Minnesota Timberwolves: 10 Reasons They're Still in Rebuilding Mode
Earlier this month the Minnesota Timberwolves' general manager, David Kahn, stated firmly that the club was no longer in rebuilding mode.
I'm not sure whether to take this remark seriously or not, as the Wolves stand at a 13-44 clip that is far from being even decent.
The fact of the matter is that the Pups are far from being serious contenders, and there are many reasons why they are still in rebuilding mode.
I will take a look at 10 of these reasons and discuss why they still are a few years away from seasons like the 2003-04 one.
I hope you enjoy and thank you for reading!
10. The Wins Don't Add Up
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As previously stated, the T'Wolves currently hold a 13-44 record, good for 28th in the league, only sitting above the Sacramento Kings and the pitiful Cleveland Cavaliers.
Kahn notes that the team isn't in rebuilding mode and is ready to contend again.
13 wins and 44 losses doesn't necessarily add up and scream—"We're rebuilding!!", but maybe that's just me.
9. The Roster Lacks True Veterans
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Luke Ridnour, who recently turned 30-years-old, is the only true grit veteran on the team.
He is the only Timberwolf who has played over 450 games in his career.
If Ridnour is supposedly the leader of a team that is considered "done rebuilding", you may as well deem the team a lost cause.
Sure we have young talent, but where are our veterans?
8. Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, ...?
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Kevin Love and Michael Beasley are seemingly the only guys who come out every night and step up their games to the fullest.
Love, who averages 21.0 points and a league-best 15.5 rebounds per game, is on his way to becoming a superstar in Minnesota.
Beasley, who was shipped to Minneapolis for the price of pretty much nothing, is putting up 19.9 points per game and is improving his game defensively game-by-game.
According to Kahn, we are done rebuilding, so say goodbye to any third wheel we could have brought in.
7. Why Not Go Out and Get Tradeables?
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According to David Kahn, we are done rebuilding and should not go out and get superstars.
Alright, let's leave guys we need like O.J. Mayo or Monta Ellis and go use our first-round draft picks on guys who we have no idea if they will pan out or not.
We have all the chips and bait, so why not try to reel them in?
6. Half The Roster Couldn't Play In Los Angeles
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If the team is done rebuilding as Kahn says it is, I will assume he means that the Timberwolves are ready to make a championship run.
Take a look at the roster and try to tell me with a straight face that guys like Nikola Pekovic, Lazar Hayward, Sebastian Telfair or Anthony Tolliver would be on the Los Angeles Lakers' rotation. There is absolutely no chance.
That explains another reason why Kahn's statement was flawed. If the T'Wolves were actually done rebuilding, wouldn't our bench have the likes of Matt Barnes, Steve Blake and Shannon Brown, like the Lakers do?
5. The Defense Isn't Where It Should Be
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As of this moment, the Timberwolves are averaging 101.8 points per contest, good for ninth in the league.
Conversely, the team is giving up a league-worst 107.7 points, something that can be attributed to poor defense. Imagine if the team had gone out and gotten a defensive chip or two before they had "stopped rebuilding."
Obviously, the club can go out and get more pieces, but it just hurts to see that many points given up, especially when they just rid themselves of Corey Brewer, the best lockdown defender the team had to its name.
4. Where Are The Fans?
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For a team that is "done rebuilding", the Wolves sure aren't filling up the Target Center.
Last season, the franchise averaged just over 15,000 fans every game, good for 25th in the league.
You'd think that the hardcore fans of the Timberwolves would show up if this team were done rebuilding, huh?
3. No Proven Coach
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In order for a team to be considered a perennial championship contender, it must have a head coach that can be seen by the league as one of the best, a mastermind that fails to give up at all costs.
Enter Kurt Rambis, a head coach who since joining the Minnesota Timberwolves has compiled a less-than-mediocre record of 28 wins to just 109 defeats. I don't know about you, but to me that definitely doesn't say "title contender."
So, if we are done rebuilding, I guess we don't need a new coach, huh Mr. Kahn?
2. Only Two Proven Starters
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In only just under three seasons, Beasley and Love have turned themselves into perennial starters with their own strengths.
Love has a great instinct and basketball IQ, which can attribute to his outstanding shooting and rebounding skills.
Beasley has a knack for offensive and can take over games seemingly at will with his bullseye of a left-hand shot.
Beyond these two, who else would actually be deemed an NBA starter elsewhere?
On a team that isn't rebuilding anymore, the Timberwolves sure are setting the bar low for themselves, which is a disappointing thought.
1. No Proven Superstar
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This one pains me to write, but when you are less than three seasons into your career, can you be deemed a superstar?
The 6'10" Kevin Love is having a terrific year, but in order to be considered "done rebuilding", the Timberwolves need to have a mainstay, something they had in Kevin Garnett from 1995 to 2007.
His numbers are astounding, and in addition to the high point and rebound averages, he is shooting 42.7 percent from beyond the arc and shoots better than 87 percent from the charity stripe, a number that only trails Kevin Durant among forwards in the NBA.
However, one part of Love's game that is lacking is his defense. Before the season, this may have led to the exchange of words between K-Love and Coach Rambis regarding his playing time.
If he fixes his game defensively, there is absolutely no reason not to keep him for at least another decade.
Until then, we are still a rebuilding franchise.
