It hasn’t been all that long since the Timberwolves and the Raptors locked horns, but something usually manages to change the second time teams meet. Adjustments are made and players remember their previous battles. It’s often a race to see which team will adjust first.

With the upcoming game in hand, we sat down with Scott from Wolves Watch to discuss this second match up. Please visit their site for our answers to his questions.

Q: As this is the final time these two teams will meet, what type of player should the Timberwolves be targeting in the draft and free agency to compliment Al Jefferson?

The lack of a true center has been the story of the franchise from the time it was started until now. A Marcus Camby type center would fit in well with our current personnel because of the fact that, while Al Jefferson is developing into a top-flite scoring presence and rebounder, he still lacks the defensive abilities that would make him a complete player. A center who can change shots, get some boards and put in the occasional bucket would be nice to have. Theo Ratliff just came back from injury and can fill that role to a certain extent, but he’s not a long-term solution for the franchise.

Q: The move to get rid of Gerald Green is not really a surprising one, but thinking back to the trade with the Celtics, should the Timberwolves have asked for a different piece?

I think it was worth a shot to bring in Green and see what he could do in a new environment, but like everyone else, I had my reservations about a completely unproven NBA player. Athletic ability can only take you so far in the NBA before you have to actually know what you’re doing out there and there were times that Green looked like he had no clue. The Wolves definitely did the right thing in trading him rather than letting his contract expire at the end of the season. A lot of people were throwing Rajon Rondo’s name around before the trade took place, and although he has shown improvement this year from last, he’s still comparable to Sebastian Telfair at the point guard position and I don’t see him becoming a top-10 point guard in the NBA.

Q: When we talked to TWolves Blog a while ago, they suggested a move in the front office would be needed in the off-season. Which GMs/Head Coaches should the Timberwolves go after?

People in Minnesota have been calling for Kevin McHale’s head for years now, but it appears that Glen Taylor is content to stick with him and will do so for the foreseeable future. If McHale makes some more questionable moves, however, which is far from unlikely, it’s possible that he will be fired and we’ll need to bring in a new GM. Two of the names I’ve heard for that position are Fred Hoiberg and Trent Tucker. Both are Minnesota guys (Hoiberg played with the Wolves, Tucker played with the Gophers and was the announcer for the Wolves) and seem to have good basketball minds.

As for Randy Wittman, he was put in a really tough spot this year and he will probably get another year or two to attempt to turn this thing around. Any coach of a team that is as young as the Wolves are and have so many players that haven’t played together before is going to struggle. If the Wolves are able to bring in some talent through the draft and possibly free agency (although it would be a tough sell to get anyone to sign), the pressure on Wittman will be ratcheted up. Ultimately I don’t see him as the guy that will bring the franchise back to prominence, and if he is let go I would like to see them go out and get somebody who has already proven themselves in the NBA like Jeff Van Gundy (or somebody with similar experience) rather than an assistant or college coach.

HoopsAddict.com would like to thank Scott for his time. Please check out Wolves Watch for additional Timberwolves coverage.