Fake Wolves Team Recap from the Future

It's a slow day, so I thought I'd have a bit of fun imagining what could be for this team in a few years' time. I have no idea if any of this will come to pass at all, so please take it with a grain of salt. If there's one prediction that I think might have a chance of coming true, it's that I think Brewer could turn into a borderline All-Star next to Rubio and Turner. After that, well your guess is as good as mine!

The Minnesota Timberwolves wrapped up their second consecutive playoff appearance with 10 games left to the 2012-13 season behind another vintage performance by Evan Turner and Corey Brewer. With Rubio continuing to keep the team's offense operating at high (and highly entertaining) level, the Timberwolves are well positioned to build off of their 5 game first round playoff loss to the Utah Jazz last year. Here are the top five reasons why the Timberwolves will make it past the first round:

1. Turner and Brewer. Who could have predicted four years ago, when Brewer suffered a serious knee injury that cost him his sophomore season, that he would become the perfect sidekick to one of the games most electrifying and intense young stars in Evan Turner. Corey Brewer has evolved from a lanky and out of control ball of energy to a cold blooded three point shooter and high flying above the rim finisher playing next to Turner. Turner's proficiency as an all-around basketball player and scorer have been well chronicled, and has in turn maximized Brewer's strengths as a defender, shooter, and transition basketball player. The duo, together averaging over 38 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals a night, will represent a significant challenge to any potential playoff matchup.

2. Ricky Rubio is coming into his own. The transition to the NBA for the Spanish phenom has been a little rockier than expected but is now blossoming into superstardom. Rubio's impeccable ability to coordinate the triangle offense for his teammates has netted the Timberwolves huge success. His three point shot remains a work in progress, but his defense, off the ball movement, and pinpoint passes have earned former teammates Ryan Hollins and Nathan Jawai millions of dollars in new contracts. Make no mistake - Rubio's numbers may look somewhat pedestrian, but he is the catalyst behind everything the Wolves do, and his repartee with Turner, Brewer, and the Timberwolves' big men carries the team far beyond the boxscore.

3. Kevin Love and company. Kevin Love has been one of the league's top rebounders for some time now. His steady improvement as a shooter has helped his scoring efficiency, and his high basketball IQ compliments nicely with the rest of the team. What has changed for Love this year is his acceptance and embracing of his role this year. Last years' frustration and spats with the coaches led Love to some serious soul searching, and as a result he has become the heart and soul of this spunky squad. He is the unquestioned locker room leader, and his tenacity on the court sets the tone for fellow big men Milicic, Pekovic, and the intriguing young Valanciunas.

4. Wayne Ellington. Ellington's deadly outside shooting and smart defense have elevated him to among the top role players in the NBA today. With his great awareness of spacing and timing, he simply knocks down clutch shots over and over and over again. His continued strong play off the bench will make a huge difference in how far the team will go in this year's playoffs.

5. Rambis and the coaching staff. Head coach Kurt Rambis has shown throughout his tenure with this young team a commitment to a vision of a kind of basketball that did not always mesh with the abilities of his players. However his ability to develop young players and allow them to learn has yielded significant dividends for this Timberwolves squad. This year he has started to show an aptitude for strategic, late game nuances in scheme and substitutions that help separate the great teams for the merely good teams. Perhaps, given the success of this year and an extended playoff run, fans of the teams will finally chalk the previous 4 seasons of at times wacky substitution patterns and late game adjustments to laboratory experimentation leading up to what could be a very promising post season for the Timberwolves.