that and then some with preseason and what not. And then there’s the travel and what not. That stuff wears on you. It’s not like these guys are visiting landmarks on their visits. It’s pretty much plane, hotel, game, repeat. That’s where having veterans like KG, Andre and Tayshaun help so much. I’m not saying the stuff in Philadelphia with Jahlil Okafor wouldn’t have happened with a veteran on the roster, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt. Obviously they aren’t what they once were, but the value is more off the court than on. 

DS: In the average fan's mind, the obvious beneficiaries of KG, Andre, and Tayshaun’s mentorship are Towns, Wiggins, and Lavine, but players like Bazz and Dieng have really benefited from having that veteran presence on the roster as well. You can see that Bazz and Dieng are improving just by cleaning up their fundamentals. Bazz spots up more frequently now and is able to score (more) without the basketball, and Dieng, Wow! The Wolves might have seriously found something with the Towns-Dieng frontcourt.

KR: Agree with pretty much all of that. ‘Bazz wasn’t getting a lot of playing time earlier in the season and when he did it was inconsistent. Mitchell has been playing him more now and a lot of that has to do with Muhammad’s ability to move the ball. That was not something he did coming out of UCLA - at all. The Dieng and Towns combo has looked great lately. I’m not sure if we’re looking at the starting PF and C for the next few years, but I don’t know if we’re not, either. So that’s a good sign. Right now, the Wolves are in the process of seeing what pieces fit for the future, and the two guys drafted in 2013 draft look like they fit very well.

DS: Absolutely. This coming offseason may be the Wolves most important in about a decade with the coaching and ownership situation, and like you said, assessing which players can gel together in the new system and which players will have to be let go.

KR: Yeah, and I can’t really speculate on the coaching situation at all, but I will say that Sam Mitchell has the support of the team. Kevin Garnett knows the locker room better than anyone else on this team. When it comes to players, contracts will handle itself and what not. It’ll be interesting to see if the team makes any moves with the trade deadline coming up. But again, it’s probably not appropriate to speculate on what may or may not happen. What I will say is that Milt Newton has a bundle of talent on his hands.

DS: The talent is here no doubt, which is why the team has such a bright future. The hard work they have been putting in at the gym and off the court is starting to pay off and I’m sure they are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

KR:  I think so. And it’s tough for these guys. I mean, an 82-game season is freaking long. There are so many ups and downs on and (probably) off the court for these guys. I couldn’t imagine. The biggest thing for them is to just keep their head up and see the bigger picture after tough games. That’s hard to do sometimes. It’s like breaking up with your boyfriend or girlfriend in high school. Yeah, it stinks then, but there’s plenty of time in the future to find someone. Or in this case, find success. And again, you won’t talk to anyone in the media world that isn’t excited about the future of this team. I’m not sure if future means next year or three years, but you can see that it’ll come at some point.

DS: Perfectly said. And by the way, you’ve always been great at coming up with excellent analogies.

KR: And it’s funny because most of them revolve around relationships - something I’ve been allergic to throughout most of my life. I have a good catch now, though, so the wait was worth it.

DS: We have very similar stories, sans the “catch”. My bait is still in the water, or have I yet to cast? Doesn’t matter. Same outcome. I’m 19, so let’s move on.

DS: Alrighty, now for some off topic type of questions. You ready?

KR: Uh oh. I guess we’ll see.

DS: Your favorite Wolves player of all time?

KR: Good question. Everyone loved KG growing up, obviously. I was a big Wally Szczerbiak guy. I wasn’t getting to the NBA with athleticism, so I figured launching threes was my best bet. Obviously that didn’t work out either. I’m 5’9, so the odds weren’t exactly in my favor.

DS: I’m a bit too young too remember the vintage KG or Wally days, but from what I hear, it was a good time to be a Wolves fan. Alright, next question! How many Twins games do you attend each year?

KR: Normally between three and five. I’d like to do more being my office is right across the street, but things get in the way during the summer. I’ve gone to an April game the last two years and my girlfriend begged me to leave in the third inning because it was too cold. The sacrifices I make...

DS: The struggle is real, man. How bout the Vikings? Same number? 3-5?

