By: Jonah Sprinkel

The Minnesota Timberwolves are interestingly unique. 10 days ago, they were dismantled by Philadelphia and their former leader, General Soreness. This was followed by a close loss to San Antonio. The team then won home-and-away games over Phoenix, one on a Derrick Rose near buzzer beater and the other in a blowout. Last night’s favorable result over the Lakers was all but a sure thing until mid-way through the fourth quarter. Oh, and Jerryd Bayless has logged nearly 60 minutes of play time in the last two games. Just like everyone predicted when the Wolves traded for him, Bayless has balled out in his increased role. The Wolves have an inverted home-and-away stand up next, this time against another former leader, Ricky Rubio and the Utah Jazz.
 
Game #1 – 1/25
What: Wolves @ Jazz
When: 8:00 PM CT
Where: Vivent Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Where to watch: Fox Sports North
Where to listen: 830 AM WCCO
 
Game #2 - 1/27
What: Jazz @ Wolves
When: 6:00 PM CT
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Where to watch: Fox Sports North
Where to listen: 830 AM WCCO
 
Towns vs. Gobert: Karl-Anthony Towns has a reputation for struggling against large, some would say traditional, big men. Oddly enough, Rudy Gobert is not one of these players. In 11 matchups dating back to his rookie year, Towns is averaging just over 21 points on a 53/42/89 split and 11.5 rebounds. The Wolves have only won three of those games. The stats are nice, but Towns will need to elevate his game if the Wolves are to continue building on their three-game win streak.

A very chippy history:

A point guard problem: Derrick Rose left the Laker game with an ankle injury and did not return. Tyus Jones won’t be ready for at least a couple more games. Jeff Teague spent the Laker game in street clothes, it is unknown if he will play against Utah tonight. If Teague does not go, the Wolves would be left with Bayless and Jared Terrell, a two-way player. Supposing Teague does play, it’s safe to assume he won’t be 100%. The flexibility of the Jazz’s ball handlers was already going to be an issue for the Wolves defense. Their current point guard situation makes for a taller task.

Projected starters

Minnesota: PG Jerryd Bayless, SG Josh Okogie, SF Andrew Wiggins, PF Taj Gibson, C Karl-Anthony Towns

Utah: PG Ricky Rubio, SG Donovan Mitchell, SF Joe Ingles, PF Derrick Favors, C Rudy Gobert

Injury report

Minnesota: Tyus Jones – OUT, Robert Covington – OUT, Derrick Rose – Day-to-day, Jeff Teague – Day-to-day

Utah: Raul Neto – OUT, Thabo Sefolosha – OUT, Dante Exum – OUT, Tony Bradley – OUT
 
Prediction

The Jazz are currently a playoff team and the third best defense in the league by the defensive rating metric. The Wolves are not in a playoff position and retain a league average offense. The Jazz are at home and favored by 11 tonight. Wolves lose, 115-102.

By: Seth Toupal
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With just under three weeks left before the NBA Trade Deadline, the Minnesota Timberwolves have some interesting decisions they will have to make. The Wolves are 22-24, 10 games behind Golden State for the top spot in the Western Conference and three games out of the final playoff spot in the West. Since Tom Thibodeau was fired the Wolves are 3-3, and they are frankly running out of time to make a move into the top of the West.

Is it possible that they make a run and climb into the playoffs? Certainly. Is it also possible that the Wolves continue to tread water and end up missing out on the playoffs entirely? Absolutely. So what do at the trade deadline? Do they add? Do they deal expiring contracts? Scott Layden is likely GM-ing for his job and as a result, will probably approach the deadline as if the team has to make the playoffs. The Wolves are really not in much of a situation to add salary without getting rid of some of their big contracts. But having said that, there are some players who could yield something in return if they were dealt. What will Layden do? The answers to those questions could come down to the final few days before the deadline, so we will focus on what they SHOULD do. We will start by looking at the trade status of everyone on the roster.

