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What Should The Timberwolves Do With Kevin Martin?

By Aaron Mah

Mar 13, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Kevin Martin (23) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson (21) during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Kevin Martin (23) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson (21) during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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It is no secret that the Minnesota Timberwolves are engaged in a full-fledged rebuild (once again).

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Their early season dreams of somehow contending in the historically-daunting Western Conference playoff race were prematurely dashed when Ricky Rubio, Nikola Pekovic, and Kevin Martin all went down, respectively, for an extended period(s) of time.

In hindsight, the injuries may be depicted as a blessing in disguise down the line. More explicitly, it gave their prized prospect, Andrew Wiggins, free reign to experiment, make mistakes, and improve on the offensive end; and likewise, it provided a freewheeling platform for second year studs, Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng, to showcase their refined game.

The product on the court was hard to watch at times, but fans saw a glimmer of hope every time Zach LaVine drove down the left lane and screamed for an “and-1” as he banks in a one-footed bank-shot from in close.

With the sporadic return of the veterans, their play on the court, particularly on the defensive end, has improved dramatically. Martin has sparked the team with his efficient perimeter scoring outbursts, Kevin Garnett has served as a fountain of knowledge since his (re)arrival at the trade deadline, while Rubio has injected the Wolves with a cavalcade of intangibles.

In fact, their starting lineup of Rubio, Martin, Wiggins, Garnett, and Pekovic has produced a Net Rating, or net differential per 100 possessions, of 11.6, per NBA.com.

But as the season winds down, and we look towards the future, one has to wonder what will the Timberwolves’ roster look like down the line?

For one, they’ll undoubtedly add a high-profile lottery pick into their mix of intriguing young talent.

In addition, their franchise cornerstones, in Wiggins and Rubio, will surely be at the forefront of Minnesota’s attack next season.

Moreover, by all accounts, if his body is willing and able, KG will also return for an unprecedented 21st season in an effort to mentor the young pups — especially if the Wolves draft a franchise-changing big, like a Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns.

You’d also have to guess that the team’s battalion of baby-faces, most notably, LaVine, Dieng, Muhammad, and Adreian Payne, have shown enough promise for the Wolves’ brass to keep them around for another go-around.

Which leaves us with Pekovic and Martin: two highly-serviceable veteran scorers capable of swinging the pendulum for a playoff contending team. Especially Martin, whose skills and expertise fit in perfect unison with today’s pace-and-space formula to winning.

Chiefly, Martin is a 39.5 percent 3-point shooter on catch-and-shoot situations, per NBA.com’s SportVU Data. More interestingly, he scores on an eFG% (effective field goal percentage) of 57.9 percent when serving as an open shooter with no defender within four feet of him.

Such a skillset is highly-coveted by contending NBA teams. In fact, both, the Washington Wizards and the Dallas Mavericks were rumored to be interested in trading for the 32 year-old sharpshooter during early February.

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Timberwolves incoming ownership have one job to keep the Wolves alive
Timberwolves incoming ownership have one job to keep the Wolves alive /

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    • However, Flip Saunders’ love affair with K-Mart prevented the Wolves from acquiring material assets in exchange for his starting shooting guard.

    Going forward, though, by all indications, Wiggins has been more effective at the two and playing against smaller defenders. When paired with Martin, many of his athletic advantages in length are mitigated because of Wiggins’ lack of strength.

    On the other hand, Kevin Mart still has two years left on his current deal after the season, with a team option in 2016-17. Thus, he could potentially serve as an invaluable expiring just when the Timberwolves conceivably starts to turn the corner.

    As the President of Basketball Operations, part-owner, and head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Saunders will have to juggle his multi-colored hats and put a vested interest on the franchise’s future outlook for once, as oppose to the joy of immediate gratification.

    Next: 5 Likely First Time NBA All-Stars Next Season

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