After struggling through the Randy Wittman and Kurt Rambis eras, this season was supposed to be different; the Timberwolves could’ve finished with a spot in the playoffs. The team was on the verge of breaking through and was just a few games off the 8th seed in the Western Conference (for the Timberwolves of the past 6 years, that’s unheard of) before all momentum seemingly was lost in one collision between Ricky Rubio and Kobe Bryant. Bryant kneed Rubio, ripped out his ACL, then ate it on the spot, effectively ending Rubio’s rookie season and obliterating the playoff hopes of Timberwolves fans.

With the season ending without a playoff berth, it’s time to look towards next season. The Wolves almost certainly will allow Michael Beasley and Anthony Randolph to leave in free agency, and will have to make tough decisions about whether or not to keep forward Anthony Tolliver and guard Martell Webster.

Although it breaks the hearts of me and my fellow Darko fan club members, the team should probably look into using the amnesty clause on center Darko Milicic, who sat out the last month and a half of the season with assorted injuries. The amnesty clause, a product of the lockout negotiations, allows each team to release one player each year without any salary cap penalties. The Timberwolves didn’t use it last year, but with a need for a solid wing player, the team should look into using it to get rid of their beloved Serbian Center to free up space.

Robert Ayer recently wrote a paper for the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference examining what three types of player would be the best combination on an NBA team. Along with Kevin Love (dynamic, strong rebounding power forward) and Ricky Rubio (pass-first, low-scoring point guard), one of the best fits, other than the obviously unattainable Lebron James, would be a wing 3-point shooter. Wes Johnson, who was drafted 4th overall last year, was supposed to be that player, but he has instead been battling himself all season long between double digit point games (8) and scoreless games (7). Players hitting free agency this year who fit the mold of a wing 3-point shooter are the Timberwolves’ ideal target: Nicolas Batum, Jamal Crawford, Ray Allen, and Jason Terry. Without a first round draft pick of their own after losing it to the Clippers (now owned by the Hornets) in the Marko Jaric trade, the Timberwolves will only get a first round pick if the Utah Jazz make the playoffs (their first round pick is lottery-protected this year).

So, any improvements the team will make in the offseason will likely have to come from free agency or trades, but with a healthy returning Rubio and the emergence of Nikola Pekovic as a legitimate NBA center, playoffs are the expectation for years to come.