Howlin' T-Wolf

Wes,

Coming into the league as a 23-year old rookie, you were heralded as an “NBA-ready” prospect, but your rookie season was filled with lots of ups-and-downs. I guess that a rookie is still a rookie no matter how polished they are supposed to be, and, to be fair, you did show some flashes of promise. Then, you were handed a real point guard, and a Hall of Fame coach, and it seemed logical to expect you to build on the positives from your rookie season, while also getting away from the negatives as well.

“Supposed to”, were the keywords from that sentence I guess, as things didn’t go as expected…at all.  I still want to believe, but I’m quickly losing hope.

And here’s why.

Offensively, you went from an average player last season to an absolute liability this season. I’m not sure which metric to use to back that up with since your Usage Rate dropped as your Turnover Rate rose; your Offensive Rating fell 8 points from 101 to 93; and you were one of three players — Mike Beasley and Darko Milicic being the other two  – who finished the season with negative Offensive Win Shares, and wound up tied with Darko for last on the roster, overall.

I don’t like comparing you to Darko, Wes.

Many think your offensive issues could be psychological, which could be a better or worse case scenario. It’s as if you don’t trust your abilities, and play it safe instead of being an aggressive playmaker, which we’ve seen a couple of times (I think). Passing up open shots to dump it off to a teammate who’s double-teamed hurts the team, as does settling for jumpers when there is a higher percentage shot that is just a few dribbles away.

Maybe you don’t trust your ball-handling abilities, and that’s fine, we can all improve, but they won’t improve if you don’t dribble. Even then, you’re 6’7, and quick, which should enable you to take a quick dribble to get in the lane and get a better shot up. Although you’re not a great foul shooter, you need to get to the line more than 0.5 times per game. Heck, you were still last on the team in free throw attempts per 36 minutes (0.8 per game) by almost half a shot. 34 attempts in a season is not OK for a starter averaging 20-minutes per game. I know, the other team is sweaty, and it’s gross when they foul you because of that, but it won’t kill you, and ultimately wipes away.

To wrap this up on a somewhat positive note, your defense was average at best, but it was average at worst, too. By now, we may have figured out that guarding shooting guards isn’t your thing, as you gave up an Opp. PER/ 48 Minutes of 18.3, but just a respectable 15.0 against small forwards. In addition, your per 36 minute averages of around one block and one steal were nice to see. Still, if you can’t score on opposing perimeter players, your defense on them won’t matter as the team cannot continue to start a player that ultimately cost them wins on any end of the floor.

It’s foolish to dismiss a player after their rookie year, but adding that second season into the sample doesn’t offer much hope to extrapolate. It’s possible it’s not too late. I mean, most of us counted out Nikola Pekovic before the season, and he’s a couple of years older than you, so it is technically possible. I’m just not sure how likely that is anymore. I want to be wrong here, I really do. All I know is that it’s beginning to be too much to bear watching you struggle night in and night out. I know you didn’t choose to be the #4 overall pick a couple years back, but you were, whether or not you like it.

- Wes Johnson at Basketball-Reference

- Wes Johnson at 82 Games

Ricky got second in the ROY race, without the help of homers.

As expected, Kyrie Irving won the Rookie of the Year award. The only competition he faced was James Harden’s Sixth Man of the Year, a tight race for “which award will be more of a blow out?” Irving was fantastic all season, averaging 21.8 points and 6.4 assists per 36 minutes, but he was also clutch when the Cavaliers were in a tight game. In the last five minutes of a game with a margin of five points or less, Irving shot 54% from the field, and a stunning 67% from three point range. Congrats to Kyrie for a well-deserved honor.

Ricky Rubio finished second in the voting, despite missing every game after March 9 with an ACL tear. Here’s a chart, from ESPN.com, with the totals.

Pardon me for a second, while I have a word with the voters. *ahem* “Would everyone who gave a first place vote to Faried, Leonard, and Shumpert step up to the podium for a minute please? Thank you.” *SMACK SLAP SMACK SMACK SLAP*

Look, I love Kenneth Faried as much as the next guy. His jersey is prominently featured on my list of things I’d like for my birthday (because we always need pick-up ball attire). He has alternately thrilled and impressed me with his high-flying play and his constant passion and energy. But in no way could you make a statistical case that he deserves the rookie of the year award. Picking him was a total homer move, one that discredits his finish in voting. The same goes for Kawhi Leonard, and as for Iman Shumpert, I just…I don’t…ugh.