KR: This year I think I went to two games - one in Atlanta and one at home against the Seahawks (we were at the bar by half). I was neighbors with wide receiver Adam Thielen in college (Minnesota State University, Mankato) and it’s so much fun to watch him succeed in the NFL. I have a feeling I won’t be able to get a ticket to the new stadium, but I’m looking forward to that.

DS: Yeah the new stadium is going to be beautiful. It’s really cool how the Wolves, Twins, and Vikings are simultaneously on the rise while renovating/building their new/current stadiums. Alright 10 last quick questions. You're on the hot seat. Ready?

KR: Hopefully more than Cam Newton was last night (ZING    !).

DS: Favorite color?

KR: Red.

DS: Favorite animal? (fictional or nonfictional)

KR: I guess dog. I’m not a big animal guy, which makes me the worst person ever, I know.

DS: Morning or night person?

KR: Night.

DS: Favorite food?

KR: Anything that resembles a pizza.

DS: Favorite season? 

KR: Summer.

DS: Hidden talent?

KR: I’m a sneaky-good dancer, I’ve been told. Most of the time I’m told that at weddings, though, so alcohol more than likely has influenced the opinions of others.

DS: Favorite tv show?

KR: I’m a big True Detective fan, although season two was freaking weird. New Girl is also great. I like to think of myself as a Nick.

DS: Can you cook?

KR: Pizza Rolls, yes.

DS: How big is your tv?

KR: 55 inches.

DS: Have you ever cried during a movie? If so, which one?

KR: Multiple times. Multiple movies. I’m a sucker for Lion King. Every time. Miss you Mufasa.

DS: Haha. Well, that’s about it. Thanks for coming on and taking the time out of your day to talk to some goofy 19 year old college student. I appreciate it. Keep doing great work at Timberwolves.com.    

KR: Hey, I was a pretty goofy 19-year-old college student as well. Keep on doing your thing. Give Brock Bormann a shout for me!
​
DS: Will do man. Have a good one, and go Wolves.

0 CommentsTimberwolves win second straight, top Bulls 112-1052/7/2016
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By: Drew Mahowald

Coming off a terrific road win on Wednesday night at Staples Center over the Los Angeles Clippers, the Minnesota Timberwolves had the opportunity to win their second straight game back at Target Center against the Chicago Bulls Saturday night.

As someone who attended Saturday's game, I have one takeaway that might be different from those of you who watched the game on NBA League Pass or listened on the radio. (Side note: It's kind of absurd that Fox Sports North covered Hockey Day with both its original station and Fox Sports North Plus. I mean, hockey is great and all, but when the Chicago Bulls come to Minneapolis, that should probably be on television.)

The atmosphere at Target Center was absolutely electric Saturday night. I don't care if it's too hot of a take to say it was a playoff atmosphere, because I think it was. The combination of a Saturday night game, a big-market opponent in Chicago and the fact that the game wasn't televised locally all had something to do with the large crowd. Regardless of what the reasons are, though, it was really fun to be a part of.

The attendance in most home games this season has been pretty poor. I don't really blame fans for choosing not to attend because, I mean, 12 seasons without a playoff berth in the NBA is a really long time. However, even though these Wolves are still figuring out how to win, they're still a really fun bunch to watch.

For instance, those of you who didn't attend the game missed a thunderous alley-oop dunk by Zach LaVine. You missed one of the best rookie performances of the season from Karl-Anthony Towns. You missed Andrew Wiggins perform some late-game heroics after overcoming a rough start. You missed Gorgui Dieng quietly put together his best performance of the season.

And, of course, you missed being a part of a terrific Target Center crowd that helped the Wolves go on a 12-0 surge to close out the win.

The Wolves were led by Towns' incredible 26 points (12/19 FG), 17 rebounds and three blocks, a performance that just adds to the already all-time great rookie year he's building. He is now averaging a double-double for the season and how the most games in the ENTIRE NBA this season with 25 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks. I feel pretty good about claiming that Towns is a pretty good basketball player.

Dieng is becoming a solid counterpart to Towns in the Minnesota frontcourt. He doesn't always get things done in the prettiest fashion, but he gets them done. He poured in 24 points (10/13 FG) and grabbed 13 rebounds, bringing he and Towns' combined totals to 50 points (22/32 FG) and 30 rebounds for the evening. I think most people would agree with me and say that's pretty good.

Oh, and the Bulls grabbed 31 rebounds as a team. So, basically, the Bulls outrebounded two guys by one.

