NBA - Minnesota Timberwolves
Team:
| Location: Minneapolis, MN | Arena: Target Center (19,356) | Top minor league affiliate: Sioux Falls Skyforce | Owner: Glen Taylor |
| GM: Jim Stack | Coach: Rick Adelman | NBA Titles: 0 |
Minnesota News
| Timberwolves waive Brandon Roy |
|---|
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Brandon Roy gave it everything he had to try to resurrect a playing career derailed by chronic knee problems. He had platelet-rich plasma therapy on his knees last summer to get himself in position to sign a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. |
Standings - WC Northwest
Team Leaders
| Name | Total | |
|---|---|---|
| Pt/G | Derrick Williams | 12.0 |
| Rb/G | Derrick Williams | 5.5 |
| As/G | Ricky Rubio | 7.3 |
| St/G | Ricky Rubio | 2.4 |
| Blk/G | Greg Stiemsma | 1.2 |
| FG% | Nikola Pekovic | .520 |
| FT% | Luke Ridnour | .848 |
| 3Pt% | J.J. Barea | .346 |
| Mn/G | Andrei Kirilenko | 31.8 |
| PF/G | Alexey Shved | 1.5 |
Team Rankings
| Total | WC Rank | NBA Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PF/G | 95.7 | 12 | 20 |
| PA/G | 98.1 | 6 | 15 |
| Rb/G | 50.6 | 7 | 13 |
| FG% | .439 | 15 | 24 |
| 3P/G | 5.5 | 14 | 28 |
| PF/G | 18.4 | 3 | 6 |
| St/TO | 0.6 | 4 | 7 |
Latest Game - Apr 17, 2013
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota(31-51) | 30 | 26 | 24 | 28 | 108 | |
| San Antonio(58-24) | 24 | 37 | 15 | 19 | 95 |
Other Headlines
Player News
|
Flip Saunders said there is no repair work necessary with Kevin Love before next season begins. "I don't think so," he said when asked if there needs to be "any repair between the organization and the player." Love's lost season is raising questions about his future with the Timberwolves, but he's close to Rick Adelman and the team is confident about their future around Love. Saunders revealed that Love is about a week and a half out from doing "unlimited" physical activity, so he'll be good to go well in advance of training camp. |
|
Timberwolves released Brandon Roy. This could very well be the end of the line for Roy. There was a clause in his contract that allowed the Wolves to terminate his two-year deal after one year if his knees weren't healthy. After appearing in just five games this season, it's clear he's shot. Once a rising young superstar in the league, Roy was felled by seven career knee surgeries. Now 28, the 2007 Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star is unlikely to get another chance. David Khan was the only GM silly enough to give Roy a guaranteed contract, and he's since been fired by the Wolves. |
|
Ricky Rubio and his family are reportedly "disappointed" in the decision to fire GM David Kahn, sources told Ric Bucher. We're taking this with a huge grain of salt. Bucher reports that the disappointment stems "largely because Kahn is the one who stuck his neck out and drafted Rubio knowing he couldn't come over right away and did a lot of the legwork to expedite the start of Rubio's NBA career." We think Rubio and his family will be just fine. |
|
Former Timberwolves GM David Kahn believes Nikola Pekovic is "probably aiming for a double-digit salary" as a restricted free agent during the offseason. It's what we expected to hear, but Pekovic's free agency has the potential to turn into a monster headache for the team. The Wolves aren't good enough as currently constructed, but they can't really afford to lose Pekovic without a suitable replacement. A desperate team will throw Pekovic a multi-year offer at something like $10-12 million per season, a figure that may be difficult for Minnesota to match when looking at all of the holes on the roster. It's rare a team lets a restricted free agent leave, especially someone as critical as Pekovic is to Minnesota. |
|
Former Timberwolves GM David Kahn said "you just had to do it" when asked about drafting Derrick Williams second overall in 2011. Many were calling for Williams to actually go first ahead of Kyrie Irving, and that would have been a monumental disaster for Cleveland. Players drafted after Williams include Jonas Valanciunas, Tristan Thompson, Brandon Knight, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Nikola Vucevic, Iman Shumpert, Tobias Harris and Kenneth Faried. "You just had to do it, even though we were deep at that position. In time, I think it will prove to be the right pick," Kahn said. |
Player Injuries
| Player | Injury | Status | Exp Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malcolm Lee SG | knee | Sidelined | |
| Kevin Love PF,C | knee | Sidelined | |
| Nikola Pekovic C | calf | Sidelined |
Recent Transactions
| Date | Player | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| 2013/05/10 | Brandon Roy SG,SF  |
Waived |
Last 5 Games
Point Guard
| # | Name | Ht | Wt | DOB | Age | Exp | Birthplace | College | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Barea, J.J. | 6' | 180 | 06/26/1984 | 28 | 6 | Mayaguez, Puerto Rico | Northeastern | $4,493,000 |
| 9 | Rubio, Ricky | 6'4" | 194 | 10/21/1990 | 22 | 1 | Barcelona, Spain | None | $3,741,120 |
Shooting Guard
| # | Name | Ht | Wt | DOB | Age | Exp | Birthplace | College | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Budinger, Chase | 6'7" | 215 | 05/22/1988 | 24 | 3 | San Diego, CA, USA | Arizona | $942,293 |
| 8 | Lee, Malcolm  |
6'5" | 203 | 05/22/1990 | 22 | 1 | Riverside, CA, USA | UCLA | $762,195 |
Guard
| # | Name | Ht | Wt | DOB | Age | Exp | Birthplace | College | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Ridnour, Luke | 6'2" | 173 | 02/13/1981 | 32 | 9 | Coeur d'Alene, ID, USA | Oregon | $4,000,000 |
| 1 | Shved, Alexey | 6'6" | 188 | 12/16/1988 | 24 | 0 | Belgorod, Russia | None | $3,017,943 |
Power Forward
| # | Name | Ht | Wt | DOB | Age | Exp | Birthplace | College | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Cunningham, Dante | 6'8" | 226 | 04/22/1987 | 26 | 3 | Clinton, MD, USA | Villanova | $2,090,000 |
| 42 | Love, Kevin |
6'10" | 253 | 09/07/1988 | 24 | 4 | Santa Monica, CA, USA | UCLA | $13,668,750 |
Forward
| # | Name | Ht | Wt | DOB | Age | Exp | Birthplace | College | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Gelabale, Mickael | 6'7" | 215 | 05/22/1983 | 29 | 2 | Pointe-Noire, France | None | |
| 47 | Kirilenko, Andrei | 6'9" | 234 | 02/18/1981 | 32 | 10 | Izhevsk, Russia | None | $9,779,349 |
| 7 | Williams, Derrick | 6'8" | 243 | 05/25/1991 | 21 | 1 | Bellflower, CA, USA | Arizona | $4,947,840 |
Center
| # | Name | Ht | Wt | DOB | Age | Exp | Birthplace | College | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Johnson, Chris | 6'11" | 210 | 07/17/1985 | 27 | 2 | Washington, DC, USA | LSU | |
| 14 | Pekovic, Nikola |
6'11" | 281 | 01/03/1986 | 27 | 2 | Bijelo Polje, Yugoslavia | None | $4,640,000 |
| 34 | Stiemsma, Greg | 6'11" | 243 | 09/26/1985 | 27 | 1 | Randolph, WI, USA | Wisconsin | $2,575,000 |
Game Information
| Average Age: 26.1 |
| Average Height: 6'7.1" |
| Average Weight: 218.4 |
Standard
| Player | GP | Mn/G | Pt/G | FG/G | FGA/G | FG% | 3P/G | 3PA/G | 3Pt% | FT/G | FTA/G | FT% | ORb/G | DRb/G | Rb/G | As/G | St/G | Blk/G | TO/G | PF/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Love, Kevin PF,C
|
18 | 34.3 | 18.3 | 5.8 | 16.6 | .352 | 1.1 | 5.1 | .217 | 5.6 | 7.9 | .704 | 3.6 | 10.4 | 14.0 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
|
Pekovic, Nikola C
|
62 | 31.6 | 16.3 | 6.2 | 12.0 | .520 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | 3.9 | 5.2 | .744 | 3.7 | 5.1 | 8.8 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.3 |
| Kirilenko, Andrei F | 64 | 31.8 | 12.4 | 4.4 | 8.8 | .507 | 0.5 | 1.9 | .292 | 2.9 | 3.9 | .752 | 1.6 | 4.1 | 5.7 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 1.3 |
| Williams, Derrick F | 78 | 24.6 | 12.0 | 4.3 | 10.1 | .430 | 0.8 | 2.5 | .332 | 2.5 | 3.5 | .706 | 1.2 | 4.3 | 5.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
| Ridnour, Luke G | 82 | 30.2 | 11.5 | 4.5 | 9.9 | .453 | 0.8 | 2.6 | .311 | 1.7 | 2.0 | .848 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 2.3 |
| Barea, J.J. PG | 74 | 23.1 | 11.3 | 4.3 | 10.2 | .417 | 1.3 | 3.8 | .346 | 1.4 | 1.8 | .784 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
