How many wins?

[mrklean]

How many wins for the wolves this year? I see them winning more then the 15 last year, im gonna go with 27 games this year.

[Scott K]

I think we as a team have improved over last year, and that is important, but I think the other teams have as well. I would hope they win 30, but I think it will be more like 20. I will say 23 wins this year.

Then I think they will try to pick up some talent during the trade deadline, and spend some money next offseason, and next year will be back in the playoffs!

[Born2Fish]

Wow that is VERY optimistic! I can see them winning close to 30 this year too(my number is 32). But I can also see them trying to get a few things done before or near the deadline. Maybe put a few more pieces in place. Prepare for Rubio to get here, spend in what free agency is out there, and MAYBE get close to the playoffs. Im not sure if I am bold enough to go as far as saying they will get there quite that soon!!

[mrklean]

i still think they should trade off rubio i dont know about him yet i think they are finally slowly going in the right direction

[Scott K]

Rubio= tickets sold, we wont trade him.

More tickets being sold, means more money, more money= better players. Better players will then want to come here, to a team that has potential.

Tayler has the money to sign a good team, he said he is committed to putting a good team together for next season, I will hold him to it!

[Scott M]

I'll go with 20. I just don't see a talented roster. Where is the #1 option? Where is the #2 option? They are going to struggle putting the biscuit in the basket. I hope the defense improves and it should, but they need a creator in a bad way.

[ozzie]

ummmmmm 24

[abcnerdd]

I hope they'll get 30, but to be exact, 24.

[abcnerdd]

i still think they should trade off rubio i dont know about him yet i think they are finally slowly going in the right direction

[Scott K]

Rubio may not score 30pts per game very often, but he brings excitement to the game, in which not only pumps up the crowd, it lifts his team mates as well. Rubio will sell many jerseys, and bring people back into the Target Center. The wolves need Rubio on the team, and next year he will be here. I cant wait! I may have to get my self a package of tickets!

[mrklean]

my thing is how long will it take for him to get here, will he come over next year or will something else come up and dely it

[Scott K]

If he wants into the NBA, where the money is, he needs to come over soon, and to do that, we own his contract, after this year, he is all free to leave there. It will be his choice if he stays and plays more years there.

[mnwild]

I will say 25 wins. Like someone said who is the #1 guy, is it Beasley?? I would say yes on that. Going to be an interesting year but i dont expect anything from them this year other than finishing last in the division and a lottery pick team again.

[abcnerdd]

The #1 guy could be anyone this coming season. Could be Webster, Johnson, Beasley, Brewer or Ellington.

I would like to see this lineup at the start of week 1:

Starter/Backup

Ridnour/Telfair

Webster/Brewer/Ellington- Johnson/Brewer/Ellington

Beasley/Johnson/Hayward- Beasley/Webster/Hayward

Love/Tolliver

Darko/Pekovic

[mr_jman]

I'll say 26 wins... We just aren't there yet. Slowly improving some of our players (Brewer, Love, etc.) Still a few years away. If Rubio comes next year and stays a 2nd then they might make the playoffs in 3 years. I don't care if we get swept in 4 games... I just want the excitement back for this franchise. My Minnesota Timberwolves jersey collection collects dust other than for the opener and I wanna have a reason to wear them again once in a while!

[Walleye Guy]

I'm going with six wins! Worst managed pro sports team out there.... And i like the Wolves. On second thought I will bump the total to 8.

[abcnerdd]

Have some faith

[mrklean]

haha oh come on they will win more then single digits

[Walleye Guy]

I'm having a hard time finding that 9th win on the schedule....

[abcnerdd]

Compare 09-10 roster with 10-11 roster,

09-10 10-11

PG-Flynn/Sessions PG-Flynn/Ridnour

SG-Brewer/Ellington SG-Webster/Brewer/Johnson/Ellington

SF-Gomes/Wilkins/Pavlovic/Cardinal SF-Beasley/Webster/Brewer/Johnson/Hayward

PF-Jefferson/Love PF-Love/Beasley/Tolliver

C-Darko/Hollins/Jawai/Pecherov C-Darko/Pekovic

We now have a backup PG that can shoot from the outside and free throws unlike Sessions. Beasley and Webster are HUGE upgrade over Gomes and Pavlovic. Pekovic will cover what Al does in the post and Tolliver will bring more than whatever Hollins, Jawai and Pecherov did for us last season.

Our current roster has an average age of 23 years old. We are a young team and we'll prove all those wolves' haters wrong this coming season by winning 20+ games this season.

I cannot wait to see this roster play this coming season!

[Walleye Guy]

abcnerdd-I hope you are correct. Its been along time since we could legitimately get excited about the Wolves.

[Scott K]

I may up my prediction this year, and go to 30 wins, I kinda like how these young guys are playing together!

[mrklean]

they have started the preseason out very well

[fishersofmen]

I would say mid 20's as well. Just hard to get excited about this club. Still enjoy going to the games though.

[ozzie]

I don't think it is too hard to get excited for this team...I am excited... and I am now getting really ticked with Dish now that the regular season is around the corner and I can't watch this young team!!!

[Scott M]

Well the wins haven't come but they're building up some solid pieces. Love's getting his time and we're starting to expect 20-15. Loads of potential when you don't bat an eyelash at 20-20 and he pulls a 30-30.

Also strange that we can come to expect about 25 a night from Beasley. Just need one more big piece and our role players to step up and we're a playoff team in a tough Western conference.. Darko is looking pretty good lately.

[mrklean]

just need everyone one to come together good individual play not good team play

[ozzie]

With the pieces that we have and are molding added to the possibilty of Rubio coming next year maybe we can land a decent free agent or get a nice trade to add a better player thaat might make the difference and get this team to start winning!! They look great at times and then they just tank it and look like crud......the ups and downs of a young team!!

[Scott M]

Going to the game tomorrow. I'll probably spend the whole time watching Love rebound. Should be a good matchup with Scola.

[Scott M]

Wow, was the Wolves perimeter defense terrible. My father in law griped about how the Wolves shot well and should have been in the game, but he fails to understand that in the NBA if guys get open looks they hit them. That goes for both teams.

I don't know what Rambis was doing. The substitutions patterns were baffling. The starters came in down about 14 with 8 minutes or so to go and whittled it down to 4, but it was too little too late. This team can't defend anyone. They give up the most opponents points and highest opponents field goal percentage. Their defense is terrible. They love to come down and hit a big shot then turn around and give up layups and open shots...what's the point? Where's the pride?

It was the battle of the 2009 NBA draft busts, Jordan Hill and Johnny Flynn. Two years later and its obvious we would have been better off with Curry, Jennings, Holiday, Teague, Maynor, Lawson, Collison, Douglas, even DeRozoan.