All season long, in defeat and even during occasional victory, Timberwolves head coach and president of basketball operations Flip Saunders has emphasized the need for "positive reinforcement" -- tangible evidence what's being done is working.
Players need it. Fans need it. Saunders himself, who admitted his exhaustion heading into the All-Star break, needs it.
Eleven wins and plans for a prime lottery position don't exactly qualify. But for one weekend, those with a stake in this downtrodden franchise were able to step out of the present reality and into what's hoped to resemble the future. Andrew Wiggins lifted an MVP trophy (albeit for the Rising Stars Challenge) over his head. Zach LaVine was crowned a champion (of the Slam Dunk Contest). Two of their teammates, Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad, joined them in Friday's rookie-sophomore clash, a showcase of the luminous future Minnesota appears to possess.
The Wolves' vets, meanwhile, come back healthy after an elongated All-Star break. Barring any trades before Thursday's deadline, Saunders' group will move forward and attempt to mesh, determining which players will be part of the puzzle after this season.
So plenty of pressing questions remain. Whether they involved trades, evaluations or housekeeping issues, we know you've got them. Thus we present the latest Timberwolves mailbag.
Thanks to everyone who submitted a question. Also, feel free to direct any additional questions/comments to me on Twitter.
OK. Here we go . . .
Question: Obviously, it's way early, but what type of career path is Wiggins on? -- Morgan, Bloomington
Answer: The expectations for Wiggins were already tremendous long before the Cavaliers drafted him first overall and traded him to Minnesota this past summer, and the 19-year-old Canadian has only amplified them with his staunch rookie of the year candidacy. More than halfway through his first NBA season, Wiggins leads all rookies in scoring (15.2 points per game) and ranks fourth in rebounding (4.3), eighth in assists (1.9), fourth in steals (1.1) and fifth in blocks (0.6). Since Jan. 1, he's played more minutes than any other NBA player. Usually, he guards the opposition's top scorer.
But most of that was achieved with starters Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin and Nikola Pekovic all out with injuries. Since they've returned, Wiggins has struggled at times to produce when plays aren't specifically called for him, and to stand out when he's not the only prime offensive threat on the floor.
But Wiggins is still a teenager, and nothing yet suggests his ceiling is lower than that of a perennial All-Star. Simply put, the kid's still learning, but he's looked darn good while doing it.
Q. I really love the trade for bringing (Adreian) Payne in. I think the next three players I would love to see the T-Wolves trade are: Martin, Pek (Pekovic), and (Thaddeus) Young. I know Pek and Martin have two really big contracts that would be hard to move, so do you think Young is the next name to go? Or can there be a way to get rid of Pek and Martin? -- Adam, Eden Prairie
A. If the Wolves were to do anything by Thursday's 2 p.m. trade deadline, Young would indeed appear the most movable. He has a player option on his contract for next year, solid numbers after an early-season slump (15.8 points, 6.2 rebounds per game since Jan. 13) and two other players at his position in Payne and Anthony Bennett.
But Saunders has said he's not actively pursuing any trades; only that he'll listen to offers. So don't be surprised if he rides out the season with three power forwards and determines each player's value afterward.
On the other two veterans: I've said it on Twitter and I'll repeat it here: I'd be very surprised if Martin gets dealt. Saunders likes the effect his floor-stretching and mentorship have had on the young players too much, even if it costs the club $14.5 million the next two seasons.
Pekovic, as you pointed out, is owed a hefty $35.8 million the next three years -- a difficult amount to assume for a guy who's injured as often as the Montenegrin big man has been. But if a team was willing to take that chance, the Wolves would listen, especially with Dieng playing so well behind Big Pek.
For more on what Minnesota might be up to between now and Thursday, here's my story from Monday talking trades.
Q. The Wolves have hung with some tough teams (Hawks, Warriors) the last couple games and even had a bit of a winning streak before that. What have you been seeing out of this healthy squad? Could they be turning a corner? -- Steve, Golden Valley
A. I see the same thing everyone else sees: a smattering of young, raw talent around a guy named Ricky Rubio who can intricately tie it all together. The team turned a corner the moment three different ankle specialists cleared Rubio to return and he suited up Feb. 2 at Dallas. Martin and Pekovic's returns previously were big, but neither had the instant impact Rubio's facilitation, energy and perimeter defense do. There's a reason the Wolves didn't beat a team like Memphis (90-89) or compete with clubs like Atlanta (117-105) and Golden State (94-91) in defeat until Rubio returned.
