It's a cold and slow Sunday afternoon in the Upper Midwest, so I thought I'd pass along some Timberwolves Tidbits from around the web to keep you occupied before tonight's game.

1. The ESPN Mock Draft/Lottery usually has the Wolves picking 7-8-9, and claiming Jeff Teague if he's available. Chad Ford just fell in love with him (Insider Only), with this quote of note:

Teague's combination of speed, size, quickness and offensive firepower has won over a number of NBA executives. Scouts worried that Teague didn't really have the game of a point guard, but executives are now saying that it's his amazing ability to break down defenses that they are really after.

Remember, Jerryd Bayless also faced questions about his ability to play the point, but he went No. 11 in a loaded 2008 draft. And most of the execs I spoke with think Teague is already a better player than Bayless.

2. Kevin Love is rapidly rising back up in David Thorpe's Rookie 50 (again, Insider Only), due in part to Thorpe's awakening to Love's subtle skills:

I think his biggest value comes in his rare combination of toughness and intelligence. He battles every team's bigs down in the post, using his strong legs to hold his ground. He brings the fight right to them, but he's smart enough to avoid fouls most of the time. He averages just 2.3 fouls per game, but in no way can he be considered a soft player.

 

Incidentally, John Hollinger's Player Efficiency Rating gives Love the 2nd-highest figure of rookies averaging more than twenty minutes per game, behind only Greg Odom.

3. Here's a Cavs fan's take on the virtues of trading for Gerald Wallace (incidentally, McCants+Miller+Smith+Collins for Wallace+Felton+Mohammed not only works, but also means we won't have to worry about what to do with extra cap space for the foreseeable future!).

4. I'm not sure if it was mentioned elsewhere here, but Randy Foye asked his teammates to wear suits on Tuesday to honor the inauguration of Barack Obama. The Utah Jazz signed on, too--except conservative Matt Harpring, who wore a sweater and jeans.

5. Tonight's game could be one of the last for both coach and GM of the Bulls. Could this mean a Wolves-tempting trade is more likely or less likely to occur? Ironically, the Bulls' continued disappointment, Rose's emergence as the young cornerstone of the team, and the Wolves' recent success could mean that the Bulls are actually behind Minnesota in the development cycle.