Timberwolves: Construct Your Starting Lineup

To start it off…

PG: Flynn
SG: Webster
SF: Brewer
PF: Love
C: Milicic

Milicic only plays 25-30 minutes a game.

Beasley (SF/PF/C) and Johnson (SG/SF) will get 20+ minutes off the bench.

Sessions spells Flynn for 15 minutes a game.

Pekovic (PF/mostly C) gets 10-15 minutes off the bench

Ellington and Hollins get mop-up minutes when way down or way up.

PG- Flynn
SG- Webster
SF- Brewer
PF- Love
C- Darko

by the end of the season it might look like this -

PG- Flynn
SG- Webster
SF- Johnson
PF- Beasley
C- Darko

starting line up assuming jefferson is traded: C:Darko Milcic PF: Kevin Love SF:Wes Johnsson SG:Martell Webster PG: Johnny Flynn 6th Man: Michael Beasley and before any1 says anything about me not putting in who we got 4 Al it is because i honestly am not sure who we get maybe iguodala

PG-Flynn
SG-Ellington
SF-Beasley
PF-Love
C-Darko

6-Webster
7-Johnson

Jonny*

Well this would be my starting 5

PG-FLYNN
SG-JOHNSON
SF-BEASLEY
PF-LOVE
C-DARKO
AND OR
PG-FLYNN
SG-ELLINGTON
SF-JOHNSON
PF-LOVE
C-DARKO

PG- Flynn
SG-Wes
SF-Beasley
PF-Love
C-Darko

with big al gone:

PG- Flynn
SG- Brewer
SF- Johnson
PF- Love
C- Darko

6th- Beasley

or

PG- Flynn
SG- Johnson
SF- Beasley
PF- Love
C- Darko

PG – Jonny Flynn
SG – Martell Webster
SF – Wes Johnson
PF – Kevin Love
C – Darko Milicic

Backups

PG – Ramon Sessions
SG – Corey Brewer/Wayne Ellington
SF – Corey Brewer/Lazar Hayward
PF – Michael Beasley
C – Pekovic, then Hollins

No doubt this team has peices. But they still need to move Al.

Starting Lineup:

C Darko Milicic
PF Kevin Love
SF Wes Johnson
SG Martell Webster
PG Johnny Flynn

Unit 2

C Nikola Pekovic
PF Michael Beasley
SF Corey Brewer
SG Wayne Ellington
PG Ramon Sessions

Number 11: Lazar Heyward
Number 12: Ryan Hollins is he still on rosters?

I am starting to think Al Jefferson will be traded to Dallas for Erik Dampeirs waived expiring contract. It will clear 13 mil going into next year.

After reading the responses, the idea of playing Beasley at #3 is intriguing. He’s more of a slasher (and also 6’10”), but if Webster and Johnson live up to reputation as pure shooters, it may work out.

PG Johnny Flynn
SG Wayne Ellington
SF Wesley Johnson
PF Michael Beasley
C Darko
or
PG Johnny Flynn
SG Wayne Ellington
SF Michael Beasley
PF Kevin Love
C Darko

PG. Johnny Flynn
SG. Wesley Johnson
SF. Michael Beasley
PF. Kevin Love
C. “Big” Al Jefferson

This looks like a Playoff squad to me, and i don’t know why Al would want to leave now that there is a strong team around him

I got a hunch that he isn’t going anywhere “this year”.

PG) Flynn
SG) Johnson
SF) Beasley
PF) Love
C) Milicic

The real question is, what will be obtained for Al Jefferson? He can’t stay on this roster, and I can’t imagine Minny would toss him for cap space. My guess is Jefferson for Batum and a future pick.

Chad, your lineup intrigues me. Would certainly be a rebounding dream team.

I think the wolves need to realize that it is realistic to believe that with the lineup we “currently” have, we could have 80+ pts and 35+ rb per game for just the starting lineup, that sounds great to me (the lakers starting lineup scored right around 80 a game last year)

pts/rb
Al-20/12
Love-16/11
Beasley-16/7
Wes-16/6
Johnny-13/4
I think this is realistic…

Beasley is 6’7″ without shoes.

HE MUST PLAY THE THREE because he doesn’t stand a chance against 6’10″ fours like Pau, KG, Bosh, etc…

John, i agree beasley is a 3 and will find more success there in his career. He’s young (22?) and extremely talented. This change of scenery, coaching, philosophy, and relatively lower expectation might just be what he needs to light it up at this level.

This is assuming Al Jefferson is traded (and if it ends up being for Iguodala, I think A.I. is the starting SG). I really hope we get a solid 2 guard for AL
Pg: Flynn
Sg: Brewer
Sf: Beasely
Pf: Love
C: Milicic

Wes Johnson should see time at both 2 and 3. Martell Webster will see some time at these spots as well, and it will be interesting to see who emerges as the 6th man. Brewer improved drastically last season and deserves a shot to continue his rise, but if we land Iguodala, Brewer will then become 6th man, and Wes and martell will compete for minutes at 2 and 3 and the role of 7th man.

Pekovic, if he’s as good as some say, will see time at both 5 and 6. Sessions will spell Flynn, but look for Jonny to play 36-40 min a night as he improves.

