Yes, as suspected all along just because it makes too much sense, the Timberwolves will play Milwaukee in their two preseason games during this abbreviated preseason.

That will mean Ricky Rubio's first kind of NBA game action will come against Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings, the guy who spent a season in Europe and who before the 2009 draft called Rubio all hype.

Nice, little interesting storyline to start out with, isn't it?

The NBA has paired teams up geographically -- Nets-Knicks, Clippers-Lakers, Kings-Warriors, Wolves-Bucks, etc. -- for a pair of home-and-home games that will be the only game preparation as the league rushes to start the 66-game season on Christmas Day.

Dates for the two Bucks-Wolves games are TBD, but they'll be somewhere in that week or so before Christmas.

Training camps open on Dec. 9 and the NBA likely will give teams at least a week before they play a game.