| Rubio, Ricky PG | 57 | 29.7 | 10.7 | 3.2 | 9.0 | .360 | 0.5 | 1.6 | .293 | 3.7 | 4.6 | .799 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 7.3 | 2.4 | 0.1 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
| Budinger, Chase SG,SF | 23 | 22.1 | 9.4 | 3.4 | 8.3 | .414 | 1.1 | 3.5 | .321 | 1.4 | 1.8 | .762 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| Cunningham, Dante PF | 80 | 25.1 | 8.7 | 3.9 | 8.4 | .468 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .000 | 0.8 | 1.3 | .650 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 5.1 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.9 |
| Shved, Alexey G | 77 | 23.9 | 8.6 | 3.1 | 8.2 | .372 | 1.1 | 3.7 | .295 | 1.4 | 1.9 | .720 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 1.5 |
|
Howard, Josh SG,SF
|
11 | 18.8 | 6.7 | 2.8 | 7.0 | .403 | 0.5 | 1.5 | .313 | 0.6 | 1.1 | .583 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.6 |
|
Roy, Brandon SG,SF
|
5 | 24.4 | 5.8 | 2.2 | 7.0 | .314 | 0.0 | 1.8 | .000 | 1.4 | 2.0 | .700 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 4.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| Gelabale, Mickael F | 36 | 17.9 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 3.9 | .518 | 0.4 | 1.4 | .308 | 0.6 | 0.7 | .875 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.3 |
|
Lee, Malcolm SG
|
16 | 18.0 | 4.9 | 1.8 | 4.8 | .382 | 0.5 | 1.5 | .333 | 0.8 | 1.3 | .600 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.9 |
| Stiemsma, Greg C | 76 | 15.9 | 4.0 | 1.7 | 3.7 | .457 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | 0.7 | 0.9 | .768 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 2.4 |
| Johnson, Chris C | 30 | 9.5 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 2.5 | .640 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | 0.7 | 1.1 | .618 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 1.6 |
|
Hayward, Lazar SF
|
4 | 7.8 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 2.5 | .200 | 0.0 | 1.0 | .000 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.000 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 |
| Amundson, Louis PF | 39 | 9.5 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 2.1 | .395 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | 0.3 | 0.9 | .333 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.4 |
|
Conroy, Will G
|
4 | 5.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 2.3 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.8 | .000 | 0.3 | 0.5 | .500 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
Extra
| Player | GP | Mn/G | +/- | Eff | As/TO | St/TO | PPS | 2D | 3D | TF | FF | Ej |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lee, Malcolm SG
|
16 | 18.0 | 12 | 5.625 | 2.00 | 1.20 | 1.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kirilenko, Andrei F | 64 | 31.8 | -27 | 16.109 | 1.49 | 0.81 | 1.41 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cunningham, Dante PF | 80 | 25.1 | -98 | 10.538 | 1.20 | 1.50 | 1.04 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Amundson, Louis PF | 39 | 9.5 | -68 | 3.308 | 0.58 | 0.84 | 0.94 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Love, Kevin PF,C
|
18 | 34.3 | 2 | 20.667 | 1.08 | 0.33 | 1.11 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Barea, J.J. PG | 74 | 23.1 | -63 | 10.149 | 2.03 | 0.22 | 1.10 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Williams, Derrick F | 78 | 24.6 | -197 | 11.038 | 0.46 | 0.44 | 1.19 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
|
Howard, Josh SG,SF
|
11 | 18.8 | -17 | 6.000 | 0.40 | 1.00 | 0.96 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Roy, Brandon SG,SF
|
5 | 24.4 | 6 | 7.000 | 3.29 | 0.43 | 0.83 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Pekovic, Nikola C
|
62 | 31.6 | -20 | 18.742 | 0.52 | 0.43 | 1.36 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Gelabale, Mickael F | 36 | 17.9 | -67 | 6.667 | 1.63 | 1.00 | 1.30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ridnour, Luke G | 82 | 30.2 | -135 | 11.634 | 2.39 | 0.63 | 1.16 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Stiemsma, Greg C | 76 | 15.9 | -87 | 6.658 | 0.51 | 0.75 | 1.10 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Shved, Alexey G | 77 | 23.9 | -78 | 8.039 | 1.95 | 0.37 | 1.05 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Rubio, Ricky PG | 57 | 29.7 | -84 | 14.789 | 2.43 | 0.80 | 1.18 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
|
Hayward, Lazar SF
|
4 | 7.8 | -26 | 2.750 | 99.99 | 99.90 | 1.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Budinger, Chase SG,SF | 23 | 22.1 | 21 | 8.174 | 1.09 | 0.61 | 1.13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Johnson, Chris C | 30 | 9.5 | -24 | 5.567 | 0.62 | 0.54 | 1.56 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
|
Conroy, Will G
|
4 | 5.1 | -40 | -2.000 | - | - | 0.11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Recent
| Date | Opponent | Result | Pts Leader | Rebs Leader | Asst Leader | Game Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri Nov 2 | Sacramento | W, 92-80 | Barea (20) | Cunningham (11) | Roy (5) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sun Nov 4 | @Toronto | L, 105-86 | Kirilenko (17) | Williams (8) | Ridnour (5) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Mon Nov 5 | @Brooklyn | W, 107-96 | Pekovic (21) | Cunningham (11) | Roy (7) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Nov 7 | Orlando | W, 90-75 | Ridnour (16) | Williams (6) | Roy (5) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Fri Nov 9 | Indiana | W, 96-94 | Budinger (29) | Pekovic (13) | Shved (7) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sat Nov 10 | @Chicago | L, 87-80 | Pekovic (18) | Kirilenko (12) | Kirilenko (6) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Mon Nov 12 | @Dallas | W, 90-82 | Pekovic (20) | Kirilenko (11) | Ridnour (7) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Nov 14 | Charlotte | L, 89-87 | Kirilenko (22) | Kirilenko (15) | Ridnour (5) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Fri Nov 16 | Golden State | L, 106-98 | Williams (18) | Williams (13) | Shved (6) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Nov 21 | Denver | L, 101-94 | Love (19) | Love (14) | Ridnour (9) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Fri Nov 23 | @Portland | L, 103-95 | Love (24) | Love (13) | Kirilenko (5) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sat Nov 24 | @Golden State | L, 96-85 | Pekovic (17) | Love (15) | Barea (10) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Tue Nov 27 | @Sacramento | W, 97-89 | Love (23) | Love (24) | Barea (6) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Nov 28 | @LA Clippers | L, 101-95 | Love (19) | Love (12) | Ridnour (7) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Fri Nov 30 | Milwaukee | W, 95-85 | Shved (18) | Pekovic (12) | Shved (4) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Tue Dec 4 | @Philadelphia | W, 105-88 | Shved (17) | Love (10) | Barea (10) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Dec 5 | @Boston | L, 104-94 | Love (19) | Love (13) | Ridnour (5) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Fri Dec 7 | Cleveland | W, 91-73 | Love (16) | Love (14) | Ridnour (4) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Dec 12 | Denver | W, 108-105 | Pekovic (26) | Love (14) | Barea (12) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Fri Dec 14 | @New Orleans | W, 113-102 | Pekovic (31) | Kirilenko (11) | Ridnour (10) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sat Dec 15 | Dallas | W, 114-106 | Pekovic (20) | Kirilenko (10) | Rubio (6) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Mon Dec 17 | @Orlando | L, 102-93 | Love (23) | Love (15) | Kirilenko (6) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Tue Dec 18 | @Miami | L, 103-92 | Kirilenko (22) | Love (18) | Shved (8) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Thu Dec 20 | Oklahoma City | W, 99-93 | Love (33) | Love (11) | Shved (9) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sun