Hollinger of ESPN take on Wolves this season

[Wolves2011]

Hollinger's Wolves Forecast: 33-49, and hope.


John Hollinger wrote a forecast for every team in the league on ESPN, and the Timberwolves' got some of the most positive national coverage the team has gotten in a looong time. He predicts a 33 win season, but has positive things to say.

Here's the link: http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/trainingc...

Some of the highlights:

Says Jefferson and Love will be a productive frontcourt for the next decade.

Explains the logic of all our good young point guards: essentially, that if we want we can trade one or two eventually. It's amazing how nobody can understand this.

Calls Sessions "the most underrated player in the league" and "the steal of the summer."

"If the core trio of Sessions, Jefferson, and Love stays healthy, they could be much better than people realize."

"Flynn provides an immediate sensation."

"If everybody stays healthy, it's possible for the T-Wolves to sneak into the posteason." (!!!)

Based on the summer's moves and next summer's cap space,
"Their time as a doormat appears to be drawing to a close."

[jade_hippo]

i think if everyone stays healthy we could sneak into 30 win territory. we have terrible depth.

[The J Rocka]

Definitely if were all healthy, Sessions blossoms into a 'star', and depending on what our role players can bring to the table (Hollins, Brewer, Ellington, Sasha....)

26-33 W

[Wolves2011]

Wolves depth:

C - Jefferson, Love, Hollins

PF - Love, Jefferson, Hollins, Pecherov, Cardinal

SF - Gomes, Brewer, Pavlovic, Wilkins,

SG - Pavlovic, Sessions, Ellington, Wilkins

PG - Flynn, Sessions

The wolves could use another athletic PF/C.

They also could use another PG.

A bunch of those guys were invited to camp.

But Sessions is a great back up at PG & SG.

Ellington looks like he can shoot.

Brewer is a good back up

Hollins as the primary back up to Jefferson and Love looks like a good move if he's as athletic as people say.

I'm guessing either Jefferson or Love [or both] is on the floor at all times unless there is foul trouble.

The same would be true of Sessions and Flynn. One or the other on the floor at all times, with both out there at times.

[revprodeji]

We need someone to step up as the 4th big man. Maybe Gomes in limited time, but he is horrible defensively there. My hope is by december Brewer has proven himself as a starter and we are getting 10-20 quality minutes from Ellington. That will radically improve our depth.

[Wolves2011]

Gomes can play PF, but we'd only want him to if two out of three Jefferson, Love, Hollins were in foul trouble.

Cardinal had the best plus/minus on the team last year, so he might get some minutes.

He's also a smart player [certainly not athletic] and a good role model for the younger guys.

[revprodeji]

Sounds like the perfect limited minute 4th big man. I think Hollins will get a chance to be the 3rd big this year but likely he is better suited for the 4th spot.

[Wolves2011]

sounds like Hollins is super athletic, a BEAST.

If he matches that with basketball smarts he will help us.

but he needs to understand defensive rotations and develop some offensive moves, though Flynn and Sessions will do lots of dishing and "alleyooping".

[jade_hippo]

Cardinal is a pretty valuable player, there was kind of a reason West gave him that huge contract. His knees just broke down and he was never able to live up to it.

[Worm Guts]

Cardinal had the best plus/minus on the team last year, so he might get some minutes.

Not according to this

http://www.82games.com/0809/0809MIN.HTM

[Devilzsidewalk]

Cardinal had the best plus/minus on the team last year, so he might get some minutes.

Not according to this

http://www.82games.com/0809/0809MIN.HTM

if you take away the 20 minutes that Landlord and Mad Dog played he is

[GopherIt!]

I had already forgot about the Landlord. We don't have many players with cool nicknames anymore. Instead we have guys like Sasha "The Dinner Bell" Pavlovic.

[moss_is_1]

Wow Jason Collins was terrible. what a fat slob.

[younggunsmn]

wonder if there will be a fan section called "Pavlov's dogs"

[Foye]

We should have played Booth more last season

we'd have won the championship for sure with Booth

Collins was really ugly and I think he'll make the Hawks this season a lot worse once he's on court (maybe even if he cheers from the bench)

[skorff26]

Wolves depth:

C - Jefferson, Love, Hollins

PF - Love, Jefferson, Hollins, Pecherov, Cardinal

SF - Gomes, Brewer, Pavlovic, Wilkins,

SG - Pavlovic, Sessions, Ellington, Wilkins

PG - Flynn, Sessions

The wolves could use another athletic PF/C.

They also could use another PG.

A bunch of those guys were invited to camp.

But Sessions is a great back up at PG & SG.

Ellington looks like he can shoot.

