OK, so it's only a pre-season game that wasn't broadcast locally and could only be found on line, but the Wolves played their first game of the season last night against Milwaukee's worst. 

There's not too much you can do to look into a lopsided contest like this, but I would like to point out a few things from last night's game that fans should pay attention to this year:

1. eFG%- (FG + 0.5 *3P)/FGA is one of those stats that the Wolves will need to win by hefty margins this year in order to be effective.  Last night they had an eFG of 64% compared to the Bucks' 36%.
   
2. % of 3PA- The Wolves are built to be an extreme perimeter jump shooting club.  They have 3 of last year's top 15 3 point shooters and they need to see a significant portion of their shots come in the form of 3 pointers.  Last night, 19.4% of their shots were from beyond the arc.  Among the 3 gunners, 1/3 of Foye's shots were 3s, 1/2 of Shaddy's, and 60% of Miller's came from beyond the arc. 
   
3. Rebounding- Since the Wolves are a jump shooting team, they need to win the battle of the boards.  Last night they outrebounded Milwaukee 38-35. 
   
4. Free throws, free throws, free throws- Last year the Wolves were one of the worst teams in the league at getting to the line.  If you had to point to one thing that would account for the Wolves' woeful point differential, it would be their almost complete inability to get to the line as much as their opponents.  Last night they got to the line 43 times compared to Milwaukee's 29 FTAs.  For the Wolves, that's insanely good.  Shaddy was especially impressive; going 10-12 from the line.

That's about it for this game.  I'll have the next few parts of the season preview posted here in the next week or so.  One more thing about last night's game: Shaddy scored 22 points on 6 shots.  That's incredible.  Getting to the line is a beautiful thing.

It was a fun night in Mankato last night.  The Wolves scrimmaged in front of about 2000 fans at Minnesota State's Bresnan Areana at Taylor Center.  I went to the game with my oldest daughter and we had some nice seats about 6 rows up behind the bucket.  We Twittered the game here. A few thoughts:

• It's easy to not notice on TV, but close up from what would be the high-roller seats it's impossible to ignore just what an amazingly high-contact sport NBA basketball is.  Some of the screens and rebounds (in a scrimmage, mind you) looked like they could have taken place on a football field.  It's also impressive to note just how high these guys go on their jumpers off of screens.  Shaddy had a few catch and shoots off a curl where he needed to elevate to a ridiculously-way-beyond-your-average-Y-baller level to get the shot off.  The level these guys play at in the NBA, even on a team like Our Beloved Puppies, is amazing.
  
• Speaking of Shaddy, he has the tools but...well, I think he led the game in scoring but he also argued with the ref...in a scrimmage.  Granted, thanks to the nice seats, I can tell you that the ref was, indeed, a dick, but Shaddy should know better.  He was vocal during timeouts and he even brought the ball up the court a time or two.
  
• Final score = 62-62, no overtime.
  
• Black team: Shaddy, Bassy, Rhino, Mad Dog, Ahearn, and Araujo.
  
• White team: Big Al, Love, Miller, Foye, Carney, Richard, and Gomes.
  
• Big Al didn't look hobbled with his knee brace.  I still have no idea why he was given the green light to play in this thing.
  
• Big Al and Love did not see the court together. 
  
• Love had a mixed-bag of a game.  You could really tell he was gassed; he was grabbing his shorts early into his rotations.  He played some nice d, showing on some screens where he really screwed up the opposing point (Bassy should have been called for traveling on one play).  Offensively, he wasn't very good.  He missed some easy bunny shots and a tip in to win the game.  You could tell his legs weren't in the shot and he was trying to guide everything with his upper-body.  On the good side of things, he was getting the types of shots that have to make the coaches smile: mid-range jumpers and hustle looks after tough rebounds.  Oh, and he had 2 of his fabled outlet passes to Randy Foye for 4th quarter layups when the game was "on the line".  In close games, his outlet passing really could be a big weapon.  With opposing offenses clamoring for the rebound, guys like Foye, Brewer, Shaddy, and Brewer should have plenty of chances to get some easy 4th quarter buckets. 
  
• Size-wise, Love is about 1-2 inches taller than Mad Dog.  He's about the same size as Chris Richard.  He's noticeably smaller (2-3 inches) than the new Brazilian import, Araujo. 
  
• Carney wants Brewer's job.
  
• Brewer isn't going to give it to him.
  
• Brewer really played a nice game.  He didn't force anything on the offensive end, he played really tough perimeter defense on fellow-Gator Miller, and he ran the floor.  This is exactly the style of ball he needs to play during the season.  He had a couple of really nice drives to the bucket.  He did get rejected by the rim on a (contested) dunk attempt.  It was, however, a bad flashback to the last game of the season. 
  
• Brewer's legs are impossibly skinny.
  
• Bassy will be the starting point by January.  He had a bad shooting night (too many jumpers) but he ran the offense beautifully (for a scrimmage) and had several very nice passes. 
  
