Jackson: Wolves need one key player

Phil Jackson, coach of the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers and a proven expert at judging basketball talent, believes the Timberwolves need to add another key player to become competitive.

"They were lucky in the transition of Miami's roster that they got [Michael] Beasley, and he looks like he's going to be a really terrific player," said Jackson, who has won 11 NBA titles as a coach with the Lakers and Bulls and two as a player with the Knicks. "They need somebody else to go with him. Wesley Johnson probably has to grow a little bit to do that. But they need another contributor and they're going to be fine."

Jackson said that because of the Wolves' 15-47 record this season, they are sitting in a good position to receive another top draft choice.

Unfortunately, they have to get that high draft choice this year because the Wolves' 2011 first-round pick is top-10-protected this year but unprotected and owed to the Clippers in 2012.

Jackson added: "You hope to get a really good draft pick now, but they've had draft picks. I mean Wes Johnson was what -- fourth [overall]? They had him this year and he shows that he's a really good athlete.

"They'll be lucky if they get another really good athlete in the draft, and then hopefully they can find a free agent that can fit in and blend with this team and maybe give them the support they need. They need another quality player. They need another quality athlete out there with these guys to be a really good team."

Jackson said Wolves coach Kurt Rambis, who was an assistant for Jackson for eight seasons in Los Angeles, is the perfect guy for this young Wolves team.

"He's strong at fundamentals, he likes to get with players and helps them grow, he's helped [Kevin] Love, he has helped Beasley, I think, grow a little bit this year," Jackson said. "His players are putting up much better numbers than they've ever had before. I'd say you've got to look at two to three years, that's what it takes."

Speaking further about Rambis, Jackson said: "I think he's got a real good temperament with players. He likes to converse and talk with the players. He likes to work individually with their game, I think that's what they need. I know there's some criticism about his running the triangle [offense], but I don't think they ran it more than two or three plays that were a semblance of what we would call the triangle.

"It's not about their offense, their offense is doing fine. They scored points against us. But the defense that Kurt was playing kept us from getting the ball inside, which is the strength of our team."

Like other experts in the NBA, Jackson believes it's tough for the Wolves to attract a top free agent to the team and the Twin Cities.

"In the market here," he said, "you know Minneapolis is a small town, it's a northern climate, so it has to be someone that really wants to come here and really wants to be a part of the Timberwolves."

Likes Love Jackson said he thinks we're seeing the best of Love in his third year.

"There are probably some things that he can learn to do, probably in the post with his back to the basket," Jackson said. "But he doesn't have that kind of strength or power, so he's an outside, facing-the-basket type of power forward, which is very unique to this game. He's kind of an enigma. He really fits a notch in the game that is kind of unknown; kind of like Dan Issel did in Denver or something like that, a guy that can get numbers, can score, can rebound. He could be a key player in a franchise that builds."

The Lakers have had good luck defending Love, who has 48 consecutive double-doubles after getting 20 points and 20 rebounds in a 116-105 victory against the Pistons on Wednesday. The last time he failed to get a double-double was against the Lakers on Nov. 19 at Target Center. In that game, Love failed to score and had only seven rebounds.

In Tuesday's game against the Lakers, after scoring 37 points and getting 23 rebounds against the Warriors on Sunday, L.A. limited Love to 13 points and 11 rebounds.

"A lot of Kevin's points come off screen-and-roll attempts and guys stepping off of him and he can get some open shots, or trailing the play and coming down and having wide-open shots," Jackson said. "We tried to be there with him and when they tried to switch, we stayed with him and our guards switched on to him and tried to keep him from those open shots."

One thing Love is doing is drawing fans to the game. The Timberwolves ran a full-page ad of Love in the Star Tribune this week and, according to team President Chris Wright, sold 56 season ticket packages as a result of the publicity campaign. A team that is 15-47 needs some help to draw fans, and Love does that.

Jottings • While there were a lot of rumors last season and earlier this season that Timberwolves boss David Kahn was trying to trade Love, club owner Glen Taylor -- who no doubt has the final say on team personnel decisions -- claimed that at no time has Love been available to other clubs.

• There are a lot of happy people at Winter Park these days because of Mark Wilf. After reading about other NFL teams already laying off people because of the expected lockout, Wilf held a meeting with all of the team employees and let them know that for the time being there would not any layoffs if there is a lockout. Wilf did say he would look at things again in September to see if it becomes necessary to make a change in the non-layoff policy.

• Former Gophers defenseman Nick Leddy, the former Eden Prairie star and No. 1 draft choice of the Wild in 2009 who was traded to the Blackhawks along with Kim Johnsson for Cam Barker just more than a year ago, recently has seen a lot of action. He's playing an average of just more than 18 minutes per game over his past five games, including 18:27 Monday against the Wild. "He is an outstanding hockey player, but I didn't think he would play that much in his first year in the NHL," said Tommy Thompson, former Wild executive now with the Rangers. So far this season Leddy has two goals through 27 games for the Blackhawks.

• I thought it was a big mistake when the Wolves traded Corey Brewer to the New York Knicks, but the Knicks waived the former Florida star and now Brewer will reportedly sign a multiyear deal with the Dallas Mavericks.

• Blaine native Matt Hendricks has signed a two-year contract extension with the Washington Capitals. Hendricks has seven goals and 12 assists in 60 games.

• Former Gopher Ben Gordon, 16th in the ECHL in scoring with 22 goals and 26 assists in 46 games, has been loaned by Reading to Binghamton of the AHL.

Sid Hartman can be heard weekdays on WCCO AM-830 at 6:40, 7:40 and 8:40 a.m. • shartman@startribune.com