Excitement for the Minnesota Timberwolves begins and ends with Rick Adelman.

by tylerpatrick

Is anybody else irrationally excited to watch the Timberwolves this year? I’ve been big on Ricky Rubio since I started eyeing him prior to the 2008 Olympics, and watching how he handled himself against Chris Paul, Jason Kidd and Deron Williams in the gold medal game had me thoroughly impressed. Better yet was the comeback he ignited days earlier against the home-country Chinese team. Unlike his final stint in Spain, the Olympics showcased what makes Rubio special. It’s bigger than potential, and watching him persevere—defending and facilitating players nearly ten years his senior—proved this. Down the road he’ll potentially learn to hit a jumpsuit. Down the road he’ll potentially learn when it’s okay to be a scorer. Down the road, he’ll potentially complete his game. Right now? Right now he needs to be himself, and that’s part of why I’m excited to see him under Rick Adelman.

You could compare Rubio to Jason Williams and you wouldn’t be far off, but the differences are elemental and essential. The flash is there, but Rubio, like White Chocolate, can’t shoot. In fact he’s an even worse shooter than J-Will. Here’s the difference: he knows it. Rubio’s unlikely to run up and shoot contested threes like Williams did, in part because he falls victim to a slow, set shot and partly because he knows his role. It hurts him, like it’s hurt Rondo, and while I’m not comparing the two, Rondo’s turned out alright, hasn’t he?

Rick Adelman is one of the best coaches in the league. I stand by this. He’s up there with the Popovichs and the, uh…the Popovichs. He doesn’t so much preach versatility as he incorporates it. He adapts, and the Wolves has a pretty remarkable, young set of gears to tinker with.

Early reports out of training camp show that Adelman is ready to Wonka his chocolate factory, something that sounds much filthier than I’d intended it to. Rumour has it he’s even experimenting with a sort of bizarro-Don Nelson starting five, one which would potentially pair Rubio with a gaggle of talented, versatile bigs. This line-up, poised to feature Anthony Randolph, Derrick Williams, Wesley Johnson and a slimmed down Kevin Love will in all likelihood fail. On paper it’s an unpalatable monstrosity; flex players for the sake of. But the plausibility of a great coach like Adelman actually incorporating it? That’s exciting. I don’t yearn to see a line-up where the only floor-spacers are 6-8 bigs, but the willingness means the mess in Minnesota could be nearing its end. The Timberwolves won’t be a playoff team this year. You’d be an idiot to think otherwise. Compare them to the Clippers of last year however and the possibilities become pretty apparent. Then substitute Vinny Del Negro’s haircut for the coaching acumen of Adelman and, well…you get the point. That’s worth being excited about.

The Wolves have pieces. Young ones. Young talented ones, and also Darko Milicic. They’re at a crossroads, for sure. They’ve amassed too many lottery picks. Two of their highest potential players are near clones of one another. Luckily for Derrick Williams, the other one is Michael Beasley. Oh, Michael Beasley. By now I should know better, but you know what? I’m still excited.

If you’re still reading (thanks mom!), you’ll see a trend forming. Rick. Fucking. Adelman.

There’s a second part to this, and maybe some day you’ll read it. But for now, as free agency craziness and amnesties count down to what will likely be a 66 season game of ugly, back-to-back-to-back basketball, get excited, if not for the Timberwolves’ impending youth, athleticism and versatility than for their first year under an all time great.