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Ricky Rubio
On the other hand (pun intended), Rubio has improved steadily since his entrance into the league. His ACL recovery hampered him last season, but he is still one of the, if not most, creative passers in the league. His court vision is phenomenal, and he always seems to fool the defence with his nifty passes. He needs to work on his defence and bulk up a little, but there are high expectations for the Spaniard coming into the 2014 season.
The addition of Kevin Martin should help one of the league’s worst offensive teams. Ranked 20th in points per game (95.7), Martin is a pure scorer. Although his ability to draw fouls has waned, Martin can easily drop 20 points a game.
He’s an excellent outside shooter and finishes wonderfully at the rim. His defence is below league-average, but his offensive capabilities far outweigh any defensive lapses he brings onto the court.
The arrival of Ronny Turiaf and Corey Brewer, on the other hand, should shore up Minnesota’s defence. They were right at league average on points allowed (98.1) last season, but Turiaf and Brewer should do well to lower that number.
Brewer is a great perimeter defender and fast break “leaker” (meaning he starts running down the court after an opposing player shoots the shot regardless of who gets the rebound).
He is, however, a glorified shot chucker. Brewer left the Denver Nuggets to mixed reactions. Some fans thanked their lucky stars that Brewer wasn’t going to suit up as a Nugget next season solely because he misses so many threes (he shot 29% from beyond the arc while taking close to four threes a game).
However, as Minnesota runs a much slower-paced offence than Denver did, I think Brewer’s shot attempts will go down and he will be used more as a defensive stopper.
Turiaf’s value is completely on the defensive end. Don’t expect many points from Turiaf on a nightly basis, but expect excellent rim protection. Turiaf is a great shot blocker and enthusiastic teammate. He’ll fill the role on every bench as the overly enthusiastic clown that jumps up and down every time the ‘Wolves make a great play.
Overall, I’m excited to watch Minnesota play in October. With Rubio at the helm, the Timberwolves will be a well-oiled offensive machine that plays solid defence. I have them going slightly over .500, but it wouldn’t be surprising at all if they put up a better record.
With big leapers in Derrick Williams, Chase Budinger, and Chris Johnson, prepare to see the ‘Wolves featured on the Top Plays of the Night channel regularly as well.