Brewer is a good back up

Hollins as the primary back up to Jefferson and Love looks like a good move if he's as athletic as people say.

I'm guessing either Jefferson or Love [or both] is on the floor at all times unless there is foul trouble.

The same would be true of Sessions and Flynn. One or the other on the floor at all times, with both out there at times.

I think the depth chart will be a bit different
C - Jefferson/Hollins/Pecherov (Love won't play at all here)
PF - Love/Jefferson/Gomes/Cardinal
SF - Gomes/Brewer/Pavlovic/Wilkins
SG - Sessions/Brewer/Ellington/Wilkins
PG - Flynn/Sessions/Daniels or Hart or McClinton or someone else

-I think we will role with a lineup of Flynn/Sessions/Gomes/Love/Jefferson with Hollins and Brewer getting significant minutes as well. Cardinal, Ellington, and Pavs will get some each game but not much, spot minutes for Pecherov, Wilkins, and the 3rd PG whoever that is. And with Blount sitting at home watching every game unless a buyout is reached.

[revprodeji]

line-ups do not matter, minutes do. Do you see Hollins as getting 30min? If not then we have big man minutes we need to fill.

[Foye]

I still think Courtney Sims would be a decent 4th big.

Otherwise Gomes and Pecherov will eat up all minutes left behind Jefferson, Love and Hollins. I don't mind that right now. It is important to get a competitive first unit first before worrying about depth


Edit: Damn Sims is on the Hawks roster

[Wolves2011]

Wolves depth:

C - Jefferson, Love, Hollins

PF - Love, Jefferson, Hollins, Pecherov, Cardinal

SF - Gomes, Brewer, Pavlovic, Wilkins,

SG - Pavlovic, Sessions, Ellington, Wilkins

PG - Flynn, Sessions

The wolves could use another athletic PF/C.

They also could use another PG.

A bunch of those guys were invited to camp.

But Sessions is a great back up at PG & SG.

Ellington looks like he can shoot.

Brewer is a good back up

Hollins as the primary back up to Jefferson and Love looks like a good move if he's as athletic as people say.

I'm guessing either Jefferson or Love [or both] is on the floor at all times unless there is foul trouble.

The same would be true of Sessions and Flynn. One or the other on the floor at all times, with both out there at times.

I think the depth chart will be a bit different
C - Jefferson/Hollins/Pecherov (Love won't play at all here)
PF - Love/Jefferson/Gomes/Cardinal
SF - Gomes/Brewer/Pavlovic/Wilkins
SG - Sessions/Brewer/Ellington/Wilkins
PG - Flynn/Sessions/Daniels or Hart or McClinton or someone else

-I think we will role with a lineup of Flynn/Sessions/Gomes/Love/Jefferson with Hollins and Brewer getting significant minutes as well. Cardinal, Ellington, and Pavs will get some each game but not much, spot minutes for Pecherov, Wilkins, and the 3rd PG whoever that is. And with Blount sitting at home watching every game unless a buyout is reached.

From what I've heard the guys having the best camp at each position are:

[I'm not saying this is the starting line up, just that they are having the best camp.]

Jefferson
Love
Pavlovic
Brewer
Sessions

[But Flynn was guaranteed a starting spot]

Neither Brewer nor Sessions have great 3 point shots, though Sessions does have a mid-range game. so it might be difficult to pair the two of them.

Pavlovic is a much better defender than Gomes and a much better shooter. He is having a better camp than Gomes, who has looked god also. They are both competing for a contract, most of Gomes money isn't guaranteed until June 30th, 2010. Pavlovic is on a one year deal and has an advocate in Kurt.

Sessions is also proving to be a much better defender than I thought, one of the best perimeter defenders on the team.

Love's shooting reminds people of his UCLA days when he had a great outside shot for a big man, not his rookie year for the wolves. He looks like the best player on the team. [Since Jefferson is probably the second best center on offense in the NBA {after Howard}, thats saying alot.] Love lost 20 pounds from training camp last year and is moving better laterally on defense.

This is how I think the minutes should be divided.

C - Jefferson 33 minutes [fewer early in the year - injury recovery], Hollins 10 minutes, Love 5 minutes

PF - Love 31 minutes, Hollins 10 minutes, Gomes 7 minutes

SF - Pavlovic 25 minutes, Gomes 15 minutes, Brewer 8 minutes

SG - Brewer 22 minutes, Sessions 16 minutes, Ellington 10 minutes

PG - Flynn 30 minutes, Sessions 18 minutes

[Team promised Flynn he would start.]

[Esohny]

I don't recall Flynn getting a promise that he would start.

And Pavlovic and Gomes are pretty comparable as shooters. They're both about 36% career from 3, although Gomes has a bit higher FG% and TS%.