Dec 23 | @New York | L, 94-91 | Pekovic (21) | Pekovic (17) | Ridnour (5) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Dec 26 | Houston | L, 87-84 | Barea (30) | Love (17) | Ridnour (5) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sat Dec 29 | Phoenix | W, 111-107 | Pekovic (33) | Love (10) | Shved (12) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Jan 2 | @Utah | L, 106-84 | Love (13) | Love (10) | Barea (4) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Thu Jan 3 | @Denver | W, 101-97 | Shved (17) | Love (17) | Shved (5) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sat Jan 5 | Portland | L, 102-97 | Pekovic (26) | Pekovic (11) | Shved (6) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Tue Jan 8 | Atlanta | W, 108-103 | Pekovic (21) | Pekovic (13) | Rubio (8) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Jan 9 | @Oklahoma City | L, 106-84 | Shved (18) | Williams (11) | Rubio (7) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Fri Jan 11 | @New Orleans | L, 104-92 | Ridnour (20) | Cunningham (9) | Shved (7) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sun Jan 13 | @San Antonio | L, 106-88 | Barea (15) | Kirilenko (11) | Ridnour (6) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Mon Jan 14 | @Dallas | L, 113-98 | Barea (21) | Pekovic (12) | Rubio (6) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Thu Jan 17 | LA Clippers | L, 90-77 | Ridnour (22) | Pekovic (12) | Rubio (6) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sat Jan 19 | Houston | W, 92-79 | Kirilenko (18) | Kirilenko (8) | Rubio (5) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Mon Jan 21 | @Atlanta | L, 104-96 | Williams (17) | Kirilenko (6) | Barea (7) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Jan 23 | Brooklyn | L, 91-83 | Kirilenko (22) | Kirilenko (8) | Barea (8) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Fri Jan 25 | @Washington | L, 114-101 | Williams (18) | Williams (11) | Stiemsma (6) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sat Jan 26 | @Charlotte | L, 102-101 | Ridnour (22) | Ridnour (7) | Rubio (8) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Jan 30 | LA Clippers | L, 96-90 | Pekovic (26) | Pekovic (13) | Kirilenko (10) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Fri Feb 1 | LA Lakers | L, 111-100 | Shved (22) | Williams (12) | Rubio (8) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sat Feb 2 | New Orleans | W, 115-86 | Cunningham (18) | Pekovic (6) | Shved (7) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Mon Feb 4 | Portland | L, 100-98 | Cunningham (25) | Pekovic (13) | Rubio (6) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Feb 6 | San Antonio | L, 104-94 | Pekovic (31) | Williams (10) | Rubio (8) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Fri Feb 8 | New York | L, 100-94 | Ridnour (36) | Pekovic (9) | Rubio (4) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sun Feb 10 | @Memphis | L, 105-88 | Ridnour (17) | Williams (6) | Shved (9) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Mon Feb 11 | @Cleveland | W, 100-92 | Ridnour (21) | Pekovic (10) | Rubio (10) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Feb 13 | Utah | L, 97-93 | Williams (21) | Williams (11) | Rubio (7) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Feb 20 | Philadelphia | W, 94-87 | Pekovic (17) | Pekovic (8) | Rubio (5) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Fri Feb 22 | @Oklahoma City | L, 127-111 | Shved (17) | Stiemsma (6) | Rubio (9) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sun Feb 24 | Golden State | L, 100-99 | Williams (23) | Williams (13) | Rubio (8) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Tue Feb 26 | @Phoenix | L, 84-83 | Williams (21) | Williams (12) | Rubio (10) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Thu Feb 28 | @LA Lakers | L, 116-94 | Barea (20) | Rubio (8) | Rubio (13) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sat Mar 2 | @Portland | L, 109-94 | Williams (23) | Rubio (9) | Rubio (9) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Mon Mar 4 | Miami | L, 97-81 | Williams (32) | Cunningham (10) | Rubio (10) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Mar 6 | Washington | W, 87-82 | Williams (19) | Williams (14) | Rubio (7) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sat Mar 9 | @Denver | L, 111-88 | Gelabale (19) | Johnson (8) | Rubio (6) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sun Mar 10 | Dallas | L, 100-77 | Williams (22) | Williams (12) | Ridnour (8) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Tue Mar 12 | San Antonio | W, 107-83 | Rubio (15) | Rubio (11) | Rubio (6) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Mar 13 | @Indiana | L, 107-91 | Rubio (21) | Stiemsma (9) | Rubio (10) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Fri Mar 15 | @Houston | L, 108-100 | Barea (19) | Gelabale (7) | Rubio (7) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sun Mar 17 | New Orleans | W, 97-95 | Williams (24) | Williams (11) | Ridnour (5) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Mon Mar 18 | @Memphis | L, 92-77 | Shved (12) | Gelabale (7) | Ridnour (3) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Thu Mar 21 | @Sacramento | L, 101-98 | Pekovic (18) | Pekovic (12) | Rubio (9) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Fri Mar 22 | @Phoenix | W, 117-86 | Kirilenko (20) | Stiemsma (10) | Rubio (8) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sun Mar 24 | Chicago | L, 104-97 | Williams (22) | Pekovic (12) | Rubio (10) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Tue Mar 26 | @Detroit | W, 105-82 | Barea (21) | Pekovic (11) | Rubio (9) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Mar 27 | LA Lakers | L, 120-117 | Pekovic (31) | Pekovic (16) | Rubio (8) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Fri Mar 29 | Oklahoma City | W, 101-93 | Pekovic (36) | Pekovic (11) | Rubio (9) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sat Mar 30 | Memphis | L, 99-86 | Rubio (21) | Rubio (8) | Rubio (7) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Mon Apr 1 | Boston | W, 110-100 | Pekovic (19) | Kirilenko (7) | Rubio (5) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Apr 3 | @Milwaukee | W, 107-98 | Pekovic (27) | Cunningham (8) | Rubio (12) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Fri Apr 5 | Toronto | L, 95-93 | Pekovic (26) | Pekovic (8) | Rubio (7) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sat Apr 6 | Detroit | W, 107-101 | Barea (25) | Pekovic (10) | Rubio (6) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Tue Apr 9 | @Golden State | L, 105-89 | Budinger (17) | Stiemsma (9) | Shved (9) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Apr 10 | @LA Clippers | L, 111-95 | Pekovic (20) | Williams (10) | Rubio (7) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Fri Apr 12 | @Utah | L, 107-100 | Barea (23) | Stiemsma (7) | Shved (5) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Sat Apr 13 | Phoenix | W, 105-93 | Rubio (20) | Cunningham (9) | Rubio (14) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Mon Apr 15 | Utah | L, 96-80 | Williams (22) | Stiemsma (8) | Barea (7) | Recap | Boxscore |
| Wed Apr 17 | @San Antonio | W, 108-95 | Williams (21) | Stiemsma (9) | Ridnour (6) | Recap | Boxscore |
Depth Chart
| Position | Depth Order |
|---|---|
| PG | Ricky Rubio, J.J. Barea |
| SG | Luke Ridnour, Alexey Shved |
| SF | Andrei Kirilenko, Mickael Gelabale, Chase Budinger |
| PF | Derrick Williams, Dante Cunningham |
| C | Nikola Pekovic, Greg Stiemsma, Chris Johnson |
Flip Saunders said there is no repair work necessary with Kevin Love before next season begins. "I don't think so," he said when asked if there needs to be "any repair between the organization and the player." Love's lost season is raising questions about his future with the Timberwolves, but he's close to Rick Adelman and the team is confident about their future around Love. Saunders revealed that Love is about a week and a half out from doing "unlimited" physical activity, so he'll be good to go well in advance of training camp.
