1 Their chance to win 50 games all depends on point-guard Rubio Rubio's quick return to good health from March knee surgery. Cleared to run earlier this month, he is not expected to play a game until December.
2 Former All-Star shooting guard Brandon Roy is the X factor who could transform the Timberwolves with his late-game poise IF his degenerative knees let him.
3 The arrival of Russians Andrei Kirilenko (above) and Alexey Shved could fill two huge needs: production at the small-forward spot and another backcourt ballhandler who's not point-guard size.
4 Lean, mean center Nikola Pekovic's body fat is down to 8 percent, but his net worth soon could go way up: Look for him to sign a fat contract extension worth well north of $10 million a season by season's start or next summer.
5 The Wolves invested the No. 2 overall pick in Derrick Williams (above) in 2011. He lost 20 pounds over the summer so he can play more small forward, but does he fit there with $10M man Kirilenko and Chase Budinger, a Rick Adelman favorite, brought on board?
