Should be a good season
So that the Twins season is finally (and painfully) over, I can finally devote more attention to the upcoming NBA season. I've found several good baseball blogs that I've enjoyed reading--for instance Aaron's baseball blog and Batgirl--but haven't yet been able to a good Timberwolves blog yet.
With this in mind, my roommate and I have decided to set out to create the greatest Timberwolves blog in the history of the world. I have another blog, which I've been more or less neglecting for the past couple months. I usually write about poker, but will write about other things from time to time.
Basketball-wise, It's been a rather uneventful off season for the T-wolves. In contrast to last year when they completely overhauled their roster, this season they will bring back just about everybody. A lot of people seem to think that not making a big move was a mistake for the Wolves, but I'm not one of them. I believe that they were the best team in the Western Conference last year, and had it not been for unfortunate injuries, they would have taken the Lakers and gone to the Finals.
Besides, when you look at the elite teams in the West from last year, none have them seem to have made moves to make them better than the Wolves. The Rockets, of course, have made the biggest move in trading for Tmac. This should benefit the team, but don't forget that they traded Steve Francis--a perennial all-star--to get him. The Nuggets also made a step up and got Kenyon Martin. This, in combination with another year of experience for a talented young team, should make them a top contender in the West.
The other elite teams from the West last year have all seemed to have stayed the same or taken a step backward. The Spurs are almost exactly the same. The Mavericks have shaken things up again, but until they get a coach who can teach them to play defense, they'll never become a top contender for the NBA title. The Lakers aren't going to scare anybody without Shaq. And finally, the Kings are mostly the same (only exchanging Vlade for Ostertag), but their team was in such disarray at the end of last season, it will be a miracle if they can all survive without killing each other.
So in a nutshell, the Wolves should still be right up there at the top. If not the best team, they will at least be top 3 in the league. The biggest question will be their health. Obviously, Casell's injury during the playoffs was crippling. However, he seems to be back and healthy. If Wally and Hudson can stay healthy, I would expect them to win their division and make it at least to the Conference Finals.
With this in mind, my roommate and I have decided to set out to create the greatest Timberwolves blog in the history of the world. I have another blog, which I've been more or less neglecting for the past couple months. I usually write about poker, but will write about other things from time to time.
Basketball-wise, It's been a rather uneventful off season for the T-wolves. In contrast to last year when they completely overhauled their roster, this season they will bring back just about everybody. A lot of people seem to think that not making a big move was a mistake for the Wolves, but I'm not one of them. I believe that they were the best team in the Western Conference last year, and had it not been for unfortunate injuries, they would have taken the Lakers and gone to the Finals.
Besides, when you look at the elite teams in the West from last year, none have them seem to have made moves to make them better than the Wolves. The Rockets, of course, have made the biggest move in trading for Tmac. This should benefit the team, but don't forget that they traded Steve Francis--a perennial all-star--to get him. The Nuggets also made a step up and got Kenyon Martin. This, in combination with another year of experience for a talented young team, should make them a top contender in the West.
The other elite teams from the West last year have all seemed to have stayed the same or taken a step backward. The Spurs are almost exactly the same. The Mavericks have shaken things up again, but until they get a coach who can teach them to play defense, they'll never become a top contender for the NBA title. The Lakers aren't going to scare anybody without Shaq. And finally, the Kings are mostly the same (only exchanging Vlade for Ostertag), but their team was in such disarray at the end of last season, it will be a miracle if they can all survive without killing each other.
So in a nutshell, the Wolves should still be right up there at the top. If not the best team, they will at least be top 3 in the league. The biggest question will be their health. Obviously, Casell's injury during the playoffs was crippling. However, he seems to be back and healthy. If Wally and Hudson can stay healthy, I would expect them to win their division and make it at least to the Conference Finals.