But that doesn't necessarily mean more three-game win streaks like the one you mentioned. You can thank the brutal Western Conference for that.
Just one of Minnesota's next 12 foes has a losing record. So while the aesthetic product is going to be better, don't expect the Wolves to go on a run and jeopardize landing a top-five pick in the lottery.
Q. Why don't they play Glenn Robinson? He has a lot of talent, we've got nothing to lose (playoff wise). Might as well let him develop his talent for next season. Kind of reminds me of how Shabazz (Muhammad) and Gorgui (Dieng) never got playing time last year. -- Kevin, Minneapolis
A. Glenn who?
Just kidding. And good question. I'll respond with one of my own: who do you want him to usurp in the rotation?
Martin and Wiggins, the Wolves' top two scorers, have both starting wing positions locked down. That leaves much-improved Muhammad to come off the bench as a sixth man at either spot. Recently-acquired Gary Neal adds another two-guard to the mix. Chase Budinger and, when healthy, Robbie Hummel also can play shooting guard or small forward.
That doesn't leave much room, which is why Robinson has appeared in just 23 games, averaging 4.1 minutes.
Saunders likes Robinson's game. He calls him a "first-round talent." But there are only so many minutes to go around. Don't think the son of Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson isn't developing, though; there's not a guy who spends more extra time in the gym. Sometimes, he's at the Target Center well past midnight.
Also, don't be surprised if Robinson is assigned to the NBA Development League in the near future. Saunders had hoped to send him there earlier this year, but Muhammad's oblique injury kept that from happening.
A short D-League stint did wonders for Muhammad. If Robinson were to stick around, keep germinating and turn out anything like Muhammad or Dieng, the Wolves would be quite pleased.
Q. Do you see Payne taking Bennett's minutes? I can't see them playing three power forwards equal time. What are big differences between the two? -- Zach, Mankato
A. If Young is moved before the trade deadline, this question becomes a lot easier to answer. But assuming Saunders isn't bluffing and the Wolves stay quiet through Thursday, Young will continue to get the bulk of power-forward minutes. Payne will definitely have an opportunity to earn a primary backup role behind him.
A long, 6-foot-10, 245-pound stretch four, Payne is closer to the prototypical Saunders power forward (which in basketball utopia is a direct clone of Kevin Garnett) -- one who can score inside and out, rebound and defend the pick-and-roll, all of which are plusses on the Payne scouting report. But having played only three NBA games, the Michigan State product is still a huge unknown.
As for Bennett, he continues to bounce between spurts of production and disappointment. Saunders has used a short leash with the 6-8, 240-pound sophomore, yanking him from games whenever he takes a bad shot. If Bennett were to embrace a more gritty, rebounding-and-defensive role, he'd probably be playing more than 16 minutes per game.
So the season's stretch run will give Saunders an opportunity to assess the future of the power forward position -- the one Kevin Love vacated, precipitating this club's latest rebuild.
Q. Is Flip grooming Zach for point guard, shooting guard, or combo guard off the bench? -- Wile E Coyote, Rochester
A. The long-term plan for LaVine, since he was drafted 13th overall, has been to develop him into a combo guard that can play both positions. This season, though, the great majority of his minutes have come at the point guard spot -- the one at which he requires more work. It might look ugly at times now, but I think LaVine and Saunders both hope it will pay off down the road.
LaVine's struggles at the one have been apparent. His numbers -- 7.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.1 turnovers and 21.7 minutes per game -- aren't awful, but he hasn't yet exhibited command of an NBA offense. His shot selection has been poor, too.
The 19-year-old rookie is most comfortable when he can simply attack, a style much more becoming of a two-guard than a point man.
Part of LaVine's time at the point has been out of necessity, with Rubio and recently-traded Mo Williams' injuries. Minnesota also has more shooting guard options -- Muhammad, Budinger, and now Neal, to name a few -- behind Kevin Martin, which makes it difficult to carve out opportunities for LaVine there.
LaVine has the mindset and tools to become a good, slashing shooting guard. Right now, he's trying to develop the other half of the combo-guard platter.
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