Cubs to Kings: Could the Adelman-Led T-Wolves Morph into Kings of Early 2000?

The Minnesota Timberwolves made the biggest splash this tumultuous off-season by landing veteran coach Rick Adelman. 

With 20 NBA seasons split between four teams under his coach belt, Adelman's experience will be invaluable to the development of the young Minnesota roster and could finally push the Timberwolves out of obscurity.

Adelman spent time in Houston, Golden State and even took the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals in 1990 and again in 1992.  His most memorable stop, however, may have been in California's state capitol.

Rick Adelman joined the Sacramento Kings during the strike-shortened season of 1998-99.  During his eight-year run, the Kings enjoyed their best run in franchise history making the playoffs every season.  The Kings have not earned a playoff berth since his departure in 2006.

Adelman bought an exciting brand of basketball to Northern California.  His Kings, using precision ball and player movement, ranked top three in scoring for seven out of the eight seasons during his stay.

His unorthodox schemes maximized the skill sets of his talent and made them a power in the west in the early 2000s. 

His move to Minnesota is eerily similar to his start in Sacramento.  He joined both teams in the midst of a league-wide labor dispute, but it goes much deeper than that.  Could we be the dawning of a new kingdom in the City of a Thousand Lakes?  Some of the pieces may already be in place...  

A Talented Power Forward: Check!

Just looking at Chris Webber and Kevin Love, it would be hard to see many similarities between them...other than being tall, of course.  Their games, however, are quite similar and will most likely be the bedrock this Minnesota team is built on.

Chris Webber was a dominant big man in the early 2000s.  Webber was a coach's dream. Blessed with huge, soft hands, a feathery shooting touch and a knack for the ball, Webber was Coach Adelman's go-to guy in Sacramento. 

Webber also perfected a jump hook while with the Kings.  The shot became C-Webb's go-to move and was his most unstoppable weapon in the paint.  Webber's offensive output peaked in 2001 when he averaged over 27 ppg and 11 rpg.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Webber's game, and what set him apart from his peers, was his interior passing ability.  Chris was a brilliant passer from the low block as well as the high post and was one of the better outlet passers. 

Webber held a career average of over four apg.  This ability gave Adleman multiple options in the half court, being to run the offense through Webber from multiple positions on the court.

Kevin Love has a very similar skill set. 

Love has distinguished himself by rebounding the basketball.  His 15.2 rpg was the high watermark last season and his 20.4 ppg led the Timberfolves. 

While not the post player Webber was, Love's shooting range extends beyond the three-point arc.  He was able to connect on nearly 42 percent of his three-point attempts last season.

Love has also demonstrated an extremely high basketball I.Q. and can ably play the high post, regularly hitting 15-foot jumpers.  He is adept at hitting cutters going back door and is the best outlet passer in the NBA.

While there are some differences, there is more in common between Webber and Love than not.  There is no doubt Adelman will attempt to use them in the same fashion.

A Scoring Wing: Check!

Peja Stojakovic and Michael Beasley are as different as Webber and Love are similar.  One is viewed as a "pure shooter," the other has been dubbed a "pure scorer." Expect them to play a similar role in Rick Adelman's offense

Peja Stojakovic was a key cog in the Sacramento machine.  A career 40 percent three point shooter, Peja was used to space the floor and allow Webber to work inside.  Peja was also excellent at working off screens which helped supply half-court offense. 

The high motion, read and react offense created many back door opportunities for Stojakovic, who regularly burned defenders with feeds from C-Webb.  Peja was a fantastic scorer, topping the 20-point mark four times in his eight full seasons with the Kings.

Michael Beasley can play the same part with the Wolves.  Beasley enjoyed his best professional season in 2010, averaging 19.2 ppg in his first year with the club.  Beasley also tied a career low, shooting 45 percent from the field.  Adelman can help here. 

Beasley possesses a deft shooting touch, but too often settled for mid-range jump-shots.  Understand that the mid-range jump-shot is the worst shot in NBA basketball, especially when you are talking about a player with legitimate three-point range. 

Beasley has that, hitting on nearly 37 percent last season.  He only shot just over two three-pointers per game. 

Expect the three-point attempt number to increase.  With the motion offense Adelman tends to employ, expect less one-on-one action and more cutting and movement from Beasley. 

Beasley will still be able to take advantage of mismatch situations, but there will be much more structure to work within.  If healthy and focused, Beasley should become a much more efficient scorer under Coach Adelman. 

A Steady Guard: Check...We Think...

Most people would assume the natural comparison of Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio to any of the former Sacramento Kings would be to flashy guard Jason Williams.  Looking closer, however, Rubio compares more favorably to the often overlooked but incredibly undervalued Doug Christie.

