Rick Adelman doesn't seem to be interested in a patient rebuilding program with the Timberwolves. The veteran NBA coach wants the club to be "very aggressive" in whatever offseason approach is taken to improve the team, which has missed the playoffs for the eighth consecutive year.
"We can't wait," Adelman, the Wolves' first-year coach, said Tuesday. "You hope your young people get better, but that's not a given. Other people you can get, in free agency or trades, are givens. We have to be aggressive in all those areas."
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"We need better ball handling throughout the lineup, not just the point guards, and better perimeter scoring," he said. "We don't have that. I don't think we realized how hard it was going to be to replace people. We had made real strides until the all-star break. Then we fell apart. You have to evaluate how much better people can get and where do we go as far as adding depth to this team."
Forward Kevin Love, sidelined for the final seven games after suffering a mild concussion and strained neck, agreed with Adelman that improvements need to be made. Love even offered to help "lobby" free agents around the league to consider signing with the Wolves.
"If we can add a couple of veterans, a big-time scorer and a defender, it will help us tremendously," Love said Tuesday. "We have the money to spend. I'm sure people know we have the makings of something special here. We have valuable assets on this team. You never know what can happen, but I'll definitely be lobbying for our team."
