Upon discovery of another fracture in the hand of star forward Kevin Love, Minnesota coach Rick Adelman was right to wonder how his team had continued to coast around the .500 mark.
For this franchise who’s struggled mightily since Kevin Garnett left (they haven’t made the post-season in 9 years) the prospect of making a return trip would seem shaky at best without the services of Love.
Yet here we are, more than a third of the season through and the Timberwolves are just one and a half game out of a playoff spot. Meanwhile Love’s played in just 18 of their 30 matches.
So indeed how have Minnesota remained relevant in the West which really doesn’t appear to have weakened? I might suggest one of the main reasons in Nikola Pekovic.
Adelman may have been foxing when he suggested he had little idea how Minnesota was still winning in attempt to reduce the fuel upon Pekovic’s soon to expire contract.
The big Montenegrin will indeed come off the books at season’s end, while it will surely be the last time for a while he’ll be earning in his present $4 million per season range.
The Timberwolves are an odd team to scout. From Love to Andrei Kirilenko, Alexey Shved and Ricky Rubio there’s nothing truly conventional about the team. For a team who plays at a pace baskeball-reference charts as the tenth quickest in the league, the Timberwolves aren’t exactly whipping out the dishes (they’re ranked 28th) or even getting to the free throw line (14th).
What Minnesota however has been able to rely on is the traditional center play of Pekovic.
Yes it’s only his third season but Pekovic’s numbers are improving sharply each year. From the 5.5 points per game he logged in his rookie campaign to the 16 he’s posting now ranking him 5th among centers in the NBA. He’s pulling in more than 8 rebounds per game, nearly 3 times his rookie output.
Minnesota have made no secrets of their desire to land Pau Gasol, yet parceling Pekovic in any deal with the Lakers would be pointless so long as Howard remains in Los Angeles.
In just 3 years Pekovic has proved himself a high caliber NBA centre in an era not exactly loaded with true big man talent. His stocks have soared this season holding down the front court for the Timberwolves in the absence of Love and continually threadbare big man depth.
If Houston, Omer Asik attracted an $8 million per season contract in the off season and while his defensive contribution is excellent, he’s adding just over 10 points per night to the Rockets. On this alone, Pekovic has a strong bargaining chip to play with during negotiations.
Whether it’s Minnesota who ultimately comes to the party regarding Pekovic will likely have a lot to do with what happens with Gasol over the coming weeks. In the meantime I’d be very surprised if Portland hasn’t enquired, if their attempt to sign Roy Hibbert last off season is any guide.
Boston and Dallas, both aging and slumping teams without much front court depth may also be interested in a Pekovic move.
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