MVN - Most Valuable Network

Selling hope for next year

While the 19-57 record of the 2007-2008 Timberwolves isn’t the worst in the NBA, it’s damn close. Virtually anyone could have predicted that the team would be in the 18-24 range for wins on the season, and there are definitely a lot of factors working against them as they move forward with their “new look”. Still, there are a few things that should keep the hope alive in the hearts of die-hard Wolves fans.

Future for Foye?

The injury to Randy Foye means that we’ll probably spend another year trying to evaluate his potential at the professional level. If we had known one way or the other by this time, had Foye played a full year, it may have had a profound impact on who we select in the draft. I think most Wolves fans have decided that Foye is not the point guard of the future, but will he accept the role of 2 guard? He may not have a choice if we get Derrick Rose, but if he can play like he has the last 5 games (15.6 ppg, 4.4 apg) for an entire season, I’ll gladly take that.

I’m done thinking that Foye can be a slashing, dynamic scorer who scores 20+ points a night, but he can make contributions elsewhere. His size is a concern if the 2 is indeed his ultimate destination, but ideally he can overcome some of that with quickness.

Man in the Middle

Obviously Big Al is the one player we can rely on next year, assuming he stays healthy, but the front office is going to have to decide if they like playing Jefferson at center or if there’s a big man out there who can help our cause. While it may be true that the time of “true centers” in the NBA is dwindling, the Wolves have proved this year that without perimeter jump shooters to offset the points in the paint that you surrender without an imposing center, having a lack of size on the interior of your defense can be severely detrimental to your cause. If a 7 footer with some defensive skills miraculously falls at our feet this offseason, you have to believe that the team will be the better for it next year.

The thing the team needs to do is figure out it’s identity. Are we trying to play a more up-tempo game or rely on our half-court sets? Are we going to be more defensive minded or place the emphasis on scoring? Who’s going to be our number two scorer? All of these things will be determined by both our personnel and also our coach and will dictate where we go at the center position. There are no visible signs that the franchise is willing to give up on Randy Wittman yet, and although he’s faced an extremely uphill battle this year, a coach with a 19-57 record should always be on the hot seat.

Grading Gomes

While Jefferson’s ability to rack up double-doubles has been a pleasant surprise, so too has the play of Ryan Gomes in the second half of the season, and he’s starting to look like he may be someone to hang on to. Sure, Gomes isn’t going to be a go-to scorer, but he’s a good complimentary player. As he develops as a player (he’s still just 25), his ability to both knock down shots and play good defense consistently may improve.  His dribble-drive game is his strong suit, but there is still room for improvement in other facets of the game.

It’s kind of crowded at Gomes’ position with Brewer and Snyder, but out of the three, Gomes has proven to be the most valuable asset. The Wolves will obviously give Brewer another year or two to fully develop (unless he already has, in which case his future is short), but Gomes can feel fairly confident that he will continue to see the 30 minutes he is right now.

The Draft Shall Set You Free

Assuming the Wolves get a top 5 pick, their chances of getting a better than average NBA player are good.  The top of this year’s draft is pretty deep; it’s the lower rounds that always get dicey.  Like anyone who watches the Wolves, I’ve questioned Kevin McHale’s drafting ability before, but he’s going to continue to get opportunities to prove us all wrong.  Part of the problem is simply the unpredictable nature of the draft, but McHale has certainly made his share of blunders too.  (Foye-Roy trade, Bracey Wright, etc. etc. etc.)  If we can get somebody with some skills through the draft that can find his footing by mid-season next year and be locked and loaded for 2010 alongside Jefferson and Gomes, that’s progress.  A big “if”, I know, but I’m selling hope, not despair.

Will McHale’s run end?

Kevin McHale is long overdue for his pink slip, but it seems as though his reign of terror will never end.  The thing that Wolves fans have to be hoping for most is that the Wolves can bring in somebody else to run things like a professional organization.  The Knicks just got Donnie Walsh, so Isiah Thomas should be available soon, right?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 at 8:01 pm and is filed under Al Jefferson, Randy Foye, Kevin McHale, Randy Wittman, Corey Brewer, Ryan Gomes, Draft, NBA, Minnesota Timberwolves, Timberwolves. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.