Timberwolves released Brandon Roy. This could very well be the end of the line for Roy. There was a clause in his contract that allowed the Wolves to terminate his two-year deal after one year if his knees weren't healthy. After appearing in just five games this season, it's clear he's shot. Once a rising young superstar in the league, Roy was felled by seven career knee surgeries. Now 28, the 2007 Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star is unlikely to get another chance. David Khan was the only GM silly enough to give Roy a guaranteed contract, and he's since been fired by the Wolves.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have waived guard Brandon Roy, likely bringing an end to an All-Star career that was shortened by knee problems. The second season of the two-year contract Roy signed with the Wolves was not guaranteed, making his release inevitable. The 28-year-old Roy was a three-time All-Star with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Timberwolves announced the move Friday. Roy retired before last season due to knee issues, then attempted a comeback with the Timberwolves this season after going through a procedure that gave him hope that the chronic pain in his knees would be reduced. But after a promising training camp, Roy's knee issues returned early in the regular season. He played just five games.
Ricky Rubio and his family are reportedly "disappointed" in the decision to fire GM David Kahn, sources told Ric Bucher. We're taking this with a huge grain of salt. Bucher reports that the disappointment stems "largely because Kahn is the one who stuck his neck out and drafted Rubio knowing he couldn't come over right away and did a lot of the legwork to expedite the start of Rubio's NBA career." We think Rubio and his family will be just fine.
Former Timberwolves GM David Kahn believes Nikola Pekovic is "probably aiming for a double-digit salary" as a restricted free agent during the offseason. It's what we expected to hear, but Pekovic's free agency has the potential to turn into a monster headache for the team. The Wolves aren't good enough as currently constructed, but they can't really afford to lose Pekovic without a suitable replacement. A desperate team will throw Pekovic a multi-year offer at something like $10-12 million per season, a figure that may be difficult for Minnesota to match when looking at all of the holes on the roster. It's rare a team lets a restricted free agent leave, especially someone as critical as Pekovic is to Minnesota.
Former Timberwolves GM David Kahn said "you just had to do it" when asked about drafting Derrick Williams second overall in 2011. Many were calling for Williams to actually go first ahead of Kyrie Irving, and that would have been a monumental disaster for Cleveland. Players drafted after Williams include Jonas Valanciunas, Tristan Thompson, Brandon Knight, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Nikola Vucevic, Iman Shumpert, Tobias Harris and Kenneth Faried. "You just had to do it, even though we were deep at that position. In time, I think it will prove to be the right pick," Kahn said.
According to ex-GM David Kahn, he had to convince Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor that Kevin Love was worth a maximum contract. If true, it's a seriously large statement and a potential reflection of why Love has said what he has about the organization in the past. "We handled it the best way we can, and of course I handled it per instructions from the owner," Kahn said. "Glen and I talked about it at length. I think it actually took me some time to tell Glen it was imperative he receive max money." Kahn also revealed that Love really wanted the five-year deal instead of the four-year deal he settled for instead. Love can opt out of his contract in 2015.
J.J. Barea is likely to play for the Puerto Rican national team during the offseason. Barea is under contract for two more years, and the Puerto Rican team will try to qualify for the World Championship at the end of the summer.
Ricky Rubio said that his knee is now 100 percent healthy, and he will play for Spain in the European Championship in September. Rubio was upset when he wasn't able to play for his country during the 2012 offseason, but he'll be able to give it a go this time around. The bigger news here is that his knee is 100 percent sound and he should enter training camp firing on all cylinders after being limited when he initially returned this year.
Rick Adelman said this will be a "big" summer for Derrick Williams. After an abysmal rookie season, Williams responded this season with averages of 12 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.8 triples on 43 percent shooting. Most notably, Williams improved his three-point percentage to 33.2 after struggling his inaugural season with a mark of 26.8 percent. As a starter, Williams averaged 13.4 points and 6.2 rebounds, so he's still got plenty to prove if he's going to remain in Minnesota for the long haul. "He's certainly shown he can do some things for us, it's just a matter of how consistently he can do it," Adelman said.
President of basketball operations David Kahn reiterated that the Timberwolves want to re-sign restricted free agent Nikola Pekovic. Pekovic will enter the offseason as one free agent sure to draw a ton of interest, and the Wolves may have to pony up a deal worth north of $10M annually in order to keep him. Pekovic has also said that he's intent on staying with the T-Wolves, but things could change during the bidding process if a desperate team makes a big offer.
President of basketball operations David Kahn is hoping to re-sign unrestricted free agent Chase Budinger. The Timberwolves have made it clear that they plan to target a legitimate shooting guard in the offseason, but the club also wants to keep Budinger around after he made a positive impression in limited action this season. It's unclear what kind of deal he'll be seeking, but it's worth noting the team gave up a first-round pick to acquire him before the 2012/13 season began.
Andrei Kirilenko hit 2-of-6 shots for five points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 20 minutes of Wednesday's final win over the Spurs. Kirilenko had a nice season when he was healthy, but he also let owners down in the second half of the season. He'll be another year older next season and Kevin Love will presumably be back, meaning Kirilenko's run as a solid fantasy player could be coming to an end.
Derrick Williams had 21 points, six rebounds, four assists, a steal and two 3-pointers on 7-of-15 shooting in Wednesday's win over the Spurs. Williams is a tough guy to figure out for next season, as he was up and down all year, and Kevin Love was out for most of it. We'll have to see how things shake out this summer, but regardless of what happens, he played well enough for most of the season to be given consideration later in most drafts.
Greg Stiemsma made another start at center for injured Nikola Pekovic on Wednesday and had 12 points, nine boards, a career-high five steals, and a block in a win over the Spurs. Stiemsma is usually good for some blocks whenever he's getting run, but we didn't see the steals coming. As long as other centers are healthy, he won't be worth owning in most fantasy leagues next year.
Nikola Pekovic (left calf contusion) will not play against the Spurs on Wednesday. He tried to warm up and it would seem he's not going to be able to manage the pain. Pek had a great season, averaging 16.3 points, 8.8 boards and 0.8 blocks on 52 percent shooting, but his 20 missed games will make him a risky pick next year. Greg Stiemsma and Dante Cunningham figure to split the center duties tonight.
Nikola Pekovic is warming up and testing his calf to see if he can play in Wednesday's finale. We should have an answer shortly as to whether he's in or out.
Derrick Williams plans to work with assistants Bill Bayno and Shawn Respert in the offseason. Williams needs to round out his game, but he's proven he is better than anyone thought he was this season. His long-term future in Minnesota remains cloudy at best, but he did say that he'd like to remain with the Timberwolves. Of course, that's just about the only thing he can say and not get slammed for it, so we'll take it with a grain of salt.
Chase Budinger, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, wants to return to the Timberwolves only if Rick Adelman remains the head coach. Adelman previously said he's planning to come back next season unless he learns something new regarding his wife's health. "I like the staff. I love Adelman," Budinger said. "That's a big part of it." Budinger admitted he's still not 100 percent after knee surgery and will spend the offseason ensuring he gets back to previous form.
Nikola Pekovic (calf) traveled with the team for Wednesday's game against the Spurs and is listed a questionable. Earlier today Rick Adelman said he's unsure of Pekovic's status for the finale. He has been ruled out fairly early in the last two games, so he's likely a little closer to doubtful than probable. Fantasy owners would probably be best served avoiding this situation with 15 games and plenty of options to choose from.
Nikola Pekovic (calf) could be out for the season. Rick Adelman had no idea of Pekovic's availability for Wednesday's game vs. San Antonio, and it doesn't sound like the team will jeopardize his long-term health just to see him play. "I don't know if it makes sense to play him in the last game or not," he said. Pekovic is set to become a restricted free agent and will be in search of a monster pay day.
Ricky Rubio plans to work out in Spain during the offseason, focusing specifically on getting his legs stronger and improving his jump shot. Rubio also wants to work on his dribble, and he said he'll work "on everything" during an important offseason for him. Rubio also revealed he plans to play for Spain's national team in September.
Derrick Williams scored 18 points in Monday's 96-80 loss to the Jazz, adding six boards and one steal in 40 minutes. With Nikola Pekovic dealing with a left calf contusion, the Wolves needed to get a little extra offense out of Williams tonight. He didn't get much help in the frontcourt with Greg Stiemsma (six points and eight boards) and Dante Cunningham (12 points and five boards), so Williams is really the only player worthy of a start in Wednesday's finale against the Spurs.
