Our friends at ESPN chime in.

[Calinks]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime ... review0809

J.A.
Adande
ESPN.com
NORTHWEST: 4 | WEST: 12 So far, Al Jefferson has been the new Shareef Abdur-Rahim: good stats on bad teams. Kevin Love and Mike Miller help the offense, but this is still a slow defensive team.

Chris
Broussard
ESPN Mag
NORTHWEST: 5 | WEST: 15 It'd be nice to see Al Jefferson post his numbers in meaningful games, but for that to happen, he'll have to be traded.

Jemele
Hill
ESPN.com
NORTHWEST: 4 | WEST: 13 Al Jefferson has the potential to be great, but I don't see how this team won't finish with the worst record in the NBA. Lottery pick Corey Brewer needs to develop an offense.

Chris
Sheridan
ESPN.com
NORTHWEST: 5 | WEST: 15 Nice job by Kevin McHale in getting the Grizzlies to throw Mike Miller into the Love-Mayo deal, and I'm eager to see whether Al Jefferson can put up bigger numbers in Minny than KG will in Boston. Still, 20 wins is where we're setting the bar.

What the hell!? Argh... season hasn't even started yet and these guys are getting me started. How the heck are we expected to do WORSE then last year after adding Mike Miller, Kevin Love, and Randy Foye? anyone want to explain this to me?

[Basti]

Jemele
Hill
ESPN.com
NORTHWEST: 4 | WEST: 13 Al Jefferson has the potential to be great,[b] but I don't see how this team won't finish with the worst record in the NBA. [/b]Lottery pick Corey Brewer needs to develop an offense.

wtf?

[_AIJ_]

BSPN at its best!

[hijacktheparade]

Jemele
Hill
ESPN.com
NORTHWEST: 4 | WEST: 13 Al Jefferson has the potential to be great,[b] but I don't see how this team won't finish with the worst record in the NBA. [/b]Lottery pick Corey Brewer needs to develop an offense.

wtf?

I'm confused too...

[digitaldropoff]

I hate to sound sexist...but I really have a hard time taking a woman's view of an NBA team seriously. She's not a moron by all means....but we wern't even the worst team last year, and I think we've improved greatly from the beginning of last season to now. I don't expect playoffs, but I would be shocked if we ended up with the worst record in the league. I would take her opinions on the WNBA or the fundamentals of a lay up over her write up of any team in the NBA.

[theGreatRC]

Let's see..We now have a healthy Randy Foye starting the season.

We have a top 5 three-point shooter in Mike Miller.
We have a new rookie on board in Kevin Love.

We were a team showing signs of improvement post all-star break.

Something ridiculous would have to happen before we are the "Worst team in the NBA".

Five teams come to mind that are worse than us. If you gave me time, I could argue a couple of more teams.

Nvm, let's see:

Wolves > Pacers, Knicks, Thunder, Wizards(With Haywood out, no one is stopping Al), Grizzlies.

Arguable: Kings, Bucks, Bulls, Bobcats,

Potentially better, not likely: Heat (Healthy Wade always favors the Heat)

That's 10 teams the Wolves could be better than, some people at ESPN need to be fired.

Give me a pen and paper and i'll write some BS for ESPN too.

[TheFranchise21]

I hate to sound sexist...but I really have a hard time taking a woman's view of an NBA team seriously. She's not a moron by all means....but we wern't even the worst team last year, and I think we've improved greatly from the beginning of last season to now. I don't expect playoffs, but I would be shocked if we ended up with the worst record in the league. I would take her opinions on the WNBA or the fundamentals of a lay up over her write up of any team in the NBA.

My thoughts exactly. How is OKC better than us? We added two new starters and who did they add?

[Calinks]

Seriously. You have a 20 and 11 player, who was third in double doubles. You got three 40% plus 3-pt shooters, the team didn't have a key player for half the season last year, and you think they are worse? Get the hell out.

If Big Al was in LA and Bynum was here, ESPN would be Al over Jeffersons jock.

[collin_k41]

Ehhh..I reallly don't care what these guys are saying. It's good to be underrated. Hopefully our team reads this and it fuels them even more. I can't wait to hear what they say when we end up with 30+ wins.

[Devilzsidewalk]

Ehhh..I reallly don't care what these guys are saying. It's good to be underrated. Hopefully our team reads this and it fuels them even more.

I agree with that. And I don't want the guys on the team to start feeling good about nothing, they need to go out on the court every game with something to prove.

Being traded for KG, dating a Kardashian sister, or being a top 10 pick does not mean you're an accomplished NBA player. I hope every sports columnist in the world keeps reminding these guys they've done nothing until the players start showing everybody what's what and dominating.
I demand blood and vengeance, mediocrity will not suffice.

[cpfsf]

Wolves +Love +Miller +Carney (Foye healthy)
Memphis +Mayo +Jaric +Arthur -Miller -Gasol (he was traded mid season, so first entire season w/o him)
Sacramento -Artest
OKC +Westbrook

Not only do some believe we will finish the worst in our division, they believe we will be the worst in the West...why?

[LA_33]

I hate to sound sexist...but I really have a hard time taking a woman's view of an NBA team seriously. She's not a moron by all means....but we wern't even the worst team last year, and I think we've improved greatly from the beginning of last season to now. I don't expect playoffs, but I would be shocked if we ended up with the worst record in the league. I would take her opinions on the WNBA or the fundamentals of a lay up over her write up of any team in the NBA.

