Minnesota Timberwolves - 2011 Chronicles & Beyond

[SKA]

Minnesota Timberwolves
Last Season: 15-67
Average Age: 23
Team Salary: $41.16M
Cap Room: $16.39M
Overall: 27th
Offense: 26th
Defense: 30th

2010-2011 Minnesota Timberwolves Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Kurt Rambis (OFF: D, DEF: D, TEA: D, POT: B) | 1yr/$2.00M
Assistant Coach: John-Blair Bickerstaff (OFF: B, DEF: D, TEA: C, POT: D) | 1yr/$500k
NBA Scout: Greg Robinson (LVL: F, POT: C) | 2yrs/$100k
Prospect Scout: Everett Hopkins (LVL: A, POT: A) | 6yrs/$1.00M
Prospect Scout: Mack Stallworth (LVL: B, POT: A) | 6yrs/$750k
Trainer: Greg Farnam (LVL: B, POT: C) | 2yrs/$700k

2010-2011 Minnesota Timberwolves Roster TO* = Team Option; PO* = Player Option
PF. Kevin Love (6'10", 220 lbs., 22 y/old, 3 y/pro) | 2yrs/$8.29M
SF. Michael Beasley (6'9", 245 lbs., 21 y/old, 3 y/pro) | 2yrs/$11.22M
PG. Jonny Flynn (6'0", 185 lbs., 21 y/old, 2 y/pro) | 2yrs/$6.61M TO
PG. Luke Ridnour (6'2", 175 lbs., 29 y/old, 8 y/pro) | 4yrs/$16.00M
SG. Wesley Johnson (6'7", 205 lbs., 23 y/old, 1 y/pro) | 2yrs/$7.73M 2yr/TO
PF. Anthony Randolph (6'11", 225 lbs., 21 y/old, 3 y/pro) | 2yrs/$4.88M
SF. Martell Webster (6'7", 235 lbs., 23 y/old, 6 y/pro) | 2yrs/$10.06M TO
C. Darko Milicic (7'0", 275 lbs., 25 y/old, 8 y/pro) | 4yrs/$20.00M
PG. Sebastian Telfair (6'0", 175 lbs., 25 y/old, 7 y/pro) | 1yr/$2.70M
SF. Lazar Hayward (6'6", 225 lbs., 23 y/old, 1 y/pro) | 2yrs/$2.12M 2yr/TO
PF. Anthony Tolliver (6'9", 243 lbs., 25 y/old, 3 y/pro) | 2yrs/$4.25M
C. Nikola Pekovic (6'11", 243 lbs., 24 y/old, 1 y/pro) | 3yrs/$12.96M
SG. Wayne Ellington (6'4", 200 lbs., 22 y/old, 2 y/pro) | 2yrs/$2.23M

Point Guards
At point guard, the starter for the year is planned to by Jonny Flynn, a quick-stepped sophomore out of Syracuse. Flynn has a year under his belt and will be much more settled down at the top of the key and for the season as a whole. With some experience, he knows what it takes to win, especially because he has seen so much losing early in his career. He has a veteran back-up in Luke Ridnour, who can reel Flynn in whenever he gets too wild, and push him hard to try harder and get the job done. Ridnour will probably fine a good amount of minutes, running point for the B-squad and for when we have Flynn in at the two position. Our third point guard would most likely be a second guard on other teams, but Sebastian Telfair may not be too pleased this season with how much action he sees, especially because he is in the "prime" of his career. Do not be surprised to see Telfair off the team and on a plane before the trade deadline rolls around.



Shooting Guards
Our two spot is fairly weak, with only two real designated shooting guards on the roster, in Wesley Johnson and Wayne Ellington. Last season Ellington averaged 6.6 PPG playing around 18 minutes a game, somewhat of a disappointment to a few in the front office, but they have decided to give him time to develop into his game. However, his playing time will be slashed due to the arrival of Johnson, who played out of Syracuse and was the fourth overall pick last draft for the Timberwolves. We've decided to put Ellington in on the starting lineup for the beginning of the season, but we can certainly expect Johnson to find himself as the starter as the years winds out.



Small Forwards
Minnesota currently has three small forwards, but only one with starter potential. And that person is Michael Beasley, the former second overall pick selected by the former down-and-out Miami Heat. However, he was acquired before the this season in a trade for only our 2011 and 2014 second round draft picks, as the Heat were looking to clear cap space in order to afford their new super-trio. With such a pure scoring ability, Beasley will certainly be a top option when it comes to offense, as he averaged 14.8 PPG last season with the Heat. Some expect him to put up over 20 a game, but that depends on his touches. Behind him is the sixth man, Martell Webster, a tall and capable player at the sixth spot, and was also acquired by the T'Wolves this summer, in exchange for Ryan Gomes and the signing rights to rookie Luke Babbitt. Last season with the Trailblazers, he averaged 9.4 PPG and 3.3 RPG. Finally there's rookie Lazar Hayward, drafted by the Wizards and traded to the T'Wolves soon after having been drafted. He possesses a fair amount of potential, but will not receive a highly touted amount of minutes behind a starting SF and the sixth man. However, many are excited to see what the T'Wolves picked up and what impact he can have on the court.



Power Forwards
Obviously the face of the franchise belongs to Kevin Love, a player whom has excelled his first few years in the league and is almost whom the T'Wolves have based themselves around. Every game is nearly a double-double guaranteed, as last season in only 60 games, Love averaged 14.0 PPG and 11.0 RPG, numbers expected to rise, especially the offensive ones considering Love is now 100% healthy. Our number two power forward will be starting in the five spot, mainly because he is an inch taller than Love, and that is Anthony Randolph, another new player on this fresh Timberwolves team. Randolph may switch with Love as the weeks churn by, two see how the two player their roles together, but much is expected of Randolph, as the young forward has already had a few years in the league and is always one of those players experts expect to and predict will "breakout" and have a big year. At last there is Anthony Tolliver, the veteran of the bunch, odd to say considering he is still only 25 years old. Tolliver, unfortunately for him, will be nothing but much of a bench warmer, and won't see much playing time.



