The Timberwolves have lost starting center Al Jefferson indefinately due to a case of Achilles tendinitis. This is a huge blow to the T-Wolves as Jefferson is the one player on the roster that they can’t replace. If the T-Wolves are without both Jefferson and Kevin Love (out 6-8 weeks with a broken hand) they will be for sure one of the 2 or 3 worst teams in the NBA.

Head coach Kurt Rambis has won everywhere he has even been in the NBA. He did the dirty work as a player and he led the Lakers to a playoff spot in his only year as a head coach. Rambis has a regular season record of 24-13 (64.9%) and he is 3-5 (37.5%) in the post season. Can Kurt Rambis make the T-Wolves a winning team? The answer is not this season but maybe down the road. The problem right now with the T-Wolves is that they don’t have enough depth to deal with injuries or the elite teams of the NBA. Give Rambis some time and the T-Wolves could be a decent team down the road.

24-year Al Jefferson missed a huge chunk of last season due to injury but he’s ready to roll right now. He played in 50 games for the T-Wolves last season and he averaged 36.7 minutes, 23.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.7 blocked shots per game. The sky is the limit for Jefferson as he is one of the most underrated players in the entire NBA. 33-year old Mark Blount will back up Jefferson at least as long as Kevin Love is out of action. Blount played in 20 games for the Heat last season and he averaged 10.4 minutes, 4.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game. 27-year old Jared Reiner might also make the team. He last played in 2006-07 with the Bucks. Reiner has played in 46 games in his NBA career and he has averaged 8.2 minutes, 1.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game. Don’t expect much out of him.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE CENTERS IN 2009-2010: A

21-year old starting power forward Kevin Love will miss the next 6-8 weeks due to a broken bone in his left hand. This is a big blow to the T-Wolves who were depending on him teaming with Al Jefferson to give the team a big edge in the paint. Love played in 81 games for the T-Wolves last season and he averaged 25.3 minutes, 11.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. 25-year old Ryan Hollins or 23-year old Oleksiy Pecherov will likely replace Love while he is out. Hollins played in 45 games for the Mavericks and Bobcats in which he averaged 9.9 minutes, 3.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game. Hollins will also back up center Al Jefferson when Love returns to action. Pecherov played in 32 games for the Wizards last season and he averaged 8.7 minutes, 3.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game. He is on the soft side but he is a good shooter for his size. 32-year old Brian Cardinal will also get some P.T. here. He played in 64 games for the T-Wolves last season and he averaged 14.2 minutes, 3.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE POWER FORWARDS IN 2009-2010 SEASON: WITH LOVE: B WITHOUT LOVE: F

27-year old Ryan Gomes will be the starting small forward for the T-Wolves again this season. He is a solid basketball player but not a special one. Gomes played in all 82 games for the T-Wolves last season and he averaged 31.9 minutes, 13.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. The T-Wolves probably expect Gomes to average over 15 minutes per game this season. 23-year old Corey Brewer will replace Gomes when he needs a breather. Brewer played in only 15 games for the T-Wolves last season and he averaged 20.5 minutes, 6.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game. The T-Wolves expect much more out of Brewer who was a first round pick of the T-Wolves not so long ago.