
Minnesota Timberwolves- Seasons In ReviewIn the 2008-09 season, a new vice president of basketball operations took over, who went by the name of tim. He relieved now-former VP Kevin McHale, who had been heavily ridiculed in Minnesota for his questionable deals and long-term deals that didn't seem to make sense (think Marko Jaric). When tim came in, it was a mess, and it wasn't easy to fix. He took some risks, and so far, the risks have paid off. He started by firing head coach Randy Wittman immediately, replacing him with young coach Jake Robertson.
2008-09- This year was a dismal one for the Timberwolves, a year where they finished in the exact same spot they did the year before. They finished with the third worst record in the NBA, and ended up with the third pick.
Offseason-That offseason, tim made his first big move. He dealt the pick. In a very risky and unpopular move by the fans, he dealt the third pick and Rodney Carney to the Chicago Bulls for struggling but promising 24-year-old Luol Deng and their 2010 first round pick. They then proceeded to trade all 4 picks they had acquired during the McHale era, which brought them various players, such as defensive big man Robin Lopez. They did keep pick 13 though, and they drafted Hungarian point guard Piskie Csiky with the 13th overall pick. Unfortunately, he hasn't panned out so far and looks to be a bust.
2009-10- Well, we'll put it this way. The Luol Deng deal was a good one. A very good one. So good, in fact, that he eventually took the reigns as the team's number one scoring option, over the inside force Al Jefferson. He played like one of the best players in the NBA, averaging 24.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, and 4.2 apg. He even had a triple-double with 50 points all in that, in a game at New York that year. With the one-two scoring punch of Deng and Jefferson, they were able to put themselves in a position to make the playoffs. But tim wanted more than just the playoffs; he didn't want to be a weak team battling at the bottom. So, he traded the team's third leading scorer, Randy Foye, to the Thunder for multi-talented player Jeff Green. This was an excellent decision, as Green fit in perfectly at the SF position, while Deng moved over to the 2. The passing and chemistry was possibly the best in the NBA, and there was a lot more energy with these guys. They got all the way up to the 5th seed in the West, but only got that far to lose to the Hornets in 5 games.
Offseason- The Wolves had a lot to work with that offseason, having a much improved team with a lot of draft picks, one of which ended up being the #2 pick overall. The Wolves needed a point guard, and there was a perfect guy available. Larry Meyers out of Wake Forest. He looked excellent in the rookie workouts, and the scouts had been raving about him all season long. He was the obvious choice when he became available at pick #2. He seems to be a mix of Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo. Great all-around point guard skills, just needs to work on that shot. They also ended up with an excellent prospect in PF/C Donald Tinsley out of TCU. They landed a couple more rookies who may work their ways into the rotation in a few years. Sadly, not everything worked out perfectly. Mike Miller wanted much more money than the Wolves were willing to give up, and they were forced to let him go. But then, tim struck gold. He replaced the deadly shooter with another. Anthony Morrow. The man who averaged 15 ppg in his previous season in Golden State seems to be a promising replacement for Miller. All in all, they look like they could compete, especially if Meyers comes around.