Centers
For Minnesota, we are now known as the team who took Darko Milicic, and the offer granted to him of four years with $20 million going in his bank, many experts and fans are not pleased with the move made. Milicic will see some playing time as he is one of our few big bodies on the roster. There is a sense of confidence in the kid, who is still very young despite this being his eighth year in the league. He knows the type of player he is and can possibly figure in well on a small team such as this. Our other center is a rookie out of Serbia, Nikola Pekovic, who holds a good amount of potential and offensive game near the glass. However, the rest of his game will take much to develop, and it will remain to be seen whether or not he can make the cut in this tough league.

FIRST RELEASED ROTATION
PG. Jonny Flynn [Starter]
SG. Wayne Ellington [Starter]
SF. Michael Beasley [Starter]
PF. Anthony Randolph [Starter]
C. Kevin Love [Starter]
BENCH
F. Martell Webster [Sixth Man]
G. Luke Ridnour [Role Player]
G. Sebastian Telfair [Role Player]
G. Wesley Johnson (R) [Prospect]
C. Darko Milicic [Bench Warmer]
F. Lazar Hayward (R) [Bench Warmer]
F. Anthony Tolliver [Bench Warmer]
C.RES. Nikola Pekovic (R) [Bench Warmer]

[SKA]

LATE OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2010

Minnesota Timberwolves
Target Center - Minneapolis, MN
Overall Record: 5-12
Oct-November Record: 5-12
Overall: 27th
Power Ranking: 26th
Division Rank: 4th
Conference Rank: 14th
Team Chemistry: 37%

The home opener for the 2010-2011 season of the Minnesota Timberwolves began in Minneapolis where two young teams exhibited their talents, as the Sacramento Kings came to town hoping to steal an important victory from the T'Wolves. Throughout the first the Kings would out-play the Timberwolves taking a significant 10+ point lead, but would come out flat in the third allowing for Kevin Love and the Timberwolves would rally back. The fourth quarter was an exciting back and forth finish, as Kings' star Tyreke Evans prevented a successful Timberwolves rally, drawing fouls late and putting the game in the box for Sacramento, 86-82. He would finish with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists, an impressive start to the year; while Love started off great with 22 points and 13 rebounds, while almost half his points would come at the line finishing 10-11 for free throws.

Two days later in the same place the Timberwolves would take care of business against the bordering Milwaukee Bucks. With a 114-110 victory at home, putting their record at a simple 1-1, Love and Jonny Flynn were certainly on their games, the former finishing with 29 points and 11 rebounds, while Flynn had 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.

However, they would fall short in the first road game in Memphis, losing by a failed last-second shot to tie the game by Flynn, resulting in an 85-83 loss. Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo would combine for 44 points and 16 rebounds, the headhonchoes of the T'Wolves defeat. This would be the beginnings of a 7-game losing streak, their longest so-far this season but certainly not in franchise history. They would find themselves in Miami following the Grizzlies lost, and everyone knew it was over by the end of the first quarter, as the Timberwolves were already down 23-40, finishing in a 91-123 beatdown at the whim of LeBron James and Chris Bosh, who combined for a stunning 85 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists. Team wouldn't fair well against the Orlando Magic either, as Gilbert Arenas would unload a 41 point night, although Anthony Randolph looked good with 26 points and 9 rebounds.

Fans hoped their return home against the Atlanta Hawks would break the streak, but another miserable defeat would take place, 108-84. The Rockets wouldn't help the cause winning at home against the T'Wolves 96-119. However, Kevin Love had his best game yet, scoring 27 points and snagging 17 rebounds. The seed would be planted in Los Angeles, however, against the Lakers, as the two teams had a tight battle throughout the game, interestingly enough because the Lakers at this point were still undefeated from the beginning of the season. The T'Wolves had an impressive first quarter, scoring 28 as opposed to the champions' 21. After a mild second quarter, this lead was even more exemplified by the third quarter as the T'Wolves would outscore the Lakers once again by 8 points. But the Lakers were done playing around in the fourth quarter, and even though they would allow Minnesota to put up 24 points, Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum would help rally the champs back with, as the team had 38 points in the final quarter, just squeaking out and exciting 99-97 victory in L.A. The Timberwolves were without a doubt disappointed, as subjugated in their after-game press conference.

The next day the team was in Sacramento and would suffer another embarrassing loss to the Kings, 105-122. But Michael Beasley would make some changes once the team got back to Minnesota ready to take on the New York Knicks. He would put on a performance, totaling for 36 points and 10 rebounds, while Kevin Love was also remarkable, scoring 28 points and grabbing 22 rebounds, as they would go on to turn fortunes around with a score of 111-124, only their second win of the season.

A trip on the road would end good fortunes, dropping another game to Atlanta, 85-101, mostly thanks to Jamal Crawford's 35 point game. Another game would be lost to Charlotte, a game which the Timberwolves certainly had the opportunities to win and just could not finish, almost a mental block had come over them. Only three players had double-digits (oddly enough would each have 19 points), and this did not include K-Love. For the Bobcats, Stephen Jackson owned the floor with 39 points and 7 rebounds, helping the Bobcats achieve a buzzer-beating victory, 97-96. Certainly one of the only exciting things to come out of Charlotte so-far this season.

Once at home though, a change in the winds would take place, as the Los Angeles Clippers would put up 30 points in the fourth quarter, holding the Timberwolves to 16, and still lost by 7, 101-108! Corey Maggette continues to play at a high performance, putting up 27 points on the night, but his team's efforts would fail him. Both Michael Beasley and Kevin Love played well with a double-double effort, while Jonny Flynn led the way in points with 22 and 9 assists.