UNTOUCHABLE:
Karl-Anthony Towns. This is a fairly easy one. Towns isn't going anywhere despite those weird rumors before the season that Towns would end up being dealt and the odd man out in the power struggle between him, Jimmy Butler, and Tom Thibodeau. Well, Towns was the winner of that situation so as a result, he has the most solid footing of anyone in the organization. There are few players, if any, that would merit a trade with Towns, who seems to be starting to make some strides defensively to compliment his offensive repertoire. Towns also is the most likely player to survive a coach/GM change this offseason if Ryan Saunders doesn't pan out long term.

SHOULD BE KEPT:
Josh Okogie. Okogie has provided a tremendous spark defensively when on the court for the Wolves. His offense has been a work in progress but we knew that coming into the season. For a team who has struggled tremendously on defense but has Karl-Anthony Towns as their focal point on offense, Okogie can continue to work on his offensive game provided he is staying engaged and active on the defensive end. I am intrigued enough by what I've seen from Okogie in his rookie year that I think he should be kept. But if the Wolves have bigger trade aspirations in mind, Okogie would be a very attractive trade chip so he doesn't slide into my "untouchable" category.

Robert Covington. Covington provided an immediate spark for the Wolves when he came to Minnesota. He has been out of the lineup since December 31st and the Wolves have felt his absence significantly. Covington isn't a franchise cornerstone but he is a very good complimentary piece on a playoff team. His contract is very affordable the next few years and so it won't hurt the Wolves as much as some of the other contracts they are currently carrying. I would be in favor of the Wolves holding onto Covington and adding further complimentary pieces around him and Towns and the rest of the roster.

Dario Saric. Saric came to the Wolves in the Jimmy Butler trade, but the results for him have been extremely up and down. He has had some big games and some others where his performance hasn't measured up. But one thing Saric has that makes him an intriguing prospect for the Wolves is his youth. At 24 years old he has shown some promising aspects to his game. It just so happens that his playing time has been reduced by the likes of Taj Gibson, Anthony Tolliver, and Gorgui Dieng. If some of those players are traded or allowed to leave via free agency then Saric can start to benefit from an increase in minutes. At that point, we can get a better idea of what he can fully bring to the table and he should be given the opportunity to start next to Towns. If things don't pan out at that point then you can look at trying to move him, but for now, there is enough intrigue from Saric to warrant keeping him around.

Tyus Jones. Tyus is another player who would benefit from more minutes but is partially blocked by both Derrick Rose and Jeff Teague. Tyus is a smart and savvy point guard when he is on the floor, He does a great job of running the offense and is great at getting steals. Jones recently suffered an ankle injury so he won't be in uniform for a while, but he makes a ton of sense as the backup point guard for this team after the season. Will an opportunity come around for Tyus to start elsewhere? The Wolves may solve that problem by inserting him in as starter after this year and focusing resources elsewhere with a veteran backup. Either way, Tyus should stay.

WOULD BE HARD TO TRADE:
Andrew Wiggins. There are a few reasons as to why Andrew Wiggins would be a difficult player to move. The first is his uninspiring play and the second is his max contract. The Wolves would have to entice someone to take on his deal with either draft pick compensation, cash thrown in and or both of those options. Wiggins might be a player who would benefit from a change of scenery. It could be as simple as the Wolves holding him to a standard as big as his contract, but that hasn't seemed to work so far this year. I would be shocked if he was dealt but a new coach and GM next year may decide that they need to move on. For now though, Wiggins and his contract aren't going anywhere.

Gorgui Dieng. Gorgui is another player who has a contract that would require some assistance to move in the way of cash or draft picks. Dieng is further along in his deal which makes his contract more appealing than Andrew Wiggins, but at this point, Dieng would be added to help shore up bench depth for a contending team. He has started in the past at power forward, and his ability to play the 4 or 5 would give him some added value. My guess is that Dieng is more likely to be moved in the offseason when the Wolves can maybe sneak in as a 3rd team in a big trade to help offset large salaries although I don't think it is likely under any circumstances that Gorgui is traded.

