Minnesota Timberwolves: Time For Shabazz Showcase
I made it very clear before the start of the NBA season that the Minnesota Timberwolves needed to find a clear objective for this season. They had enough veterans to be competitive but by no means had enough to do anything in an absurdly strong Western Conference.
Flip Saunders needed to pick a direction and commit to it.
But I was worried about whether he could do that. Saunders is a veteran coach with a track record of reasonable success. But he was also somewhat new to the personnel game. Was he going to be ok with a complete rebuild and face those stark, even ugly, realities, even if he well knew that it was best for the franchise in the long term?
I was skeptical, even as I heard about Corey Brewer being put on the block with some potential suitors. With the litany of injuries that followed, though, it seemed clear that the Wolves could not make a deal. Of course, I don’t think that they expected to see what they saw out of Shabazz Muhammad when they needed him.
Muhammad may not bring a lot to the table other than scoring, but the efficiency with which he is doing it is blowing my mind. Even looking at what he contributed last season, I can’t be completely sure it isn’t a mirage. I don’t think it is, and I sure as hell am not going to complain about what he’s doing.
Now Muhammad will be more than just instant offense as a sixth man. He has graduated to a starter and any of the more “responsible” traits that come with that designation.
And so I assume there will be an aftermath of the trade of Brewer that came down on Friday. It isn’t as if there is a lot at stake for the Wolves, who are so far down the totem pole in the West that I venture they can’t even see the top.
Honestly, I’m not really concerned with the compensation for Brewer, either. A young player and a couple of second round picks seem reasonable for someone who had no long-term plans with the club. I’m excited to watch him in Houston doing all the little things that a team which stars James Harden and Dwight Howard certainly need. He’ll be a good fit and such a class act deserves a chance at a ring.
I’m interested in what this says about Flip’s feelings. Even though the team was going nowhere, I don’t think he would have made the trade if he didn’t think Muhammad was ready to handle the prime workload.
That’s exciting. He believes in Shabazz. I’m not sure how you couldn’t with his numbers so far. I still wonder if those are misleading, though. As thrilled as I am watching him so far this season, there is that little voice in the back of my head saying that he might be Rudy Gay-lite. It might all be empty numbers that don’t improve a team and don’t improve the players around him.
Well, even with team expectations almost non-existent, Muhammad’s expectations are taking on a new role now. It’s more layered; he’s probably looked at to carry the load until other guys get healthy.
It will be a showcase. I think Flip feels good about it. Considering I had almost written Shabazz off as simply a bit player, all this good stuff is a delightful surprise.