On Friday, mid-November, a big game for Minnesota would take place, as the undefeated 12-0, two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers came to town for a little rematch of the close 97-99 defeat taken a week earlier by the T'Wolves, in L.A. Well the tables were turned this time, as the T'Wolves finished the first half up by 4 points. The lead would tighten to only 2 by the start of the fourth, as once again Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum would lead the way for any potential Lakers comeback. Bryant did his work for the night, finishing with a game-high 34 points, while Bynum had 23 and 14 rebounds. But the impeccable team play of Minnesota for the night provided Anthony Randolph with a 24 point night as well as 10 rebounds. The rest of the stats were spread out, but things would look great as the Timberwolves would win the game 103-91, a big win for the young team.

They would lose it in the second quarter of their next game, unfortunately, heading to Oklahoma City playing in a 117-124 loss. Kevin Durant just went crazy with 49 points on the night, while Russell Westbrook provided a 25-15 scorebox. And this is all while six Timberwolves players would finish with double-digit points. Thankfully, the San Antonio Spurs would receive the brunt on the response from Minnesota the next game, losing in Minny 87-98. Anthony Randolph sure had the biggest impact on the game, scoring 21 points but providing for many spark plays throughout the game. The team would struggle in the first half, but came back scoring 60 points in the second half, while the Spurs scored as many as Minnesota did in the first half.

The final game of November would come in the middle of a long 5-day break for the Timberwolves. Monta Ellis carried a Warriors victory over the T'Wolves, putting up 45 points on the day, while he and Stephen Curry both had double-digit assist totals. The T'Wolves would falter, 117-103, and frankly looked bleak throughout the entire month, ending with a record of 5-12, 5.5 games behind the division leading Oklahoma City Thunder who are 11-7. Thankfully, the team is saved by the cursing of Portland, who are only 4-13 on the year. Even more disturbing is Minnesota's record on the road, as they are 0-9, failing to win one venture out of Minneapolis.

Making a statistical analysis so far on the month that has gone by, there will probably be pressure to take minutes away from Sebastian Telfair and given more to Luke Ridnour. Both are playing at a nearly similar rate in the game, but Ridnour is averaging a higher number of points per game and assists, although the latter may be thanks to whom he is playing with compared to the bench Telfair usually comes out with. We like Ridnour because he is also a change in the way our team plays and the defense other teams must approach as compared to not only Telfair, but Flynn, who both are quick on their feet and on the gun. We like Ridnour's slower pace of controlling the offense while our number one guys recuperate on the bench. We are also worried about the production from sixth man Martell Webster, who only averages 5.6 PPG, with a terrible field goal percenage of .355%. Expect a move to be made which would either move somebody up into the sixth man spot or the acquisition of a sixth man from another team.

Prospect Scouting

Our first prospect scouts were sent out to Penn State to check hot the hottest player in college basketball today, Dan Washington, a 6'9", 235 lbs. small forward who also dabbles in the shooting guard position. At 21 years old, Washington's physical play is one of his trademarks, as well as his patented mustache. Everett Hopkins was first assigned from him and we expect to hear great things about Washington as the season has kicked off. After the trip, our scout was apparently "blown away" by Washington's play, specifically his defensive ability, with his only weakness coming in his intangibles, which may be nothing but average. Hopkins is adamant about spending more time on Washington, and he will be scouted a few more times.

Mack Stallworth was sent out to Oregon State to check out their best player, small forward Jonathon Lynch; a 6'8", 220 lbs. player with fantastic defensive ability, an asset our team does not possess, as well as offensive abilities likened to those of Danny Granger. Stallworth wasn't too impressed with his inside scoring ability, and said Lynch has a nice jumper, but really lacks at rebounding despite having a great feel for the game.

The first week into November, we had our scouts take a long trip to both Serbia and Russia, checking out two of the supposed top players heading into this year's draft, Mladen Jeremic (SRB) and Egor Chugainov (RUS). The former is a star small forward in the European leagues, at a massive 6'9" but he is known for his incredible athletic ability despite the height. Hopkins was satisfied with what he saw, and says Mladen has a unique ability to dominate the post at the three position. However, we will not be quick to jump on this kid because we have seen in the league's past how European players can sometimes never develop (i.e., Darko Milicic). As for Chugainov, Stallworth noted the 6'7" shooting guard had great defensive ability, but lacked a certain bit on the offensive side of the ball. We may scout him again but at this point we may not be too interested in picking up Chugainov.
A shooting guard we are showing interest though, is Kenneth Theus, a 19 year old 6'6" shooting guard out of Gonzaga University. Like Chugainov, Theus plays great defense against other guards, but has a little trouble handling the taller small forwards that come his way. Hopkins is impressed with his intangibles and playmaking ability, as well as his "deadly" trey which he seems to knock down on a consistent basis. When asked to compare him to any NBA player, Hopkins likened Theus to a young Kobe Bryant. More time will definitely be spent on young Kenneth Theus.

Franklin McKnight was our second player during the second week of November we checked out, playing the small forward position out of Miami of Florida. McKnight was at first touted as a Lottery pick, but Stallworth has put in word that he is probably not worth more than a mid-1st round pick. His size, 6'9" and 226 lbs. is certainly impressive, and spending some time later in the season checking out McKnight will probably be in our best interest.

Later in the month we looked at Dennis Thomas, a 19 year old shooting guard out of Louisiana Tech. Our scout felt Thomas was more impressive on offense and defense than we originally suspected, possessing quick hands to disrupt defense and make plays on offense. And while we were impressed with Thomas, the second kid, Luis Greene was not as impressive, although he does look like one of the few good power forwards in the upcoming draft. He's 6'10" and is only 19 years old, but isn't reckoned for his offense, instead, his down-low prowess comparable to a young Tim Duncan.