Ricky Rubio shot 2-of-9 from the field for six points with four boards, four assists, two steals and one turnover on Monday. He's coming off a career-high 24 points on Saturday and came back to Earth today. Rubio has been one of the best assets in fantasy leagues down the stretch, leading the NBA in steals and assists since the All-Star break.
Nikola Pekovic has been ruled out on Monday due to his calf injury. This will be his third straight missed game with the injury and a combination of Greg Stiemsma and Dante Cunningham will fill in for him once again tonight.
Rick Adelman wants Nikola Pekovic to add some "finesse" to his game. "Finesse was never my better side," the bruising center admitted. "All my basketball life, like iI like to say, my basketball is not really nice for watching, but it is really effective." Pekovic's quotes are becoming comedic gold, but Adelman does have a point about extending his game.
Brandon Roy (knee) will not play again this season, and GM David Kahn said not to expect Roy back with the team. Kahn confirmed that Roy's career is all but over after chronic knee issues reappeared, and the team could look to include his non-guaranteed contract in a potential trade during the offseason.
Rick Adelman stressed the importance of the Wolves' adding a starting-caliber SG this summer. "It's too hard to play point guards at that spot," said Adelman. "Luke [Ridnour] is overmatched all the time playing bigger two-guards.We have to find a way to get more size there." Brandon Roy's chronically damaged knees make his return unlikely, and it sounds like Minnesota will address their need via free agency or a trade.
Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has yet to decide whether he will retain David Kahn as GM next season. Kevin Love's hand injuries, and his recent knee surgery, have prevented the Wolves from truly evaluating the team that Kahn put together. They also face a tumultuous offseason with uncertain futures for Rick Adelman, Andrei Kirilenko, Brandon Roy and Nikola Pekovic, among others. "Glen and I talk all the time," Kahn said. "My sense is that we'll be working on this for a while."
Rubio had his 14th double-double of the season and established a new career high with 24 points and 10 assists in Minnesota's 105-93 win over Phoenix on Saturday. Rubio is never a consistent threat for explosive scoring, but remains a decent play because of his penchant for assists and steals while continuing to grow as a shooter. He's averaging 8.3 assists and 2.9 steals over his last nine contests.
Dante Cunningham started at center vs. the Suns, finishing with 13 points, eight boards, two steals and one block in 34 minutes. The Suns' small-ball lineup inspired the switch from Rick Adelman, who consequently shifted Greg Stiemsma (six points, five rebounds, four blocks) to a bench role. Nikola Pekovic (calf) remains day-to-day, and his status will determine whether Cunningham and Stiemsma will be worth fantasy attention on Monday and Wednesday.
Ricky Rubio scored a career-high 24 points to lead the Wolves to a road win on Saturday, making 8-of-18 FGs and 7-of-7 FTs with five rebounds, 10 assists and five steals. Talk about a bounce-back performance -- Rubio came in shooting 9.7 percent from the field in the Wolves' past three games (3-of-31). His legs are tired and he's playing through a sore left shoulder, but he was inspirational tonight against a Suns team which is giving up 104.8 points per game in April. Let's hope he closes the season strong vs. the Jazz on Monday and the Spurs on Wednesday.
Kevin Love (knee surgery) didn't use crutches on Saturday and said he will "not miss any normal offseason workouts." "It's a big summer for [the Wolves]," said Love. "Just getting back in shape, in a month luckily I'll have a clean bill of health and will be ready to go." He just had arthroscopic surgery on Wednesday, which obviously was of the 'minor' variety, and it sounds like he'll have the entire summer to get himself into prime shape for a playoff run in 2013-14.
Dante Cunningham is starting at center for the Wolves on Saturday. Rick Adelman is going to shake things up with more of an offensive approach against one of the league's worst defenses. Greg Stiemsma will come off the bench, but he still looks to be a better play for owners looking for some late-season help today. Cunningham is worth a look, as well.
Nikola Pekovic will not play against the Suns on Saturday due to a left calf contusion. He was a surprising scratch on Friday and there was always a good chance that he was going to miss this game following that news. Pek is certainly on the chopping block for fantasy owners with only two games left for Minnesota. Greg Stiemsma makes a ton of sense as an add in all leagues against one of the weakest interior defenses in the NBA.
Dante Cunningham returned from his hamstring injury on Friday and had eight points, four boards, two assists and one steal in 26 minutes. He was a late scratch on Wednesday and the Wolves needed him a bit more than usual with Nikola Pekovic (calf) out. Greg Stiemsma logged a whopping 41 minutes, so Rick Adelman's trust in his big man will limit the smaller Cunningham in getting minutes at center.
J.J. Barea got hot off the bench with 23 points to go with four boards, three assists and two 3-pointers in 27 minutes against the Jazz on Friday. He started out with 19 points in the first half and was held in check in the second half. Barea has done this before and he scored 20 points last Saturday, as well. He plays on Saturday and he should have some success against Phoenix's weak defense.
Greg Stiemsma played 41 minutes in a start at center against the Jazz, scoring 10 points with seven boards, one assist, three steals and two blocks on Friday. Nikola Pekovic is out with a left calf contusion and there's a very good chance he'll be out against the Suns on Saturday. There are only four games on Saturday, so Stiemsma is really a must-stream option in daily leagues.
Pekovic is dealing with a left calf contusion. His status is unknown for Wednesday's season finale.
Barea scored a season-high 23 points in a 107-100 loss to Utah on Friday night. Barea reached 21 points three times this season and finally got past it on this night.
Dante Cunningham (hamstring) is back in the lineup against the Jazz on Friday. He was a late scratch on Wednesday and he should be ready to go tonight. Cunningham should play over 24 minutes with the Wolves not having Nikola Pekovic (calf) and he's on a back-to-back for Saturday's game. We'll keep an eye on him.
Nikola Pekovic will not play against the Jazz on Friday due to a left calf contusion. Ouch. Pek has been a stud in his last nine games, averaging 20.4 points and 9.8 boards. The Wolves are on a back-to-back and will play Saturday, so there's a very good chance that he'll sit out of that game. Greg Stiemsma has been let loose in the second half, so he could flirt with a double-double and a couple blocks.
Rick Adelman said Ricky Rubio is "fighting through" his current shooting slump. Rubio has managed to make just 3 of his last 31 shots from the field over a three-game span. "He has come a long way from the start of the year with the (knee) injury and everything else," Adelman said. The coach did add that Rubio's shot looked "flat," and said that Rubio's legs might be "a little tired." The good news is Rubio's shoulder is fine, so owners don't need to worry about that.
Chase Budinger played 27 minutes, but hit just 3-of-10 shots and a 3-pointer for seven points, one rebound and two assists. He blew up for 17 points and six boards on Tuesday in similar minutes, but never got it going tonight. With Dante Cunningham sidelined with a hamstring injury, it's possible that Budinger continues to get close to 30 minutes a game to finish out the season, so it would not be surprising to see him bounce back from this performance.
Derrick Williams hit just 3-of-12 shots and a 3-pointer on Wednesday, but still managed to finish with a double-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and a block in 36 minutes. He got some extra run after Dante Cunningham was a late scratch due to a hamstring injury. If DC continues to miss time with the injury, it should mean Williams plays plenty of minutes down the stretch. Williams had just five points on Tuesday, but bounced back tonight.
Ricky Rubio hit just 2-of-8 shots for six points and seven assists in 23 minutes in Wednesday's loss. He was 0-for-10 on Tuesday and may be hitting a wall as he deals with a sore left shoulder. All signs point to him continuing to play through it, but with the Wolves having nothing left to play for, it wouldn't be all that surprising if he misses a game or two in the final week of the season.
Dante Cunningham was a late scratch and will not play against the Clippers on Wednesday due to a right hamstring injury. He's been helpful for the Wolves and over his last five games, Cunningham averaged 11.8 points in 27.0 minutes. Minnesota will have to count on Derrick Williams and Andrei Kirilenko a bit more tonight.
Kevin Love had a plate removed from his injured left hand and had arthroscopic knee surgery on Wednesday. He's now out for the season due to the knee surgery, but it's nice to see that his hand injury is improving, too. Love has missed a whopping 26.5 games per season over his last four, so he'll be a risky pick in fantasy drafts given his shaky track record.