• Starting lineup in Jan: Bassy, Foye, Miller, Love, Jefferson.
  
• This team needs to take a lot of 3s. 
  
• Foye had an interesting game.  He didn't look that interested until the 4th quarter; during which he scored 14 points while hitting several nice outside shots.  He's going to get a lot of good looks from 3 this year. 
  
• The Wolves' sales staff is overbearing and forced.  Seriously, can't I just buy a t-shirt for my daughter without having to talk about season tickets after a forced conversation about the Oklahoma Sooners just because I'm wearing an OU cap?  
• Whoever was driving the white AMG after the game...well played, well played. 
  
• Players of the game: Bassy, Brewer, Shaddy, and Foye. 
  
• Players who looked like they had a good off-season: Rhino, Richards, and Brewer. 
  
• Rhino-hawk = teh awesome.
  
• Blake Ahearn = fail. He may be the greatest guy in the world, but he's not an NBA point.  If he were 4-5 inches taller, he'd have an amazing career as an off-the-bench 3 point specialist, but he's not a pass-first kind of guy and he relies far too much on fade-aways and out of control drives into traffic to be counted upon for any length of time at the lead guard spot.
• Again, Shaddy has the tools to be a big time player in this league.  Can he put it together?  I'm pulling for him.  I think he has the stuff to be the most improved player this year.  Let's go for the trifecta: most improved, comeback (Foye), and ROY (Love).  Homerish, I know. 

Well, that's about enough for the scrimmage.  Remember to check out Hoopus' Twitter page.  Oh, one more thing, after the game the players signed autographs for 20 minutes and little Ms. Stop-n-Pop was excited to get Corey Brewer's and Kevin Love's autograph. 

Pretty cool for a 10 year old.  The Wolves did a lot of work in the local community during their week in Mankato.  This team does a lot of good work off the court.  From Shaddy's Shoot for the Cure to Ryan Gomes' work with Hoops for Heart Health, these guys are doing things that you want your kids to see.

Folks, tomorrow night Our Beloved Puppies start off the pre-season.  Here's one for the road:

I know it's a long, long way off but with training camp almost over and with a long list of players trying to make the team, let's take a quick look at the players that Wolves fans should be keeping their eyes on during the upcoming season:

1. Ricky Rubio- The 17 year old PG from Spain showed the world that he can play at a high level during the Olympics and he did it at both ends of the court.  If Rubio enters the draft, it's hard to envision a scenario where he is not a lotto pick. 
   
2. Brandon Jennings-  The 19 year old PG who skipped college for Italy will spend the next year playing professional ball, probably learning more about handling the business than his freshman peers.  Jennings is a fantastic ball-handler who looks to pass first. 
   
3. Stephen Curry- I've made no bones about my belief that Curry is the best thing going in college ball this year.  A stunningly efficient jump-shooter who is able to maintain an extreme ORtg while holding the ball a ton, Curry will be given PG duties during his junior year at Davidson.  If he can maintain his Ortg/%Poss ratio while not turning the ball over and running an offense, Curry should be included in the conversation about who is the best lead guard in the draft.
   
4. Nick Calathes- The sophomore guard from Florida isn't the most athletic player and he's not a great finisher around the rim, but he has the size and skills to be the type of player that can play multiple positions off the bench while even taking some time at the point. 
   
5. Chase Budinger- For the life of me, I'll never understand why Mr. Budinger did not enter the draft last year.  He has the size, athleticism, and outside stroke to be a fantastic wing player in the NBA.  He needs to work on his aggressiveness but the tools are there.
   

There are a few other players out there to keep an eye on, but I'm crafting this list with a few things in mind: the Wolves will likely have a late lotto pick as their first pick, and the rest of their picks will be mid-1st to late-1st.  With the exception of Rubio (a possible #1), I'm not trying to predict the order, or even the best ranking of players in the draft.  I'm simply trying to give you a list of players that will a) have a chance to be available with the Wolves' top pick, and b) fit a need with the squad. 

At this point in time, I think it is obvious that the Wolves' top pick next year will be a guard or a wing player.  The Foye/Shaddy Death Match should be settled and the Ollie/Ahearn experiment will be over.  The Wolves will need a point or a lead guard to share the 1 duties with Foye and Bassy; ideally one who can split time at the 2 or 3 (or allow Foye to split more time at the 2). 

Beyond these 5 players, here are 5 more to keep an eye on: Jrue Holliday (G- UCLA), Demar Derozan (G- USC), James Harden (G- AZ State), Tyreke Evans (G- Memphis), and Ty Lawson (G- UNC).  Also, don't forget about Tyler Hansbrough.  Kevin McHale may not be able to help himself if Mr. Hansbrough is sitting there when the Wolves are on the clock with their 2nd 1st rounder. 

Anywho, here's hoping for Curry.  Get on the bandwagon while you can.

