Timberwolves 2009-10 Season Prediction

Minnesota Timberwolves playoff chances in 2009-10? Slim. But increased wins, maybe borderline .500? I believe so.

In the month of January, the Timberwolves went 10-5 with new coach Kevin McHale. Al Jefferson had an extraordinary month, unfortunately we had to see him go due to a season ending torn ACL injury. However, Al Jefferson was not the only player that played outstanding during this stretch.

Randy Foye was outstanding. He showed tremendous talent and potential. He was subjected to injury, where before he was averaging 16.9 points, but dropped to 16.3 because of a hip injury that limited his bursts to the basket.

Randy Foye is just as great a complement to Al Jefferson, as Brandon Roy is to Aldridge for the Trail Blazers. He broke his career highs multiple times, had a lot of 20-plus games, and was probably the most agile player I have seen in a while.

The Timberwolves also displayed bursts of talent from Rodney Carney, Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith, and Kevin Love.

Watching the Timberwolves, I realize what needs to happen next season for this team to be a .500 team:

1. Al Jefferson Moves to Power Forward

Al Jefferson is tremendous as a center, but is undersized, and his defense is that of a pomeranian to a pit bull. At Power Forward, he would dominate and with Kevin McHale there, he'll develop into the true all star he really is with a .500 record.

2. Recruit a True Center

I have my eyes on Hasheem Thabeet. 7'3", almost averages 5 blocks a game and he can get up and down the court as fast as anyone. Offense is the only chink in his armor, but with Kevin McHale, he will develop in time.

Most likely, the Timberwolves will have the third, fourth or fifth pick in the draft. The Timberwolves have a good chance of getting him. If not, we can always make trades for a veteran center, or Thabeet.

3. Randy Foye Moves to PG

He plays like a point guard without passing, because of playing SG. Watching him, he's one of the quickest players, but I haven't seen a guy more agile on his feet.

That means we have a roster that looks like this:

PG-Randy Foye

SG & SF- ???

PF-Al Jefferson

C-Draft pick (hopefully)

Rodney Carney deserves the SG position. Rodney Carney is 6'7" and  gets to the paint to score. He can also knock that three-pointer down and during the course of the season, put on 15-20 point games in limited minutes. As for SF? The intelligent long-armed Ryan Gomes. He's what I call, "a double double waiting to happen".

Where does that leave Kevin Love, Sebastian Telfair, Kevin Ollie, Mike Miller, Mark Madsen, Jason Collins, Bobby Brown, Brian Cardinal, Corey Brewer, and Shelden Williams?

Precious cargo does not always have a place. Mike Miller was 2006 6th man of the year in Memphis for averaging 18 points a game, but refuses to score for the Timberwolves. Kevin Love is great, but will not see increased minutes next year, due to drafting a true center, and Jefferson positioned at PF. Precious uneeded cargo can go toward a huge trade.

The Timberwolves have a lot of contracts set to expire, and this frees up cap space, so I could be wrong if the GM wants to go after a star player. If so, I think the T'Wolves will be going for a scoring SF like Granger or Richard Jefferson.

I'd dump Ollie, Madsen, Williams, and Cardinal if contracts are still current. Corey Brewer although injured all season, has a defense knack that most players lack. The Timberwolves will be looking to make Corey Brewer the 6th man or the lead role player.

We are left with 2 first round draft picks and 2 second round draft picks. The Timberwolves will trade them off for another great player. With Jefferson and Foye 100% healthy, they will prove to be leaders for the Timberwolves.

There are 2 ways the Timberwolves will make the playoffs next year. Teams like the Suns and the Mavericks will fall out, or the Timberwolves will make history with a complete turnaround. Both are unlikely, but still possible.

Official Prediction: 38-44

Hope you enjoyed reading this article.

If you want more insight on Randy Foye's skills and agility, you can watch my tribute video here>>> http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=56718238