Biggest Hurdles Flip Saunders Faces with Minnesota Timberwolves This Season
Normally, a general manager's goal is to plan for the future while the head coach focuses on winning now, but things won't be that simple for Flip Saunders and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In 2014-15, Saunders will have the almost impossible task of being both a coach and a GM. With these roles comes a plethora of difficult decisions that must be made.
The Timberwolves had a very busy offseason, losing their best player in Kevin Love and gaining three unproven players with very high ceilings.
Saunders must help develop these young players while also deciding which veterans he wants to keep or trade.
The theme for Saunders and the Timberwolves this year will be the future versus the present.
When Should Andrew Wiggins Start?
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Without logging a single minute in an NBA game, Andrew Wiggins has already become a household name, but that does not mean he will start right away.
Right now, Wiggins' only competition for the starting small forward spot is the seven-year veteran, Corey Brewer.
Wiggins was very impressive at the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 15.5 points, 1.2 steals and 1.5 blocks per game, according to NBA.com.
Even as a rookie, Wiggins may be a better player than Brewer, but at only 19 years old, it might not be a wise decision to throw him in with the lions so prematurely.
Flip Saunders must decide between putting his best player on the court or slowly developing his potential superstar in order to prepare for the future.
Should Flip Saunders Trade Nikola Pekovic?
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With the Timberwolves in rebuilding mode, it doesn't make sense to keep Nikola Pekovic on the team. Not only is Pekovic one of the oldest players on the roster (28 years old), he's also only one year into his five-year, $60 million contract.
Unfortunately for Pekovic, second-year Wolf Gorgui Dieng had a remarkable summer playing for Senegal in the FIBA World Cup. According to FIBA.com, Dieng averaged 16 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Dieng's success could make Pekovic expendable.
However, the 24-year-old Senegal center is still very raw, which was evident when he struggled against Spain this summer, shooting 1-of-9 from the field.
Flip Saunders must decide if Dieng is ready to take over as the Wolves' starting center or risk being stuck with Pekovic's hefty contract.
Which Position Should Zach LaVine Play?
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Zach LaVine has tremendous potential, but he may not have what it takes to be a successful point guard in the NBA.
Due to his length (6'5") and undeveloped passing ability, he may be better as a shooting guard. At UCLA, LaVine only averaged 1.8 assists per game.
In college, LaVine did not look comfortable as a point guard, and he struggled mightily on pick-and-rolls.
Matt Kamalsky of DraftExpress had a similar opinion:
"Using 9.7 possessions per-game, he ranks as the lowest usage player in this group, and as the least efficient scorer in both one-on-one and pick and roll situations. On the positive side, LaVine's athleticism shows here, as 32.1% of his possessions came in transition, more than any other player, and while he scored an above average 1.148 points per-catch and shoot jump shot, the team drafting him probably won't be overly concerned with how he looked on paper this past season as focused as they'll be on putting him in position to reach his lofty potential a few years from now.
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LaVine's athleticism and catch-and-shoot ability are prototypical attributes for any successful 2-guard, but with Kevin Martin, Corey Brewer and Shabazz Muhammad on the roster, it may be tough for the 19-year-old to find playing time.
It's also worth noting that the Wolves already have Ricky Rubio, Mo Williams and J.J. Barea as point guards.
Flip Saunders must find a way to get the rookie on the court, whether that means trading a veteran or switching LaVine to a different position.
What to Do with J.J. Barea and Kevin Martin?
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The Timberwolves are clearly in rebuilding mode, which means they have no room on the roster for two regressing players in their early 30s.
Both J.J. Barea's points and minutes declined significantly last season, and Kevin Martin hasn't averaged over 20 points per game since his 2010-11 season with the Houston Rockets.
Not only are Barea and Martin not needed on the Wolves, but their presence could be detrimental to the development of some of the team's new players. Having both of these veterans on the roster would take away minutes from young prospects, including Andrew Wiggins, Shabazz Muhammad and Zach LaVine.
The best move for Flip Saunders would be to trade Martin and Barea for future draft picks.
Unfortunately, there is not much demand in the NBA for two aging players who are under high-paying contracts. According to ESPN, Barea and Martin are owed $4,687,000 and $6,500,000, respectively, in the upcoming season.
Saunders must find a way to rid the Wolves of these hefty contracts in order to make room for their younger players to grow and develop.
Ricky Rubio's Expiring Contract
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The Timberwolves made huge strides this offseason toward their goal of putting together a team full of young potential talent, but one question still remains: What will they do about Ricky Rubio's expiring contract?
Judging Rubio based off of his first three seasons in the NBA is not an easy task. Rubio has ranked in the top 10 in assists per game each year of his career.
Unfortunately, his scoring numbers are not quite as impressive, as seen in this graph:
| Year | FG% | PPG |
| 2011-12 | .357 | 10.6 |
| 2012-13 | .360 | 10.7 |
| 2013-14 | .381 | 9.5 |
Even though Rubio's per-game stats are disappointing, he did manage to record a 15.4 player efficiency rating (PER) last season, which is right around the league average.
This may not seem like much, but it's worth pointing out that Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors recorded a 14.3 PER last year, and many experts consider Thompson one of the best young shooters in the NBA.
Flip Saunders must decide if Rubio is going to be a part of the Timberwolves' rebuilding plan by February 19, the NBA trade deadline.
All stats are courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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