Minnesota Timberwolves 2009 Season Update
Posted 12/29/2009
As expected, it's been a brutal season thus far for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are bringing up the rear in the Western Conference.
The team has the second worst record in the NBA. If the New Jersey Nets weren't so unbelievably horrible, the Timberwolves would be the league's worst team.
It's important to note that the team is in the rebuilding process and these type of growing pains were fully expected.
Al Jefferson leads the team in both scoring and rebounding by pouring in almost a double-double per game. He is certainly the dominant low-post presence that they will be able to build around.
His low-post mate, Kevin Love, is second on the team in scoring. In just his second year in the league, Love is showing that he should be a quality NBA player for years to come.
Rookie point guard Jonny Flynn is third on the team in scoring and leads the club in assists. That's making some fans say, "Ricky Rubio who?" Alright, well probably not, but it looks like the Wolves made a smart pick grabbing Flynn.
As he matures and continues to gain experience, Flynn should start to take off. He has a lot of talent and probably didn't control the game enough while at Syracuse.
Corey Brewer has been a major disappointment so far, but it's important to remember that he is only in his second NBA season. He has shown more signs of life this year, and maybe he will start to become more of an impact player.
The Timberwolves also drafted Wayne Ellington, but he hasn't seen much playing time so far. Ellington is a good three-point shooter but needs to improve the rest of his game if he wants to be more than a practice player.
Things might get worse before they get better in Minnesota, but fans have to remind themselves that the rebuilding process is usually very painful. It will all be worth it when, or if, the team becomes a contender again.