Window of optimism is now for rebuilt Wolves

An advertisement for Target Center's new, million-dollar acoustic system stands near the entrance to the Wolves' front office.

Because they haven't lost a game yet, they're offering us fresh faces at general manager, head coach and point guard, and picking on owner Glen Taylor is a bit like slapping a masochist, I would never take the easy cheap shot and question how better acoustics will amplify the sound of no hands clapping, or ask just how much better tumbleweeds can sound. Never.

So let's get to the point: It's going to be another long season.

I asked the new coach, Kurt Rambis, how he would measure success this season, and he admitted that he'll focus on how hard his team plays, how well they play together ... at least, that's what I heard before I nodded off.

I asked the star player, Al Jefferson, how he would measure success, and he said this team should win more game than last year's, maybe even 30 or more.

That's the problem. We're about to watch a struggling franchise try to tread water in what is becoming a remarkably talented and intriguing league. It's not just going to be hard to watch the Wolves -- it's going to be hard to figure out how to watch the Wolves.

Do you root for them to scrape together as many victories as possible, knowing that every win could hurt their chances in the lottery? Do you root for a horrific season that could help their draft status? Do you cheer for veterans who won't be around if the Wolves ever become relevant again, or accept the mistakes and regressions of younger players who could make a difference some day?

The Wolves are improved in at least one way -- instead of catering to Kevin McHale's whims and apologizing for asking him to coach games on the road as well as at home, they now are relying on people who will grind.

Not Taylor and his cultish franchise wreckers. The new guys.

We don't know if Rambis can coach, but he comes highly recommended as a worker and a guy. David Kahn, believe it or not, has a deft sense of humor, if you type in the right password. (He calls me his Lex Luthor, which, of course, means he thinks he is Superman.) We don't know if Kahn can evaluate talent, but he knows the salary cap and should set standards in an organization that has lacked them.

Jefferson compared what he sees out of first-round pick Jonny Flynn to Chris Paul when he was a rookie, and Flynn has hinted at the kind of charismatic personality that could make all the difference for a team that needs to be liked as well as respected to gain traction in this crowded sports market.

So, wishing luck to what has been one of the worst-run franchises in sports, here are the six things I'll watch for during another long season:

1. Jefferson changing

He is, for the moment, the franchise player on a bad team. If he wants to be a franchise player -- or even the second-best player -- on a good team, he needs to prove he can do more than fill his own stat line. He needs to learn how to make the players around him better, with improved passing and defense.

2. Flynn intriguing

The Wolves haven't had a creator in years. A dynamic, break-down-the-defense, get-into-the-paint-and-dish point guard could make everyone on the roster look better -- and perhaps even attract free agents.

3. Corey Brewer arriving

It's easy to criticize this draft pick along with all of the other busts, but there were good reasons to take Brewer, and those reasons still exist.

The guy can run and defend, and he hit the biggest shots for two consecutive NCAA title teams. He's got to be better than what we've seen, and if he is, he can fill a hole.

4. Love emerging

He had a nice rookie year on a bad team; this year he has to prove he can be an NBA starter and consistent scorer. If he's good enough, the Wolves might be just one big body away from filling their frontcourt -- or they might be able to trade Jefferson.

5. Someone surprising

Just about every other NBA team stumbles into a hidden gem once in a while. The Wolves need someone like Ryan Hollins, Nathan Jawai or Oleksiy Pecherov to make them look smart.

6. The bosses inspiring

Taylor has run this franchise into the ground, and, true to Wolves' luck, the ground he's run it into is the Indian burial ground beneath Target Center.

This franchise has tolerated laziness and ineptness from too many key figures for too long. It's up to Rambis and, more importantly, Kahn, to turn this into a professional operation.

They need to make this losing season a reason for hope, not a confirmation of fears, or those tumbleweeds are going to sound awful loud in April.

Jim Souhan can be heard at 10-noon Sunday, and 6:40 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday on 1500-AM. His Twitter name is SouhanStrib. jsouhan@startribune.com