Howlin' T-Wolf

After a season that demoralized any sense of a fan base they had, the Timberwolves will undergo major surgery this offseason. Because, frankly, if there is another season like this one next year, heads will go flying and the Wolves franchise could be in doom with no way out for years to come.

With the offseason right under our noses, David Kahn and Glen Taylor have their work cut out for them, as a long summer of decision-making will soon consume their lives. If there was anything we learned this season it was that this current roster cannot work together and major reconstruction will need to be done to rearrange the current setting. Kahn and Taylor are just the right guys to put in charge of this critical surgery.

Kahn is not stupid. He understands this. He heard the cries from around Timberwolves-territory yelping for a product that is actually somewhat entertaining to watch. My bold prediction is that he will answer those prayers… But not until 2011 that is.

Kahn has stressed time and time again that the European league’s pony boy Ricky Rubio will play for the Timberwolves in the fall of 2011. He’s stressed it enough to the point where I honestly believe that Rubio will be in a Timberwolves uniform one day – I couldn’t say that six months ago for sure. But how can Kahn promise that things will improve for next season when the Timberwolves’ savior won’t be here for another year?

The simple answer, he can’t.

But Kahn has enough tricks up his sleeve to make this team into a contender by the time Rubio makes the journey overseas to the cold, frozen tundra of Minnesota. Trades, free-agent signees and the draft will all play a part in improving this team for the 2010-2011 season but all moves need to be done with keeping a conscious mind open about who will gel nicely with Rubio and who won’t.

Ricky Rubio: The Prodigy:

Many analysts have compared Rubio to the likes of Steve Nash and Jason Kidd. Both are valid comparisons in my opinion. Rubio has an uncanny repertoire of skills matched by very few in the world. His ability to run an offense as a true point guard matched with his impressive passing skills allow him to make some of the most difficult plays look as easy as can be. He finds players on the move and hits spots on the floor before a player is even there by using telekinesis powers. Not really but it sure seems that way. His shooting doesn’t resemble the always-efficient Steve Nash but he’s improving especially from beyond the arc, which will be important when balancing the floor on offense in half-court sets. Craftiness is his middle name and flashy is the way of his game. His advanced ball-handling skills allow him to be crafty which always disturbs the defense whether he’s penetrating or drawing up a secret play to get a teammate wide-open for an easy bucket.

Listen, I could go on and on but you all get the picture. If he matures properly and comes over as the real deal, it would be just as special and exciting as anyone you know hitting the lottery and winning a million bucks.

Now, if he actually comes over, how is Kahn going to build a team around Rubio that will complement his skills? Well, let’s take a flashback to the prime years of Nash and Kidd and see what worked for those two and take it from there.

The Facts:

Starting with Nash, his best years were with his second stint with the Suns. Phoenix has been known as one of the league’s most up-tempo teams on offense due to Nash’s ability to push the ball up the floor. Even to the days of former coach Mike D’Antoni, Nash has been the catalyst to a fast reacting offense that is ready to explode at any second during a game and go on a 10-0 run. So in order to capture Nash’s abilities, Phoenix has always responded by surrounding Nash with quicker, more athletic players who have a knack for offense. Guys like Shawn Marion and Jason Richardson have given Nash great wing-play. Both guys have strong frames and can get inside but also do a good job of waiting along the perimeter for Nash to penetrate, attract attention and then kick it out for a wide-open jumper from the outside. Phoenix has also had big yet athletic forwards down below. Amar’e Stoudemire is the clear-cut choice as one of the most athletic and dominating power forwards in the NBA today. His combination of strength and explosiveness give Nash a scapegoat for when he gets caught up in the paint after a dribble drive. Stoudemire is also the prototype forward for running a pick-n-roll given his athletic abilities and raw strength when attacking the basket after setting a sturdy pick, giving Nash a brick wall to go around.

As for Kidd, he has been more of an all-around point guard with more skill on the defensive side of the ball than Nash. His entire career, Kidd has found a way to score in double digits in 15 seasons, average 9.2 assists for his career and rip down 6.7 boards a game in 17 seasons of work, thus proving his polished all-around game. Kidd’s best years in the NBA were arguably the seven seasons he spent with the New Jersey Nets. In 2001-2002, Kidd finished second in the MVP voting behind Tim Duncan and turned the Nets around into championship contenders after being the NBA’s doormat for so many years. In his time at New Jersey, great talent surrounded Kidd, just like Nash. He had guys like Vince Carter, Kerry Kittles and Richard Jefferson on the wing. He also had Kenyon Martin and, even for one year, Keith Van Horn underneath the hoop. Carter and Kittles provided that outside jump shooting touch that Kidd relied on when he needed help and had to kick it outside. Martin was a hybrid power forward that was tough to defend – and score against — in his prime. And even Keith Van Horn was a solid option underneath as well as outside from beyond the arc.

Now, if you’re not catching on quite yet, let me break it down for you. Some pretty similar talent – wing players that can shoot from outside as well as dribble-drive and strong forwards that provide insane athleticism around the hoop — has surrounded both Nash and Kidd, whom Rubio has been compared to the most.