Player Statistics - Through the Month of November
PF. Kevin Love (17.1 PPG; 12.4 RPG; .468 FG%; 34.4 MPG)
PG. Jonny Flynn (16.4 PPG; 6.8 APG; .444 FG%; 35.4 MPG)
PF. Anthony Randolph (15.6 PPG; 7.5 RPG; 2.1 BPG; .464 FG%; 29.4 MPG)
SF. Michael Beasley (15.4 PPG; 5.6 RPG; .422 FG%; 28.6 MPG)
SG. Wayne Ellington (8.5 PPG; .452 FG%; 25.8 MPG)
PG. Luke Ridnour (6.4 PPG; 3.4 APG; .427 FG%; 14.0 MPG)
SF. Martell Webster (5.6 PPG; 4.3 RPG; .355 FG%; 24.6 MPG)
PG. Sebastian Telfair (4.7 PPG; 2.3 APG; .407 FG%; 12.4 MPG)
- Stats accumulated at a minimum of 10 minutes per game.

Western Conference Standings - Through the Month of November
1. Los Angeles Lakers (14-4; .778%; -- GB)
2. Memphis Grizzlies (11-7; .661%; 3.0 GB)
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (11-7; .661%; 3.0 GB)
4. San Antonio Spurs (10-7; .588%; 3.5 GB)
5. Dallas Mavericks (10-7; .588%; 3.5 GB)
6. Los Angeles Clippers (9-9; .500%; 5.0 GB)
7. Sacramento Kings (8-8; .500%; 5.0 GB)
8. Utah Jazz (9-10; .474%; 5.5 GB)
---
14. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-12; .294%; 5.5 GB)
*BOLD denotes Northwest Division\

League News for the Month of November
- Throughout the end of October and month of November, LeBron James would accumulate four of the five awarded Player of the Week awards (the other going to Derrick Rose of the Bulls.) In the Western Conference things were much more spread out, with Chris Paul winning the award twice, while Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, and Kevin Durant would win their respective titles.
- For the entire month, it was no surprise that LeBron James would win Eastern Conference Player of the Month, while Kevin Durant took the award home in the Western Conference. Durant currently leads the league, averaging 32.8 PPG, as well as 9.1 RPG, shooting barely over .500% from the field, all while playing 40.1 minutes a game. For LeBron, he averages 29.7 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 5.9 APG, and 2.1 SPG. He also averages the most minutes per game in the league at 40.4 MPG.
- Early in October the Washington Wizards would sign veteran shooting guard Larry Hughes to a one-year contract, while the Utah Jazz would sign Flip Murray to a one-year contract the very next day.
- The first transaction of the year would take place between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers. Baron Davis was the big name of the trade, arriving in Milwaukee to play alongside, either in front or back of their rising star Brandon Jennings. The Clippers in return would receive Corey Maggette and Carlos Delfino. The trade has surprisingly worked out for Los Angeles, as Maggette averages second-highest PPG on their team, while Davis had 14.4 PPG and 5.3 APG, although he is extremely dissatisfied with his current role on the team, and may request another one before the trade deadline.
- A couple days later the Bucks picked up center Eddy Curry for a one-year contract, while the Golden State Warriors signed Chris Hunter, and the Phoenix Suns signed Jerry Stackhouse. (Are you kidding me Stack?)
- The New Jersey Nets imploded fairly early, as mid-way through the month they fired Avery Johnson as head coach even though he was brought in to help re-build the team. However, they are clearly none better than their last season, which was also abysmal, as they are currently 3-15 at the bottom of the totem pole. In his place they decided that former assistant coach Martin Bell would lead the team in a better direction, at least on the court. Avery was reportedly furious by the decision and will soon be back with the NBA team on ESPN/ABC.
- Two more trades would take place at the end of the month. First, the New Orleans Hornets sent sniper Marco Bellinelli to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for point guard Acie Law and a second-round pick for this year's upcoming draft. Second, the now LeBron-less Cleveland Cavaliers made their first move of the season, trading home-town favorite Daniel Gibson to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for veteran center Nenad Krstic.

[SKA]

DECEMBER 2010

Minnesota Timberwolves
Target Center - Minneapolis, MN
Overall Record: 13-20
December Record: 8-8
Overall: 28th
Power Ranking: 23rd
Division Rank: 3rd +1
Conference Rank: 13th +1
Team Chemistry: 31% -6

The first game of December was played on the first of the month away against the Dallas Mavericks. Things certainly did not go the way of the Timberwolves, as the Mavericks walked away with a dominate and easy 84-116 stomping of the team from Minnesota. Three players for the Mavs had over 20 points, the top being an obvious choice of Dirk Nowitzki who had 40 points and 12 rebounds while taking 23 shots and going 11-12 from the free throw line. The next game was a little more south in San Antonio, as the Timberwolves continued to lose on their road trip against some of the NBA's top teams. This time the team would fall 99-141, and obscure score for a newly organized offense for Greg Popovich's Spurs. Although five T'Wolves finished in double digits, four Spurs would combine for 104 of the team's points.

A long road trip would take place as the team headed back for one home game the day after, against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team looked winded and tired from the trip, and failed to win yet again, losing by another large margin, 105-76. Two days later the team fell in Madison Square Garden, 88-103 against the Knicks, as Carmelo Anthony had 47 points and 11 rebounds on his great night. And once home again, the Oklahoma City Thunder came to town and wrecked havoc, scoring 121 while holding the struggling Timberwolves to 91 points.

Finally on the 10th of December the team's luck would turn around as the Detroit Pistons fell victim to the Timberwolves 99 points, as they only put up 88. Michael Beasley led the team with 21 points, while Kevin Love had a 20-13 double-double on the night. The very next day, things didn't look to bright for the T'Wolves who had to play a difficult cross-conference game against the Chicago Bulls. However, Derrick Rose's 34 points and 10 assists wouldn't be enough, as Beasley against led the T'Wolves in scoring, while both Love and Jonny Flynn had double-doubles to help push Minny to a 116-110 victory on the road, their first road win of the season.

