Souhan: Saunders' legacy could hinge on development of young Wolves

Not long ago, Flip Saunders' greatest hope for tonight's season opener in Memphis was to watch Dave Joerger coach Kevin Love.

Instead, Wednesday night Saunders will adapt to, coach, oversee and perhaps even hope to patent the newest new Wolves order.

The Wolves president of basketball operations will coach the team for the first time since 2005 while molding a raw centerpiece — that's "Centerpiece Tartare" on your frequently updated Timberwolves menu — instead of Love, whom Saunders had hoped to persuade to stay.

He will coach against the guy he tried to hire last summer, before Joerger decided to remain with the Grizzlies, and Saunders finally decided that if you want something done right, you hire your second or fifth choice, especially if that second or fifth choice is you.

A team led by Joerger and Love would have tried to win big immediately and would have remained overmatched against most Western Conference heavyweights.

A team led by Saunders and Wiggins can offer the gifts that keep on teasing — hope and promise, the Jordan and Pippen of sports marketing.

For the first time in Wolves history, they employ the first pick in the previous summer's draft. This isn't Michael Olowokandi — ah, the names that fill the Wolves' history books — arriving late in his career as a role player. This is a player who might be Paul George or Paul Pierce and who should never be confused with Paul Grant, another first-rounder Flip was saddled with in the '90s.

They have their star of the future and a coach who has every interest in developing him, whether Saunders remains as coach long-term or hires his own replacement next summer.

The Wolves even have other young players who don't remind you of Wes Johnson or Jonny Flynn, like Bennett, who looked surprisingly polished this preseason, and the wonderfully fierce Gorgui Dieng.

They are young enough to be allowed to grow slowly, and talented enough to make Wolves fans think of "the future" something other than a dystopian landscape.

They also represent, in a way, the greatest challenge of Saunders' long and varied NBA career.

As the Wolves coach the first time around, he always had Garnett as his trump card. Saunders' defensive philosophy was, "Ah, KG will take care of it." Garnett demanded effort from his teammates, with the punishment for disobedience sometimes being a right hook to the cheekbone. Garnett was leader, enforcer, superstar, drill sergeant and goalie who stands on his head.

Saunders tried coaching Washington, and his best player pulled a gun — or guns — in the locker room. Again, there is no way to know if another coach could have kept the Wizards from trying to remake "Tombstone."

Each of Saunders' three coaching tenures has ended badly, but in his profession, so it goes.

This time, Saunders will try working for himself on for size, knowing he can always retreat to the front office or, at 59, choose retirement at the first sign of Uzis or underachievement.

He won't face pressure to win right away. He has brought enthusiasm belying his age to the practice court. He will coach players almost certain to show improvement during his tenure, however long it lasts. He is working for a man who would rather not be forced to fire him again.

Saunders finds himself in ideal employment circumstances, but facing the consequences of his own choices.

Jim Souhan can be heard weekdays at noon and Sundays from 10 to noon on 1500 ESPN. @SouhanStrib jsouhan@startribune.com