Brandon Roy (knee), who is traveling with the Timberwolves, is hoping to play "at least one more time" this season, according to Ric Bucher. Roy is reportedly targeting either April 13 or April 15, and before anyone gets too excited, it's possible he'll simply play a couple of minutes in order to get a basket. Bucher reports that Roy is hoping to continue his career, but it's hard to see how he'll ever be healthy enough to play 50-plus games again.
Chase Budinger played 27 minutes and hit 7-of-15 shots and two 3-pointers for 17 points and six rebounds in Tuesday's loss. Budinger has had a couple good games since returning, but had been struggling prior to this one. If he continues to get more minutes than Derrick Williams, he might end up being a sneaky add for the last few games of the season.
Derrick Williams hit just 2-of-8 shots and a 3-pointer for five points in Tuesday's loss. He didn't have a rebound or anything else worth noting, while Dante Cunningham came off the bench for 11 points, and Chase Budinger added 17. This is now a three-headed monster and Williams is probably not going to be too reliable going forward with so many wings now healthy. Williams played just 20 minutes tonight.
Nikola Pekovic hit 2-of-8 shots for just five points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 26 minutes on Tuesday. He led the starters in playing time tonight, as Rick Adelman played 10 guys 20-plus minutes in this one. And that wasn't good news for any players in Minnesota uniforms.
Ricky Rubio missed all 10 of his shots to finish with five points, five rebounds, six assists and a steal in 22 minutes of Tuesday's loss to the Warriors. Yuck. Rubio is playing through a left shoulder injury, so he's not really playing at 100 percent. The Wolves don't have much to play for, but it does appear that Rubio is a likely candidate to finish out the season.
Ricky Rubio (shoulder) is expected to play against the Warriors on Tuesday. Rubio had his shoulder wrapped and in ice after Saturday's game, but he's expected to play through the issue. It's not clear how serious the injury is or exactly what he's dealing with, but we can't imagine it's major if the Wolves are letting him play through it at this point of the season.
Kevin Love's knee surgery is "minor," a source told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Whether it's minor or not, it's not going to ease the pain of Wolves fans and fantasy owners who were hoping for a Love cameo toward the end of the year. Apparently, Love's knee bothered him for "much of the season," so we can't imagine why he waited to get it checked out as he was out with a broken hand anyway. Regardless, Love should be healed well before training camp begins, but his lost season is officially over.
Kevin Love will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and will be out 4-6 weeks. This is totally unexpected and Love's hand injury is a moot point now with the injury to his leg. The surgery is to remove loose bodies due to scar tissue in his knee and will be performed by one of the world's most prominent doctors in David Altchek. While Love would have been a slam-dunk pick in the first round this year, his injuries combined with a 35.2 percent from the field makes him a somewhat risky pick in drafts next season.
Ricky Rubio is dealing with an injury to his left shoulder. Rubio injured the shoulder in the third quarter of Saturday's game, and when asked if he'd be alright, Rubio replied with a simple "I hope so." The Wolves don't play again until Tuesday against the Warriors, so owners will have to keep a careful watch on this situation and check back for updates. If Rubio misses any time, Luke Ridnour and J.J. Barea would benefit.
Pekovic had 20 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday's 107-101 win over Detroit. Averaging 16.4 points on the season, Pekovic has put up at least 20 in each of his last five games. He's averaging 24.4 on 59.7 percent shooting over that stretch.
Veteran guard Luke Ridnour made just 1-of-6 shots vs. Detroit, finishing with five points in 20 minutes. He added three assists and two steals but his playing time was dampened by his own poor play and the red-hot shooting of J.J. Barea (20 points). If you own Ridnour, single-digit duds are simply part of the equation.
Ricky Rubio scored 10 points with five boards, six dimes and five more steals on Saturday, but he finished 1-of-13 from the field and 8-of-9 from the FT line. He's been phenomenal lately and he still chipped in some goodies tonight, but Rubio's jumper remains the one area he can clearly improve -- he's shooting 41.5 percent from the field over the past month, a number sure to sink after tonight's brick-laying competition.
J.J. Barea got hot off the bench on Saturday, scoring 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting, with two 3-pointers and six assists, to help the Wolves defeat the visiting Pistons. This hardly stands out on a night full of odd-ball stats, but in his previous two games Barea had a combined four points on 2-of-9 shooting. There's no reason to expect him to play nearly as well in back-to-back games vs. the Warriors and Clippers early this week, so avoid him unless you're flat out of alternatives.
Andrei Kirilenko finished Saturday's victory with 13 points, one 3-pointer, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a season-high seven steals. AK was one steal shy of his career-high and he has double-digit points in four straight games. It's safe to say that he's 'back' after weeks of quiet play following a calf injury.
Nikola Pekovic scored 24 points on 6-of-12 shooting (12-of-16 FTs) with eight rebounds and one steal in the Wolves' 95-93 loss to the Raptors on Friday. Godzilla was moving people around at will tonight and should do so for the rest of the year. Andrei Kirilenko scored 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting with a full line, and Ricky Rubio went for 13 and 12 with five boards in the loss.
J.J. Barea missed all five of his shot attempts and went scoreless in Friday's loss. Barea logged 15 minutes and this should be the last straw for anybody holding out hope in most normal formats.
Rubio finished with 13 points and 12 assists in a 95-93 defeat to Toronto on Friday night. Rubio has double-doubles in three of his last four games and could be a major fantasy star in future seasons.
Kirilenko had 20 points and six rebounds in a 95-93 defeat to Toronto on Friday night. Kirilenko made 8 of 10 shots in an efficient scoring display.
Pekovic had 24 points and eight rebounds in a 95-93 defeat to Toronto on Friday night. Pekovic just missed his 26th double-double and has been an outstanding value fantasy play all season.
Kevin Love (hand) still hasn't been cleared for contact. The next time Love plays in a game will almost certainly be next season. Considering all the hand troubles he had this year, it's for the best anyway. Love figures to be 100 percent well before next season, giving him plenty of time to get his trademark jumper back. He shot an uncharacteristically brutal 35.2 percent from the field in his 18 appearances this year.
Pekovic scored 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting in Minnesota's 107-98 win over Milwaukee on Wednesday. Pekovic has been exceptional over his last three games, averaging 26.0 points on 66.7 percent shooting with 9.3 rebounds.
Derrick Williams started at PF and scored 15 points with six rebounds on Wednesday, but he played just 19 minutes as Dante Cunningham cut into his role off the bench. Cunningham finished with eight points, eight rebounds and one steal in 29 minutes. D-Will's playing time has been foundering since Andrei Kirilenko's return a few weeks back, and his usual lack of assists, steals and blocks makes him tough to deploy in 12-team leagues.
Ricky Rubio knocked down a career-high five 3-pointers on his way to 19 points, four rebounds, 12 assists, and a career-high eight steals vs. the Bucks on Wednesday. Rubio just single-handedly won the fantasy championship for many of his owners, and his late-season surge is amazing to watch. He's shooting just 23.4 percent from downtown this year, but he hit 32.4 percent in March and if he develops a reliable 3-point shot his fantasy value will go through the roof. He also had a career-high eight turnovers tonight, but who's counting?
Andrei Kirilenko had 12 points, four rebounds and four assists in Wednesday's victory, while playing 34 minutes of action. The stats aren't too impressive, but AK hadn't played more than 32 minutes in a game since returning from injury in mid-March. Tonight's game was as good a sign as any that he's healthy and ready to pick up a bigger role in the Wolves' final games.
Nikola Pekovic scored 27 points on efficient 11-of-14 shooting in a road win vs. the Bucks on Wednesday, adding eight rebounds, three assists, one steal and only one turnover. Not counting the game he missed with a sprained ankle, Pek is scoring 26.0 points in his past three contests, on better than 65 percent shooting. He's been a solid sixth-round value in nine-cat leagues this season, though 16 DNPs due to injury have lowered his overall returns.
Impending free agent Nikola Pekovic reiterated that he wants to re-sign with the Timberwolves. "That's my preference, to stay here," Pekovic said. "I like it. I enjoy it. I hope I'll stay." It's unclear if the Wolves will be the highest bidder for the rugged center. Big men are annually overpaid in free agency and Pekovic has shown rapidly improving offensive touch at 6'11/281. The 27-year-old is averaging 16.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in his third NBA season.