Golden State would once again get in the way three days later, as the Timberwolves fell by a massive 46 points, losing 94-140 in Oakland. However, a road game in Phoenix Suns was a different story, as the T'Wolves came out victorious, 115-98. Flynn led the way with 27 points and 14 assists, while three players; Beasley, Love, and Anthony Randolph all had double-doubles, an intricate statistic of immediate success for the team. Surprisingly the team continued success on the road, with a 90-80 win in Portland, with both Flynn and Love getting double-doubles again. The next day the Nuggets would fall, 110-106, as Flynn tied his career and season high scoring total of 32 points, although failing to achieve a double-double, despite the victory.

The Clippers weren't too friendly when they hosted Minny, now on their sixth and final road game of the tour. Los Angeles would win 102-118, as Corey Maggette played great scoring 32 points, while Flynn had a 28 point game, but the rest of the team could not rise to the challenge in defeating a potential Western Conference playoff team. Thankfully their final game of the week (on a Wednesday) would result in a divisional victory against the Utah Jazz, 81-105, one of Minnesota's biggest wins of the season. Al Jefferson came back to Minnesota for the first time this season and was held to only 9 points (although he had 15 rebounds.) For the Timberwolves, Kevin Love got the better of his match-up with Jefferson, scoring 23 points with 11 rebounds.

The Timberwolves would have a successful shot at revenge against the Cleveland Cavaliers, this time coming to the Q and defeating the Cavs 115-101. Anthony Randolph had his biggest game of the month scoring 27 points and snagging 10 rebounds, while the young J.J. Hickson has continued to step his game up for Cleveland his season, scoring 23 with 9 rebounds, despite his team's losing effort. The very next day was a home loss to the Hornets, 122-93, as Luke Ridnour oddly enough tied with Michael Beasley for the team's scoring leader, as they both had 20. It's not surprising that the team loses with Ridnour is the leading scorer. They both certainly did not play as well as Chris Paul who led the game with 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 11 assists. The final game of the month was another one with the division rival Denver Nuggets. This time it was at home and the Timberwolves would secure another victory, winning 90-108. Jonny Flynn finished with his record 32 points, while he and Kevin Love were able to get to the line a combined 21 times.

The team looks to be building a better and well-flowing offensive scheme, as guys continue to adjust to their roles and find their spots on the floor. K-Love's production his month dropped, while Flynn's rose to the challenge of leading his team to 8 wins on the month, going over double of what the team had in the first month. He continues to look like an essential part to the future of this team, and a perennial all-star. Our minutes plan with Luke Ridnour and Sebastian Telfair worked out the way we hoped, as Ridnour has improved his game and perhaps had a factor in improving our win total on the month. We know little things like this can have a big impact on the season, and now we are looking at knocking minutes off for an inconsistent Martell Webster in favor of a more promising Wesley Johnson. Also it should be noted that in the middle of the month, rookie Lazar Hayward was sent down to the Developmental League, as he attempts to make sure that his career doesn't end up in the gutters of the D-League.

Prospect Scouting

Early in December our prospects returned from both the University of Connecticut and Colorado State. The first was Wilson Humphries, a dominate power forward in the college game who is 6'11" and only 19 years old. Our scout was more impressed with Humphries than other PF's so far in the draft, particularly is nact on defense and effective offensive ability. Jason Hardaway was the other player looked at, and he was a potential lottery pick before, but our scout felt he lacked when it came to how much he could improve his game and placed him as a mid-late 1st round pick for now. With so many other great small fowards avaliable, it will remain to be seen whether time will be spent on Hardaway.

The next week scouts were sent to see Kenny Barlow, a small forward out of Kentucky playing great under John Callipari, and Vin Moody from Iowa, a veteran who plays some of the best defense at his position in the Big Ten. Barlow is 20 years old and is at an advantageous 6'8", with tremendous offense ability and great defense in the post for his spot. There is a lot of interest in Barlow from the Minnesota situation, depending on how the rest of the season winds out, as Barlow could be a great sleeper pick. Moody was also impressive, as our scout likened his playing style to that of Andre Iguodala, and tape shows his natural nact for the game of basketball. He highly advised more time was spent checking out Moody, and we will certainly take the time.

Two big men were in sights for out next week. Out of UCLA, seemingly the new version of Kevin Love down in California, Darryl Outlaw, a 21-year old power forward who has a dominance on every game he is down low in the post. His rebounding and defense is great, but his offense definitely lags, as he only averages around 11 points a game in college. The second big man was a true 7'1" center out of Texas A&M, Will Cage, who is 20 years old and is also a defensive stopper. Out scout believes he is the best defensive center in the draft, but it remains to be seen if our efforts will be spent on acquiring a center in the draft.

Up next were Harvey Florey, a shooting guard from South Carolina, and Jimmie Cox, another center out of Notre Dame. Florey is 21 years old and plays great defense at his position, as well as great offensive talent. How he compares to others in the draft will have to be decided later as out scouts get a better chance to look at the shooting guards more in depth. Cox wasn't as impressive as he was first prospected to be. Although he does play in the rough-and-tough Big East, his offensive skills are certainly lacking and probably won't cut it in today's NBA. For the month our final prospect was Cody Cummings, a power forward from Seton Hall. He is essentially the team's only offensive scorer, so his averages are most likely inflated, but our scouts believe he is a valuable 1st round pick although his offense needs some work.

Player Statistics - Through the Month of December
PG. Jonny Flynn (18.0 PPG; 7.4 APG; .456 FG%; 35.4 MPG)
PF. Kevin Love (16.2 PPG; 11.2 RPG; .452 FG%; 33.7 MPG)
SF. Michael Beasley (15.9 PPG; 6.1 RPG; .450 FG%; 29.2 MPG)
PF. Anthony Randolph (14.8 PPG; 7.5 RPG; 2.1 BPG; .454 FG%; 28.9 MPG)
SG. Wayne Ellington (7.9 PPG; .446 FG%; 25.3 MPG)
PG. Luke Ridnour (7.6 PPG; 3.8 APG; .441 FG%; 15.8 MPG)
SF. Martell Webster (5.3 PPG; 3.9 RPG; .393 FG%; 24.5 MPG)
SG. Wesley Johnson (4.6 PPG; 1.8 APG; .505 FG%; 10.1 MPG
PG. Sebastian Telfair (3.8 PPG; 2.0 APG; .452 FG%; 11.7 MPG)
- Stats accumulated at a minimum of 10 minutes per game.