I know I’m making a big deal out of something fairly trivial. The right guy won (in a landslide, I’m happy to say), the right guy got second, and the right guy got third (I think Isaiah Thomas should have finished fourth, but that’s neither here nor there). I’m just happy that Rubio got second without the help of some local sportswriter who saw ninety percent of his games and ten percent of Kyrie Irving’s giving Ricky a first place vote.

Oh, Michael, the good times we had...

Mr. Beazzz,

Upon your arrival in Minneapolis just two years ago, I couldn’t be more precise in saying how excited I, no, everyone was for you to grace our presence. A second overall pick practically given to us from the basketball gods seemed like just the thing to turn our misfortune and dismay around that the post KG era left us drowning in. Right off the bat you seemed to gel seamlessly into Rambis’ star-less offense and took on the bulk of the scoring. Alongside Kevin Love, you two seemed to unite a formidable duo that would ravage the West’s best for years to come. Love would throw two-handed, full court alley-oops to you as you ripped them through the net with such force and vengeance. Your defense was as impenetrable as the Great Wall of China. You finally turned into the superstar the NBA thought you’d become, lifting yourself to all-new heights, far above and beyond anything your childhood friend Kevin Durant has been able to accomplish in that two year span.

(Yawwwwwwwwwn…..) Was I just dreaming?

I apologize if the blurb above offended you in any way but it’s what we all expected from you, Michael. The pressures and expectations of the NBA officially proved to be too much to handle, while you tried to do your best to shape up your attitude and mature a little bit. And while we did see some great strides in your maturity in the last two years, I’m just not so sure that you’re the right person for this team right now.

The biggest reason for us letting you go has nothing to do with your performance over the last two years. We understand the player that you are and the things you can do on the court. Your offense is your blood, your baby, and it’s becoming more versatile as your grow. You are a serious threat to beat your man off the dribble and take it to the hoop for that patented floating jumper. But where you grew as an offensive juggernaut is the improvement on your deep 2’s and 3’s. From last year to this season, your three-point shooting definitely improved, and so did your shot selection on the perimeter.

You might not understand because your stats don’t agree but you really did make vast improvements this season. And you may also not understand why coach Adelman put you in the sixth man spot but it was what was best for the team. Honestly, having your scoring prowess to call on from the bench was a blessing in disguise while you were healthy. This very well could be your role in the NBA from here on out, so be ready to be placed into that spot on another team in the near future.

But, unfortunately, your role on this team is no more. We truly appreciate everything you’ve given us these past two years, but your price tag is too steep for what you actually offer this current roster and coach Adelman. It’s just not going to work out. So we bid you adieu and good luck finding a new home.

Rubio's season finished with unfulfilled promise, through no fault of his own.

Ricky,

Everything started off so well. We watched you take the NBA by storm, gasping at your no-look passes and your pin-point alleyoops that dominated SportsCenter Top 10 reels. We overreacted to your early shooting numbers, then quietly accepted your inevitable regression to the mean. We watched with baited breath as you and Kevin Love led the Wolves into the playoff hunt, wondering if this turnaround was too good to be true. Then we groaned, held our heads in our hands, and cursed the Basketball Gods who deemed you ripe for the harvest of knee injuries that swept through the NBA like a plague of locusts. Those gods are merciless deities.

Anyway.

Your performance this season surpassed expectations. Many basketball thinkers were skeptical of your abilities, after several lackluster seasons coming off the bench in Spain. Though your court vision could be seen in YouTube videos, people worried about your athleticism among some of the most impressive athletes in the world. They also thought your mediocre shooting range wouldn’t allow you to translate to the NBA.

Often, observers get so caught up on narrative, on watching stories repeat themselves, that they fail to remember that the best stories introduce entirely new characters from time to time. This season, you were that new character. We didn’t expect you to be a good defender because you aren’t particularly fast, but you proved us wrong because you move your feet well and you have very long arms. Critics expected you to be an offensive liability because you couldn’t shoot, but you shot 48% from the corner 3 (a popular spot for point guards to shoot from), and you rarely took shots you couldn’t hit. You were something we hadn’t really seen before: a flashy point guard who was a star without a ton of explosiveness and jump-shooting range.

