Wolves: As Expected
By Stephen Litel
November 16th, 2009
One of the benefits of the writing life that I lead is I don’t have to follow the day-to-day struggles of the Minnesota Timberwolves like a beat writer. As a follower of the team, I truly appreciate the work that Jerry Zgoda, Ray Richardson and John Shipley accomplish daily while digging into those details, but it must be draining on a team such as this.
After all, we were all warned coming into the year that it was going to be rough as far as wins and losses. We’re not to be concerned with those numbers because what should be more important in 2009-10 is the development of the youthful members of the team who may or may not become the pack of wolves who will eventually legitimately compete in the NBA.
Therefore, I’ve sat back to begin the season to watch for trends, rather than one or two-game flukes. There are too many to count and there are also too many to include into one article, so these observations will become commonplace this season, as well as continuing to provide “Wolves: Unfiltered” pieces. They will also begin to come at a more frequent basis, so keep an eye out.
It’s difficult when discussing the Timberwolves not to start with Al Jefferson. After all, since his arrival in the Twin Cities, he has been the lone bright spot for the suffering fans on a consistent basis. After missing his presence on the court last year with his knee injury, it’s great to see the big guy back on the floor and playing relatively well. However, that does not mean there aren’t concerns.
Many claim that Jefferson is not a good fit for the much-talked about “triangle offense” that new head coach Kurt Rambis brought with him from Los Angeles . Yes, Jefferson came into the season having lost a significant amount of weight to be able to run in the more up-tempo offense, but it’s difficult to get back into “game shape” when running on a knee that still is not back to what it once was.
What I will be keeping an eye on throughout the season is how Jefferson ’s reduced minutes effect his effort on the defensive end of the court. Of course, the “help” he has on the offensive end of the court is still not upper-echelon, but Big Al doesn’t have to carry the load of the team offense on his shoulders alone. A story that is lost in early season is Jefferson ’s defensive effort is much improved. Understandably, he is not yet what the team wants him to be defensively, but how much of that should be attributed to effort and how much goes towards talent? Most believe—and I’m one of them—that Jefferson does possess enough talent on the defensive end to be a greater force than he has been. As his health and stamina continues to progress, I’ll be very curious to see if his defensive prowess continues to progress in the same manner.
Rookie Jonny Flynn is going to be fine as an NBA point guard. Whether or not he become a dish-first distributor as the team is hoping he’ll become or remain a player used to being the first option, Flynn will have a long and productive career in the NBA. I refuse to get caught up in the hype of Brandon Jennings and whether or not the Wolves would have been better off taking Jennings in the draft, as they are different situations and Jennings would probably have many of the same difficulties in adjusting to the triangle as Flynn has to this point.
As we knew before the draft, Flynn is a charismatic person and is easy to root for because of the heart and work ethic he brings to the game. As a point guard, he should be looked upon as a leader—even though he’s a rookie—and his personality helps his teammates in that regard. It also helps fans to accept the reality of the current season and look past the rookie mistakes. After all, 14.2 points per game on 47% shooting, along with 3.3 rebounds and assists per game in only 28.4 minutes are nothing to sneeze at and will only improve as he continues to find his comfort level.
On a “normal” team, Flynn would not start and Ramon Sessions would slide into the starting lineup. Although his numbers don’t warrant a starting spot to this point in the season, the Timberwolves must continue to find a way to help him find his complete game. In only his third season in the NBA, Sessions also has his own development to work on, but the team must be careful not to sacrifice that to focus solely on Flynn. The point guard combination of Sessions and Flynn—no matter which is the starter and which comes off the bench—could stabilize the lead guard spot for many years in Minnesota , if handled correctly.
Corey Brewer continues to be frustrating, to use a kind word. As we have known for years, Brewer is one heck of a nice guy who most everyone wants to see succeed. However, his status as the first player in NBA history who may airball 5,000 layups I his career causes even the most diehard fan to cringe. I spoke with Brewer last week, asking him what he believes is the area of his game that still needs the most improvement and, understandably, was expecting him to say his shooting. Yet, he endears himself when he states his “decision-making,” going on to say his shooting is included in that, but meant more along the lines of his choices in a fast break situation.
Yet, a player with the talents that Brewer possesses is exactly what this team needs. He hustles on defense, gives everything he has at all times and has a bit of flash to his game to entertain the crowd. Those positives are the reasons the team took the option on Brewer’s contract, but at what point in his career does he need to progress dramatically? Personally, I wonder if Brewer is on his last legs in Minnesota and the team picked up the option so they can trade him, rather than let him walk away and get nothing for him at all. That is my own thinking with no inside information along those lines at all…let me be clear on that.
Of course, I could go through each player on the roster—and I will throughout the season—but the running theme is the same. We can all find some positives and some negatives in each player. That’s exactly why management “bought time” for themselves this season by putting expectations so low and admitting mistakes of the past. Without truly kicking after they’re out the door, it seems as if fans are slightly more forgiving this season than in the past and the biggest reason for that is the PR positive of Kevin McHale’s absence. I have had more fair-weather fans—fans who haven’t really paid attention since the Western Conference Finals run—discuss the team with me this season than in any other I’ve covered them. I believe that to be related to the huge change-over in front office and roster and that’s exactly what the team wanted for this year.
Now that diehards and casual fans have done their part for the 2009-10 season, it’s time for the team to do their respective jobs. Players need to focus on developing, coaches need to evaluate and management needs to continue to prepare for the future with the cap space they’ve created. This season is what it is—looking towards the future—so let’s sit back and see which players want to be a part of that future.
