Minnesota Timberwolves: The Silver Lining To Their Dire Play

Watching the Minnesota Timberwolves on a nightly basis over the past month could conceivably become a new form of human torture.

More from Minnesota Timberwolves

The absurd amount of unforced turnovers they commit, uncontested layups they concede, and long, contested two-point jumpshots they attempt can make any sane man crazy.

They are on an eight-game losing streak, where six of their most recent eight losses they suffered came in the form of a double-digit defeat.

More gruesomely, over the last 10 games, they’re second to last in the league in overall net rating, at minus-13.9, trailing only the cantankerous New York Knicks, and the Wolves have comfortably recaptured their place as the worst defense in the association over the aforementioned stretch, per NBA.com.

However, as renowned philosopher 50 Cent was once quoted as saying, joy wouldn’t feel so good if it wasn’t for pain.

More specifically, there is something intrinsically gratifying about watching a superstar, or potential superstar, unfurl right before your very eyes.

It was a sight to behold watching an 18 year-old bald-headed rookie Kobe Bryant heave up three airballs during the deciding moments of a crucial playoff game in Utah against the Jazz in 1997 — then, only to watch him persevere through his early-career hardships and develop into one of the most revered and feared perimeter scorers in NBA history.

Likewise, it was equally as appealing observing a 19-year old malnourished Kevin Durant struggle mightily to create his own shot and score efficiently during his inaugural season, only to see him blossom into the most efficacious 30-plus point scorer this side of Michael Jordan.

Fact is, Rome was not built in a day. The road to building Rome, most often times, is more stimulating than the fully furbished empire in and of itself.

For such reasons, Timberwolves diehards, like myself, continue to tune in religiously for every eye-sore contest deep into April and anxiously await for the stories of prized rookies, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, to unfold.

While their respective non-fictional novels is still in its initial pages of the first chapter, experiencing the rise of Wiggins’ post game and LaVine’s improved fervor while attacking the rack indefinitely lends to material signs for optimism.

Yes, it is irrefutably agonizing watching Wiggins get stripped as a result of his waist-high dribble or LaVine trying to run/defend the point guard position, but for every mental lapse, we get to experience the willowy No. 1 overall pick gain more confidence and unleash an aggressiveness while finishing at the rim he had not shown throughout his amateur career, or the rail-thin reigning Slam Dunk Contest champ show glimpses of his breathtaking open court athleticism and fast-twitched pull-up game.

Taking a silver linings approach to yet another injury-rattled, disastrous non-playoff season, in addition to their pair of potential-filled high-flying rookies, the Timberwolves can also look forward to the impending return of a (hopefully) fully-healthy Ricky Rubio next season, in conjunction with their surefire top-5 pick of the 2015 Draft (*crossed fingers* Karl-Anthony Towns please).

Taking all that into consideration, the construction of Rome may be completed sooner rather than later.

*Stats current going into Apr. 10’s slate of games

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

More from Hoops Habit

Home/Minnesota Timberwolves