A Question Mark

Kevin Garnett was the face of basketball in Minnesota for 10 years, and his departure has left the franchise with one burning question: who will take his place? Will it be Al Jefferson, the youngster Kevin McHale has coveted for years and finally has the chance to test out? Will it be Gerald Green, the promising high-flyer destined to be a big scorer in the NBA? Or will it be Corey Brewer, Randy Foye or Craig Smith, three talented players that have or will be starting their careers in Minnesota?

Before that situation is covered, I just want to point out the fact that GM McHale has obviously taken a page out of Danny Ainge's book and seems to be going with the youth movement in Minnesota. As a fan that has watched Celtics basketball furiously over the past few years, I can safely say the youth movement isn't as successful as it is advertised to be. Still, there seems to be enough talent in Minnesota to at least make some noise. Time to take a closer look at that talent.

Right now, Jefferson appears to be at the top of the list as far as go-to guys go for the Wolves. He had a big breakout season last year, proving he could carry a team with his strong post scoring and rebounding. He's got a good feel for the game and, at only 22 years old, is actually older than a number of current Timberwolves players. I can't see any reason why Big Al might not be a 20-10 man this upcoming season.

Corey Brewer was one of the few players I hoped the Celtics would get on draft night, as he is a born defender and a great playmaker. He is quick and smart with long arms and excellent ball-handling skills for a small forward, so he should start at that spot over Gerald Green.

Smith and Foye both have big potential, especially Foye, and I like their future as a pick-and-roll duo for Minnesota. Smith will develop well under the more skilled Jefferson, and Foye seems to be on the right track as it is.

Finally, Gerald Green. What is there to say that hasn't already been said? I like the idea of him improving his defense under Brewer, and once he becomes fearless with his jumpshot he'll be unstoppable.

The Timberwolves do have a few veterans to speak of: Ricky Davis, who despite having a bad attitude has his moments; Mark Blount, who can score but can't do much else; Marko Jaric, who...yeah right.

The Timberwolves are almost undoubtedly going to plummet without KG's leadership, but Kevin McHale has done a decent job gathering young talent for the future. We'll just have to see if the youth movement pans out better for them than it did for Boston.