Hopeless Wolves season ends on a (yes) hopeful note

One of the worst seasons in Timberwolves history ended Wednesday night with a 25-point thumping that extended their losing streak to 12, ushering in one their most optimistic summers.

Those aren't contradictory thoughts. They follow as logically as a steal and a dunk.

Watching the Timberwolves this season has been like wearing those oversized glasses to view an eclipse. The sight is rare and fascinating, if you can block the part that would melt your retinas.

Andrew Wiggins, while playing too many minutes and in too many playground-quality games, has turned into one of the two most promising young players in the NBA.

Zach LaVine has demonstrated the ability to become a quality NBA player, and his 13 assists on Wednesday signaled his improvement as a point guard.

Shabazz Muhammad has become an ideal sixth man. Gorgui Dieng has become a worthwhile rotation player. Adreian Payne could become something similar.

Kevin Garnett's presence has coincided with a strong month and a half from Wiggins and LaVine, and Flip Saunders insisted on Wednesday that Garnett has been an ideal mentor for the kids. Garnett will be back next year.

Losing 66 games, including the last 12 of the season, has given the Timberwolves the best chance to land the top pick in the draft, and no chance of slipping below fourth. There are probably five shouldn't-miss prospects in the draft. They are Duke center Jahlil Okafor, Kentucky center Karl-Anthony Towns, Ohio State guard D'Angelo Russell, Congo point guard Emmanuel Mudiay and Latvian power forward Kristaps Porzingis.

Wolves history is filled with bad luck as well as bad decisions. Taking Jonny Flynn instead of Steph Curry is a bad decision. Getting the pick after Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning were taken, and winding up with Christian Laettner, is nothing but bad luck.

Presuming Ricky Rubio will be healthier next season, the Wolves won't be looking hard at Mudiay, despite his talent. Any of the other four could make the Wolves, given a little luck and a little health, a threat in the Western Conference next season.

The Wolves should be envious of any current playoff team that has a chance to make an extended spring run.

The other 20-or-so NBA teams should envy the Wolves, who have one potentially great young player and another on the way.

There were the two seasons during which Garnett and Stephon Marbury happily played together.

There was the one season when Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell joined Garnett and pushed the team to the Western Conference finals before Cassell injured himself while strutting downcourt demonstrating the size of his fortitude.

There was that month when the newly-sculpted Kevin Love and a healthy Rubio played like a latter-day Stockton and Malone, before Rubio injured his knee on the Target Center court.

Otherwise, Timberwolves history has been an overly long, out-of-tune dirge.

Eventually, Saunders should cede the coaching job and concentrate on his front-office duties. There is no reason for him not to give assistant coach Sam Mitchell a one-year tryout, whether next year or the year after. Mitchell commands the respect of Garnett, Wolves ownership and the young players and was the NBA coach of the year in 2007. He's worth a look.

Saunders said that by next season the Timberwolves "can be a team that competes in the West. It's going to be difficult, you have to be lucky and healthy in a lot of things, but from a talent pool standpoint, we should be able to compete at that level."

The Wolves are one good draft away from trading in their solar shades for rose-colored glasses.

Jim Souhan's podcast can be heard at souhanunfiltered.com