WESTERN CONFERENCE NORTHWEST DIVISION Minnesota For the Minnesota Timberwolves, the 2013-14 NBA season was dominated by one storyline: would Minnesota trade superstar power forward Kevin Love? If so, what would they get in return for him? As it turns out, Minnesota kept Love for the duration of the season, but it was a disappointing season overall. Despite out-scoring their opponents by an average of 2.7 points per game, the Timberwolves finished with a 40-42 record, nine games behind the No. 8 seeded Dallas Mavericks. In the ensuing offseason, Minnesota made its move, trading Love to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for top overall draft picks Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, then acquiring Thaddeus Young from Philadelphia in exchange for role players Alexey Shved and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. It’s clear Minnesota’s strategy was to get a potential superstar (Wiggins) and a possible stud down the road (Bennett) in exchange for their current one, but how long will it be before Wiggins and Bennett fulfills that potential, if ever? Defense On defense, Minnesota’s roster featured a strange mix of plus defenders and defensive liabilities last season. Point guard Ricky Rubio and small forward Corey Brewer were both pests on the perimeter, grabbing steals early and often and creating fastbreak opportunities. However, they played alongside shooting guard Kevin Martin, a player with a slight build who has never been known as a tough defender. In the post, Nikola Pekovic did a good job of using his nearly 300-pound frame to keep opponents away from the basket, but he was paired with Love, whose defense Ricky Rubio
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