SHOULD BE TRADED:
Derrick Rose. Rose is having quite the comeback season for the Wolves. His value as an elite scoring option should make him a hot commodity at the deadline. Several teams in both conferences are dealing with injuries and inconsistencies at guard. Rose was shooting a career-high from three-point range up until recently but can still hit from deep and can play both point guard and off ball as well. The Wolves should look to deal Rose for a young player at the deadline, as even though Rose is having a great year he would not warrant a high draft pick in return. Get a young player with upside and hand the backup point guard keys over to Tyus when he returns from injury.

Anthony Tolliver. Tolliver has started to see more minutes since Tom Thibodeau was fired and this is good for his value as the deadline approaches. While his numbers haven't looked all that good, he is shooting 37 percent from deep and averaging just under 19 minutes a game in January. This proves he can still be a reliable veteran off the bench and as a result, the Wolves should see if they can get anything for him at the deadline. Tolliver also could provide some veteran presence for a young team that is trying to make the playoffs, and there are a few of those that come to mind right now.

WILD CARDS:
Jeff Teague. Teague has been a very up and down player for the Wolves since he came to Minnesota. Teague could provide a veteran presence to a team lacking that at point guard and has been a good facilitator despite his offensive struggles. The biggest question for dealing Teague is his price tag. $19 million is not a number that many teams are equipped to absorb in a trade, so the Wolves would again have to add something in to make a trade worthwhile. Unless it is part of an absolute blockbuster where a large salary would be needed to even out numbers being exchanged, my guess is Teague plays out the duration of his contract in Minnesota.

Taj Gibson. Gibson would be another good veteran presence for a playoff team. His cap number would prevent some teams from acquiring him but an expiring contract in return could help offset this. The question is would Taj want to leave? He will have an opportunity to start the rest of the season for the Wolves and those minutes might not be as available on a playoff contender. Taj is a free agent at the end of the season and could be brought back as a veteran backup. I'm not sure what the Wolves could get back in return for Taj in a trade, but again he could theoretically be included in a bigger trade to help make salaries match up. I will lean towards him staying and then coming back in a lesser role next year.

Jerryd Bayless and Keita Bates-Diop haven't played enough this year to factor into any of these categories. We really have no idea if KBD is a player who could provide meaningful minutes as part of the rotation because he hasn't been given the opportunity. Bayless has too big of a cap hit to justify him being dealt anywhere especially with him being a free agent at the end of the year. Scott Layden has some big decisions ahead of him. Not only does he have to look out for his future but he has to decide what is best for the Wolves going forward. And as the Wolves continue to alternate between wins and losses, it becomes increasingly likely that more changes are coming to this Wolves team.

Seth is the host of The Scoop on KLGR Radio out of Redwood Falls, Minnesota. Listen to episodes of The Scoop here

By: Jonah Sprinkel

What a week it has been for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Since ringing in the Ryan Saunders era with a thrilling win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Wolves have gone 1-2 with a win over New Orleans and the losses coming against Dallas and Philadelphia. The blowout loss to the Sixers, and specifically Jimmy Butler, left a bitter taste in the mouth as the team appeared to have forgotten their effort in Minneapolis. Giving up nearly 150 points to any team is embarrassing. But when it comes against a player like Butler and his tumultuous history with the Wolves? The English language doesn’t have the words to describe how demeaning that kind of loss is. Though injuries have and will continue to hamper this team, consistency in on-court passion and effort would be a large step forward for this squad. It may potentially help secure the head coaching gig for Saunders as well.
 
What: Spurs @ Wolves
When: 7:00 PM CT
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis
Where to watch: ESPN
Where to listen: 830 AM WCCO
 
What to watch

Saunders’ defense: Tom Thibodeau’s defense left much to be desired this season. Through four games, the interim head coach’s has left even more to be desired. With nearly a 120-defensive rating, the Wolves are the 28th ranked defense over that period. It’s early in Saunders’ regime and the Robert Covington injury has gauged the core of the Wolves defense, but the quality of defense is unacceptable for any team except those who are tanking.

