Four Pointer: Previewing the Minnesota Timberwolves

What did the Timberwolves do over the summer?

Minnesota went out and got some people who are capable on the perimeter. I love Kevin Martin on this team -- he can create but doesn't constantly need touches -- and then there's Shabazz Muhammad and Corey Brewer. Ronny Turiaf (although he's injured right now) and Gorgei Dieng help backup the five.

Which Minnesota player might be due for a big game?

Basically, I'm going to use this question to talk about how damn good Kevin Love is. Putting up MVP numbers in this young season, it's probably not very likely that he keeps it up through 82 games. But the man is a basketball Frankenstein, as if a crazed doctor put him together with an arm from a point here, a leg from a center there. How else is Love a top three rebounders in the game, a high quantity three pointer shooter who hits 35% for his career AND one of the best outlet passing big man ever? Oh, and he's only 25.

Which Mavericks player might be due for a big game?

Give me Dirk. He had a quiet outing against the Thunder and has yet to have a game where you're just like, "Oh, that's Dirk." The only player on the roster who might stand a chance defending him is the long and athletic Derrick Williams, but if Dirk's on his groove, we all know it hardly matters who defends him.

What do the Mavs need to do to be successful against Minnesota?

The Mavericks need to get back to its transition game and score easy buckets. The easiest way to start that is a Monta Ellis steal, so we'll probably see him guarding Ricky Rubio or Alexey Shved when they're into the game, a move that would allow him to leave his man to play the passing lanes with little concern they're going to knock down an open shot.