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Minnesota Timberwolves: Amidst The Mourning, Team Ends Preseason On High Note

By Aaron Mah

Mar 23, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins (22) talks with head coach Flip Saunders during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins (22) talks with head coach Flip Saunders during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /
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There are certain events that occur in life that forces you to take a couple of steps back, and really assess the true essence of living. 

Seeing and reading the outpour of love and celebration for the impact that the late Flip Saunders had on a wide-ranging cross section of the NBA — from John Wall and Kevin Garnett, to Stephon Marbury and Andray Blatche — one common denominator arises; he treated people, not only his players, with respect and encouragement, giving hope to those who had experienced the darkest of times.

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A father figure and a teacher, Flip Saunders will be missed.

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He leaves behind in flesh an accomplished resume. His latest project of resurrecting the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise may be in its infancy stages, but he has established an impressive foundation for the potential of sustainable success.

By staying patient in the Kevin Love ransom saga, Saunders was able to net the team’s new franchise pillar in Andrew Wiggins. With a little bit of luck, he was able to pair the gangly pogo stick with this year’s No. 1 overall pick, Karl-Anthony Towns.

Flip was also able to navigate several auxiliary moves that helped shape the current core of the team. A draft day trade that sent Trey Burke to Utah for Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng has to be applauded in hindsight. Bringing back Kevin Garnett, not just to reminisce and for the feels, but for mentorship and veteran leadership purposes was an extinct, but highly-sensible maneuver.

So, while our undivided condolences are with Flip Saunders and his immediate family, his spirit and his legacy lives on.

Although the team struggled for the majority of preseason — missing open shots, failing to communicate on defense, and generally, playing some unpleasant basketball — things seem to all come together during their final dress rehearsal before their season finally commence on Wednesday.

Through all their exhibition contests, the Timberwolves exuded a reinvigorated aptitude for ball movement; the misdirection plays, swinging the ball from side to side, driving and kicking, bending the defense with spacing and penetration — attributes that are usually foreign to Wolves nation.

Ball Movement MIN
Ball Movement MIN /

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

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    • Certainly, having greybeard warhorses, like KG and Tayshaun Prince, out there to start the game, in conjunction with the presence of KAT, Nemanja Bjelica, and Ricky Rubio — all of whom are above-average passers at their respective positions — has spearheaded the Wolves’ sharing ways. And finally, on Friday night, the team capitalized on their fruitful looks.

    There is also an unfamiliar sense of rotational balance associated with the Wolves roster at the moment.

    Specifically, while many fans are screaming for Muhammad to start, having Prince in the starting lineup shores up their team defense; with the Big Ticket and the aforementioned Prince of the Palace quarterbacking their D. This is especially crucial when considering that both Wiggins and Towns — while unbelievably long and athletic, and possess a world of potential defensively — have a tendency of losing concentration with their off-ball assignments (ahem, Wiggs) and failing to stay discipline on the said end of floor (ahem, KAT).

    Meanwhile, having Shabazz come off the bench with a floor spacer like Martin, a ballmover like Bjelica, and a skilled big like Dieng, maximizes his unrelenting motor and attack mode mentality.

    Going forward, the Minnesota Timberwolves are still far too green to win a respectable amount of games this season, but if the team can play like they did on Friday night, with Rubio knocking down jumpers, Towns flashing his all-around skills, and Wiggins showcasing his inherent ability to draw fouls and newfound drive-and-kick game, Wolves fans everywhere should be pleased with the direction Flip’s team is heading.

    Next: Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 Early Preseason Takeaways

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