We're not familiar with all the terms of the California Water Code -- that's a light summer reading project, we promise -- but we do believe it would have taken a substantial effort to douse the flames coming off of Michael Beasley and Derrick Williams last night in the Wolves' reserve-fueled victory over the Clippers last night.

And the timing of both going off for 27 points couldn't have been better -- or more interesting. Not only did it put the Wolves over .500 (and help them top last year's win total already) against a quality opponent on the road, but it set the stage for an intriguing game tonight in the same building against the Lakers.

Both players have at least been written about when it comes to possible trade connections to the Lakers. Beasley (first link) is reportedly coveted by the Lakers, but it's unclear what might come back in return. D-Will was mentioned as possible bait to land Pau Gasol.

The tricky thing with Beasley is that there are nights when you can't wait to see him go, and nights like Tuesday when you wonder how the Wolves could ever live without him. Against the Clippers, Beasley was downright fabulous -- striking the perfect balance, as Rick Adelman noted in his postgame comments, between finding open shots and getting to the rim.

And the tricky thing with Williams is that he seems best-suited to play power forward -- at least for now -- but that position is currently occupied by the franchise player, Kevin Love. Also, of course, the emergence of Pek diminishes the need to reach for Gasol.

But even if last night was only another Beas Tease, and even if the Real D-Will won't make 9 of every 10 shots every night, we're starting to think it might be best if this squad -- flaws and all -- was kept intact for the rest of the year. We wouldn't flip Williams for a veteran like Gasol. He just has too much promise, even if his position needs to sort itself out. And if Beasley can't fetch much in return, isn't it better just to roll the dice and hope he has more games like the one last night down the stretch?

If those two stay, there isn't much left to trade. But you know what? That's fine, for now. Making the playoffs is a suddenly viable goal, but it would also be gravy as far as we're concerned. This year is about tangible improvement, the likes of which we've seen already.

Still, it will be very interesting to see how Beasley and Williams play against the Lakers, who surely got a look at what the duo did in their building last night. Those 27-point performances won't quiet the rumors in LA, even if they should give the Wolves more ammunition to stay the course.