Western Conference Standings - Through the Month of December
1. San Antonio Spurs (23-9; .719%; -- GB)
2. Los Angeles Lakers (22-11; .667%; 1.5 GB)
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (22-12; .647%; 2.0 GB)
4. Dallas Mavericks (19-12; .613%; 3.5 GB)
5. Los Angeles Clippers (18-15; .545%; 5.5 GB)
6. Memphis Grizzlies (17-15; .531%; 6.0 GB)
7. Sacramento Kings (17-15; .531%; 6.0 GB)
8. New Orleans Hornets (18-16; .529%; 6.0 GB)
---
13. Minnesota Timberwolves (13-20; .394%; 10.5 GB)
*BOLD denotes Northwest Division

League News for the Month of December
- For the month of December and a bit of late November, LeBron James once again accumulated a few Eastern Conference Player of the Week awards, scoring two, while both Derrick Rose and Danny Granger had one great week during the month of their own. In the West, Kevin Durant continued his great play, totaling up two of his own, while two Golden State Warriors' players would have a week to themselves as Players of the Week, not surprisingly in Monta Ellis and his partner-in-crime, Stephen Curry.
- As for the whole month and its conference awards, both LeBron James and Kevin Durant would claim the titles for the second month in a row.
- As for signings, the Cleveland Cavaliers picked up Matt Janning on a one-year contract, the Los Angeles Clippers signed Rafer Alston to a one-year deal, and the Detroit Pistons sign Cliff Davis to a one-year league minimum contract.
- In the middle of the month the Milwaukee Bucks would make another trade for the season, sending Ersan Ilyasova and Drew Gooden to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Eric Maynor and Morris Peterson as it appears the Bucks are trying to clear some cap space and the Thunder are looking to get bigger bodies down low, especially an athletic one in Ilyasova.
- Later, the Chicago Bulls would sign Darington Hobson to a one-year contract, the Oklahoma City Thunder acquired veteran free agent Michael Finley for the rest of the year, and the Knicks sign Arthur Williams to a one-year deal.
- Two coaches would find their way out of the select few of NBA coaches for the season, as the Toronto Raptors were the first to let their coach go, letting go of coach Jay Triano while choosing Benjamin Law as his replacement, marked with an interim-tag as much as that may matter. The Detroit Pistons were the other team as experts to shocked they let go experience former assistant coach and their now former head coach John Kuester, preferring it seems Pat Duncan who has been with the Pistons organization for years.
- At the end of the month, the Chicago Bulls would get significant help from the bench by acquiring Tony Allen from the Memphis Grizzlies, in exchange for Brian Scalibrine, a trade which had many Grizz fans scratching their heads.

Coach's Rotation - For the Month of December
PG. Jonny Flynn (39 min.) [Starter]
SG. Wayne Ellington (23 min.) [Starter]
SF. Michael Beasley (36 min.) [Starter]
PF. Anthony Randolph (35 min.) [Starter]
C. Kevin Love (39 min.) [Starter]
BENCH
SF. Martell Webster (23 min.) [Sixth Man]
PG. Luke Ridnour (13 min.) [Role Player]
SG. Wesley Johnson (11 min.) [Prospect]
PG. Sebastian Telfair (10 min.) [Role Player]
C. Darko Milicic (5 min.) [Bench Warmer]
PF. Anthony Tolliver (2 min.) [Bench Warmer]
C.RES. Nikola Pekovic (0 min.) [Bench Warmer]

[wolvesjr34]

This is quite interesting... are you playing on PC? Also, ever think of switching Randolph and Love around? The height advantage at Center might be quit useful... I just grabbed 5 blocks with Randolph in my last game. See you're a kings fan? I also have a Timberwolves Dynasty I've just started if interested in following. Mines on 360... and I am doing mine in my Dynasty blog

[SKA]

Yes I am playing on PC. Window mode makes dynasty writing sooooo easy. Also great screen shots! And know I'm not a Kings fan, I think I just had a Kings dynasty last. I'm a Cavs fan! Not sad to say! and hope you stick around and keep reading!

[SKA]

Kevin Love had a rough going for the start of the season, including several outings with only 2 points.

JANUARY 2011

Minnesota Timberwolves
Target Center - Minneapolis, MN
Overall Record: 18-29
January Record: 5-9
Overall: 27th
Power Ranking: 25th
Division Rank: 5th -1
Conference Rank: T-14th -1
Team Chemistry: 20% -11%

While 2010 ended with a win, 2011 started off on the wrong foot, as the Timberwolves first lost one to the New Jersey Nets at home, 97-90. Deron Williams would have a big impact on the outcome of the game, as he had a near triple-double shooting for 27 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, and dishing 8 assists. The next game two days later was in Boston against the Celtics, as Minnesota nearly came back for a victory, but missed shots late in the fourth and successes for the Celtics would allow the much-older team to grab the 97-100 victory. Michael Beasley would play great with 27 points and 12 rebounds but the rest of his team, specifically the guards, failed to get anything going to take the defense off Beasley. Another disappointing loss would take place again at home, against the Charlotte Bobcats, who won by five points with a final score of 104-99. Once again Stephen Jackson played well against the T'Wolves with 29 points, while the starters for Minnesota had a tough time generating offense, besides Kevin Love and his 26 points.

