The Wolves are in an incredibly unique position. They have the last two first overall picks in the NBA Draft. Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony-Towns are both so tantalizing as prospects because of their two-way potential on the court. Both players have steady and improving jump shots. And the hardest skill to teach, athleticism. But, moving forward, the franchise needs to make some important decisions, and fundamentally basic ones. Here are five that should be considered...
Hire the right GM
With the unfortunate death of prior GM Flip Saunders, the Wolves have a void in that position. Perhaps excluding having a legit franchise star, a great GM is the most important thing to have on a team’s payroll. The GM has such an important role in the day-to-day operations of the team to fulfilling this position with the right personal, it is paramount.
Hire the Right Coach
The eventual GM needs to hire the eventual right coach. Wiggins and Towns are too young and have potential to be great, they cannot be stalled by a coach with the wrong vision. The easy example these days is to look at Byron Scott and the Lakers, who are just saying and doing bizarre things to their young core of players such as Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell. Wiggins and Towns are in the beginning stages of long careers and they cannot be tainted by coaching malpractice.
Rubio?
The team’s brass will eventually have to decide what to do with Ricky Rubio. With Towns and Wiggins on the floor, ideally the man playing the point would be at least an average three point shooter, if not an above average one. Rubio of course is not that. Which leads to the question of despite his superior passing skills, can Rubio’s lack of shooting exist in an offense with Wiggins and Towns, who are improving on their three point range, but my no means are sharpshooters.
Spend Money
This is the easiest, most obvious, and maybe most important of imperatives moving forward for the organization. Whether it is spending extra to bring in a top-flight coach (Tibs, anyone?), handing out contracts, or making sure the locker room in the arena is modernized, the ownership will need to spend capital to capitalize on the incredible situation they have walked into.
Patience
Patience, in the abstract, requires no capital investment or upfront cash. But, in practice, they have to exhibit the quality of it. The Wolves cannot be the Pelicans. The Pelicans traded picks, signed bad contracts, and relinquished cap flexibility in order to “appease” Anthony Davis quickly and try to win “now.” Now, the team is missing the playoffs, and outside of AD, the team has little long-term young talent that can remain healthy. Minnesota’s brass will hopefully realize the youth of the young core is a quality itself, and hopefully not feel the need to speed up the eventual timeline for no reason.
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