Wolves are intriguing — really

For the first time since the beginning of a 2004-05 season that went sour for the Minnesota Timberwolves, there is a buzz about this franchise.

Strange to think that could be true of a team that had the worst record in the NBA last year, and has been a league doormat ever since Kevin Garnett was traded to Boston in 2007.

But it is true. This is a team that is suddenly brimming with intrigue and promise. Certainly, it is intrigue that could be fleeting if rookies Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams don't quickly show they've been worth the hype.

But for now, with one practice under these guys' belts under new coach Rick Adelman — a future Hall of Fame coach, no less — it is there. Point guard Rubio is being billed as a dazzling passer, this kid from Spain with the matinee-idol good looks. And power forward Williams is regarded as a strong and high-leaping do-everything player with a winning  personality.

Then you have forward/center Kevin Love, who has shed 25 pounds on the heels of a breakout season that landed him on the All-Star team. And you also have two more promising young guys in small forward Michael Beasley and shooting guard/small forward Wesley Johnson.

The Wolves — for the first time in forever — are talented. It is young talent, to be sure, but it is real talent.

Let's see what new guy Adelman can mold from it. It's going to be worth watching.

— Pat Ruff