Doug Christie came to the Kings as a 30-year-old veteran.  Long and athletic, Christie was seen as a defensive stalwart who Sacramento could use to annoy the explosive Kobe Bryant.  Christie did that and much more, chipping in double digits three of his four full seasons with the club.

His most valuable contributions, however, could not be captured in the stat book.  Christie was steady and consistent.  He had a calming influence on a highly volatile team. 

His versatility allowed him to run the offense while Michael Bibby and the aforementioned Stojackivic looked for their shots in the flow of the offense.  He averaged over 4 apg during his time as a King and was the do-it-all piece that every good team needs.

Ricky Rubio may be able to provide some of the same.  Rubio has played in some of the biggest games international competition has to offer.  He has competed in the 2008 Olympics and two Euro League championships by the tender age of 20.  While it is not known how this experience will translate to NBA play, it is clear that Rubio is as battle-tested as any T-Wolf.

Minnesota is hoping Rubio can control the tempo of the game and stay cool in big situations, much like Christie was able to do.  Most expect the young squad to be an up-and-down type team, scoring a bulk of their baskets in transition.  Rubio likes to run, but his execution in the half-court could be the difference between a successful season and a disappointing one.

Rubio also has a reputation for being a excellent defender.  Again, he has played mostly against international competition but was an extremely disruptive force in the 2008 Summer Games, amassing three steals against the US National team.  It will be interesting to see if he can be the same factor in the NBA, but a quality defender at the point would be a big plus for Minnesota.

An Explosive Backcourt Scorer: No...But We Can Find One!

Mike Bibby arrived in Sacramento in 2001 via trade from the Vancouver Grizzlies.  Sacramento felt it was advantageous to rid themselves of the erratic Jason Williams for Bibby's steady hand at the point.  Bibby provided that and much more.

Bibby had a quality season in Canada, averaging 15.9 PG and over eight assists in his final season north of the border.  His numbers took a step down in Sacramento but he impact was obvious.  Bibby became the Kings go-to player down the stretch. 

He hit big shot after big shot throughout the season culminating in the historic seven game thriller against their rival, the Los Angles Lakers, where he averaged 22.7 ppg in the conference finals and nearly pushed the Kings into their first Championship series.

Some think Beasley could be that type of player in Minny.  That remains to be seen. There is, however, a veteran who has had a similar type of performance in a historic series available on the trade market. 

Enter Ben Gordon.

Gordon has become a forgotten man since leaving the Bulls for the Detroit Pistons in 2009. Gordon became a household name during the seven-game shootout with the Boston Celtics in a first-round face off. 

His 42-point performance was a show-stopper and was followed by a 33-point explosion in a Game 7 loss to the eventual champions. 

This was nothing new for Gordon.  Before his move to Detroit, Gordon was regularly among the leaders in fourth quarter scoring .  Even in his diminished role he is still a great finisher. 

According to 82games.com, Gordon shot nearly 55 percent with three seconds or less on the shot clock.  In comparison, Kobe Bryant, possibly the premier clutch player in the NBA, shot 41 percent in the same situation.

Minnesota lost countless games last season in late-game situations.  How much could Gordon's clutch shooting have helped in the win column?  It would be worth it for the Timberwolves to find out.

Bench Mob: Work in Progress

Scot Pollard.  Bobby Jackson.  Hedo Turkoglu.  Jon Barry.

Not an All-Star invite among them, but all played a major role off the bench for the Kings in the early 2000s.

One of the major flaws with Adelman's Kings was health.  Webber, Peja and Bibby suffered an array of injuries that cost them numerous games throughout the regular season.  Fortunately, the bench was always stocked with serviceable veterans who could fill in.

While talented in their own right, the Sacramento bench added the grit and toughness that perfectly complemented the starters.  Some would say the Kings first string was "soft."  The same could not be said for their bench.

This would be the final stage of the development of the Timberwolves.  Developing a bench takes time and requires a keen eye to spot the mix of players that can fill a roles on a winning team. 

Using the blueprint laid out by the Kings, look for Adelman to add some veteran leadership. The 2011 team had 12 players with three or fewer seasons of NBA experience.  That will need to change.      

Cubs to Kings

The signing of Rick Adelman is the first major step into relevance the Minnesota Timberwolves have taken since Kevin Garnett was perusing the paint in 2007.  Adelman is a proven winner with a unique style and a knack for getting the very best out of his players. 

Adelman is fully aware of the talent he has on his new roster and knows what he will need to progress.  It will be very interesting to see if Adelman can resurrect the Timberwolves franchise the same way he did in Sacramento.