4 Reasons To Stick With The Minnesota Timberwolves
It's been somewhat of a bizarre start to the regular season for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The organization has had to mourn the death of its head coach and president of basketball operations. Reports emerged late last week that owner Glen Taylor is considering selling some of his stock in the franchise.
On the court, the Timberwolves and interim coach Sam Mitchell must find the balance between developing a young roster while having just enough veterans to provide leadership. And most importantly above everything, find a way to win games.
After coming from behind to beat the Heat in Miami Tuesday night, the Timberwolves are 5-6 on the season. All five of those wins have come on the road. Minnesota is 0-5 at home. The Timberwolves next opportunity to get that first win in front of their home fans is Friday against the Detroit Pistons.
It could be another tough year in the win-loss department, but here are four reasons to stick with the Timberwolves this season.
Towns, Wiggins Emerging as Top Duo
If things play out correctly, the Timberwolves could have the NBA's Rookie of the Year for the second straight season. Andrew Wiggins won it last year, and the early favorite this season is Karl-Anthony Towns. In 10 games so far, Towns is averaging 15.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. He's also shooting nearly 91 percent from the free-throw line. He plays like a veteran on the court and rarely makes a mistake.
Wiggins hasn't been quite as consistent, but he's leading the Timberwolves in scoring at 20.6 points per game. He's shooting better than 43 percent from the field and nearly 38 percent from three-point range. When the Timberwolves need a basket, he's not afraid to demand the ball and go to the basket. If the Timberwolves can keep Towns and Wiggins together, it could make for big things in Minnesota the next several years.
When Healthy, Rick Rubio Is A Difference-Maker
Ricky Rubio has missed games recently due to a mild left hamstring strain, and the Timberwolves have suffered in the results column in his absence. Rubio is scoring about 13 points per game and is averaging nine assists when he plays. The Timberwolves are 5-2 when he's active, and they've lost four straight games without him in the lineup. He was back in the lineup for Tuesday night's win at Miami.
The bigger issue when he's not playing is that it means Zach LaVine is having to start at point guard. It's something the Timberwolves said they wouldn't do before the season, but injuries change things. He has stepped up with 26 and 25 points in two straight games. Andre Miller has had to step up in Rubio's absence and even Kevin Martin has handled the ball a lot. The Timberwolves have limited options for a primary ball-handler when Rubio is out.
Timberwolves Have Proven Leaders For Stability
The Timberwolves have an interesting mix of talented young players and experienced veterans on this year's roster. In a perfect world, Kevin Garnett, Andre Miller and Tayshaun Prince have their greatest impact in practice and can be leaders on the bench in games. They can also be valuable in key game situations and in defensive match-ups. Garnett and Prince will see more game time that Miller, but their leadership off the court is far more important for the organization than their contributions on the court.
Eventually They'll Get A Home Win
Normally playing at home is an advantage, but the Timberwolves haven't turned that into a victory at Target Center. Their next opportunity for that elusive first home victory comes Friday against the Detroit Pistons. That's the start of a three-game home stand that includes the Philadelphia 76ers and the Atlanta Hawks. The 76ers are 0-10 so if Minnesota can't beat Detroit, that might be the best chance for the first win. Sometimes all it takes is to get that first home win, gain some confidence and if you can get healthy, get on a little roll.
Timberwolves fans will need to be patient this season. The team may not improve a lot in the win column from years past, but the product is more entertaining to watch and they won't get blown out of a lot of games. At the very least, they should be competitive against the rest of the NBA. Timberwolves fans are hungry for a winner, but it will take time.