So, if you were David Kahn, wouldn’t you try to find some talent that would follow this mold of what Rubio’s predecessors have been involved in?

The Solution:

First thing’s first, find some wings that can actually ball. And I mean straight hoop. Aside from Corey Brewer’s sudden emergence, the Wolves struggled to find anyone on the wing that could knock down open shots consistently and make plays happen by putting the ball on the floor. You may not find the next Vince Carter or Jason Richardson but at least having someone who can make plays happen on his own will help tremendously. Rubio will need a reliable option on the perimeter to hit open shots just as Nash and Kidd has their outlets. I’m not saying that Brewer can’t be “that guy” but an upgrade at either the shooting guard or small forward position is a must right now. Rubio will praise the front office for bringing in “that guy”.

My solution to this problem is very simple and can be accomplished by doing one of these four things:

1. Sign Rudy Gay to an enormous contract screwing us out of signing anyone else for years to come.
2. Sign a mid-level guy in free agency. Bring in someone like Rasual Butler or Travis Outlaw or anyone else for that matter.
3. Trade for a guy like Rudy Fernandez.  A fellow Spaniard would gel nicely with his foreign teammate.
4. Win one of the top two spots in this year’s NBA draft and nab Evan Turner.

My money is going on option four for a few reasons. Turner is arguably the most NBA-ready player in the draft and is a lock to be picked in the top two. I’m not sure if any of you remember when the last time the Wolves had the opportunity to have the most NBA-ready player in the draft – cough, Brandon Roy, cough, who only turned out to be one of the best shooting guards in the league today. The Wolves need to grab Turner for themselves because he has huge potential to turn into a star one day. A backcourt with Rubio and Turner would be like having Nash or Kidd paired with Roy. Sounds lethal to me.

The second thing that needs to be done this offseason before the arrival of Sir Ricky Rubio is to dump our slow, un-athletic and paltry at defense frontcourt. Sadly, none of the three – Kevin Love, Al Jefferson and Darko Milicic – are anywhere near Amar’e Stoudemire or Kenyon Martin in the aspect of athleticism. Not only are those two more athletic than our frontcourt but they also play solid defense. Aside from Darko – who has to know how to play defense being a seven-footer and all anyways – Love and Jefferson have shown fans some of the worst post defense all season long. Stoudemire and Martin use length, quickness and strength to man-up on the block and even block shots. Love and Jefferson are not physical enough under the hoop and have been worked all year long by intelligent players and coaches who read their scouting report on those two. It’s sickening to watch and must be changed before next season.

What needs to happen to fit the “Rubio’s mold for success” is to find an athletic power forward who has some defensive skills that can be polished at the NBA level. The way I see this happening is through the draft once again. Players like Derrick Favors and Ed Davis pop into my head immediately. They are young and very athletic. Derrick Favors reminds me of a smaller version of Stoudemire but don’t take his lack in height as a fault. He can still be as powerful and explosive around the hoop as Stoudemire can. Davis is a little different in that his game isn’t as vicious as Favors but he has a height advantage as well as some long, lanky arms that make for a dominating defensive presence underneath – very similar to Martin when he was with the Nets. Both of these guys would fit nicely with the steady backcourt of Rubio and Turner. The only possible obstacle of this happening is that both Favors and Davis are projected to be lottery picks; maybe even top fivers. The Wolves would have to find some way to move Utah and/or Charlotte’s first-rounders to sneak back into the lottery again. It could be difficult but who knows? Maybe teams like the Utah Jazz (Via New York Knicks draft choice), Los Angeles Clippers or the Washington Wizards would bite but only Kahn is the guy to find out and make something like that happen if one of those forwards is someone that they want.

Those two improvements that can be done this summer will help not only build the team for next year but even the year after that when Rubio hopefully comes to town. Guys like Turner, Favors and Davis could all fit that mold of a winning scheme and help support Rubio, just as the supporting casts for Nash and Kidd did in their successful years. Getting at least one or two of these guys this offseason will also fill the glaring need that Kahn has so blatantly pointed out.

The need for a superstar is of dire importance to the Timberwolves. All three of these rookies – and even Gay if they so choose to go that route – have the potential of becoming studs in the NBA, more-so Turner than the others in my opinion. But I’m not saying that a superstar is exactly what the Wolves need next year because Rubio could fill those shoes one day just as efficiently. But to have someone with the potential of becoming a star or at least just very, very good will be special to the team and especially the fans.

Having someone to hang your coat and hat on is important and the Wolves have missed that since the day they traded Kevin Garnett away. Who will be that next guy? Turner? Favors? Davis? Gay? Don’t know. But if Kahn is certain that Rubio comes to town, the pieces have to be in place for him to jump into a smooth ride and simply lead this team to victories; not make them happen alone. Superstar or not, if by the time he comes here and the right pieces aren’t in place to show improvement, then Kahn has failed the franchise and its fans. Period.

Building a kingdom for Rubio is the right thing to do but if you’re going for it, you have to do it the right way. There are molds – templates if you will — set in place that would help allow the Wolves to easily implement players into a system in which other teams have succeeded before, such as the Nets and Suns. Follow it. Believe in it and we could have a championship contender in Minnesota by the end of the season 2011-2012.