Overall, the Wolves outrebounded the Chicago 45-31, helping negate the large advantage the Bulls gained from behind the three-point line (Chicago made 8/20 attempts compared to Minnesota's 1/12).

After a rough start, Wiggins tallied 17 points in the second half on 6/11 shooting to finish with 21 points for the night. He converted two big buckets, a spin layup and a 20-foot pull-up jumper, in the final minute to help seal the win for the Wolves. Over the past three games, Wiggins is averaging 27.3 points per game and shooting just under 57% from the field and 50% from three. Those are acceptable numbers, I think.

Minnesota's past two wins have come behind the strength of late-game runs. In L.A., the Wolves ended the win against the Clippers with a 9-0 run before the 12-0 run at Target Center to beat the Bulls. It's a terrific sign of the development of this team moving forward, and it also shows that interim head coach Sam Mitchell is doing some things right.

With two more home games against New Orleans and Toronto before the All-Star break, the Wolves have a chance to gain a little momentum and, dare I say, have a shot at the eight seed...? No? Maybe? Regardless, there's one thing I do know.

You should all start attending Timberwolves games when you can, because they're fun and a larger attendance really does help the young Pups perform. It happened Saturday against the Bulls, and it would be pretty cool if it happened twice more before the All-Star break.



0 CommentsTimberwolves shock Clippers behind Wiggins' 31 points2/7/2016
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By: Drew Mahowald

After the Minnesota Timberwolves fell to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, it didn't seem like a win the following night against the Los Angeles Clippers was very likely. They were on the second leg of a back-to-back after a long battle with the Lakers, and the Clippers had won 14 straight against Minnesota going into Wednesday's nationally-televised contest.

However, Andrew Wiggins made it known early that he wouldn't let his team go down without a fight, and his scoring propelled Minnesota to a 108-102 victory over the Clippers. He tallied 21 first half points en route to 31 points for the game on 12-for-21 from the field and 3-for-5 from three-point range. It marks two straight games Wiggins has scored 30 points, and his seventh game of his sophomore season.

While Wiggins was being Wiggins, rookie phenom Karl-Anthony Towns dealt with foul trouble early that forced him to play limited minutes in the first half. After recording exactly zero points and three rebounds in the first 24 minutes, Towns turned it on in the second half. He shot 7-for-11 from the field, scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the second half, a monstrous performance that helped keep Los Angeles center DeAndre Jordan in check.

Ricky Rubio was his typical self for the Wolves, making a number of key plays that won't show up in the box score but nonetheless had a huge impact in the outcome of the game. Overall, his final stat line included eight points on 1-for-6 shooting, five rebounds and seven assists.

Zach LaVine's 17 points and Gorgui Dieng's 12 points and 10 rebounds helped pace the rest of Minnesota's scoring efforts.

Chris Paul led the Clippers with 22 points and eight assits, while Jamal Crawford added 21 points off the bench. DeAndre Jordan made his presence felt in the paint by notching 18 points and 15 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to overcome Towns' strong second half.

Although the Timberwolves have typically been a very underwhelming team in the third quarter, tonight Minnesota used a 14-0 run in the third quarter to help propel them to victory tonight. The Clippers began the third quarter sinking just one of their first 13 shot attempts, which means credit needs to be given to Timberwolves interim head coach Sam Mitchell. He made some solid adjustments at the half and set up a solid gameplan to open the second half, and the Wolves executed it brilliantly.

Yep, that's right. Sam Mitchell deserves credit. You probably won't read a sentence like that very often, so maybe take a screen shot or something.

However, you look at it, tonight was a big win for the Timberwolves after a rough month of January. It was reminiscent of the early season road victory in Chicago and Atlanta that had fans excited before the Wolves went on to lose 28 of 34 games.

Minnesota's next action will be this Saturday against those Chicago Bulls at Target Center. Hopefully, the Wolves can carry the momentum from this game back home to earn a season sweep of the Bulls.

Quick Notes

-- The Wolves snapped a 24-game losing streak in which Kevin Garnett is inactive.

-- Those of you who bash Tayshaun Prince (although most of the time it's warranted) should check out this stat: J.J. Redick, while being defended by Prince most of the time tonight, scored just five points on 1-for-8 shooting. Oh, and Prince led the Wolves with a +/- rating of +19 in the six-point win.