Spurs’ offense: The Spurs attempt the fewest threes of any team in the NBA. This bodes well for the Wolves as they allow the highest opponent three-point percentage in the league. However, the Spurs also possess the seventh highest offensive rating, 113.4. The other issue for the Wolves is an issue that doesn’t need introduction; their constant struggles with big men. Over the last 10 games, LaMarcus Aldridge is averaging nearly 26 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists and shooting 58.3 percent from the field. The Wolves have their work cut out for them.

The lack of Tyus and RoCo: Tyus Jones will be spending the next few days in a walking boot while Robert Covington still doesn’t have a timetable for his return. Both players are two of the Wolves better contributors through high basketball IQ and play that doesn’t always appear in the box score. Of all the Wolves five-man lineups from this season, five of the top six lineups in net points feature either Jones, Covington or both. The team simply plays better ball with these two in the lineup.

Projected Starters

Minnesota: PG Jeff Teague, SG Josh Okogie, SF Andrew Wiggins, PF Taj Gibson, C Karl-Anthony Towns

San Antonio: PG Derrick White, SG Bryn Forbes, SF DeMar DeRozan, PF Rudy Gay, C LaMarcus Aldridge

Injury Report

Minnesota: Tyus Jones - Out, Robert Covington - Out

San Antonio: Dejounte Murray (Torn ACL) - Out

Prediction

Though the Wolves are favored by 1.5 tonight, I don't expect them to win. This team has continuously struggled in primetime and Towns has always had issues with LaMarcus Aldridge. Wolves fall, 114-108.

By: Jonah Sprinkel

No matter the season, the Minnesota Timberwolves are always riding a rollercoaster of emotion. Five days ago, they fired the coach and president of basketball operations who led them to their first playoff appearance since dinosaurs roamed the land surrounding Target Center. The team promoted Ryan Saunders, then assistant and son of the great Flip Saunders, to interim head coach. The Wolves squad responded to this move with one of their more engaged and passionate performances on the season, gifting the 32-year-old coach his first win ever. Did I mention that Ryan ran his dad’s favorite play to start the game? Yeah, you’re right, it is a little dusty in here. The younger Saunders hopes to create his first ever win streak as Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks come to Minneapolis tonight.
 
What: Mavs @ Wolves
When: 7:00 PM CT
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis
Where to watch: Fox Sports North
Where to listen: 830 AM WCCO

What to watch for
 
The return of Rose: Derrick Rose is returning from injury tonight. The Wolves score nearly six more points per 100 possessions when Rose is in the game versus when he’s sitting, a jump from 111.8 to 117.3. If the Wolves were to post a 117-offensive rating over an entire season they would be the best offense of all time by a significant margin. Despite his “bench role”, most Rose’s minutes have come with the starters. With Saunders likely going to a nine- or 10-man rotation on a regular basis, there may be a few twists to the regular substitution patterns. It should be interesting to see how this trend continues with Saunders in charge.

Free throws: On Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Wolves attempted 40 free throws. This has only happened one other time this year – interestingly enough, it came against Dallas in October. NBA team’s average 23 attempts a game and the Wolves average nearly 25. In a game which the Wolves won by two, every free throw mattered. Moving forward, the team won’t have this kind of offensive cushion. What will Ryan Saunders do to make up the difference?

Andrew Wiggins: Nobody look, but Andrew Wiggins may be at the beginning of a hot streak. Over the last four games the Canadian is averaging 29 points, almost five rebounds, three assists and only one and a half turnovers on a 45/30/78 split. The shooing split may be a bit ugly, but it’s a vast improvement over his 23 games before the uptick where he posted a split of 39/32/71. One other thing of note, Wiggins had not attempted more than 10 free throws a game once this season until he did it in both of the last two games. He finished those games with 28 and 40 points. In other words, if Wiggins doesn’t want to go to the charity stripe, someone should put him in a grocery cart and push him there themselves.