Finally a win would come in 2011 as the Timberwolves had time to rest up at home. The Portland Trailblazers were looking for revenge from their home loss a month ago, but would give up another one losing 89-101, putting their record against the T'Wolves at 0-2 with two more to play. The Timberwolves did not even play too well, with only three people in double-digits, although the scoring was fairly spread throughout the rotation.

The San Antonio Spurs, however, would put the Timberwolves in their place, first at home setting a dominate precedent for their next game two days later, 74-135, the T'Wolves largest margin of defeat yet this season. Four Spurs would have over 20 points, while DeJuan Blair played magnificent, scoring 20 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. He would completely shut down Kevin Love who played less minutes than usual scoring only 2 points with 3 rebounds, shooting 1-10 field goals on the night. There was a shot at revenge two days later, this time in Minneapolis, but again the Spurs had their number, winning 103-77, as K-Love continued to struggle with once again 2 points but at least 13 rebounds. This night Tim Duncan played hot scoring 30 points with nearly 10 rebounds, while Manu Ginobli had 29 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals to close out the victory.

Thankfully the Timberwolves could recover against a much weaker Washington Wizards team, compared to the first place Spurs. Michael Beasley's 26 points and Anthony Randolph's 14 points and 13 rebounds would lead the Timberwolves to their second win of the month, while holding John Wall to only 14 points (although he had 7 rebounds and 9 assists.) Two nights later on Saturday, Beasley would play great again, scoring 37 points, a new career high, but would play in a losing effort on the road against the Orlando Magic. The final score would be 126-105 in a game of minimal perimeter defense.

The routine continued for Timberwolves heading later in the month of January, as they were greeted with a road game in Portland against a Trailblazers team they have played well against all season. Things would be different this time, unfortunately, losing to Portland 88-105. LaMarcus Aldridge would go off with 27 points and 17 rebounds, while Minny had a rough night noted by Jonny Flynn's team leading 14 points. Surprisingly, the Timberwolves would rebound quickly, on the road in Los Angeles against the Clippers. Blake Griffin and Chris Kamen were the only Clippers in double-digits, as the latter finished with 35 points and 13 rebounds, while seven T'Wolves finished with double-digits led by Flynn's 30 points and 9 assists. This victory would prove to be a milestone for the season's Timberwolves team as it would put them one win ahead of what they would finish with last season, perhaps a testament to their improvement this season despite still remaining in the feeding pool of the Western Conference.

The final week of the month would be a long one with four games played, especially late into the weekend. The first would be another loss, this time to the traveling Houston Rockets, 113-106. It was a close game, but the Timberwolves were essentially playing catch-up the entire time while their big men struggled to gain any offensive momentum. Two days later would be a home game against their division leader, the Oklahoma City Thunder. And not surprisingly, the Thunder would dominate on the road with a 121-104 victory. Both Russell Westbrook and Jonny Flynn would go back and forth to finish with 30 points respectively, but the Thunder's overpowering bench and starting line-up would defeat the Timberwolves once again this season.

The two last games were back-to-backs, and would feature two Timberwolves victories, first on the road in Utah taking on the struggling Jazz. The 105-89 win would prove to be Minnesota's second win against the Jazz this season, while taking no losses so far. Kevin Love had his seemingly first big game in quite some time, scoring 20 with 17 rebounds; he would also play well at home in Toronto the finally day, finishing with a stat line of 20 points and 13 rebounds helping with a 73-90 win for the Timberwolves.

By the end of the month it was decided a few bigger changes were to be made. First was the decision to make rookie Wesley Johnson our sixth man while giving Martell Webster nothing more than a role playing position. Johnson is averaging 5.7 PPG and 1.9 RPG while playing only 11.6 minutes per game, while Webster somehow averages a lower PPG at 5.4, although has 3.6 RPG, which we believe could easily be snatched up by any of our other rebounders on the team. He plays about 23 minutes a game, and probably won't see a major decline in numbers, while Johnson were certainly have an increase and will most likely increase our team's total offensive points to an extent Webster never had. It remains to be seen how Webster will react to this news, especially since this is his first year on the team. We have a couple weeks before the trade deadline, although he probably isn't worth much more than someone of his caliber or a second-round pick.

Second, Darko Milicic has become extremely unhappy with his role as a Bench Warmer, and has averaged less than a few minutes per game. This brings us sadness because the front office likes what Milicic has to bring to the table and his recently grown "him against the world" style of play, as well as his team awareness and defensive stopping ability. He will most certainly be traded so the Timberwolves don't lose out on him with nothing in return. His minutes have been decreased while Nikola Pekovich, whom has impressed some recently, had been bumped up in minutes to give the Timberwolves depth in the post.

Prospect Scouting

The first prospect looked at in the new year was Fidel Guzman, a strong and athletic big man out of Argentina. Our top scout was considerably impressed with the pure skills of the power forward, and believes with enough time he will become a dominate player in the NBA. More time will probably be spent on this emotional player although the front office isn't too jumpy to pick up a big man this upcoming draft.

Next was a young 20-year old small forward in Reggie George who plays at Marquette. He is essentially their top scorer and is very impressive on defense as well standing at 6'8" and a major 223 lbs. However, the scout wasn't too impressed with his rebounding, but more time will probably be spent on his later in the season depending if we have the opportunity to land a mid-late 1st round pick. The other player was Benjamin McCarthy, as experienced shooting guard from Florida. He has great offensive nact and defensive ability, but there is probably a lack of potential for him to develop especially because he is already pretty talented and is 22 years old. He is also very fast and lengthy at 6'7" despite playing the two spot.

Two more shooting guard were checked out next week, in Rudolph McMillan from North Carolina State, and Pandazis Balidas a foreign guard from Greece. McMillan is scouted as better than Balidas, although his skills are pretty raw compared to other players in the draft, our scouts feel he has a great amount of potential to be honed and grown by our coaching staff. Unfortunately there is much pressure in Minnesota to start winning again soon, with the threat of even the franchise charter itself, so the thought of drafting a young guard who doesn't show Top 5 level of play and waiting years to develop him just isn't what the front office is looking for. His offense however, is great, while his defense is lacking in comparison to others in the draft. Balidas, despite having a really bad *** name, is even younger at the age of 19, and is just as raw. Plus, he doesn't face the level of ability and athleticism seen at the American college level, so there probably won't be much more interest in a player like Pandazis.