Dante Cunningham came off the bench for 19 points and five rebounds on 7-of-12 shooting in 24 minutes of Monday's win over the Celtics. Starter Derrick Williams had just 11 points, three boards and a 3-pointer in 25 minutes, but is still the more reliable fantasy play as long as he's starting over Cunningham.
Andrei Kirilenko finally had a nice game on Monday, hitting 6-of-7 shots and a 3-pointer for 17 points, nine rebounds, five assist and two steals in a tough win over the Celtics. AK-47 has been struggling, but finally got it going against a short-handed Boston team tonight, who saw Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett sitting in street clothes. Now owners of AK just have to hope he can keep it going on Wednesday against the Bucks. Don't feel too bad if he was on your bench tonight, as he just hadn't been playing well enough to be in most lineups right now.
Nikola Pekovic returned from an ankle injury and had 29 points, five boards, a steal and a block on 9-of-15 shooting in 41 minutes in Monday's win over the Celtics. Pekovic missed Saturday's game due to his bum ankle, but came through in a big way tonight. We're just hoping that you were following our news blurbs and were able to get him back into your lineups for tonight's big game. The Celtics were missing Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, and Chris Wilcox and Jeff Green weren't able to offer much defense to the opposing big man.
Luke Ridnour hit just 1-of-7 shots for two points, one assist and two steals in 20 minutes of Monday's win over Boston. J.J. Barea scored 11 and Alexey Shved had nine points tonight off the bench, but as long as Ridnour is starting, he's the most reliable of this bunch. Ridnour had just seven points in his previous game, but had scored between 11 and 15 in the three leading up to that one.
Cunningham scored 19 in a 110-100 victory over the Celtics on Monday night. Cunningham has showed flashes of brilliance but not on a consistent basis.
Pekovic bruised and battered the overmatched Boston front line for 29 points to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 110-100 victory over the Celtics on Monday night. Pekovic sat out the last game with an ankle problem but showed no ill effects against the Celts.
Updating a previous report, Nikola Pekovic (ankle) will play vs. the Celtics on Monday. Pek's injury isn't considered serious, and his return means that Greg Stiemsma will slide back to an insignificant bench role for the Wolves.
After missing Saturday's game with an ankle injury, Pekovic is questionable for Monday's game against the Celtics. Greg Stiemsma will likely get another start if Pekovic is unable to play.
Brandon Roy (knee) has been practicing for two weeks and will ask Rick Adelman if he can return this season. Well, that came out of nowhere. Roy was considered a long shot to play again this season due to ongoing knee issues, but his "tender right knee is improving," and Roy likely wants to play in at least one more game before being forced to make yet another decision on his playing career.
Nikola Pekovic (ankle) is listed as questionable to face the Celtics on Monday. Pek was a surprise scratch on Saturday with a sprained ankle, but it's not thought to be a serious sprain and this is the same guy who played through two bum ankles down the stretch last season. We should learn of his availability after shootaround, and if he is forced out again, Greg Stiemsma, who played 40 minutes for an injured Pekovic on Saturday, will pick up the start again.
Dante Cunningham said he's not bothered by his injured right hand. He shot just 2-of-8 on Saturday, and it was the first time in seven straight he hadn't shot at least 40 percent from the field. Regardless, he's not expected to miss any time with the injury.
Rubio just missed his second career triple-double in a 99-86 loss to Memphis on Saturday, finishing with a season-high 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists The Minnesota point guard has provided some strong all-around efforts lately as he's averaging 15.0 points, 7.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds over his last 12 games.
Andrei Kirilenko was quiet against the Grizzlies on Saturday with five points, four boards and one assist in 28 minutes. It looked like he was getting ready to come around due the averages of 11.5 points, 2.5 steals, 0.5 blocks and 0.5 triples in 29.5 minutes over his last two games, but he fell on his face tonight. Kirilenko has been a disappointment lately and uncharacteristically has just one total block over his five games. He has a great schedule, so we would be apprehensive in cutting him for a hot free agent.
Greg Stiemsma played a career-high 40 minutes against the Grizzlies on Saturday and had 12 points, seven boards, two steals and two blocks in a start for the injured Nikola Pekovic (ankle). Pekovic was a late scratch with an ankle injury and Rick Adelman leaned heavily on their only true big man left. The Wolves will play against the Celtics on Monday and Pekovic should be considered questionable. If Pek is out, Stiemsma makes for an interesting spot-start against his former team.
Ricky Rubio scored a career-high 23 points against the Grizzlies on Saturday to go with 10 boards, nine assists, one steal and one 3-pointer in 40 minutes. It was also his second game of the year with double-digit boards and he just missed his second triple double- This was an impressive showing for Rubio since the Grizzlies allow the least amount of points to opposing guards in the NBA and he shot 6-of-12 from the field, too. He'll likely wind up on a lot of championship head-to-head teams at this rate.
Nikola Pekovic was a surprise scratch on Saturday due to a sprained left ankle. He was coming off a terrific 22 & 15 performance in a win over the Thunder, and this news will catch many owners off-guard as it comes just 30 minutes before tip-off. Greg Stiemsma is likely to start at center in his absence, though he's only worth a spot-start if you're in dire need of blocks.
Nikola Pekovic scored 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting with 15 rebounds over 36 minutes in the Wolves' 101-93 win over the Thunder on Friday. Godzilla didn't have a steal or block but that's okay, as he looks locked and loaded for a big finish as long as he can stay healthy.
Andrei Kirilenko scored 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting (including a three) with four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block in 32 minutes on Friday against the Thunder. If Kirilenko can play like this for the rest of the year owners will call it a win. Go ahead and evaluate him cautiously as if the arrow is pointing slightly up.
J.J. Barea scored six points with two assists in 23 minutes off the bench on Friday. The best thing he did tonight was try to go between Hasheem Thabeet's legs off the dribble. Up and down lately, the only thing truly saving Barea's value is the Wolves' favorable schedule. Even then, he's producing well below the 12-14 team mark on a per-game basis. Derrick Williams (six points, 2-of-8 FGs, nine boards, no steals or blocks) and Luke Ridnour (11 points, two assists, no threes) are doing slightly better, but they're in the same boat as Barea.
Chase Budinger scored 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting (including two threes) with three rebounds and one steal in 23 minutes off the bench on Friday. Budinger is returning low-end numbers in standard leagues right now, and with a pair of four-game weeks upcoming he's well worth a look even if things are crowded in Minny. He led the bench with 23 minutes played tonight.
Cunningham injured his right hand early in Friday's game against Oklahoma City, but returned and finished with eight points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes of action. An X-ray on Cunningham's hand came back normal, and he played Saturday against Memphis.
Dante Cunningham suffered a right wrist injury against the Thunder on Friday and X-rays were negative. He was in a lot of pain, but the team said he expects to return. It's too his shooting wrist, so it'll be interesting to see how the jump-shooting forward responds.
Kevin Love did not get a CT scan on his hand this week and will be re-evaluated next week. By the time Love visits the doctor, it'll be three weeks since his last doctor's visit. Depending on which day he sees the doctor, the Wolves will likely have less than 10 games remaining this season, leaving Love very little time to get in game shape and return to action. Love recently admitted he might not play again this season and that's starting to look more and more like an inevitability. It's time to move on.
Nikola Pekovic said he "100 percent" wants to remain with the Timberwolves. Although he's been sidetracked by injuries, Pekovic should finish the season with career highs in almost every category. He's scheduled to be a restricted free agent this summer but it would surprising if he started next year on a team other than the Wolves. The main question is whether Minnesota signs him to a long-term extension or lets him play next season under a one-year qualifying offer.
Chase Budinger came off the bench for 14 points, nine boards, two steals, a block and a 3-pointer on 6-of-12 shooting. He's finally rounding back into form after knee surgery and it's possible the Wolves want to take a close look at him the rest of the way. He's not a must-own player as of now, but is definitely worth putting on your radar in case this was the start of a hot streak. He played 24 minutes tonight.
Andrei Kirilenko played 27 minutes, but hit just 3-of-8 shots for 11 points, two rebounds, three assists and three steals on Wednesday. The minutes are creeping up and while he's still not getting it done for his owners, he could break out of the funk at any time. His calf injury is still not fully healed, but you have to think he'll start feeling better as long as they're continuing to let him play through it.
