The 2011â€"12 Minnesota Timberwolves season was the 23rd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In their first season with head coach Rick Adelman, the team finished the lockout-shortened season with a 26â€"40 record, nine wins above their previous season and finished in 12th place in the Western Conference. This season saw the debut of 2009 draftee Ricky Rubio, who was a contender for the Rookie of the Year Award until he tore his ACL and his lateral collateral ligament after colliding into Kobe Bryant during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers and was out for the rest of the season.
Key dates
- June 23: The 2011 NBA draft took place at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
- December 26: The Timberwolves begin the regular season with a loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Summary
NBA draft 2011
Roster
Depth chart
Pre-season
Due to the 2011 NBA lockout negotiations, the programmed pre-season schedule, along with the first two weeks of the regular season were scrapped, and a two-game pre-season was set for each team once the lockout concluded.
Regular season
Standings
Game log
Player statistics
Regular season
Awards and records
- Ricky Rubio was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for December â€" January and earned an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection.
- Kevin Love earned an All-NBA Second Team selection.
- Kevin Love scored a franchise record 51 points in a double overtime loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 23.
All-Star
- Kevin Love participated in his second All-Star game as a reserve for the West in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game and won the Three-Point Shootout.
- Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams participated in the Rising Stars Challenge. Williams also participated in the Slam Dunk Contest.
Injuries and disciplinary actions
- Brad Miller underwent surgery on his left knee during the offseason and returned on January 29.
- On December, Malcolm Lee underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus and was out for two months.
- Martell Webster had surgery on his back in December and returned to practice with the team in mid-January.
- Kevin Love earned a two game suspension after stepping over Luis Scola during a game against the Houston Rockets on February 4.
- Ricky Rubio tore his ACL during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 9 and missed the remainder of the season.
Transactions
Overview
Trades
Free agents
Many players signed with teams from other leagues due to the 2011 NBA lockout. FIBA allows players under NBA contracts to sign and play for teams from other leagues if the contracts have opt-out clauses that allow the players to return to the NBA if the lockout ends. The Chinese Basketball Association, however, only allows its clubs to sign foreign free agents who could play for at least the entire season.
See also
2011â€"12 NBA season