-- Andrew Wiggins has now tallied two straight games with 30 points twice this season.

-- On The Prowl founder Dan Slaubaugh and yours truly will be in attendance for Saturday's home matchup against the Bulls. If you see a couple of fans with their shirts of and paint on their chests, that will be us (not really). Follow us on Twitter at @DanielSlaubaugh and @MNSportsDrewM for updates from the game on Saturday.


0 CommentsThe Minnesota Timberwolves and the rebuilding phase2/3/2016
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By: Dan Slaubaugh

Lately, I have noticed there have been discussions throughout Wolves Twitter on what would help the Timberwolves franchise be more successful in the future. The two things being discussed: Another top five pick or a playoff berth THIS season. 

For me, the thought that another top five pick being more indicative of a bright future than a playoff berth baffles me. First of all, this team hasn't been able to treat their fans to playoff basketball in 11 years. In the NBA, when eight teams in a conference make the playoffs, that's absurd. Second, if Minnesota was able to break out of the losing slump they're currently in and go on a hot streak that eventually carried them into the playoffs, my guess would be that there was some serious development that occurred throughout the season. This would also set the Wolves up for many consecutive playoff appearances following the 2015-16 campaign.

In every rebuilding phase, there comes a point where the team will need to start winning games in order to manifest that the "phase" was successful. 

Well, the problem is, the Wolves are not winning. The Wolves are losing, and losing a lot.

There are many reasons that contribute to the consistent losing. A few that come to mind immediately: The overall inconsistent play (barring Karl-Anthony Towns and Ricky Rubio), the questionable coaching philosophies of interim head coach Sam Mitchell, and the inability to make adjustments in the 2nd half of games (which, also, draws back to Mitchell).

The next step is to address those issues. How does the (new, hopefully) coaching staff improve these areas? Is it even possible to improve these areas with the current player personnel on the team? How will the front office maximize each players talent/ability by putting players around them to help them and the team succeed? 

The Boston Celtics are a perfect example from the perspective of constructing a well-rounded team from top to bottom. Their front office/management has assembled a masterfully-coached team that is currently sitting comfortably (tied for third) in the Eastern Conference playoff race. They're a carbon-copy of how you construct a well-oiled team, and it's in large part due to Danny Ainge, Boston's President of Basketball Operations. 

The Wolves must figure out who will be their "man" in charge of making these decisions in the future. The organization needs a "decision maker". Is that person Milt Newton? Or is it an outsider? Once the ownership, whether it be Glen Taylor or Steve Kaplan, decides who that person will be, they can focus on the coaching situation. 

The importance of the next coaching hire cannot be stressed enough. It's everything. The players need to know their coach will be there for the long run, not just for the time being. Therefore, they need to absolutely nail this. A team full of young talent like the Wolves will never reach its potential if they're constantly adjusting to a new man at the helm.

With all of that said, Mitchell needs to go (for an abundance of reasons that are evident when you watch this team play), and bringing in someone from outside the organization to take over head coaching duties is the best approach. Best case scenario would be to pick out of the following crop of coaches: Tom Thibodeau, Jeff Van Gundy, David Blatt, Scott Brooks and maybe even Luke Walton. Each of these men have their own strengths and weaknesses, but the trait they all carry is that they have experience winning. Point is, the Wolves need a proven coach and there are many of them out there. Go get one.

Once the management comes to conclusion on a coach, they can began the process of evaluating which players fit the new coach's system. It's clear at this point that while Minnesota's roster has loads of talent, there are many holes to be filled before it can become a playoff threat. 

This is when the President of Basketball Operations and/or general manager, whoever it is at the time, will need to step up and make some tough decisions on who they believe can help the team in the future. These decisions will include addressing the weakness at the power forward position, solidifying the backup point guard role and, as mentioned before, assessing which players can gel together in the new system and which players will have to be let go.

The sooner the Timberwolves organization starts to address these quandaries, the better, because again, it's all about taking the next step. That "next step" doesn't have to mean a playoff berth. It may just mean the team is clearly making progression, even if it's just to the point of .500 basketball. 

​Bottom line: The Wolves are going to have to start winning sooner rather than later. When players do nothing but lose for an extended period of time, it's easy for that to become the "norm". Minnesota's organization is known for losing, and there is no doubt it's hard to change that culture, but it's time to start taking steps forward.

