Boasting the No. 1 overall picks from the 2014 and 2015 NBA Drafts in Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony-Towns, the future has arguably never been brighter in Minnesota.
Key additions
Karl Anthony-Towns, Tyus Jones, Nemanja Bjelica, Tayshaun Prince, Andre Miller, Lorenzo Brown, Nick Wiggins
Key departures
Chase Budinger, Anthony Bennett, Robbie Hummel, Gary Neal
2015-16 Season Preview
Coming off an exceptionally cold winter in which injuries helped bury them in the league’s basement, the Wolves made up for their in-season losing with a big win at the NBA’s annual draft lottery.
Pairing two young players possessing superstar potential has to feel like a dream for the Minny faithful, especially having watched management struggle to surround Kevin Garnett with talent during his prime years.
KG, the Professor, and Prince will provide the player-coach perspective, and the impact they are sure to have on the young players makes them each worth so much more than their contracts.
Garnett, Sam Mitchell, and Flip Saunders know one another like the back of their own hands. Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Martin, though oft-injured, provide veteran leadership and NBA know-how. Establishing a strong culture will be the goal for 2015-16, a year in which the Wolves are playing with house money.
No one is expecting this team to be in the playoff discussion when April rolls around, but a sizable leap from A.W. combined with a smooth transition for K-A-T could have this team winning far more games than most imagine.
If Ricky Rubio can stay healthy, this Wolves team has enough depth and skill to compete on a near-nightly basis right away, at least in my opinion.
Projected Record: 31-51
Following the assumed top-seven of (in no order) the Warriors, Spurs, Thunder, Clippers, Rockets, Grizzlies, and Pelicans, the Jazz have to be the favorites to land the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.
Many odds-makers have the Wolves winning somewhere around 25 games, with Western Conference teams like the Kings, Lakers, Blazers, and Nuggets all projected to finish with superior records.
Personally, I believe that Minnesota will win more games than those four teams. Further, Dallas and Phoenix are both decent fall-off candidates, as the Mavericks have legitimate injury issues, and the Suns’ chemistry could be cause for concern.
Less than two years removed from the Kevin Love sweepstakes, Wolves nation should be fully rejuvenated in 2015-16. If this team has better luck in the injury department than last year (which is almost a given), I’ll be surprised to see them fall short of 30 wins. It won’t be hard exceeding the low expectations that have been set by some, but rest assured KG and the coaching staff will set the bar high for this exciting young group of hoopers.
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