The Minnesota Timberwolves, following the Toronto Raptors’ lead, did something smart. After their young, talented player started the season out on the shelf, they sent him down to the D-League to work his way back into basketball before bringing him along at the NBA level. Only first and second-year players are able to be assigned to a D-League affiliate from an NBA roster, but for any eligible player trying to rehab from injury, an assignment to the D should be a no-brainer. This is the way of rehabilitations to come, and both franchises are wise to take full advantage of the opportunity placed before them.
The Wolves have already assigned point guard Jonny Flynn to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the D-League team with which Flynn will make his official return to the hardwood after undergoing hip surgery this summer. However, while Flynn’s stay in the D-League was initially expected to be for a single game, Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that it’s Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis’ preference that Flynn play at least two games for Sioux Falls before returning to Minnesota. The tides are of the universe aren’t exactly pulled with that revelation, but it’s a nice perk for the D-League; Flynn is a substantial talent, and the first of his kind to see the D for non-disciplinary (Terrence Williams), non-arbitrary (Rodrigue Beaubois) reasons. The longer he sticks around, the more the league benefits as both a basketball product and a legitimate rehab option.