But then March 9 came around and reminded us all that good things never last long, and they never even last short for the Timberwolves. I won’t waste time discussing your knee injury. It was an unavoidable injury, and we were all crushed to see you go down. We all hope you are recovering well. The only thing we can do at this point is wish you the best and move forward.

As you recover, it’s important for Minnesota’s fans to remember that your game isn’t built on explosive athleticism. Rather, you see angles others don’t and you make the game fun for everybody else. You have an incredibly high natural basketbal IQ. I’m happy to report that an ACL injury, though painful and horrible, doesn’t take that away from you.

Despite your overall brilliance, there are areas you could improve. Like most rookie point guards, your turnovers could go down. 8.6/3.4 is a really impressive assist to turnover ratio for a young guard like yourself, but that’s an area of your game that could use some work.

Where we’d really like to see some improvement, however, is in your mid-range jumpshooting game. You proved throughout the season that you were deadly in the pick and roll, not just because of your court vision, but because your court vision also made defenders afraid to help when you drove to the basket, for fear you’d make a highlight pass to a teammate. You got a lot of layups off plays like that, but imagine how deadly you could become if you improved your midrange jumpshot. At the moment, you shoot 33% on shots inside the arc. That can improve significantly, and it’s something that you could work on during your rehab. The ability to pull up and knock down jumpers would turn you into an even more potent offensive weapon.

More than anything though, Ricky, we really want to see you back out on the court as soon as possible. We miss your slick passing, your enthusiasm, the joy you bring to your team. We miss your floppy hair, your long eyelashes, and…

You know what? We’re going to stop before this gets creepy.

It’s come to my attention that Anthony Randolph has been an under-discussed topic here on Howlin’ T-Wolf. I guess this is why I crossed paths with Jonah and Tom. I mean, during my time at 612 Sports, I wrote several (The over/under is at 10.5) pieces on Randoloph, and thousands upon thousands of words on him. And that’s all topped off by a couple hundred tweets on the subject, too. Why? Fans were always interested him, and I found him quite fascinating, personally.

Now that Randolph is likely gone, and it’s time to reflect on the experiment, we realize that it cannot be summed up in one or two paragraphs properly. Nope, I’m going to add 1k to my Randolph word count and there is nothing you or anyone can do about it. Anyway, there have been many stages we have all gone through before and after we have acquired him.

Stage 1: Intrigue and Desire

“OMG, look at how athletic he is!” “Wow! He can dunk!” “I can’t believe he doesn’t play more than he does!” Does any of this sound familiar? Be honest. I’ll admit it; I went through stage one myself at one point.  After all, watch this video and tell me that you wouldn’t have had your interest piqued a couple of years ago.

Obviously, this was before he was first traded from Golden State to New York and had yet to realize there was a reason he could barely crack the rotation of several lottery teams, and it wasn’t all Don Nelson’s fault. This was our first taste of the Anthony Randolph Kool-Aid, and quickly guzzled down the first glass while flagging down our waitress for a refill.

Stage 2: Rationalization and Justification

At this point we began seeking out Warriors games just to get a glimpse of Randolph in action, and dreaming in above the rim highlight videos. However, we first realized that he’s not a strong shooter, he might be undersized, his ball handling is overrated, makes poor decisions, and couldn’t be trusted to guard your lawn chairs at a music festival, nevertheless NBA centers. Oh yeah, and Anthony Randolph face.

Did that put us off? No! Did that diminish our interest? Never! Did we stop for one second to wonder if we were valuing physical traits over actual skill? Of course not!

Instead of thinking logically we said things like, “He doesn’t play enough!”, “Look at his PER and Per 36 minutes numbers!”, and “He just needs the right coach!”. At this point, we were asking the waitress to just leave the pitcher of Anthony Randolph Kool-Aid at the table so she didn’t have to keep returning every 5-minutes.

Stage 3: Anger and Just a Hint of Delusion

This is a fun time to look back on, after Randolph was a throw-in in the David Lee sign-and-trade, and we thought that the Knicks just got away with murder by stealing all of that untapped potential. And we were mad! It was Kahn’s fault for not doing enough, and even some fans would’ve been willing to give up Love and mid-1^st to get him.

