Stats Explanation, Western Conference Overview

Minnesota Timberwolves

Coach: Randy Wittman
2006-2007 Record: 32-50
06-07 Expected Record: 30-52
Offensive Rating: 103.7 (25th in NBA, league average 106.5)
Defensive Rating: 108.1 (21st in NBA, league average 106.5)
eFG%: 49.0% (20th in NBA)
Possessions per 48: 91.1 (17th in NBA)

Roster
(You'll have to scroll to see it all. Red indicates new player, blue indicates rookie)

I like Randy Foye a lot, but I'm not sure if you want him as your point guard of the future. He's much more suited to the 2-guard spot. He can play point, but I think they'll want to pick someone else up to be their point of the future. Depending on how Gerald Green develops, Foye might end up being a great backup combo guard. He's a good shooter and was a very good slasher in college.

Al Jefferson is a stud. He had a real breakout year last year and established himself as one of the premier young posts in the game. A lot of people missed it because the Celts were so bad last year, but Jefferson really came into his own as a post scorer and rebounder, and he logged big minutes for the first time in his career. Now, I don't think he's going to be a perennial first team all-NBA like I think Dwight Howard will be, but he's going to be a perennial All-Star for years to come.

Ricky Davis once shot at his own basket in an attempt to get a triple-double. There is no way in any universe I would ever want him on my team. Ever.

You know, every year the same thing happens in the draft. A guy like Craig Smith would've gone in the top 15 if he'd been 2 inches taller, and instead he was a second round pick. I will never understand this. Smith is enormously strong, has long arms, has a great nose for the ball and great touch inside. He's gonna be a great role player at the PF spot for years. (btw, guys who qualify for this status this year include Glen Davis and Taurean Green)

Rashad McCants might make a decent backup shooting guard, but he's not a very smart ballplayer and is too streaky to be a reliable starter.

I'm not a believer in Bassy. The track record for 6 foot guards who can't shoot is, shall we say, not too good.

This rookie crop has the potential to be very good in time, but I think they'll struggle this year. Brewer has all the tools to be an all-star player, he can shoot, he can drive, he's a great defender, and he's a very instinctive player. However, I think he's gonna struggle thisyear since he's going from a dominating college team to a really bad NBA team, and because he might weigh as much as me if he's dripping wet. Once he bulks up a bit and polishes his game though, watch out. As for Richards, we don't really know all that much about him. He could very easily turn out to be a second round steal as a highly talented guy who got stuck behind 2 really good posts in college.

X-Factor: Gerald Green - Green has loads of talent and athletic ability, but last year he was, to put it lightly, not very good. Heading into his 3rd season this year on a team that is going to give him ample chance to succeed, this could be a make or break year for Green. He's a good shooter, but he needs to improve his shot selection and add some strength so that he can improve at finishing through contact in the lane. He's not going to suddenly become a great defender or passer next year, but I think he could make a big improvement in his scoring.

Overview

Really, there's not a lot of good looking at last season for the Wolves, cause they're almost a completely different team now. After a second season of being really bad, Kevin McHale finally made the move to part with KG and rebuild, though he waited too long to do so and had to take a pretty mediocre package in return. So, the KG era came to a close in Minnesota after 12 mostly frustrating seasons for the Hall of Fame forward, and the Wolves enter a new chapter of rebuilding.

Prediction

The Wolves were 21st in the league in defense last year with one of the greatest defensive players of the last decade playing for them. Lets just say that they might not exactly be the Steel Curtain this year. Really, there are a ton of holes in this roster, even with all the young talent. They need to find someone who can run the point, and they really need to find a post player who can play defense. This year will be all about letting the young guys develop and chalking up a high lottery pick to hopefully address one of those two spots. After years of seeing one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, Minnesota fans are going to have to be content with flashes of brilliance mixed into lots of inconsistency and mistakes. If Green establishes himself and Jefferson continues to improve, I think it's a good year for the Wolves.

14th in the West - The Hopeless Ones