To defend Hill just a little here (who I DO think knows the NBA really well, she's a diehard Pistons fan and Michigan State basketball junkie) I think there had to be a typo in that comment, because she picked the Wolves to finish ahead of two WC teams, so she clearly doesn't expect them to have THE worst record; "close to" the worst record isn't that ridiculous.

I personally expect them to finish 11th or 12th in the WC, ahead of Sacto and perhaps the Clippers or even the Warriors, as well as the true bottom-feeders in Memphis and OKC (those teams are going to be truely terrible). They're also going to be better than the truly brutal Nets, and probably the Knicks, and one or two other EC teams. Even if they get into the upper 30s in wins, though, I still expect them to finish in the bottom 10 in the standings, and keep their 1st round pick (especially since we know they'll go into full-on tank mode if they're close to that 11th spot.

[TMo519]

Yeah, I honestly cannot see how people could possibly predict us to be even worse than last season. That's seriously laughable and they should be ashamed to put that in print. 22 wins down to 20? I mean, wow...I don't even know what to say about that, seriously. I say we finish no worse than 12th in the West to be honest.

[cpfsf]

I hate to sound sexist...but I really have a hard time taking a woman's view of an NBA team seriously. She's not a moron by all means....but we wern't even the worst team last year, and I think we've improved greatly from the beginning of last season to now. I don't expect playoffs, but I would be shocked if we ended up with the worst record in the league. I would take her opinions on the WNBA or the fundamentals of a lay up over her write up of any team in the NBA.

To defend Hill just a little here (who I DO think knows the NBA really well, she's a diehard Pistons fan and Michigan State basketball junkie) I think there had to be a typo in that comment, because she picked the Wolves to finish ahead of two WC teams, so she clearly doesn't expect them to have THE worst record; "close to" the worst record isn't that ridiculous.

I personally expect them to finish 11th or 12th in the WC, ahead of Sacto and perhaps the Clippers or even the Warriors, as well as the true bottom-feeders in Memphis and OKC (those teams are going to be truely terrible). They're also going to be better than the truly brutal Nets, and probably the Knicks, and one or two other EC teams. Even if they get into the upper 30s in wins, though, I still expect them to finish in the bottom 10 in the standings, and keep their 1st round pick (especially since we know they'll go into full-on tank mode if they're close to that 11th spot.

I don't see us being better than the Clippers

[LA_33]

I personally expect them to finish 11th or 12th in the WC, ahead of Sacto and perhaps the Clippers or even the Warriors, as well as the true bottom-feeders in Memphis and OKC (those teams are going to be truely terrible). They're also going to be better than the truly brutal Nets, and probably the Knicks, and one or two other EC teams. Even if they get into the upper 30s in wins, though, I still expect them to finish in the bottom 10 in the standings, and keep their 1st round pick (especially since we know they'll go into full-on tank mode if they're close to that 11th spot.

I don't see us being better than the Clippers

The Clippers fortunes all come down to injuries. Baron and Camby both have substantial injury histories, and if they dont' have both of those guys for close to the full season, they're going to be very mediocre, IMO. If they both miss substantial time, the team is going to be horrible...

[revprodeji]

it is always better to be hated and earn love, then to get undeserved love and bring hate.

think of it this way, we all thought the vikings would be great. Every media thing loved them. But the fact that they are struggling makes it hurt more.

The wolves are the under dog. espn rarely thinks old-school talent and small market teams are worth while. They want highlights, they want dunks. They are not great sports minds, they are entertainment.

I am fine sneaking up on people..

[Calinks]

I just hate what this does for our image. People don't give the wolves a second thought because they think it's this horrendous franchise in a horrendous place. The casual NBA fans get all of their info from ESPN and players who play here don't get some of the recognition they deserve because ESPN decimates this kind of information. I really do hope we earn some respect this season though. Even in Minnesota we get no love. Do you see any wolves apparel in major department stores? Nobody buy any wolves gear and nobody sells it. People just don't care. the Vikings could go 0-16 for three straight years and they would still have 10 times the support the wolves get.

[4ho5ive]

Im rather shocked by Adande, I know he is a So Cal guy but i expect better from him. I have never liked Jemele Hill personally. She doesnt really wow me with any sports knowledge from what i have seen from her, though i dont read her articles so i cant so for sure.

I agree with Rev here on topic. Whether we get the shine or not, winning will speak for itself. Get ready for a tough year full of ESPN bad mouthing us.

[SSUBluesman]

This team sucks. Miller and Love do nothing to address the team's defensive woes both on the perimeter and on the inside. Foye missed pretty much all of last season and has established NOTHING. Yea, those deadeye 3 point shooters are going to come in handy with a post player who rarely passes. Brewer? HAHAHAHA. Oh yea, and we have an idiots running the organization and coaching the team.

Yea, things could come together and this team could surprise. But to treat that as (almost) a given while berating those who are skeptical is downright silly, especially when the season hasn't even started. What has this team proven yet? Foye is still not established, and Love is an undersized and unathletic goon until he learns to play otherwise (which is doubtful). Brewer is more energy than skill. Playoffs? **** that we should be the number 1 seed.

[Mikchek]

we did pretty good in preseason