The Excitement for The Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota already has one of the best power forwards by the name of
All-Star Kevin Love. Love is a double-double machine that will
consistently deliver 20 points along with 14 rebounds. In a close loss
to The Oklahoma City Thunder, Love registered 31 points and 20 boards.
Love dropped roughly 20 pounds from last season and the results are
showing in his overall game. Love is shooting over 40 percent from
behind the three-point arc this season. Along with Love, forward Michael
Beasley is a match-up nightmare for defenders as he can hit shots from
anywhere on the court. In 2010, Minnesota drafted forward Wesley Johnson
in the first round and he is looking to improve on his 9 points per
game from his rookie campaign. Last summer saw The Timberwolves draft
forward Derrick Williams from The University of Arizona who has the
potential to be a crafty small forward. Now it appears to be coming
together as Minnesota has a point guard in the form of Ricky Rubio.

Rubio was selected fifth overall by The Timberwolves in 2009 and the
team patienly awaited for his arrival from Europe. Now in his rookie
season, Rubio has come onto the scene in Minneapolis with ball handling
skills reminiscent of Pete Maravich. Rubio is nearly averaging 8 assists
a game for Minnesota and those numbers will continue to rise as long as
he plays with Love. For a big man Love can handle the ball as well.
Love is a tremendous passer from inside the paint setting up teammates
for open shots when he may face a double team. Love also put everyone on
notice at the beginning of last season when he told the basketball
world that he would lead the league in rebounding. Some gaffed at the
notion, but in the end Love topped rebounding king Dwight Howard. Love
averaged 15.2 rebounds per contest and is well on his way to that mark
once again. Now Love’s game will continue to evolve with the arrival of
Rubio. Most people have been talking about The Los Angeles Clippers
having the new dynamic duo in The NBA with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin,
but Rubio and Love are becoming a force to be reckoned with as well.

The Timberwolves once had a young power forward and point guard
combo in the form of Garnett and Stephon Marbury. Marbury wanted more
money and was traded in 1999. Minnesota’s new duo has put some
excitement back into The Target Center. This team has a college feel to
it. Love and Beasley left college after their freshman years while
Williams left after his sophomore campaign. Rubio is only 21-years old
and he looks like a kid that is playing a kids game. Rubio doesn’t have
to look that far for guidance as he has it in guard Luke Ridnour.
Ridnour came into The NBA with some hype like Rubio. As a member of The
Seattle Supersonics it did not work out for Ridnour. Now he appears to
have found a home with The T-Wolves and the potential “R&R”
combination of Rubio and Ridnour will not allow opposing back courts to
have rest and relaxation.

One of the main problems that The Timberwolves face is that they are
in the toughest division in basketball. The Northwest Division is home
to the likes of The Thunder who are led by versatile forward Kevin
Durant and The Portland Trailblazers and forward LaMarcus Aldridge. With
that said, youth is definitely on their side so they have that lack of
fear. The end of January will help to determine how far The Timberwolves
will go this season. Minnesota has a seven-game stretch in which they
face teams such as The Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, and The Dallas
Mavericks who are the reigning NBA Champions.

This young team will continue to come together under the guidance of
head coach Rick Adelman who is in his first season with the team.
Adelman has a history of taking teams to the postseason as he was the
former head coach of The Trailblazers, Sacramento Kings, and Houston
Rockets. Adelman led The Blazers to The NBA Finals in both 1990 and 1992
as he would love to see this young team get there one day.

For years Garnett was the face of the franchise and he brought
respectability to The Twin Cities. Now the burden appears not to be on
one player as it was for Garnett. Love and Rubio appear to be
cornerstones and team president David Kahn hopes to add Williams to that
list as well. In the dead of winter there is a warm buzz in Minneapolis
for NBA basketball.