Finally more time was spent on two of the Top 5 prospects in this year's draft. For Dan Washington, the small forward from Penn State, our scouts are continually impressed, but feel it will take a little time for Washington to develop into an all-star, and he may not be one of the top small forwards in the league even if given the time to develop, marking his potential at a B. As for Egor Chugainov, the shooting guard out of Russia, he also has to take some time to develop, but our scout was considerably more impressed with Chugainov's play, and marked his potential with an A+. They say after a few years in the league Chugainov will be a guaranteed all-star, although many in the front office aren't so easy to swallow that guarantee.

Player Statistics - Through the Month of January
PG. Jonny Flynn (18.0 PPG; 6.9 APG; .449 FG%; 35.9 MPG)
SF. Michael Beasley (16.0 PPG; 6.4 RPG; .452 FG%; 29.2 MPG)
PF. Kevin Love (15.4 PPG; 11.2 RPG; .436 FG%; 33.7 MPG)
PF. Anthony Randolph (13.7 PPG; 7.6 RPG; 2.1 BPG; .437 FG%; 28.8 MPG)
SG. Wayne Ellington (7.8 PPG; .456 FG%; 24.9 MPG)
PG. Luke Ridnour (7.8 PPG; 3.3 APG; .447 FG%; 15.4 MPG)
SG. Wesley Johnson (5.9 PPG; 1.9 APG; .500 FG%; 11.6 MPG)
SF. Martell Webster (5.4 PPG; 3.6 RPG; .396 FG%; 23.7 MPG)
PG. Sebastian Telfair (3.9 PPG; 1.1 APG; .425 FG%; 11.6 MPG)
- Stats accumulated at a minimum of 10 minutes per game.

Western Conference Standings - Through the Month of December
1. San Antonio Spurs (32-15; .681%; -- GB)
2. Los Angeles Lakers (32-16; .667%; 0.5 GB)
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (30-17; .638%; 2.0 GB)
4. Golden State Warriors (29-18; .617%; 3.0 GB)
5. Dallas Mavericks (28-19; .596%; 4.0 GB)
6. Memphis Grizzlies (26-23; .531%; 7.0 GB)
7. Phoenix Suns (23-23; . 500%; 8.5 GB)
8. New Orleans Hornets (23-26; .469%; 10.0 GB)
---
13. Minnesota Timberwolves (18-29; .383%; 14.0 GB)
*BOLD denotes Northwest Division

League News for the Month of January
- Once again LeBron James brought home two POTW awards, while Derrick Rose, Stephen Jackson, and Deron Williams all had one of their own in that consecutive order during the middle of the month, as James grabbed his at the beginning and end. In the West, Kevin Durant, who did receive one POTW award, was outshined by two veterans, Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki, who each received two POTW's of their own.
- Things would remain the same for when it comes to Player of the Month, at least in the Eastern Conference. LeBron James grabbed his third in a row, while Dirk Nowitzki really shined in January, deserving of his first Player of the Month award for this season.
- Plenty of signings took place following the turn of the year. The Celtics picked up Jarvis Hayes on a one-year contract while the New Orleans Hornets improved their bench shooting, picking up Rashad McCants. The Bucks signed Mike Harris to a one-year deal, Juan Dixon received a contract for the rest of the season from the San Antonio Spurs, and Troy Murphy was re-signed again by the Indiana Pacers, giving him a one year, $2.91M contract.
- The middle of the month saw the Phoenix Suns trade Jerry Stackhouse and Hakim Warrick to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Rasual Butler and Brian Cook, a seemingly worthless trade when it comes down to it.
- The Suns would also pick up Antoine Wright on a one-year contract, while the Grizzlies signed Jake Robinson for the year.
- A more impactful trade was made a couple days after the first trade, as the Los Angeles Clippers were once again busy, this time with the Portland Trailblazers. The latter team would trade veteran shot blocker Marcus Camby and Sean Marks to the Clippers for Randy Foye and Ryan Gomes. This would certainly give the Clippers one of the best line-ups in the post as their roster also features Blake Griffin, Chris Kamen, and Hakim Warrick.
- Later, the Detroit Pistons would trade Tracy McGrady and their '11 Second-Round Pick to the Dallas Mavericks for Rodrigue Beaubois, an interesting trade on both sides of the ball.

Coach's Rotation - For the Month of December
PG. Jonny Flynn (37 min.) -2 [Starter]
SG. Wayne Ellington (23 min.) -- [Starter]
SF. Michael Beasley (36 min.) -- [Starter]
PF. Anthony Randolph (35 min.) -- [Starter]
C. Kevin Love (38 min.) -1 [Starter]
BENCH
SG. Wesley Johnson (23 min.) +12 [Sixth Man]
SF. Martell Webster (15 min.) -8 [Role Player]
PG. Luke Ridnour (12 min.) -1 [Role Player]
PG. Sebastian Telfair (10 min.) -- [Role Player]
C. Nikola Pekovic (7 min.) +7 [Bench Warmer]
PF. Anthony Tolliver (2 min.) -- [Bench Warmer]
C. Darko Milicic (2 min.) -2 [Bench Warmer]

[wolvesjr34]

You simming or playing? Because Webster should be killing it... lol Maybe I just like his release... he's money for me, and one of my best as my 6th man Great work keep it up. And don't be ashamed of being a Cavs fan, good on you for sticking by your team I say Least ya'll didn't have the worst record, that would Minnesota (my team) for ya lol

[mrawesome]

I'm loving the presentation and the reports your doing. Keep up the great job! I'll be following!