Now, we were gonna watch Randolph thrive in Mike D’Antoni’s system, and have to lament what could’ve been. I mean, had they had AR at the start of the season there is no way the Wolves finish with the league’s worst record.

At this point, we had all ordered our own pitchers, and binging on the Randolph Kool-Aid as the waitress chides us that we’ve had enough. Still, as long as Kahn was interested, we were gonna sit at that table and drink away.

Stage 4: Jubilation and More Delusion

“Wow, Corey Brewer was all it took to acquire Anthony Randolph! What a steal!” At the time, this wasn’t so ridiculous, because the Wolves had just declined his option for the next season, and would not be back. Now, Anthony Randolph – a player who we had suspicions of having a low basketball I.Q. – was going to learn a very intricate offense in less than half of a season, and reveal Kahn and Rambis as geniuses.

Finally, Randolph was about to blossom as he saw his first consistent minutes since leaving LSU, and we were all going to be witnesses. Well, we were witnesses; nobody told us that would be to a grisly murder or a horrific car wreck and not the second-coming of Hakeem Olajuwon.

In all of our excitement, we tipped over our Anthony Randolph Kool-Aid and the waitress has now begun to mutter profanities under her breath while giving us a dirty look. Everything is just peachy at this point.

Stage 5: Realization of the Dream

Randolph started of rusty, but posted a couple of double-doubles in garbage time, and even had one exceptional game late in the season. We thought he was finally getting it, and I even wondered aloud at the time if the Wolves should just start Darko for the last dozen meaningless games of that season. In this stage, we were hoping all of the warts on his game would magically disappear and the consistency would come. After all, he hadn’t played that much.

After cleaning up our mess, our waitress returns with new pitchers of Kool-Aid with an unexpected and surprising grin on her face…

Stage 6: Dreaming is Stupid

Fast forward to the beginning of the 2011-’12 season and many of us begun to get sick from all of the Kool-Aid we had been drinking for three straight years. We realized that he wasn’t just raw, but that he wasn’t actually very good, and there was a reason that three previous coaches and now Rick Adelman couldn’t find a use for him.

When he wasn’t getting ragdolled on the defensive end by bigger players, he was aborting basic pick-and-roll sets with his poor screen setting skills, making questionable turnovers, and showcasing a very poor shot selection. You might think that a 3 year veteran would have developed some post moves, but his moves were still very basic, and had no counter moves to go with. And most times, he appeared to be guessing what to do and hoping for the best on both ends. Worse yet, he appeared disengaged, and generally out of it more times than not. Here’s the fascinating thing: His confidence changed almost by the quarter.

Maybe this is why he’s frustrated coaches, GM’s and scouts for years.

By now, we realized that we had not only drank way too much Kool-Aid, but that the waitress had sneezed in our drinks, and weren’t feeling the greatest. You know what? We deserved it.

Stage 7: Ready to Move On

A year and a half of watching Randolph has been plenty for most of us. By now, we get the idea of who he is, and isn’t; there are a lot more things in the “isn’t” category, let me tell you. Mercifully, this is the last year of his deal and the Timberwolves did not pick up his option for next season! That’s the good news.

The Randolph experience was good for us, though. We learned that it’s foolish to ignore actual basketball skill in favor of elite physical tools, and that stats, even the advanced ones, can be deceiving if you don’t watch the games, too. Maybe we’ve even learned that if four professional coaches in three years can’t make anything out of a player who was taken in the mid-1^st round, that maybe it’s just not meant to be. Yes, there are exceptions, but more times than not, these cases end up as rules.

And no more Kool-Aid, please.

Where in the world is Nikola Pekovic's Most Improved Player award?

I started writing this post by copying down some numbers from Ryan Anderson and Nikola Pekovic’s Basketball Reference pages. As I was writing down Anderson’s, I started noticing a huge jump in some of the numbers. Had I been wrong in thinking that Anderson didn’t deserve to win the Most Improved Player award? Could I have over-estimated Pek’s improvement? His PER had taken an unheard of leap forward. His total rebounds per 36 minutes had gone up by two entire rebounds. His personal fouls had gone from an obscene 7.3 per 36 minutes to a much more manageable…wait…

I had the wrong tab open. I was looking at Nikola Pekovic’s numbers. Whoops. This needs to be argued.

