Tuesday, April 2, 2013

NBA Power Rankings: Latest Standings for Every NBA Team - Bleacher Report

Last Week: 29

The Minnesota Timberwolves still aren't a complete team, but adding back some pieces helped a move up in the rankings, thanks to a 2-2 week that included a win against the West's best, the San Antonio Spurs.

Not all news was good, though.

There's a good chance Kevin Love won't play again this season. The 24-year-old hasn't played since breaking his hand for the second time this year on Jan. 3.

As reported by Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Love said there hasn't been a clear decision on whether he'll return this season, though he intends to play in the season's final eight to 12 games. Love told the newspaper on March 15:

The hand is great, my body feels great. It's going to be a big offseason. Part of coming back [yet this season], you want to give the fans something, but you also want to do something for the team and yourself. You kind of want to see what you have here when you have a full team, and we really haven't had that yet.

Two key players returned for the Wolves on Sunday: Nikola Pekovic, who had missed eight consecutive games with an abdominal strain, and Andrei Kirilenko, who missed seven games in a row with a strained calf.

Both helped in the team's 97-95 home win against New Orleans, strengthening the team's interior defense and rebounding. Additionally, recent bright spot Derrick Williams scored a career-high 28 points in the win.

Minnesota would like to see how all these pieces, including Love, fit together before it makes substantial decisions this offseason. Pekovic will become a restricted free agent who is likely to be in high demand, and Kirilenko holds a $10.2 million player option.

A snapshot of the team's abilities with all parties involved—including now-healthy Ricky Rubio and soon-to-be free agent Chase Budinger—will grant Minnesota's front office further direction.

For now, the Wolves remain a struggling team built on potential.

No comments:

Post a Comment