I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a big fan of the NBA. Compared to college basketball, NBA lacks the defense, passion, fans, and simple traveling rules that I associate with real basketball. Thus to my lack of interest in the NBA, the Timberwolves will probably stay as my favorite team, although they have no chance of competing for the next five years. Yes, you read that correctly, the Timberwolves will not win more than 25 games in the season until after 2015 (however, I believe there is a certain possibility that the NBA will lockout next season). This preview will show their offseason moves with my feedback, and how I predict their starting lineup with fare this season.
Additions: Wesley Johnson (draft), Michael Beasley (trade), Martell Webster (trade), Luke Ridnour (FA), Darko Milicic (re-signed), Nikola Pekovic (draft), and Kosta Koufos (trade)
Subtractions: Al Jefferson, Ramon Sessions, Oleksiy Pecherov, and Ryan Hollins
**Additions and subtractions were taken from ESPN column
Darko Milicic re-signs
"With us, it was like manna from heaven... I haven't seen a big man pass like him." General Manager David Kahn became over the offseason, the dumbest general manager in sports. Kahn re-signed Milicic to a four-year, $20 million contract. He averages 8.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in 24 games, and they reward him with a huge contract? In an interview with Chris Webber, Kahn compared to Milicic to Vlade Divac, and says he will improve like Webber did in his career, which provoked the response, “We’re not going to talk about me and Darko in the same sentence,” from Webber. As surprising, this re-signing came after the Wolves drafted Wesley Johnson over DeMarcus Cousins. Would Cousins have been more productive than Milicic, and a better setting stone for the franchise?
Wolves grab Ridnour
Yes Jonny Flynn is going to be out for a month due to a hip injury leaving a void at point guard, but wasn’t Ramon Sessions a quality backup? The Wolves signed Ridnour to a four-year, $16 million deal, while moving Sessions to Cleveland. Ridnour had a career year on his contract season, shooting 47.8% from the floor, which is drastically better than his career averages. Ridnour is a good point guard for the triangle offense, but I would rather see Flynn traded if they don’t like the way he plays.
Wesley Johnson #4 overall
Wesley Johnson is a player that is good but he won’t be great. He is one of the oldest rookies in the NBA, but the T-Wolves should have opted for a guy that will be the next Kevin Garnett of the franchise. I’m not saying that Cousins will be the next great center but they definitely could have traded down and got somebody else. One rumor that I believe is that Kahn is setting up the team for when Ricky Rubio arrives next season. However, Rubio is overrated in my mind, no matter how many times Kobe Bryant says he is ready for the NBA.
Happy trails Al Jefferson
I was an Al Jefferson fan, and I think he will do well in Utah. Although he couldn’t play well with Kevin Love on his side, I think that he is a better player than Chris Bosh. With the trade of Jefferson, the team is Kevin Love’s, but he won’t put up the offensive numbers that Jefferson could. This wasn’t a smart move by the Timberwolves, as they didn’t improve enough this offseason to justify losing their best player.
Starting Lineup
PG- Luke Ridnour: Good pick ‘n’ roll point guard but isn’t a guy that can score well on his own. He is a decent defender, but doesn’t have the athleticism to cover the top point guards.
SG- Corey Brewer: Has a lot of energy and is a terrific defender. However, he doesn’t generate a lot of offense due to an inconsistent jump shot but if forced to slash to score.
SF- Wesley Johnson: Has a chance to win Rookie of the Year. I don’t think that’s because he is the best player of his class, but he will receive a lot of opportunities and playing time to succeed.
PF- Kevin Love: Fan favorite because of his hustle, but he isn’t a good defender due to his small size, and his offensive skills are limited in the post. It will be interesting to see how playing for Team USA affected him this summer.
C- Darko Milicic: An extremely inconsistent player that isn’t going to produce a lot of offense. He is a good passer, but on the Timberwolves, he will have no one to pass to.
Bench
Michael Beasley: Has the most potential on the team to become a great player, but if he can’t thrive with Dwayne Wade on his side, how is he going to thrive with nobody helping him this year.
Jonny Flynn: Horrible guard for the triangle offense. His offense is through penetration on the defense, but we will see how interested Flynn is in playing basketball this year. Injured for a month.
Martell Webster: Rambis was extremely high on Webster, saying that he saw a lot of potential in Portland. Has the tools to shoot 3’s and driving but will be suited for the triangle offense? Injured for six to eight weeks.
For a team that has already released a letter in the Star Tribune telling the fans that they won’t compete for a championship this year, but would like to see the arena filled for a team that is going through the rebuilding phase… I can’t picture the Wolves doing well this season in any ways. Kurt Rambis may be fired by the end of this year, but the over/under on the season for me is 19 wins.
No comments:
Post a Comment