Apparently, the MIP voting went Ryan Anderson, Ersan Ilyasova, then Pek. Here are some numbers, again via Basketball Reference, for Ryan Anderson (numbers from last year, this year, and the difference between the two):

For those of you who are too lazy to read a chart (I don’t REALLY blame you), I’ll break it down: Anderson’s field goal percentage went up a minuscule amount, while his shots per game (not listed), went up drastically. While his rebounds per game climbed, his pace-adjusted rebounding numbers (TRB per 36) actually went down a little bit. His PER did climb, although not substantially.

A fairly good argument could be made that Ryan Anderson didn’t improve, his minutes just went up.

Now a look at Ersa Ilyasova’s numbers:

Ilyasova improved drastically this season, considerably more than Anderson in every single statistical category listed here. The biggest jump we saw in Ilyasova’s numbers, per the NBA Stats Cube, were from Ilyasova’s three pointers from “above the break”, or any three pointer that wasn’t from the corner. Ilyasova’s percentage from those shots went up an incredible 19%, from 27%-46%. It’s not even like Ersan stopped taking the shots…he only took 10 fewer this season.

So Ilyasova’s numbers took a huge jump. But not as huge a jump as Pek’s. The problem with using pace-adjusted statistics to measure Pekovic’s growth is that he played decently well in 2011 when he was able to stay out of foul trouble, which was never. He couldn’t stay on the court long enough to make any kind of significant impact, committing an absurd 7.3 fouls per 36 minutes. So here are his non-pace adjusted statistics:

Like Anderson, an opponent of Pek’s MIP campaign could make the case that Pekovic’s numbers only went up because his minutes went up. I disagree, and I would point to Pek’s PER as evidence. I mean, are you SEEING that jump? He went up DOUBLE DIGITS in his Player Efficiency Rating. That’s insane. Not only that, but getting more minutes constitutes improvement for Pek. He cut down his fouls considerably, which showed a huge improvement on the defensive end. Pek even managed to improve his rebounding this season from a pace-adjusted standpoint, which is a feat playing next to a rebound vacuum like Kevin Love.

These numbers speak for themselves pretty well. While Anderson undeniably improved his game, especially from a confidence standpoint, there is literally no statistical argument that makes him the Most Improved Player this year. If you want to make the argument that a player should be credited for improving his game from a pace-adjusted angle, Ilyasova is your MIP. If not, the incredible jump in PER and overall relevance of Nikola Pekovic should help you decide.

I’m annoyed that the MIP voters couldn’t get this one right. “Improvement” is much, much easier to measure statistically than the “Valuable” in MVP. It’s simple subtraction, take this year minus last year, and the biggest difference is the highest improvement. Am I missing something here? Seriously, I’m asking. I want to know if I am.

Of course I have a vested cheering interest. Of course I wanted to see Pekovic win. But the numbers point pretty clearly in my favor.

Minnesota’s off-season began less than a week ago, so naturally we can commence our complaints about David Kahn’s roster decisions and indecisions.

Apparently, David Kahn passed on a Martell Webster/Andre Iguodala deal last year around the draft.

According to two of the best Timberwolves beat writers, Jerry Zgoda and Jon Krawczynski, Kahn turned down Philadelphia on a draft day deal last year that would have sent Martell Webster to the Sixers and brought Andre Iguodala to the Wolves.

From Zgoda’s end of the year chat:

Somebody told me they could have had Iggy for Martell [Webster] basically on draft day last year but refused to accept Iggy’s $45M left on his contract.

Yes, you read that right. It’s possible that the Wolves could have trotted out Kevin Love, Nikola Pekovic, Ricky Rubio and Andre Iguodala THIS YEAR. It’s hard to imagine why Philadelphia would want to make the deal for just Webster, but it’s possible, since this was around draft day, that Minnesota was offering a draft pick as well.

If these reports are true, David Kahn made yet another terrible decision. Before Rubio went down, the only thing truly holding Minnesota back from solid playoff contention was their perimeter play. Andre Iguodala is a very good player from both the shooting guard and small forward position, and he is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. He fits the biggest hole on Minnesota’s roster and apparently, he could have been ours for just the small price of Martell Webster.