Timberwolves waive Brandon Roy
May 10, 5:14PM
Saunders starts retooling Wolves scouting staff
May 8, 6:29PM
Flip Saunders returning to Timberwolves
May 3, 4:53PM
Taylor pulls Timberwolves off the market
May 3, 3:12PM
Flip Saunders returning to Timberwolves
May 3, 11:41AM
AP Sources: Kahn out as Wolves president, Flip in
May 2, 9:14PM
Kahn says he has not met with Taylor about job yet
Apr 26, 8:24PM
Jazz beat Wolves to keep playoff hopes alive
Apr 16, 1:35AM
Rubio leads Timberwolves over Suns, 105-93
Apr 13, 11:18PM
Love vows to come back stronger than ever
Apr 13, 8:52PM
Jefferson's 40 lift Jazz over Wolves, 107-100
Apr 13, 1:45AM
Clippers beat Wolves 111-95 for 31st home win
Apr 11, 2:13AM
Warriors top Wolves 105-89 to clinch playoff spot
Apr 10, 2:09AM
Love to have arthroscopic knee surgery
Apr 8, 11:11PM
Adelman gets 1,000th W in Wolves' 107-101 win
Apr 7, 2:15AM
Gay, Raptors hold off Timberwolves 95-93
Apr 5, 11:55PM
Rick Adelman 1 win shy of 1,000 for his career
Apr 4, 6:55PM
T-Wolves beat Bucks for Adelman's 999th NBA win
Apr 4, 12:46AM
Pekovic hammers Celtics in Minnesota's 110-100 win
Apr 1, 11:36PM
Celtics F Pierce out for personal reasons
Apr 1, 8:18PM
Grizzlies pull away to beat Timberwolves 99-86
Mar 31, 12:25AM
Pekovic powers Timberwolves over Thunder 101-93
Mar 29, 11:50PM
NBA: Referees missed foul on Kobe vs 'Wolves
Mar 28, 4:46PM
Lakers win 22nd straight against Wolves 120-117
Mar 28, 3:25AM
Pekovic leads Wolves' 105-82 rout of Pistons
Mar 26, 10:56PM
Robinson sparks Bulls to 104-97 win over T-Wolves
Mar 25, 12:07AM
Thomas leads Kings over Timberwolves, 101-98
Mar 22, 1:59AM
Wolves' Budinger hopes to play on Thursday
Mar 20, 4:44PM
Conley leads Grizzlies past Timberwolves, 92-77
Mar 19, 12:20AM
Williams scores 28 as Wolves edge Hornets, 97-95
Mar 17, 11:17PM
McHale caught up in Heat's streak
Mar 17, 7:20PM
Harden, Lin rally Rockets past Minnesota
Mar 16, 2:20AM
Hibbert's double-double lifts Pacers past Wolves
Mar 13, 10:39PM
Love still '2-3 weeks' away from return
Mar 13, 5:26PM
Rubio's triple-double lifts Wolves over Spurs
Mar 12, 11:40PM
Spurs' Duncan, Leonard sidelined for T-Wolves game
Mar 12, 1:37PM
Carter leads Dallas to 100-77 win over Minnesota
Mar 10, 10:22PM
Nuggets win 13th in a row at home
Mar 10, 12:46AM
Kevin Love to take the Polar Bear Plunge
Mar 7, 6:31PM
Rubio rallies Wolves to 87-82 win over Wizards
Mar 6, 11:41PM
Beal out for Wizards against Timberwolves
Mar 6, 7:52PM
Brooks signs with Houston, practices Tuesday
Mar 5, 5:21PM
NBA downgrades flagrant foul on J.J. Barea
Mar 5, 5:09PM
LeBron James in the lineup for Heat
Mar 4, 8:13PM
Kobe gets 33 in Lakers' latest win over Wolves
Mar 1, 1:16AM
Suns survive OT for 84-83 win over Wolves
Feb 27, 1:49AM
Kevin Love hopes to play 15-20 games this year
Feb 24, 7:56PM
Dwight Howard out vs Wolves with shoulder injury
Feb 1, 9:33PM
Rubio back in starting lineup for Timberwolves
Jan 17, 7:52PM
Parker leads Spurs past Timberwolves, 106-88
Jan 13, 11:34PM
Minnesota Timberwolves history is coming soon!
Minnesota Timberwolves message board is coming soon!
Transactions
| Date | Player | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2013 | Roy, Brandon, SG | Waived |
| Feb 8, 2013 | Amundson, Louis, PF | Waived |
| Feb 8, 2013 | Gelabale, Mickael, F | Signed for the Rest of the Season |
| Feb 8, 2013 | Johnson, Chris, C | Signed for the Rest of the Season |
| Jan 29, 2013 | Gelabale, Mickael, F | Signed to 2nd 10-Day Contract |
| Jan 29, 2013 | Johnson, Chris, C | Signed to 2nd 10-Day Contract |
| Jan 19, 2013 | Gelabale, Mickael, F | Signed to 10-Day Contract |
| Jan 19, 2013 | Johnson, Chris, C | Signed to 10-Day Contract |
| Jan 18, 2013 | Hayward, Lazar, SF | 10-Day Contract Expired; Player Not Re-Signed |
| Jan 8, 2013 | Hayward, Lazar, SF | Signed to 10-Day Contract |
| Jan 6, 2013 | Hayward, Lazar, SF | Waived |
| Dec 31, 2012 | Hayward, Lazar, SF | Signed as Free Agent |
| Dec 20, 2012 | Howard, Josh, SG | Waived |
| Nov 16, 2012 | Howard, Josh, SG | Signed as Free Agent |
| Nov 15, 2012 | Conroy, Will, G | Waived |
| Oct 30, 2012 | Rubio, Ricky, PG | Exercised Contract Option Team exercised third-year option |
| Oct 30, 2012 | Williams, Derrick, F | Exercised Contract Option Team exercised third-year option |
| Oct 27, 2012 | Harris, Mike, SF | Waived |
| Oct 27, 2012 | Johnson, Chris, C | Waived |
| Oct 24, 2012 | Jones, Phil, C | Waived |
| Oct 24, 2012 | Tarver, Seth, SG | Waived |
| Oct 19, 2012 | Taylor, Jermaine, SG | Waived |
| Sep 30, 2012 | Conroy, Will, G | Signed as Free Agent |
| Sep 30, 2012 | Harris, Mike, SF | Signed as Free Agent |
| Sep 30, 2012 | Johnson, Chris, C | Signed as Free Agent |
| Sep 30, 2012 | Jones, Phil, C | Signed as Free Agent |
| Sep 30, 2012 | Tarver, Seth, SG | Signed as Free Agent |
| Sep 30, 2012 | Taylor, Jermaine, SG | Signed as Free Agent |
| Sep 24, 2012 | Amundson, Louis, PF | Signed as Free Agent |
| Aug 8, 2012 | Hummel, Robbie, F | Signed to Play in Europe |
| Aug 2, 2012 | Stiemsma, Greg, C | Signed as Free Agent |
| Aug 1, 2012 | Roy, Brandon, SG | Signed as Free Agent |
| Jul 30, 2012 | Kirilenko, Andrei, F | Signed as Free Agent Two year contract |
| Jul 25, 2012 | Shved, Alexey, G | Signed as Free Agent |
| Jul 24, 2012 | Cunningham, Dante, PF | Traded For Wayne Ellington |
| Jul 21, 2012 | Stiemsma, Greg, C | Signed/Offer Sheet |
| Jul 13, 2012 | Webster, Martell, SG | Waived |
| Jul 12, 2012 | Batum, Nicolas, SG | Signed/Offer Sheet |
| Jul 12, 2012 | Milicic, Darko, C | Waived Waived via the amnesty clause |
| Jul 2, 2012 | Randolph, Anthony, PF | Declared Free Agency Team declined qualifying offer |
| Jul 1, 2012 | Beasley, Michael, F | Declared Free Agency Team declined qualifying offer |
| Jul 1, 2012 | Tolliver, Anthony, F | Declared Free Agency |
| Jun 26, 2012 | Budinger, Chase, SG | Traded For the 18th pick in the 2012 draft |
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