Minnesota Timberwolves: Three Rookies, One Future

Life as a fan of professional sports in Minnesota is a treacherous one. No matter who you ask, every fan has one example of disappointment and frustration they have sitting on the tip of their tongue. The Vikings are in a mess all over the organization and the Twins have gone way of the Cubs. The only Minnesota-based franchise that’s seen success lately has been the Lynx of the WNBA. Though fans have started to take notice, women’s basketball still hasn’t gained overall respect.

There is hope, though. There is one franchise in Minnesota that has fans buzzing. No, they don’t expect a championship this year, or next year or even in the next five years, but they are talking and they are interested.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have not made a playoff appearance since the departure of Kevin Garnett. During his tenure, the Timberwolves went as far as the Western Conference Finals, thanks to the help of Sam Cassell and Latrell Spreewell. Garnett was traded away to the Boston Celtics a few years later, where he finally won that elusive championship, leaving Minnesota fans to continue wondering “What if?”

Kevin Love, coming straight from UCLA, was supposed to start the rebuilding process. During his time with Minnesota, Love became one of the best all-around players in the NBA, averaging a double-double for his career. Unfortunately, the Wolves never made the postseason during his six years in Minnesota, something that frustrated Love to the point of privately (which quickly turned publicly) demanding a trade.

A long, drawn out and patient time later, the Timberwolves finally pulled the trigger, sending Love to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and Thaddeus Young as part of an unofficial three-team trade that also included the Philadelphia 76ers. Though Love is out of their lives, the addition of Wiggins alone has Timberwolves fans excited for what the future holds.

Wiggins has been renowned as the next big thing in basketball. His rare ability alone compares with some of the better players in the NBA, but how much room he has to grow is what really gets people excited about him. A very solid defensive wing in college with a pretty step-back jumper and great leaping ability, Wiggins will need to work on his overall flow of the game and aggressiveness, two things he struggled with at Kansas. Still in his teens, Wiggins has the potential to be a great player, it’s just a matter of growing into his body and adjusting as he goes.

While Wiggins is the headliner of the new breed of Wolves, there are also two other rookies coming in that can help elevate Minnesota’s future to new heights.

Minnesota’s two draft picks from the 2014 NBA Draft are now under contract, and Zach LaVine has been making some waves through the interweb. Highlight dunks left and right were captured on video this summer, causing all basketball appreciators to swoon for his athleticism. Though he didn’t exactly dazzle at UCLA, not even being a regular starter, LaVine is a raw talent, one that will take some time to fully develop in the NBA. However, he’s already drawn some comparisons to another player from UCLA, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook. That’s high praise, but understandable. Neither really has a defined position, but both possess great athletic ability and can dazzle at times. Whether or not he becomes like Russ is up to him.

The other draft pick Minnesota brings in was just officially signed this past week. Glenn Robinson III, taken in the second round of the 2014 draft, will be battling for playing time, though he was given a guaranteed contract. With that contract, the Wolves will have to move at least one player to make room for him on the roster. This indicates that Minnesota believes in what GRIII can bring to the table and help them accomplish what they want to accomplish. GRIII struggled to become the star many expected him to be at Michigan, but he was a steady, solid presence for the Wolverines and showed glimpses of great ability the last two years.

All three of these rookies bring something different to the table but each is important to what the Timberwolves’ future in the NBA holds. Wiggins is the presumed star, one that fans have already shown great appreciation towards in the month he’s officially been in Minnesota. LaVine is the athlete, the guy who can keep fans interested and defenses on their toes. Robinson is the glue guy, somebody that can come in and give you quality minutes when his number is called.

With these three players and the other young players that make up the core have Timberwolves fans interested more than any season in recent history. They know not to expect greatness immediately and not to put pressure on the team to succeed immediately, but they want this group of players to build together similar to how the Thunder grew. OKC built their team through the draft, let them go through the rough patches, put pieces around their young, emerging stars and went from there. Now they are one of the best teams in the NBA. It’s a system that may be hard to replicate in today’s NBA landscape of pairing three big names together, but it’s a strategy that’s worked before and can work again.

Minnesota won’t be great this season, but they have built enough of a core to get their feet of the ground earlier than most expect. Wiggins, LaVine and Robinson are the young guys in the locker room, but there’s also Bennett, Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad that also have just one year of experience. Those six players, as well as veterans Thaddeus Young, Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin, Mo Williams and Nikola Pekovic makes for a very interesting dynamic for the Timberwolves. None of them are stars yet, but all serve a purpose and bring something to the table. It’s one of the reasons why the Wolves may become a fan favorite for NBA League Pass. There’s a lot going on and it should be fun to watch.

Fans in Minnesota want something to look forward to and are sick of seeing their top players leave only to have little return for them. With the Love trade, the Timberwolves have put themselves into a position to possibly lose now, but succeed in the long run. It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for them.