Zgoda points out a little later in his response that Kahn might reconsider trading for Iguodala now that his contract is a more manageable two year deal, but that’s hardly the point. The point is that David Kahn apparently had a real opportunity to make the Wolves a considerably more dangerous team this year, and he passed on it.

I’m proud to introduce to you all Derek James. He is the newest writer onboard the HTW team, and I couldn’t be happier to have him join us. Here is his first piece on the Timberwolves season that was 2011-2012. Enjoy! – Jonah Steinmeyer

I’ll admit it: I was skeptical about this team coming into the season. After all, why not after all of the things that we’ve been through, up to, but not limited to, failed coaching hires, disastrous lottery picks, and a mountain of losses over the last seven years or so. You could even say my attitude, like others’, bordered on cynicism. Considering the arduous and trying nature of the past two seasons, it was hard to blame anyone for feeling like the Timberwolves had something to prove.

Facing a condensed schedule that offered little time for practice to integrate a new coach’s system, a rookie point guard coming from Spain to the United States, and a team still in the player development business as the league’s second-youngest team, it seemed unlikely they would be able to contend for the playoffs in a loaded Western Conference this season. After that, you had to wonder who would play center, could Kevin Love carry this team when they need it most, and could they get consistent play out of the perimeter players. Ultimately, how did we know that this season would not end up filled with false hope, and inevitable disappointment?

Well, we didn’t, and we have nothing to be disappointed about. For once we have hope, and this time it’s founded, because we’ve finally seen it.

Yes, it’s true. Next season, we won’t have to go into next season being sold on the likes of Ryan Hollins, Darko Milicics, Anthony Randolphs, or Michael Beasleys of the NBA. No more trendy offenses and miscast players expected to do well outside of their capabilities, either.

Now, we know what Ricky Rubio brings to this team. We’ve seen Kevin Love continue (somehow) to grow as a player to exceed even his most loyal supporters’ expectations. You could even liken Nikola Pekovic’s growth from last year to present to finding a $20 bill in your coat from last winter. Finally, we have the proper coach in place to cultivate the development of this roster even further.

To someone who grew up watching the rise and fall of the Garnett era, the empty arena days of the Al Jefferson era, it’s a true pleasure to witness the rise of the Kevin Love era. Really, it’s like an old childhood friend coming back into your life after years apart. I’ve always maintained that there is nothing like the Target Center when they’re behind their team, and I couldn’t be happier to have those days back. Even after Rubio went down and the season was lost, fans continued to pack the arena to near-sellout levels.

Looking past the turnstiles and concrete walls of Target Center, Timberwolves merchandise is “in” again, and became readily available in many places for the first time since before Garnett left. That means current Timberwolves gear. This also means less blue #21 jerseys that people have been wearing for fifteen years, and fewer green #5 Celtics jerseys. Yep, now is the time to get your Love and Rubio jerseys and shirseys. Well, except for those of us who’ve been ridiculed for the past seven years or so for wearing Wolves gear, because we’ve already had ours for awhile now, that is.

Perhaps you noticed one other thing different in regards to the attitude of the people of Minnesota towards the Timberwolves. For instance, in past years, it may have been wise to lie and say that you were going to go downtown to, say, buy drugs instead of admitting to going to a game to simply avoid the persecution. Fast forward to this winter, and that same person would probably be badgered by requests to let them go with. And why shouldn’t it be that way? This was one of the most fun Timberwolves teams I have seen from December to early February.

It can stay this way, too. Take into consideration JJ Barea’s comments after the Wolves blew a 20-point lead Sunday night against the Warriors. If you missed them, he didn’t named names, but he called out the guys in the lockerroom for not caring enough about winning, leading to Beasley, Pekovic, and Anthony Tolliver refuting the notion that some guys don’t care. But it’s kind of hard to argue otherwise when we see the body languages of an Anthony Randolph, or players-who-shall-remain-nameless being disengaged from a huddle during time out (Not to name names specifically, but their name rhymes with “Less Blonde-fun”.)

