# Healthy Wolves, crowded bench



## Bubbles

> Now that he’s done mediating his team’s locker-room differences, Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman turned his attention to another issue: What to do with a roster completely healthy for the first time in nearly two years and a bench that finally presents him with options?
> 
> “That’s a good problem,” he said.
> 
> Chase Budinger and Ronny Turiaf returned from injuries last week that kept them out of all or most of the season’s first two months. Rookie Shabazz Muhammad came back Monday after a four-game assignment to the NBA’s Development League. Veteran Luc Mbah a Moute is available again after missing three games because of a groin injury.
> 
> The Wolves bench — too often the team’s glaring weakness for those first two months — now appears representable and potentially formidable.
> 
> The Wolves practiced Monday and Tuesday with all 15 players on their roster healthy and available. Until last week, the Wolves hadn’t been completely healthy since March 3, 2012, Adelman’s first season on the job and six days before Ricky Rubio sustained a season-ending knee injury in his rookie year.
> 
> Turiaf adds interior defense, a certain sense of spirit and he allows Adelman to rest starting center Nikola Pekovic longer. Budinger adds athleticism, three-point shooting and expertise on Adelman’s unconventional offense to a second unit that already included J.J. Barea, Alexey Shved and Dante Cunningham.
> 
> “I don’t think it will take long at all,” Turiaf said about adapting to each other, “because I think our set of skills between the five of us match really well.”
> 
> But the Wolves’ healthy roster also means there’s not nearly enough playing time to keep everyone content.
> 
> “There are too many guys at one spot to play them all,” Adelman said. “They don’t expand the game to 60 minutes. I can’t change much. I have to play who I think is right.”
> 
> For now, Adelman appears prepared to play Budinger and Shved as the first players off his bench at small forward and shooting guard. Those decisions leave Mbah a Moute and Muhammad — not to mention rookie Robbie Hummel and veteran point guard A.J. Price — on the outside.
> 
> “Whatever the rotation is today isn’t written in stone,” Adelman said. “That can change, depending on how our team is doing.”
> 
> For now, though, Muhammad’s situation seems to have changed little even though he discovered his confidence and his offensive game by averaging 24.5 points on 57 percent shooting and 9.8 rebounds in four games with the D-League’s Iowa Energy.
> 
> Mbah a Moute has played fewer than 10 minutes in two games back from that groin injury. Wednesday’s home game is the first this season against Sacramento and the first since Mbah a Moute was acquired from the Kings in a late November trade that sent away former No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams.
> 
> Williams is coming off the bench since the Kings acquired small forward Rudy Gay shortly after trading for Williams. He is averaging 25 minutes and 9.5 points on 50 percent shooting in 22 games in Sacramento entering Tuesday’s game at Indiana.
> 
> Mbah a Moute is trying to convince his offensive-minded coach he deserves to be on the floor because of his often one-dimensional specialty, defense.
> 
> “I do think there will be times when Luc will be real important if there’s a Durant or someone where we need a defender there,” Adelman said, referring to Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant. “We have defensive players, and we have offensive players, but the two don’t meet and that makes it real hard. What do you do? How do you win games? And you have to measure: Is the offensive player going to be more effective than the defensive player because you have to play both ends.”


http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/240208861.html


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## Jamel Irief

If this team can stay healthy I don't see how they miss the playoffs. Hell they'd be a top 5 team in the conference now if they could just close games. 

I envision the starters being the same. Barrea will be the first guard off the bench. Only one of budinger, shaved and Mohamed will play over ten mpg. My guess is chase for shooting. Cunningham and Luke Richard African will compete as a backup to Love. Turiaf will be cemented as a backup center. 


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## RollWithEm

I still don't see it with this team. I don't think any of those returning pieces (other than possibly Mbah a Moute) can help them get stops down the stretch of games. They will never bee good in 4th quarters or in close games until they find a way to protect the rim and get stops. I guess it's possible they could make the playoffs, but I think Memphis is a better team... even without Gasol. 

*EDIT*: Dallas is better, too.


