Minnesota Timberwolves: Questions About Nikola Pekovic

It seems crazy to argue that the Minnesota Timberwolves have a player problem that involves arguably their best one. It isn’t attitude or anything like that, either. It’s simply that Wolves center Nikola Pekovic, a human bull with a really nice offensive game, and, frankly, an asset to any team, is in a bit of a “square peg in a round hole” situation. And none of it is his fault.

Rewind to last summer when Pekovic was a free agent and awaiting an aggressive courting by teams that could have used a young, legit starting center with size, strength, and notable scoring skills. I figured that it would be a strong market and the Wolves would have a big decision to make.

But there was almost nothing. Given his age and his skill set, I was shocked by the apparent apathy shown toward him. Yes, his defense was nothing to write home about and pairing him with Kevin Love made for something of a sieve at that end. Still, legit centers that score in the NBA are a rare breed and I figured there were enough desperate teams that someone would make a splash. Did the Portland Trail Blazers not sign Roy HIbbert to a massive offer sheet just one season prior? They did, and he is as fragile as any player in the league.

But Pekovic got no takers. And, probably, the Wolves were thrilled that they didn’t have to extend further than they wanted to. They were pleased to have him back, and they should have been.

Of course, there is no way that they could have foreseen everything unfolding the way it did. I mean, they did have an idea about the market for Love or what they wanted in return, but the actual return (more than they could have expected, regardless of what they say about it) combined with the emergence of Gorgui Dieng makes for a curious little situation here.

I’m not sure what to make of it. But I know Pekovic’s fit isn’t quite right.

Wolves coach Flip Saunders already said that he is excited about an athletic, running team this season and it will be something of a change from what we have seen the past few seasons. And as much as anyone can dream about Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine sprinting up and down the court, putting stress on the defense unlike any recent Wolves team, it is tough to see Pekovic fitting into that mold.

As a big, lumbering brute, Pekovic is hardly going to be running with the rest of the young pups. That’s why I was delighted to see that the Wolves’ plan is to keep his minutes at about 25 a game, given his injury history. That seems about right because the Wolves still desperately need his offense; if they rely too much on these young, athletic yet raw marvels, they are going to have too many games with 80 points. Pekovic can serve as something of an efficiency medium and that offensive “safety net” when Wiggins, LaVine, and Rubio are throwing up too many bricks.

In playing Pekovic 25 minutes a night, it will allow for Dieng to get the extended time that he deserves after a surprising rookie season. He was aggressive on the boards and showed a level of athleticism that will pair naturally with the group that Saunders has assembled. His defensive potential also dwarfs Pekovic’s in both movement and shot blocking.

Pekovic is in the second year of a five-year $60 million deal. He is not a likely candidate to be moved and the activity last year proved that there isn’t a robust market out there even if the Wolves were interested in that route. But even with the curious fit, I’m not sure that I would be a fan of that. Reducing his minutes and strategically using him when it is most efficient sensible seems like the right way to go; he is still an elite offensive center when healthy. You don’t just look to jettison them off because it may not fit perfectly into the puzzle, which, obviously, is hardly set in stone.

Finding the lineups and groups that work best with Pekovic and Dieng will be a challenge, I presume. But it will be a more fruitful venture if Pekovic is healthy and fresh and able to be counted on. I hope Saunders sticks to his word. Honestly, this entire team is in such a state of transition that I’m not sure I can take anything too seriously.