The silliest thing we've been hearing is that Golden State can't be touched for the next several years, so a team such as the Wolves might as well have kept adding young talent until the next decade, when the Warriors could be vulnerable.

Guaranteeing the future with any athletic team is ridiculous. Basketball players break a foot on occasion. Kevin Durant played 27 games in 2014-15 after bone graft surgery in his right foot.

You can't spend 13 years outside the playoffs, get players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, and say, "We're going to keep building.'' This isn't about a championship window. This is about getting back into the competitive mix. There's too much energy in the NBA to continue as complete bystanders.

The new wood-like exterior at Target Center and improved concessions aren't going to change the Wolves' status. Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague, Taj Gibson and Jamal Crawford will do so, as long as the luck switches even a touch.

PATRICK REUSSE