1 CommentWolves in LA, Pek hurting, Links2/2/2016
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By: Dan Slaubaugh

Honestly though, how incredible does that look right now?

Dreamy.

Why? Well, it's Los Angeles. Plus, annoyingly cold days + lots of Wolves losing make for a long Winter here up North.

Here are a couple more pictures for your liking. 






Fantasize all you want. I am.

The Wolves luckily don't have to, because they are literally there - not on vacation, but to play basketball.

Tonight, they will face the Lakers (9-41) at 9:30pm CST. 

Tomorrow, they will face the Clippers (32-16) at the exact same time on ESPN. 

Tonight's game is sort of a must-win for the Wolves (14-35), not in playoff-focused way, but in a "win to avoid another demoralizing loss" kind of way. 

The Lakers have lost 10 straight, hold the 2nd worst record in the league behind the 76ers, and are dead last in the Western Conference standings. They are simply a bad basketball team, and are not worried too much about winning games as they are winning the (NBA) lottery.

The Wolves, are also bad, but show glimpses of promise that have us hoping they will one day turn the corner and take that next step to becoming a consistently competitive basketball team in the NBA.

The Wolves have beat the Lakers in both of their matchups this season, each time by 1 point. This will be the final meeting between the teams this season, and the last time the Wolves will face Kobe Bryant. 

Minnesota needs to win this one. If they don't, there will be clear signs of regression, and that is not acceptable - not with the current health and talent this team currently possesses.

Pek hurting

In sad, but unsurprising news, Nikola Pekovic is struggling with pain in his feet just 12 games back into his return and 10 months after surgery. You have to feel for the guy, because he's worked so hard to get back. For fans, it's disappointing knowing that he will probably/definitely never be the effective player he once was. It wouldn't shock me if they shut him down (for a while) within the next couple weeks if the pain gets worse. 

Daily Links

In this great read over at Punch-Drunk Wolves, Andy G looks ahead to the offseason and how the Wolves need to find a partner for Towns in the frontcourt. 

Link: http://wp.me/p1WPB5-2ky

Read it!


That's about it for me. Again, tonight is a must-win. There is no room for regression! 

Prediction: Wolves win 107-98. Towns leads team with 27 points and 14 rebounds. 

With that, it'd be interesting to know if the Wolves have ever swept the Lakers in season play. If anybody knows, hit me up with the information!

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the game. Go Wolves!

0 CommentsGameday notes, 3 Wolves selected, thoughts on attendance and improvement1/27/2016
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 By: Dan Slaubaugh

Happy Wednesday, Wolves fans. 

The Wolves will face the Thunder tonight for the 3rd time in 15 days trying to snap a 9 game skid OKC currently holds against them. 

If there's anything working for the Timberwolves tonight, it's that OKC went into overtime (they won) against the Knicks last night, so they will probably be tired. 

There's really not much else to preview against this OKC team that I haven't already covered in recent weeks. You just have to hope you can slow down Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant by playing sound team defense all night.

For Minnesota, Kevin Garnett (knee) and Kevin Martin (wrist) are doubtful. They probably won't play. Heal up, KG. Kmart, take your time. 

For Oklahoma City, Andre Roberson (one of their best perimeter defenders) is out, which will probably force Billy Donovan to play Dion Waiters big minutes.  

Tipoff is set for 7:10 pm CST. You can catch the game on Fox Sports North and 830 WCCO Radio.

3 Wolves selected to BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge 

This afternoon, the NBA announced rosters for the BBVA CompassRising Stars Challenge, and not surprisingly, Zach Lavine, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl-Anthony Towns were selected to participate. 

Andrew Wiggins, sophomore, is 15th in the league in scoring with 20.8ppg. He's finished with 30pts or more in 5 games this season and 20pts or more in 25 games this season. He's been the Wolves best player over the past couple weeks. Let's hope Wiggins takes the next step next season and gets a chance to participate in the game on Sunday.

Zach Lavine, sophomore, has had his ups and downs. He's one of the more exciting 2nd year players in this league, and has had a select amount of games where he has pieced everything together, exhibiting growth and development. Lavine is averaging 12ppg, 3.1rpg, and 3.8apg. Lavine tied Wiggins for a game high 22 points in the game last season.

