With only two games remaining in this lockout-shortened season, Timberwolves rookie Derrick Williams has his eyes set on a transformational summer in which he intends to lose 10 to 15 pounds so he can prove what he contended way back before last summer's draft: He really is an NBA small forward.
His coach wants to see change, too. Except Rick Adelman doesn't want to label it with numbers such as 3 and 4, basketball's designations for the small-forward and power-forward positions.
"I want him to be an effective, consistent forward," Adelman said.
That could be as big a leap as streamlining his body, like teammate Kevin Love did last summer.
A trendy preseason pick to win Rookie of the Year, Williams has survived an uneven first NBA season, displaying uncommon athleticism one night, struggling to find minutes and the basket the next.
Love's concussion suffered at Denver 10 days ago opened the door wide for last summer's second overall pick in the NBA draft, but Adelman started Anthony Randolph at Love's power forward position the past three games while Williams has played just 16 and seven minutes off the bench in the past two games and was just 6-for-24 shooting in the past three.
Williams has struggled all season to prove he's the three-point shooter he believes he is and he also has struggled to finish around the basket with a variety of gyrations and scoop shots that often never find the net.
Asked if Williams has slammed into the proverbial rookie wall or if his recent play merely is consistent with the inconsistency he has shown all season, Adelman said, "Probably both. I don't know. He has really struggled with his shot. He has really struggled with energy on the court. The inconsistency has really been something that has bothered us all year long with a lot of guys. He's got to figure out how to get himself going in the game, and a lot of times that's just effort, going to the boards, not worrying about your shot, being aggressive. It's hard to put your finger on why he has tailed off."
