Minnesota Timberwolves - NBA Teams that have made huge strides in the off season – Opinion (Part 4)
3. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Wolves are back, they are back big time.
After four years of heart breaks, underachievement and poor luck, this side finally seems to be heading in the right direction and for once, it’s not all about Kevin Love.
Minnesota was captivated by Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio last season and before the point guard got injured, they were with a strong chance of making it into the playoffs. However with Rubio done for the season, Love was left
all alone and déjà vu followed soon.
Despite Love’s monstrous number’s day in and day out, Wolves just failed to respond and it was this attitude, which forced J.J. Barea – the reserve guard who joined from the Dallas Mavericks last pre-season – to publically question
the team spirit and mentality.
Early in the summer, Love also expressed his concerns about the roster and then re-iterated those during the Olympic training camp.
The reaction from David Kahn came quickly, and it had a Russian flavour to it.
Wolves added ten year NBA veteran Andrei Kirilenko to their lineup, and also lured in rising star Alexey Shved. Kirilenko has a 10 year experience in NBA, and can not only be a threat on the offense, but his presence will be pivotal
for an otherwise shaky Wolves defense.
He will also be a calming influence on Shved, who will try to find his feet in NBA. The young sharp shooter impressed many during the London Olympics with his ball handling skills and can take a lot of load of Luke Ridnour and
Barea.
Along with the two Russians, the Wolves have also added Brandon Roy, who has come out of retirement after undergoing a plasma procedure on his degenerative knees. Although, he is still a gamble, but if Roy performs anywhere near
his old level, the Wolves will be mightily formidable.
The addition of Chris Kaman also provides Rick Adelman’s side the luxury of a player, who can create his own shot, and play hard defense.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not represent Bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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