Timberwolves Thoughts

Just a few thoughts on the Timberwolves offseason moves to date:

• I'm very happy with the signing of Kevin Martin.  Of all of the available free agent shooting guards, Martin was at the top of my list. He's got good size, he can score, he can shoot from outside, he's a good athlete, he's played (and thrived) under Rick Adelman previously and he fills a huge hole in the Wolves starting lineup. If there's a weakness in his game, it's his defense, but I can live with that if he's lighting things up offensively.  
• The re-signing of Chase Budinger was also a good move in my book.  He really is a great fit in the Adelman offense with his ability to hit the outside shot, he also adds some versatility in that he can play either the OG or SF spot.  I really wish he had been healthy last year, I think he would have helped them a lot. 
• I'm sad to see Andrei Kirlenko go, not only does he have one of the best nicknames in all of basketball, he's also one of the most well rounded players in the game.  He just does so many things well, he is the consummate team guy too.  I do understand the reasoning though, his contract was less than ideal and his ability to stay healthy and in the lineup was a problem.
• I wasn't particularly impressed with the drafting of Shabazz Muhammad.  He does fill a need for a wing player but his game has a lot of holes in it and it may not translate all that well to the pro game. He's a bit undersized to play the SF spot and probably not athletic enough to play the OG spot, his defense is spotty, his outside shot needs work, he's a black hole when he get's the ball and his ball handling skills needs improvement.  On the bright side, from everything that I've heard, he's got a work ethic that is second to none, and he doesn't shy away from taking the big shot, those are attributes that can be surprisingly rare.  Hopefully, I'm wrong and he turns into a quality player. 
• I did like the drafting of Gorgui Dieng later in round 1 of the draft.  The Wolves are really lacking in athletic big men and they don't get much more athletic than Dieng.  He's a great shot blocker, solid rebounder, very effective defender and a surprisingly good passer from the high post.  I don't expect that he will be a perennial All Star but he can certainly become an important part of the Wolves rotation. 
• I really like the selection of Lorenzo Brown in the 2nd round too.  I think he's got first round talent and may end up being one of the sleepers of the draft.  I know, I know, very few second rounders ever make much of an impact but I really like this guys game.  He can play either guard spot, he's a good ball handler, he's a got great vision, he's got some quickness and he's a good penetrator.  He does need to work on his outside shot though.  I can envision him taking Malcom Lee's spot on the team. 
• I doubt that the Timberwolves are done making moves.  They still have too many point guards, they may want to add a SF who can defend and they really need to find a way to re-sign Nikola Pekovic.  I suspect that either Luke Ridnour or JJ Barea (not both) will be dealt soon.  I also wouldn't be shocked if Derrick Williams or Greg Stiemsma are dealt either (although, at this point, I'd personally like to see if Williams could handle the starting SF spot).    
• Here's where they stand at this point.  Center:  Pekovic, Stiemsma, Dieng.  Power Forward:  Love, Cunningham.  Small Forward:  Williams, Budinger, Muhammad.  Shooting Guard:  Martin, Shved. Point Guard:  Rubio, Barea, Ridnour, Brown.  I think they could make a playoff run with that lineup.