Minnesota Timberwolves: The Most Underrated Bench in the NBA

Is it just me, or has this NBA off-season felt like an eternity?  Despite vast improvement to their roster, Wolves’ fans have had to endure countless media shots taken at the franchise for moves made by team President David Kahn.  And after all these ill-advised low-blows dished out by ESPN, YAHOO Sports, NBA.com, and every other major sports outlet, my only question is:

Have they looked at an updated roster?

I’m not buying what Beasley’s selling but I AM sensing a double up in the win column.

And what about the Wolves’ new look roster makes me think this?

Two words: The Bench.

Following a season where the Wolves’ reserves looked like they may have trouble holding the court in a YMCA pickup league, I’m happy to report that the David Kahn and company have performed an extreme-makeover: roster edition.

Let’s take a look at last year’s disaster zone, aka; the Wolves’ reserves (Kevin Love is not featured in this because he played starter-ish minutes):

Ramon Sessions- Sadly, Ramon was the bright spot on the Wolves’ bench last season with 8.5 points per game.

Damien Wilkins- You’re no Dominique.  After averaging 20 minutes a night for the Wolves’ last year, Wilkins can’t even find an NBA team to sign with.

Brian Cardinal- Great guy to have around the locker room but he’s joined Wilkins’ in the unemployment line for a reason.

Sasha Pavlovic- I’m not quite sure how he EVER made an NBA roster, but you won’t be seeing him again any time soon.

Oleksiy Pecherov- This list keeps getting more depressing.  Another NBA cast-off.

Nathan Jawai- Join the club.

Ryan Hollins- A complete waste of a 7’0” athletic frame, Hollins is the lucky one of the bunch as he is still in the NBA.  He was acquired by Cleveland in a blockbuster trade featuring Ramon Sessions and Delonte West between the Wolves and the Cavs this summer (I hope you picked up on the sarcasm)…  I actually don’t feel bad for Hollins having to play for the LeBron-less Cavaliers because somehow he’s landed on two teams in the past two years that are so bad that EVEN he gets to play.

Lastly, Wayne Ellington:  He could turn out to be a fine player but he had a lot of rookie growing pains.

Based on all these articles I’ve read this summer, it seems as though the sportswriters must still be under the impression that the Wolves’ roster hasn’t changed much.

Here’s your stat of the day:  4 of the Wolves’ 2010-2011 reserves collectively averaged over 11 points per game last year.  The 5^th reserve, Pekovic, averaged 20 a game in the Euro championships this past summer.

Projected 2010-11 Wolves’ bench:

PG: Luke Ridnour-  Backing up Brandon Jennings in Milwaukee last year, Ridnour put up 10.4 points and 4 assists per game in just 21 minutes per.  Ridnour is a starting quality point guard and will also be asked to mentor the young Jonny Flynn after the job he did with Jennings last year.  Even the biggest Wolves haters have to admit that this is a good backup point guard.

SG: Martell Webster- Averaging 9.4 points per game last year while backing up Brandon Roy, many believe Webster needs a bigger offensive role and more minutes to flourish.  He’s known for his solid defense, good 3-point shooting, and the ability to score in bunches.  He has all the physical tools to be a big time player but has not proven to be consistent.  Webster will get his chance to start for the Wolves if he proves that he can put 4 quarters together on a nightly basis.

SF: Corey Brewer- Coming off ACL surgery in only his 2^nd full season in the pros, Brewer quietly put up 13 points a night and claimed the title of the Wolves’ best defender last year.  With Brewer’s competitiveness and unstoppable motor that won him a lot of fans in Minnesota last year, expect Brewer to come back even better with a year more experience and a fully healed knee.  He’s another guy that will be competing for a starting spot but is likely to backup newly acquired Michael Beasley at SF.

PF: Anthony Tolliver- Tolliver had a breakout season last year with Golden State.  He averaged almost 12 points and 7 rebounds a game starting for the Warriors.  He also showed some upside with a few big games, notably 29 points against the Clippers, 30 points against New Orleans, 25 against Phoenix, and 34 against the Wolves.  Tolliver can score inside and out and should provide a lot of energy off the bench.  With a guy like this on the Wolves' depth chart, an injury to Kevin Love won’t spell complete disaster.

C: Nikola Pekovic- Widely regarded as the best big-man prospect in Europe, Wolves’ fans are salivating over this Montinegrin giant.  Playing for his national team in the 2010 Euro Championships, Pekovic averaged 20 points and 5 rebounds in just 24 minutes a game.  Known for his physical play, Pekovic looks to fill a role the Wolves have been lacking since the departure of Mark Madsen: the garbage man.  Expect Pekovic to mix it up on the block this year.  Fortunately, that's where the similarities end with Madsen-- this garbage man has a little game too.

Let’s not forget the back-ups’ back-ups.  Wayne Ellington took some time to acclimate to the NBA last year but showed some promise as a rookie.  Even more encouraging, Ellington displayed a consistent mid-range game to compliment his outside shooting in the 2010 Las Vegas Summer League.  It’s a long season and injuries are part of the game.  If (or should I say “when”) any of our wings go down, look for Wayne Ellington to step in nicely.

Finally, Lazar Hayward, the last man selected in the 1^st round in this summer’s draft, also had a good showing in the summer league.  With the plethora of wings in front of him on the depth chart, Hayward will likely see little more than garbage minutes this year, barring a multitude of injuries.  Regarded as a hard nosed ball player, Hayward will push his teammates in practice and will eagerly await his turn to show what he’s got.

The Dallas Mavericks’ 2^nd five, which is regarded by NBA.com as being the deepest in the NBA, averaged 8.5 points per game last year. 

The Wolves’ reserves’ 11+ average may not have caught anyone’s attention in the off-season, but I have a feeling that will change when the season starts.

Thanks for reading