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## NK1990

The biggest issue we have is our interior defense. We can't stop players from driving to the basket. Its terrible and frustrating, Mbah and Brewer are really the only players that can play one on one defense.


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## DaBabyBullz

NK1990 said:


> The biggest issue we have is our interior defense. We can't stop players from driving to the basket. Its terrible and frustrating, Mbah and Brewer are really the only players that can play one on one defense.


I've been saying that for years. You need a 7' shot blocker next to Love if you want to be a legit team. AK47's defense helped last year. Rubio and Brewer on the wings helps a lot. Pek just isn't a good fit next to Love. 

Overall I really like the roster though, aside from that. You finally got a couple shooters in Martin and Budinger, to go along with Rubio and Brewer's slashing and disrupting passing lanes. Love's a beast. Pek is a solid scorer and all, but you need a defensive presence. If they could luck into Embeed, or could've gotten someone like Leonard or Len to groom as Love's post partner, that would've been huge. I just hope they can turn it around before they lose Love.


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## NK1990

DaBabyBullz said:


> I've been saying that for years. You need a 7' shot blocker next to Love if you want to be a legit team. AK47's defense helped last year. Rubio and Brewer on the wings helps a lot. Pek just isn't a good fit next to Love.
> 
> Overall I really like the roster though, aside from that. You finally got a couple shooters in Martin and Budinger, to go along with Rubio and Brewer's slashing and disrupting passing lanes. Love's a beast. Pek is a solid scorer and all, but you need a defensive presence. If they could luck into Embeed, or could've gotten someone like Leonard or Len to groom as Love's post partner, that would've been huge. I just hope they can turn it around before they lose Love.


Seriously, if Javale McGee wasn't such a moron I would consider trading Pekovic for McGee in a second!


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## RollWithEm

NK1990 said:


> Seriously, if Javale McGee wasn't such a moron I would consider trading Pekovic for McGee in a second!


Not a horrible idea. Denver would definitely go for it. They would have to add someone like Anthony Randolph to even things out a touch and make the money right. Would T-Wolves fans want a second look at Randolph?


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## Bubbles

DaBabyBullz said:


> I've been saying that for years. You need a 7' shot blocker next to Love if you want to be a legit team. AK47's defense helped last year. Rubio and Brewer on the wings helps a lot. Pek just isn't a good fit next to Love.


Bingo. Their shot blocking (or laugh thereof) is laughable. Their top shot blockers ride the bench and for good reason.


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## Bubbles

RollWithEm said:


> Not a horrible idea. Denver would definitely go for it. They would have to add someone like Anthony Randolph to even things out a touch and make the money right. Would T-Wolves fans want a second look at Randolph?


I think it would be worth taking on Randolph in order to add McGee to the team. Randolph wouldn't even be a terrible add for the Wolves either as a solid piece off the bench. It's weird to think that he's only 24 still.


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## RollWithEm

And JaVale is only 26.


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## Bubbles

Also weird to think about. With the Wolves being the Wolves though, they probably won't add a high level shot blocker before Love becomes an UFA.


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## DaBabyBullz

I liked Randolph when he was in MN as well. He showed flashes, and had a pretty good game when I saw them in person too. He just doesn't seem to be able to put it all together consistently for whatever reason. 

Acquiring a shot blocker is a must though. Every time I see a 7 foot shot blocker in the draft, I'm hoping the Wolves can get him to pair with Love. Like last year, I was hoping they'd trade up for Alex Len or Nerlens Noel. The year before it was Meyers Leonard (if they hadn't traded away that pick in a stupid trade from '05). In '11, it was Valanciunas for shot blocking reasons (I saw him play against the Wolves in a garbage game, and he was ok, nothing special, but no one was trying much since both teams were out of the playoffs). Jan Vesely was another one, due to the write-ups saying he altered shots and was compared to AK47. I wanted no part of Derrick Williams, that's for sure. In '10, I wanted Gordon Hayward (offense) or Paul George (defense), but should've been Derrick Favors probably if he could play C lol. 

Anyway, you get the point. For the last 3-4 years I've wanted a shot blocker to go with Love's offense and rebounding.


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