Next up, 5 things the Wolves need to improve in order to field a winning squad this season.

From Zgoda:

The next-generation Timberwolves gathered together for the first time today at their Target Center facility to meet the media before they all hopped a Mankato-bound bus.

Shaun Livingston isn’t coming along for the ride. According to Kevin McHale and Jim Stack, he’s headed for Miami, apparently smitten with the idea of playing alongside Dwyane Wade, with whom he shares an agent and a home state.

The Wolves instead will sign 11-year NBA veteran Kevin Ollie, who’s more a point guard than the combo guard the team was seeking to back up Randy Foye and Sebastian Telfair. Ollie, 35, has played with 10 different NBA teams and spent the past three seasons with the 76ers. He started 23 games for Philly in both the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons and averaged 7.5 minutes to 40 games (no starts) last season.

The Wolves still will keep their eyes open for that elusive combo guard who can play three position if they can find him. Meanwhile, they will take a gander at Ollie and summer-league team prospect Blake Ahearn.

Also, second-year forward Chris Richard signed  his one-year qualifying offer as expected and joined his teammates for a two-hour photo shoot and interview session. He wasn’t present for last year’s media day because he didn’t sign a one-year deal until the day practice began.

Obviously I'm kind of disappointed that the Wolves couldn't work something out with Livingston.  I think he offers the squad the type of low-risk (yes, even with the injury history) high-reward type of option that a sub-30 win team could use in the final roster spot. 

However, I should note that the Wovles are doing nothing to put money on the books for the 2 year window where they should have quite a bit of coin to spend on free agents.  They also still have those 4 potential first rounders to work with and a roster filled with young and (largely) unproven talent. 

It would have been nice but as much as I begged for it, the club can't be faulted for not bringing Livingston in.

UPDATE: I have yet to find any confirmation of a possible Livingston signing in the Miami-based media.  Here's the Sun-Sentinel Heat blog. Here's a story from the Heat's official website about 4 players the Heat have signed to their training camp roster.  Livingston is not mentioned.  Here is their news page. Here's the sports page from the Miami Herald.  Here is our fellow SB Nation blog of the Heat, Peninsula is Mighter.  Here is the NBA's list of official transactions.  According to my best count, the Heat currently have 17 players in camp.  Livingston presumably wants to be with a team at or near the beginning of training camp.  He wants a guaranteed deal.  Where will he end up?  The Wolves still can offer more than the Heat.  Is there still a chance he ends up in Mankato this week?

It's not too late to get on the Wolves' bandwagon.  While you may have heard many, many nasty things about Glen Taylor and Kevin McHale (most of them are probably true), their lack of proficiency is nowhere near as awful as the gross ineptitude exhibited by your home team's El Capitan. 

I write this because I live within earshot of several die-hard Vikings fans who spend their Sundays yelling loudly at their teevees while their favorite squad engages in what can only be described as the most unwatchable brand of sports entertainment in the upper-Midwest, if not the nation.

While the NBA has its fair share of unwatchable action (seriously, the Grizz/Wolves April matchups can be...well, bad), it isn't the diluted, everybody-run-into-eachother-overexposed nonsense that passes for football these days...especially here in Purple-ville.

The Wolves are about to open training camp on the 30th of September.  They have a wonderful new draft pick, a fantastic-shooting wing player, and one of the finer old-school post players in the league.  They even have a coach with more experience and knowledge of the game than does the lowly Purple.  Seriously, Witt is miles ahead of your boy Chilly.

Do your blood pressure some good and give up on the unwatchable Purple.  The NFL sucks anyway--it's nothing but a bunch of steroid-injected specialized beasts running into each other as fast as they can.  Here in Minnesota, it's an especially crappy proposition as fans have to pretend that their team has a chance when it is run by a man who clearly has no idea what in the hell he is doing.  At least the Wolves are headed in the right direction.  The Vikings bet their Super Bowl window on a D-IA QB and not only has this obvious failure failed, but even when they finally managed to open the checkbook and pay for a real defense, their "kick-ass" offense is now being helmed by an over-the-hill backup who receives his play calls from an in-over-his-head idiot who does not appear to be capable of speaking in complete sentences.

So, welcome aboard the Wolves bandwagon.  There aren't many of us on this thing yet but at least it's headed in the right direction....and with a lot less heartburn.

Come on.  Please.  Sign the guy.  

As if I wasn't already invested in the upcoming season, should the Wolves sign him they will have accomplished something that has never happened to me as a sports fan: they will have made (nearly) every move I thoroughly advocated for in the past year.

• Acquiring Mike Miller from the Grizz (albeit my trade involved Darko and Ratliff's salary)
  
• Drafting Kevin Love
• Signing Shaun Livingston

Outside of passing on Chalmers and/or CDR, I'm damn near all-in on the moves the Wolves have made this off-season.  In the past, this fact would have scared me but I'm actually feeling pretty good about it.   Maybe it's time for a poll.