Karl-Anthony Towns, freshman, has been spectacular. Towns is the frontrunner in this ROY race leading all rookies in rebounds (9.7), blocks (1.8), and double-doubles (22). He's 2nd among rookies in scoring (16.1ppg), free throw percentage (85.4%), and minutes (29.3). There's not enough to say about what this young man has accomplished this season. He's going to be an all-star next year. Write it down.

Attendance

Andy Greder (Pioneer Press) published an article today about how the Timberwolves' poor attendance is about more than losses. I agree.

I believe Flash Seats is a major part of it. They have to sell the tickets at a ridiculously high price to make any sort of revenue. So yeah, you're paying a ton of money to watch a (14-32) basketball team. 

That's all I have to say about that. 

Here's the link to the article: ​http://www.twincities.com/2016/01/27/timberwolves-poor-attendance-about-more-than-losses/

Improvement

After a recent 1-14 stretch, the Wolves have gone 2-3 in their past 5 games. Why? Improved play from the youth. Towns, Wiggins, Lavine, and Muhammad have stepped their game up a notch and it's been fun to watch. Two out of the three losses were against Dallas and Cleveland, and Minnesota fought valiantly taking both teams down to the wire. Let's hope they can build upon their improved play tonight vs OKC. 

That is all. 

Prediction: Wolves win 111-106. OKC runs out of gas in 4Q with tired legs from last night's OT win.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the game. Go Wolves. 

0 CommentsGameday Primer: Wolves @ Cavs1/26/2016
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By: Dan Slaubaugh

Happy Monday, Wolves fans. 

Tonight, Minnesota faces a disgruntled, emotionally imbalanced(?) Cavs team that is trying to adapt on the fly to its new head coach Tyronn Lue. 

This will be the 2nd test for Lue as the official head coach of the Cavaliers (30-12), after losing to the Bulls Saturday night, and let's just say..., if his team loses to our young, inexperienced, but talented Wolves (14-31) team, then the Twitter universe is going to have a "field day" with the usual jokes and memes that are oh so popular. 

The Basics

What: Wolves @ Cavs
Where: Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland, Ohio.
When: 6:00 pm CST
Where to watch: Fox Sports North
Where to listen: 830 WCCO Radio

What to watch for:

Positive vibes: The Wolves are heading into tonight's game coming off of one of their most impressive wins of the season against the Grizzlies. It was the kind of play we envisioned them being capable of before the season, with Ricky beautifully running the show at point guard setting his teammates up for easy buckets, the wings running the fastbreak for slam-dunks, and Karl-Anthony Towns displaying his finesse and supreme athleticsm through plays like this.
Let's hope the Wolves can bring the same energy and intensity they showed on Saturday and give the Cavs a run for their money.

Playing with an edge: Throughout his first 3 games against the team that drafted him, Andrew Wiggins has put up monster numbers and played with a certain edge we don't see on a nightly basis. In his career against Cleveland, Wiggins is shooting nearly 60% and averaging 31.7 points per game. He has shot 35 of 60 from the field, 9 of 14 from the three point line, and scored 30+ in 2 out of the 3 games, including a career-high 35pts back on January 8 in Minneapolis. There is no reason to believe he won't continue to put up monster numbers against this team like usual. Plus, Andrew is coming into tonight's game perhaps playing his best basketball all season, so that will only help.

Slowing it down: The Cavaliers operate in one of the slowest offensive systems in the league. They take their time, forcing the defense to work extra hard for an extended period of time. They rank near the bottom of the league (28th) in terms of pace of play, averaging 94.9 possessions per 48 minutes. The Wolves on the other hand average 97.1 possessions per 48 minutes, which is currently ranked 19th most in the league. In conclusion, this may not be the fastest, up-tempo game you have ever seen. 

Team Leaders

Minnesota
Points: Andrew Wiggins (20.8)
Rebounds: Karl-Anthony Towns (9.7)
Assists: Ricky Rubio (8.6)
Steals: Ricky Rubio (2.2)
Blocks: Karl-Anthony Towns (1.8)

Cleveland
Points: LeBron James (25)
Rebounds: Kevin Love (10.9)
Assists: LeBron James (6.2)
Steals: Kyrie Irving (1.4)
Blocks: Timofey Mozgov (0.8)

Team Lineups