Keys To the Wolf Den: Minnesota Preparing For January Form?

For the Minnesota Timberwolves, the 2008-2009 season was one of many excitements and shortcomings.

One of those excitements has to be the month of January, where the Wolves won 10 games and lost only two, sporting a Western Conference coach of the month and Western Conference player of the month in Al Jefferson.

Kevin Love has said he's still getting in rhythm, as well as Corey Brewer and Al Jefferson as well, and "hopefully by January, we'll really be rolling."

Not to say the Wolves defeated top notch teams, but plainly put, the teams that they CAN beat. Victories included a franchise blowout over the Oklahoma City Thunder, snapping the Utah Jazz's winning streak, and defeating the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Hornets, and Milwaukee Bucks, among others.

The Timberwolves have already shown flashes by defeating the Utah Jazz twice and the Denver Nuggets on their home court and are starting to gain more respectability by the day.

The Wolves are executing better on the offensive end, and head coach Kurt Rambis is cutting down on minutes for players that are ineffective and or madly inconsistent.

Now that that's said, the month of December hasn't fared well for the Wolves. They undergone a 15 game losing streak during the month and had one of their key players Love injured since the preseason.

With Love inserted into the starting lineup, the Wolves are much more competitive on the offensive end and the defensive end, and it's starting to show, not just as a team, but in the Wolves roster individually.

One has to question, "Are the Wolves going to have another January?"

Jefferson over the last 10 games has averaged 20.0 PPG and 10.8 RPG.

Love is averaging 14.4 PPG and 13 RPG for the season.

Brewer is averaging 13.0 PPG the last 10 games, shooting 47 percent from the field, 7 percent more that his season average.

Jonny Flynn is averaging 15.0 PPG and 4.5 APG in the last 10 games.

Ryan Gomes is injured, but he's sure to be a spark off the bench playing the role of the backup four, seeing as he posted double figures in every game he's started as the PF.

Ryan Hollins, Wayne Ellington, and Ramon Sessions come off the bench to provide life, and Damien Wilkins is a toss up when it comes to producing, but he never hurts the team.

Putting a lot of emphasis in the last 10 games when it comes to statline may not bear important, but the Wolves have won four of their last 11, a definite improvement from a horrendous 1-15 earlier in the season.

Rambis has the Wolves believing in the system, and the critics begging to prove him wrong. When watching the Wolves execute the triangle, it's VERY different from the Lakers triangle offense, and it seems as if critics are comparing the two teams, yet there's a SUBSTANTIAL talent differential, coaching chemistry and veteran differential between the two teams.

The youth of the Wolves has provided an exciting brand of basketball, and the Wolves could very well end up having another "January."

Rambis has recently had a dispute with the Wolves' star player Jefferson, until Jefferson showed up against the New Jersey Nets.

"That's the Al I want to see," head coach Rambis said. Jefferson made 13 of his 23 shots, including carrying the load in the fourth quarter, where he was virtually un-guardable.

"I felt pretty good," Jefferson said. "It felt like everybody else was moving in slow motion and I was the only one in normal speed."

Jefferson is going to have to carry the load, but it appears that Flynn, Brewer, and Love are all there to help.

It could get ugly as the Devils playground or as pretty as Minnesota's first snow fall overnight to wake up to a completely different world.

Thanks for reading!

P.S- Take A Look At This Video... First 30 Games Of This Season