Oklahoma City vs. Minnesota: 5 Things to Take Away from the Timberwolves' Loss

The Target Center sold out.

That fact alone tells you how excited Wolves fans are for this season.

Target Center hasn't been that jacked up since the Western Conference finals in the 2003-2004 playoffs, way back in the Kevin Garnett era. Granted, the Timberwolves lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the Wolves can use this game as a learning opportunity.

In fact, the Wolves can take away five things from Monday night.

Micheal Beasley's Aggressiveness

Last year with Kurt Rambis at the helm, Michael Beasley always seemed to be out in no-man’s land.

It didn't look that way on Monday; actually, it looked liked Beasley wanted to take over the game from the beginning.

Beasley took many shots, maybe too many, but that’s not the point. He shot 11-of-27, leading the Wolves with 24 points. If Beasley starts shooting better than 40 percent from the field, he could the lead the Wolves to some wins.

If Beasley would have shot better on Monday, the Wolves probably would have beat the Thunder.

Ricky Rubio Can Pass

It’s something the Wolves seemingly knew and something that Wolves fans hoped for—it’s true.

The stat sheet shows only six assists for the Spanish sensation, but Rubio made passes no one else on the court would even think of.

Wolves players always have to be aware, because you never know when and where Ricky will find them.

Stars Can Align

Head coach Rick Adelman rightly played all of his stars together during crunch-time in the fourth quarter. The Wolves' lineup consisted of Kevin Love at center, Michael Beasley and Derrick Williams at the forwards, and JJ Barea and Ricky Rubio at the guards.

This lineup was the most exciting to watch and most effective. The Wolves scored the most points in the fourth quarter with 28 points, with a good bulk of the time going to the star lineup.

Look more for this lineup; it excites the crowd, they play well together and it’s the best five players the Timberwolves have.

Love May Be Even Better

Kevin Love lost 20 pounds over the lockout-extended offseason, and some people thought this weight loss would affect his ability to play with the big boys.  

Monday showed that there was no negative effect—and it maybe actually a good thing.

Some were worried that the weight loss would affect Love’s rebounding, but he brought down 12 boards. He also played 41 minutes, which wouldn't have happened 20 pounds ago, and he had five assists, second on the team to the passing phenomenon that is Ricky Rubio.

It Was the Thunder

The Wolves opened up the regular season against a very good Oklahoma City Thunder team.

Very good might even be an understatement; many people believe the Thunder will reach the NBA Finals this year, and the Wolves only lost to them by four. I think that says more about the Wolves than the Thunder.

Minnesota outscored or tied the Thunder scoring-wise in each quarter except the second quarter. The Thunder are poised for a deep playoff run with stars like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, who scored 33 and 28 points, respectively.

If the Wolves can stay within four against a championship favorite, then it will be a fun year for the young team. The Wolves need to prove they are a team that is capable of keeping pace with championship-caliber teams by taking care of Milwaukee on Tuesday.

If Minnesota can beat the lesser teams and steal a couple from the favorites, who knows—the Wolves might be on the playoff bubble.