Minnesota Timberwolves: 6 Bold Predictions for the 2011-12 Season

The Minnesota Timberwolves have not been to the playoffs since the 2003-04 season. The argument could be made that it was the last season where the Timberwolves have been relevant.

While the Timberwolves probably won't make the playoffs this season, they do have a chance to be significantly better than their 17-65 campaign last season.

What the Timberwolves don't have in pure talent, they make up for in intrigue. They have many players who could become legitimate pieces on a future contending team.

They also have a new coach in Rick Adelman, who brings instant credibility to the franchise that hasn't been seen since Flip Saunders was roaming the sidelines.

All of that makes predicting the future for the young Timberwolves all the more interesting.

Here are six predictions I have for the 2011-12 Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves Will Win More Games Than Last Season

It doesn't seem like a bold statement on paper, but when you look deeper, the Timberwolves winning more than 17 games is a tougher task than one would think.

First, the season will be 66 games instead of the normal 82-game schedule.

That means to match the same pace, the Wolves would have to win about 13 games to improve on last season.

Shorter schedule will mean less opportunities to improve on that win total. So saying the Wolves will win more than 17 games is a pretty big leap.

I think this will happen because of their schedule. The Wolves open with a series of tough games against Oklahoma City, Miami, San Antonio, Dallas and Memphis.

The good news is all of these games will be at the Target Center. It's possible that the Wolves could lose all of these tough games, but they'll set the pace of the season.

If the Wolves can go .500 in those first six games (they also have a winnable road game in Milwaukee), they can grab momentum. This would be important for a team that plays in the competitive Western Conference.

The rest of the schedule for the Wolves favors them. Of the Eastern Conference road games, the only real test will be a trip to Orlando.

It will be tough for the Wolves, but I believe that they will win more than 17 games in this shortened season.

Kevin Love Will Sign a Contract Extension with the Timberwolves

The recent problem in the NBA has been the trend of superstar players bucking small markets to create "Super Teams" in bigger markets.

The Timberwolves have been an exception to this in part because they haven't found talent to put themselves in this situation.

Finally, the Wolves have found a player that they need to keep happy.

That player is Kevin Love, who averaged 20.2 points per game and a league-leading 15.2 rebounds per game in 2010-11.

There has been concern whether or not Love would sign a long-term extension with the team because of the lack of success in Minnesota.

If the Timberwolves can show Love that they have a solid core in place, Love would be open to signing an extension with the Wolves. It would be a huge step for a franchise that hasn't had a star player since Kevin Garnett left town.

J.J. Barrea Will Get More Playing Time Than Wesley Johnson

Sometimes, when a team signs an important part of a championship team, the player turns out to be an overpaid bust for his new team.

I don't believe this will be the case with J.J. Barea.

Barea's high-energy style of play is something that the Wolves have sorely missed over the past couple of years.

Many people think this style would be perfect coming off the Timberwolves' bench, but I disagree.

The current shooting guard is Wesley Johnson. The only problem is that Johnson is more of a small forward.

It's nothing against Johnson, but Barea would help the team more if he was in the starting lineup.

It also wouldn't be a bad thing to have Johnson sit back and try to adjust to his more comfortable position while being a super sub off the bench that could play shooting guard in a pinch.

Rick Adelman is a smart guy, and that's why I believe we will see more of Barea this season than Johnson.

Derrick Williams Will Be the Franchise's Best Draft Pick Since Kevin Garnett

It's been a very long time since the Timberwolves hit on a draft pick.

Derrick Williams has the potential to become that guy.

Williams seems to have a lot in common with Garnett.

He has a fierce desire for improvement and competitiveness.

The commercial that Williams filmed with Under Armour seems to confirm that.

However, he also has the talent to match on the court. Williams is the most heralded rookie to take the court for the Wolves since Garnett came out of high school. His performance during the NCAA tournament for Arizona turned heads and made people think that he could be a perennial All-Star in the league.

The Timberwolves have been craving for a star since Garnett left, and while Kevin Love has become a media darling since last season, the addition of Williams reaching his potential would only mean good news for the franchise.

Anthony Randolph Will Be the Biggest Surprise for the Timberwolves

The TImberwolves possess many assets in their frontcourt.

They have so much talent up front that it may be a matchup nightmare for opponents to handle.

The Wolves already have an All-Star in Kevin Love, but they also have other ways to hurt you up front.

The combination of Michael Beasley and Derrick Williams will provide an explosive inside/outside scoring punch to complement Love's skill set.

While that three-headed monster may be what teams are expecting, they may forget about the sleeping beast on the Timberwolves' bench.

That would be Anthony Randolph, who at age 22 will be entering his fourth season in the NBA. He came into the league incredibly raw, and his immaturity wasn't something that his previous stops in New York and Golden State appreciated. That led him to The Land of Misfit Toys known as the Wolves.

Randolph wasn't eye-opening in his 23 games with the Timberwolves, but he did enough to give Wolves fans intrigue. According to basketball-reference.com, Randolph's averages per 36 minutes equated to 21.0 points per game and 9.3 rebounds per game.

If Randolph can find minutes, there is a possibility that he could put up numbers never seen before by a Wolves center.

Ricky Rubio Will Be Just Fine in the NBA

The biggest question for the Timberwolves this season will be what Ricky Rubio will bring to the team.

Much has been made about Rubio's regression in Spain since the Timberwolves made him the fifth overall pick of the 2009 NBA draft.

People have bashed Rubio about his lack of playing time for FC Barcelona, and how his jump shot has struggled.

His new teammates have said there isn't a problem with his jump shot, but what else are they going to say?

"Yeah, Ricky is a terrible shooter. I don't even know why we drafted this guy!"

The reality is that it won't matter if Rubio's jump shot is horrible in the NBA. Would it be a benefit if Rubio could knock down an open shot? You bet.

However, Rubio's job will not be to score 20-30 points a night. It will be to get the ball to the guys who can score the basketball.

The NBA game today is more about getting to the rim than having a deadly shot. Even if Rubio can't buy a basket outside of the paint most nights, his passing ability will open up lanes in the paint so he can lay the ball in. This is exactly what the Timberwolves want.

There have been plenty of point guards who don't put up massive stats in the scoring column but have had solid careers.

Rubio may be the next guard to join that list.