The Minnesota Timberwolves are finally getting healthy, which is great for them and rough for the rest of the NBA.
They pegged their best-case scenario of being at .500 when Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love returned healthy. They've exceeded expectations and, at 11-9, they're ready to start their ascent up the Western Conference ladder.
Nikola Pekovic was relied upon to to step up in the absence of Love and Rubio and he fared well. He's a concrete block in the paint and won't be pushed around by anyone.
The problem was, without Love on the court to spread the floor, he faced a constant struggle on the glass.
Before Love came back, Pekovic averaged 15.3 points and six rebounds, with 2.4 of those being on the offensive glass. Now that Love is back, Pekovic is averaging 14.8 points and eight rebounds, with 3.4 of those offensive rebounds.
It's obvious that big Pek needs Love to take some of the pressure off.
Rubio is a godsend to every player on the court. He not only knows how to find the open man, but he finds them in their favorite spot. He made guys like Wayne Ellington look good during the 2011-12 season.
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Michael Dunlap
Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Nikola Pekovic Ready to Win
December 15th, 2012 by Michael Dunlap Leave a reply »
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