"How eager were the Timberwolves to get the season going?

A little birdie says point guard Ricky Rubio was in Minneapolis the other day looking at homes.

All-star forward Kevin Love stopped in Minneapolis the other day to check on things.

New coach Rick Adelman was in Minneapolis to meet with assistants and other staff members.

The NBA lockout has been lifted. The way it looks now, if the 66-game season begins on Christmas Day as projected, the Wolves' starting lineup should be the same as the five who finished last season with 17 victories. That would be Love, Michael Beasley, Wes Johnson, Darko Milicic and Luke Ridnour.

But the Wolves will have two new first-round draft picks coming off the bench in Rubio, who spent last season playing in Spain, and Derrick Williams, who should be a rookie of the year candidate. Add Anthony Randolph, and that's not bad.

Rubio, by the way, scored nine points in a charity game in San Francisco a week ago and dazzled spectators with highlight film passes.

The two biggest pluses the Wolves have going now are Adelman and Williams. Players love playing for Adelman, and that could be a plus when the new free agency begins.

Regardless, the Wolves should win about 20 games this season despite playing 14 fewer games than last season. "