Last season, injuries plagued the Minnesota Timberwolves, thereby stunting their potential. Point guard Ricky Rubio and centers Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic were on the court together for fewer than thirteen minutes during the entire 2012-2013 season.

This season, however, they’re recovered and ready. It’s a new year, and the Timberwolves aren’t going down without a fight.

The Timberwolves’ last couple of games have tested their resolve, and last night’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers marked Minnesota’s second loss in a row. The game was dominated by Clippers star Chris Paul and the ‘Wolves just couldn’t seem to contain him, despite efforts from key players Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Martin. Pekovic is a strong inside presence, and his consistent post shots and pick-and-rolls make up for the fact that he isn’t a big shot-blocker. Martin is a new addition to the Timberwolves this year and has quickly become one of the team’s primary scorers. He contributed twenty-eight points and ten rebounds in last night’s game, and his scoring helped to dig the ‘Wolves out of quite a few holes. Martin is exciting to watch, and his future on the team is bright.

Overall, though, the Timberwolves missed many scoring opportunities which simply can’t happen if they hope to win games. Their defense isn’t as strong as it could be and lacks the grit that former post Andrei Kirilenko provided when he was on the team last year. Defense isn’t Martin’s specialty, which leaves Rubio, Love, and Pekovic to pick up his slack. If they can find a way to pull together, though, the Timberwolves stand a good chance of climbing up the Western Conference rankings, and maybe even making the playoffs.

The mood in the Target Center last night was cautiously hopeful, which I think describes how many Minnesotans feel about our sports teams. The crowd was excited by flashy plays, but seemed to sulk when the roles reversed, as if to say, “Well, that was fun while it lasted.” We are used to being let down by our sports teams (except the Lynx, of course), and are wary of investing too much in a team that we suspect will ultimately disappoint us.

However, if there is a season when the ‘Wolves will finally succeed, this is it. Love, Rubio, and Pekovic are playing together as they should have been all along, and they’ve gained valuable experience. New players like Martin are discovering their roles, and the team is finding a way to balance their talents. The Timberwolves face a challenging stretch of games in the near future, but when they’re all playing their best, fans have a reason to be optimistic.