The current Minnesota Timberwolves logo (2008-present) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
As the recent NBA All Star Weekend in Toronto showed, Wiggins, Towns and Zach LaVine impressed enough souls around the league to convince them that all is not lost in the American North. What's holding the Wolves back is not just the strength of the Western Conference (though the dominance of the defending league champion Golden State Warriors is an exception), but also the questions surrounding the supporting cast.
Ricky Rubio is a good NBA player, but hasn't been the same since a serious knee injury took him down a few years ago. Kevin Martin doesn't seem to be the answer either, though the Wolves tried and failed to move him before the trade deadline. And Kevin Garnett is just biding his time before announcing his retirement.
In the months since the death of Phil "Flip" Saunders, this season has been more or less an audition for interim coach Sam Mitchell. With the record the Wolves have this season compared to last, anything could be considered an improvement. But there are the rumors that owner Glen Taylor would toss aside Mitchell and general manager Milt Newton in favor of a bigger name who would love the challenge of turning the Wolves into a legitimate winner, which would be a far cry from when Saunders took the coaching job for the second time when no one else wanted it. Or if Garnett and his teammates have anything to say about it. Mitchell would be the permanent coach.
For the rest of the season, the audition continues. Will Towns and Wiggins improve enough to start becoming leaders? Do the Wolves have the pieces to at least be a .500 team, or do they need more pieces that fit? How much longer can Rubio justify his presence? Is Mitchell really the right coach? And how much longer will it be before the Timberwolves and the NBA are relevant again in Minnesota?