Projected Starters

Minnesota: PG Jeff Teague, SG Josh Okogie, SF Andrew Wiggins, PF Taj Gibson, C Karl-Anthony Towns

Dallas: PG Luka Doncic, SG Wesley Matthews, SF Harrison Barnes, PF Maxi Kleber, C DeAndre Jordan

Injury report

Minnesota: Derrick Rose - Probable, Robert Covington - OUT

Dallas: Dirk Nowitzki – Probable, Dennis Smith Jr. – OUT

Prediction

With the Wolves favored by five, Derrick Rose coming back from injury and the emotions of the Saunders win still flowing throughout the organization, the team should win tonight, 112-108.

By: Dan Slaubaugh

Do you remember when it was assumed the Wolves keeping Ryan Saunders on staff with the Tom Thibodeau administration was a PR move by the organization trying to save a little face after a heartbreaking end to the Flip Saunders era?

Well, two and a half years later, we’ve found out it wasn’t. Rather, part of a long-term plan Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor had for the organization.

32 years young, “Lil ‘Flip” is the youngest (interim!) head coach in the NBA -- and by a wide margin. The next youngest coach is Luke Walton at 38. For added context on Saunders’ youth, 42 active NBA players — enough to field three full teams — are older than Saunders. That includes three on his own team’s roster: Taj Gibson, Luol Deng, and Anthony Tolliver.

The timing of Saunders’ promotion is odd. The Wolves were coming off back-to-back blowout victories and Karl-Anthony Towns is playing the best basketball of his career. However, after reports suggesting the organization feared season ticket renewals would plummet with Thibodeau still at the helm, this looks to be just as much of a business move than a basketball one.

​And as KSTP and 1500 ESPN’s Darren Wolfson reminds us all, the Saunders' have a history of dominating the business side.

​There were plenty of things that led to Thibodeau’s downfall (Jimmy Butler saga, Andrew Wiggins’ regression, incompetent defense), and his dismissal from the organization was a long time coming. It was a step in the right direction for an organization weighed down by negative energy. But this is still an organization ran by Glen Taylor. That, combined with additional information Wolfson has been feeding us on the Twitter machine, and I am once again concerned this will be a flawed process from Taylor and the Wolves.

The tweets:

If you believe what Wolfson says, which I usually do, it sounds like (as of right now) the feeling in house is Saunders is more likely to be back as a lead assistant than the head coach next season. The tweets also suggest Taylor may have the head coaching gig saved for recently-terminated, former Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg, who has ties to the Timberwolves and Taylor.

​While I wouldn’t necessarily be opposed to Hoiberg as the Timberwolves next head coach, it’d be foolish if Taylor’s plan is driven by giving Saunders experience as head coach but without the chance to retain that position. In other words, I like the Timberwolves decision to promote Saunders, as long as they haven’t shut the door on him becoming the official head coach next season.
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My primary concern would be stability with the players. Too much change is not good, and the youth of this team has seen more change than nearly the entire association. Players can’t keep switching coaches left and right. You can’t tell me that four coaches in five seasons haven’t stunted the growth of Andrew Wiggins’ development and that the players would be thrilled to walk into training camp with yet another brand new face, even if he was a better alternative than Thibodeau.

If Taylor simply isn’t overly impressed with what he sees from Saunders, I think it’s fine and perhaps even smart to bring in a new coach and move Saunders back into an assistant role. But that should not be the predetermined plan.

Concerning Hoiberg, I can already see him waiting to see how the Saunders tryout plays out before he takes another job. He would love coaching in Minnesota because he would feel safe with an owner who is familiar with him, and he wouldn't have to feel like like he was coaching for his job on a nightly basis after a bad situation in Chicago. When it comes down to it, Taylor simply shouldn't have a large say in the next head coach given he’ll likely already know who he wants, lacking a clear mind when interviewing other qualified candidates.

Not all teams are blessed with coaching stability amidst a prolonged rebuild, but the important part is finding the right coach for the next competitive version of the roster. Without a president of basketball operations and stability at general manager, that leaves Taylor in charge of finding that coach.

If you’ve paid any attention to Timberwolves basketball over the last decade and a half, you’ll know that has not proven to yield good results.

Glen, give Ryan a legitimate shot at head coach. That’s all I ask.