Can you feel that? There is a different feeling in the wind here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. I know we have not felt it in a long time, but that is the feeling of hope in our sports teams!
Let’s be honest, the 2010’s have not been kind to us. The Timberwolves are in an eleven year playoff drought, the Twins have not won the division since 2010, the Vikings have not been to a Super Bowl since my dad went to his senior prom, and the Wild cannot seem to beat that god damn team from Chicago. IT’S ENRAGING!
While past years have seemed dark, there is a light approaching at the end of the tunnel.
During this four part series, I will be examining each of Minnesota’s major sports franchises and explaining why I think the future is bright for each one, starting with the lovable losers, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Hungry like The Wolf
No team in Minnesota sports history has been more abysmal than my beloved Timberwolves. The T-Pups have no NBA Titles, or appearances for that matter, no players in the Hall of Fame, a ghastly overall record of 818-1266 (.393%), and some of the worst draft misfires in NBA History (see Stephon Marbury over Ray Allen, Jonny Flynn over Steph Curry, etc.).
HOW CAN THERE POSSIBLY BE HOPE?!?!
Just relax, and breathe for a second, while I explain myself.
The 2013-14 Wolves Season was one of the most promising in a long time. We were finally going to see Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio, Nikola Pekovic and the rest of the gang all healthy and playing as a team, and for a time, we got to see just that. Love showed the world why he was a star and the team played in some really entertaining, close games. The only problem was that they could not finish. The Wolves went 6-13 in games decided by four points or less, and through their inability to close, lost a chance at ending their crushing playoff absence.
Then the breakup rumors started to pop up. “Love wants out! There is no way he stays after his last year. Trade his ass to Antarctica (an actual quote by a friend).”
But then a miracle happened.
One of the greatest things to ever happen to the Wolves. LeBron James going back to Cleveland. Why? Because it kickstarted the events that would lead Minnesota to acquire Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins from the Cavs for a disgruntled and soon to be departing Love.
The #WeWantWiggins campaign miraculous came together through the patience of Flip Saunders and the ‘win now’ attitude of Cleveland’s General Manager LeBron James, thus giving us downtrodden fans something to be excited about.
The Young Bloods
While he may not be ‘Maple Jordan’ quite yet, but the Canadian Phenom has had moments in his first year in the NBA that had fans jumping for joy (See video below).
He has the motor of a potential All-Defensive Player, with the scoring ability and finesse to potentially be a 20 to 30 points a night type of guy. This is something Wolves fans’ have not had since Kevin Garnett was doing it in the early 2000’s.
Wiggins is not the only reason for hope though, as coach/GM Flip Saunders has done a commendable job assembling this new team. Slam-Dunk Champion Zach LaVine finished last season strong, turning his freak athleticism into actual production on the court by averaging 17.2 ppg through March and April. Other young players like Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng showed that the Wolves are creating a strong, youthful foundation, reminiscent of what Oklahoma City did years prior.
One of the biggest pieces to this puzzle though is the newest member of the team, Karl Anthony-Towns. Drafted number one overall, KAT has all the potential and ability to eventually take this frustrating franchise to the promised land of the post season.
Towns is a jack of all trades type of player who can space the floor and run in the up-tempo style the Wolves need in order to be successful. He also can become the defensive rim-protector the team so desperately needs. I say ‘can’ and ‘eventually’ because while Towns has the highest ceiling of any of the 2015 Draft Prospects, he still is very raw and needs time to develop and get stronger. But as someone who has seen him in person, the kid can flat out ball. He has the agility and finesse of a point guard but is also not afraid to bang in the paint was well. Luckily for him, he will also have the Wolves’ greatest player in Kevin Garnett there teaching him one step at a time.
Alpha's of the Pack
While youth is key, the veterans will be equally as important in building a strong future. Though some were against it, I believe that getting KG was a huge step in the right direction. While he may no longer be ‘The Big Ticket,’ Garnett will bring the perfect attitude and work ethic to a locker room that has been down for so long. Towns could not have asked for a better mentor, considering the rookie has many of the same traits and talents as Old Man Garnett. Number 21 isn’t the only vet that needs to make a difference though.
Ricky Rubio has been touted as a passing savant for years and when healthy he actually lives up to that billing. The problem with the Spaniard though is twofold. The first is Slick-Rick has had trouble staying on the court due to his injuries. In his four years in the NBA, he has only played a full season once. The other major problem is that he cannot shoot the ball at a consistent rate. Over his career, Rubio has shot an asinine 36.7%. For those who do not know, the league average is 45%. Rubio must improve his shooting in order to space the floor and get open shots for LaVine, Wiggins and company.
The Wolves are Coming
They say Rome was not built in a day and the Wolves definitely fall under that category. Building a great team takes time and patience. The Wolves will not make the playoffs this year but what they will do, barring any setbacks, is continue to mesh together and continue to build off of their strong foundation. If they double their wins from last year, I say it was a good season. After the coming year though, the sky is the limit for this high-flying group of young T-Pups.
Next week, I will be focusing on another bright future in the Land of 10,000, that of the Minnesota Twins.
*All stats are from http://www.basketball-reference.com/?lid=homepage_logo
*All video right are to the NBA
