Nobody in their right mind would consider the Minnesota Timberwolves the model NBA franchise. In fact, the T-Wolves could be the farthest thing in the entire NBA from the perfect organization.
Since the Timberwolves entered the league as an expansion team in 1989, they have struggled to find a core group of players who can help them be a consistent playoff contender in the West. In the T-Wolves 21 year history, they have had a total of 11 coaches and aside from Flip Saunders, who coached the team for 10 years from 1996 to 2005, they haven't had the same coach for more than 3 seasons.
The Timberwolves have not made a playoff appearance in the last 7 postseasons and their record of 187-387, which is 200 games under .500, shows how dreadful they have been since they made the Western conference finals for the first time in franchise history back in 2004. In fact, Minnesota has lost at least 50 games for the past 5 seasons including a 67 loss season two years ago and a dreadful 65 loss campaign last year.
Since 2006, the Timberwolves have had one of the first seven picks in the NBA draft every year. It's safe to say that Minnesota has struggled pretty mightily, especially since Kevin Garnett was traded in 2007 and Al Jefferson, the huge talent that Minnesota received in return for the all-star, never panned out and is now a member of the Utah Jazz.
It would have been easy for rising NBA all-star and 2011 most improved player Kevin Love to bolt on the Timberwolves and his teammates and enter free agency after this season. Nobody would have blamed him outside of Minnesota for wanting to be surrounded by a superstar team and a club that is going to compete for an NBA championship right now.
LeBron left the Cleveland Cavaliers after he had enough of playing along side mediocre talent, as he came to the realization that the Cavs didn't have enough pieces around him to win multiple NBA championships.
It would have been nothing against Kevin Love's fantastic talent or ability as a player to leave the team that drafted him and had built around him to go to a perennial playoff team.
However, Kevin Love has chosen a different route than LeBron and so many other NBA superstars who have wanted to leave their small market clubs in order to go to a bigger market like Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Dwight Howard (who has still not been traded despite the fact that he has requested Magic GM Otis Smith to leave Orlando). Love has signed a four year contract extension to stay in Minnesota worth 62 million dollars, as he is trying to build a playoff caliber team in the Twin Cities.
A big factor in Love's decision to stay with the T-Wolves is that although they were 17-65 last year, they have an immense amount of talent and youth on their squad and they are only going to improve with experience and playing with each other as time goes on.
Of the 12 guys who have played for the T-Wovles this season, only guards J.J. Barea and Luke Ridnour are older than 26. The combined age of Minnesota's starting lineup against the Dallas Mavericks of Ricky Rubio, 21, Wayne Ellington, 24, Derrick Williams, 20, Kevin Love, 23, and Darko Milicic, 26, was just 114. In comparison, the Mavericks starting five in that game of Jason Kidd, 38, Delonte West, 28, Shawn Marion, 33, Lamar Odom, 32, and Brendan Haywood 32, was 163.
Apart of that youth for the T-Wolves is point guard sensation from Spain, Ricky Rubio, and the number 2 overall pick in last year's NBA draft, Derrick Williams. Both rookies make the future outlook for the Timberwolves very positive and Love is ecstatic to have the opportunity to grow with that core.
Rubio is any players dream to play along side of, as the 21 year old is an incredible passer. The pass first point guard is always looking for his teammates and is very unselfish. Rubio is averaging 8.7 assists per game and he has posted 8 double-digit assist games thus far.
There is no doubt that Kevin Love has become a superstar in the NBA and that is why the Timberwolves are so excited that he is staying in Minnesota.
Love is putting up ridiculous numbers this season, as he is averaging 25.3 points per game, which is 4th in the league, and is second in the league in rebounding with 13.7 per game. Love became the first player this year to start a season with 13 straight double-doubles since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1992. Love has become a double-double machine, as he has 17 double doubles in 18 T-Wolves games.
The big man even has some range and can step outside the arc and knock down the three. Love is hitting over 2 threes per game and is shooting it at a 40.9 percent clip from deep.
The Timberwolves are one of the most exciting teams to watch, but Kevin Love is trying to be the center of a team that is going to be more than just exciting but a team that is going to compete for a playoff spot for many years to come.
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