And perhaps best yet, Rick Adelman stood behind his point guard and talked about changing the losing culture, and not being content with the status quo. To be honest, I’m just fine with Barea’s comments. Clearly, players were too comfortable and accepted things the way they were, and if Barea’s comments can make them uncomfortable enough to change, I’m all for it. One thing I’ve learned in my time coaching and working with young teams is that, from top-to-bottom, you have to make everyone regardless of talent level accountable. Everyone has to buy in – regardless of talent level — and do their part to ensure team success. Sure, it begins with the coach, but if the message doesn’t trickle down to the players, what’s the point? We know there are players on this team who do care that also happen to be the better players on the team, and even lesser players that do. It’s not difficult to imagine those who don’t care not having their days in Minneapolis numbered.

Even though the past couple of months have felt rather onerous at times, we can look forward to next season knowing that better things are in store. I’m talking about things like playoffs, a whole new generation of fans that have yet to witness this team thrive, and longtime season ticket holders being rewarded for sticking it out through all of the misery of the last three-quarters of a decade. This time, we know that the hard times aren’t here to stay. Finally, and perhaps the best part, this is just the beginning.

Big Al's big game ensured Minnesota a draft pick. We are sure that was foremost on his mind.

For the first time since he was traded in 2009, Big Al came up huge for the Timberwolves.

Jefferson scored 18 points, including several dagger-licious baskets down the stretch of Tuesday night’s pivotal game against the Suns as Utah clinched the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. It will be Jefferson’s first playoff appearance since his rookie season with the Boston Celtics.

Good for Big Al and all players involved, but quite frankly, we here at Howlin’ T-Wolf have bigger things to discuss than the Spurs’ first round warm-up opponent. By making the playoffs, Utah ensured that the Timberwolves will have a first round draft pick. Utah owes Minnesota a Top 14 protected pick, but since the first 14 teams who pick will be lottery teams, the Wolves are assured a mid-first round selection.

Whether or not that pick will be truly useful is debatable (and believe me, it will be debated), but by picking up a back-up power forward in the draft, the Wolves may be able to deal a more promising piece (read: Derrick Williams) in exchange for a quality wing player.

But that’s a different discussion for a future post. Much more analysis on who might be available and who the Timberwolves may pick up will be coming later. For now, enjoy the fact that this disappointing season isn’t a total loss.

Kevin Love is a rare talent, one that fans should make sure they appreciate.

In case you missed it, Kevin Love is done for the season, as the Wolves wisely decided not to bring back their franchise superstar for the final meaningless games of a disappointing season.

From the Pioneer Press:

Kevin Love has done more than his share of work for the Timberwolves this season, so the club decided to give him the final two games off.

Why not? The Wolves were eliminated from playoff contention in the Western Conference two weeks ago.

Why not indeed. A disappointing end to 2011-2012 for Kevin Love, to be sure. Once, when the Wolves were contending for the 8th spot in the playoffs, Love was a darkhorse candidate for MVP. Now his season ends in the ignominy of another losing season.

But rather than dwelling on these depressing thoughts, let’s remember some of Kevin Love’s highlights this year.

• With Dwight Howard out for the season as well, Love has clinched his second consecutive double double title, achieving double digit points and rebounds in 48 of his 55 games.
• Love scored 30+ points 18 times this season, including two 40+ games and one memorable 51 point output against the Thunder.
• In fact, let’s talk about that Thunder game. Love single-handedly dueled Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, taking the Thunder to two overtimes before succumbing. Love’s ridiculous point totals were made more ridiculous by his efficiency shooting the ball (51 points on just 27 shots) and his 14 rebounds.
• Love kept the Wolves competitive and vaguely on the edge of the playoff race for several weeks after Rubio went down, putting the team on his back night after night to keep them afloat.
• Appearing in his second consecutive All-Star game, Love showed that he belonged this year, scoring 12 points and grabbing seven rebounds in just 18 minutes of play.
• Love successfully pulled off three different facial hairstyles in one season, the manly lumberjack, the creeper-stache, and whatever weird Jersey Shore business is going on here. Quite the collection on snapshots.
• His points per 36 minutes skyrocketed by four from last season as Love re-invented himself as a dominant scorer.

Despite a disappointing season, Love is a bright-spot Minnesota can continue to look to as next season approaches. He’s 23 years old and undeniably one of the top 10 players in the NBA.

If you haven’t already, make sure to take a moment as a Timberwolves fan and appreciate the fact that a marquee player like Love plays for this franchise. Largely thanks to him, things are finally starting to look up.