The x factor for me is Michael Beasley. If he can give us 17 and 7 at the 3, we will win at least 35 games. Maybe 40 if Flynn, Brewer continue to improve and Johnson proves to be worthy of the 4th pick.

I just read that back to myself…maybe I got carried away. A record of 30-52 is doable with this roster. 35 is pushing it. We still are lacking consistent scorers on the wing and a lot of our success will depend on Flynn’s maturation into a “playmaking” PG 1st. His assist total last year, though good for a rookie, is not good enough. It needs to go up to at least 7 a game.

A few more thoughts:

I like Love at 4 because he’s a great rebounder, outlet passer, high IQ guy who hustles and is an adequate scorer. 15, 12, and 4 (assists) are realistic expectations out of Love. He’s better for the triangle than Al. If Darko continues to show that his late season performance wasn’t an aberration, and puts up even 12 and 8, we’re looking at a MUCH improved team.

The big question is who will be that dominant defensive presence in the low post? Darko? Pekovic? We need some shot blocking, shot altering defense from Darko, Pekovic, and Love.

I agree with you uday, I think the Timberwolves lineup could double last seasons numbers.

PG. Luke Ridnour
SG. Martel Webster
SF. Wesley Johnson
PF. Kevin Love
C. Darko Milicic

Also, Flynn will take the PG spot for a lot of minutes, and if Beasley turns out not to be as much of a flop as people think, he’ll get quality mimutes with Kevin Love, who was drafted only 4 places ahead of him in their draft year and has done so much more. Brewer will blossom with a backup role and some more free agent veterans fill up the back up roles a good 41-41 Timberwolves team.

PG.Flynn
SG.Webster
SF.Beasley
PF.Love
C.Milicic

6th men
Wes Johnson
Luke Ridnour
Nikola Pekovic

Brewer/Sessions most likely to be traded before season starts

@ Joe
Beasley was the 2nd pick
Love was the 5th pick

No way Ridnour starts either!
Or we finish 500!

Like the optimism though!

Wes can’t dribble or create his own shot. Also he’s never player the 2 spot so I see him as more of a SF. He’ll log 20/25 minutes a game and has plenty of potential to grow.

Beasley is our best player and he and Love will see lots of time together on the court. He’ll easily get 20/9 a game!

All in all hope for 30 wins max!

well with beasley it really complicates things because he’s a better SF than PF due to his style of play being face-up rather than back-to-basket. Also we have become a team with tremendous depth and a ton of options, however, we need a star not just a ton of great role players and if were gonna draft wes johnson 4th then we better start him and give him 30 minutes. That’s why this process of our rotations is tough—but this is what i want….

PG: J.FLYNN–RIDNOUR
SG: W.JOHNSON–BREWER/ELLINGTON/WEBSTER
SF: M.BEASLEY–HAYWARD/WEBSTER/BREWER
PF: K.LOVE–BEASLEY/N.PEKOVIC
C: D.MILICIC–HOLLINS/PEKOVIC

the others aren’t even worth mentioning so i left them out. Oh, and i think were trading Ramon Sessions just so you no i didn’t forget him…WITH ALL ELSE ASIDE I THINK WE COULD WIN ANYWHERE FROM 35-45 GAMES…YEAH! I’M THAT OPTIMISTIC

Well with adding Michael Beasley to the mix it really complicates things because he’s a better SF than a PF due to his style of play being face-up rather that back-to-basket, also he’s too good and young to not start and he will flourish soon enough if given the chance and minutes. It’s pretty obvious Jonny Flynn will be our starting PG with Luke Ridnour off the bench. So what’s most difficult is the SG and SF spots. We have become a very young team with tremendous depth and now have a ton of options. We need a star and we could get that from Wes Johnson. It doesn’t make sense to draft a player 4th and not give him a starting job, at least the majority of the time, but in order to get him to that star status we have to give him sum major minutes…I’m talkin like 30 minutes. We also have the much improved Corey Brewer and the newly acquired Martell Webster to satisfy. But Lazar Hayward is a great role player off the bench. Another obvious starter is Kevin Love at the PF position. But it’s with all those players that make things a living hell for coach Kurt Rambis to decide on our line-ups. That’s why this rotation and starting line-up is so tough…..BUT THIS IS WHAT I WANT

PG: Flynn–Ridnour/Sessions(if kept)
SG: Johnson–Brewer/Webster/Ellington
SF: Beasley–Johnson/Webster/Hayward/Brewer
PF: Love–Beasley/Pekovic
C: Milicic–Hollins/Love/Pekovic

the others aren’t even worth mentioning so i left them out.

With all else aside we still have Ricky Rubio coming over after this season and future 1st round draft picks so we still have a lot to look forward to. BUT FOR THIS SEASON I SEE THE “WOLFPACK” WINING ANYWHERE FROM 35-45 GAMES REALISTICALLY….. TIMBERWOLVES FAN 4 LIFE!!!

PG: Luke Ridnour
SG: Jonny Flynn
SF: Martell Webster
PF: Michael Beasley
C: Kevin Love
6th: Wesley Johnson

PG: Flynn/Ridnour/Telfair
SG: Johnson/Webster/Ellington
SF: Beasley/Johnson
PF: Love/Tolliver
C: Milicic/Love

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