Minnesota Timberwolves: The Season As Holiday Gifts
The past few holiday seasons, I have made sure to tell people that any gifts coming my way should be practical. I want furniture and good stuff that I can use. I really want gift cards to all my go-to fast food places. That’s the gift that truly keeps on giving.
But in talking recently to a guy that asks for the same kinds of gifts, he said that his big one this year was going to be a paper shredder. While I lauded the very situational practicality of the item, I got to thinking that it can’t possibly get much duller than that. If it’s me, that’s a gift return, and probably done in haste.
So with that theme in mind, what gifts have the Minnesota Timberwolves given us so far? Have they been the fast food gift card I crave, or the shredder that makes no sense when I have two hands?
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Andrew Wiggins: It’s a gift card for a big amount, maybe worth more than 10 meals, but it isn’t to my favorite place. Maybe the quality of the meal depends on the day or the employees. It’s like that spot where the food is usually terrific but so unhealthy that you feel a little guilty after taking it in. That’s Wiggins for me. I’m enjoying the experience each time but the lack of consistency is keeping me from a certain unbridled joy. Thinking he may not be everything he’s been billed is like thinking of those calories. For now, though, I’m not complaining.
Zach LaVine: Considering that I expected next to nothing and I’m getting a pretty solid something, I’ll call it a smallish card to a top tier spot. I’m happy to get it and when it’s going good it is a quite a nice little show of potential. It’s too bad, though, that those nights are few and far between. I’m not returning LaVine, though, not by a long shot. Honestly, given how much of a surprise he has been to me, it’s like the gift card my father gives after I’ve opened all the other stuff, as if he forgot it. It’s a nice supplement you don’t count on.
Kevin Martin’s injury: He seemed like an ideal trade candidate and was playing lights out up until his injury. Even with a contract that didn’t scream value in a trade, I have to assume that there would have been solid offers for Martin. The injury, while allowing for Shabazz Muhammad to get minutes and explode offensively, could not have been at a worst time. My hope is that he can come back and reestablish his value. The current circumstance, however, is the paper shredder that’s expensive enough to warrant some excitement upon returning and refund.
The record: Is there something worse than the paper shredder? Cheaper and less practical, perhaps? This record is it. A 5-22 mark could not have been expected, even with the litany of injuries.
Again, there is exciting refund possibility with the chance of a very high pick, but the Wolves history with those doesn’t inspire as much optimism as it should. It’s a shredder for now, with the possibility for a comfy office chair upon exchange.
If the thoughts of Derrick Williams and Wesley Johnson didn’t resonate so much I would have loftier thoughts than the office chair.
Really, though, I just want to get to my own gifts. I’ll spare you another (semi) clever analogy.