Teams Hurt the Least by the Lockout

Okay, so no team in the NBA isn't hurt by the lockout, but there are some teams that will be hurt a lot less than others. These are established, young teams that don't have any aging members of their core. The really young teams (Wolves, Wizards, Cavs etc.) aren't in good shape because the only way they can improve is by playing games.

Memphis Grizzlies: This of course hinges on their ability to resign Marc Gasol, but the Grizzlie's core of Rudy Gay, Mike Conley, Gasol, and Randolph should hold up through an off season.

Chicago Bulls: I know what you might be thinking, earlier in the article I said that teams shouldn't have aging members of their core. Well I don't consider Carlos Boozer apart of their core. In fact, I don't really count Luol Deng or Joakim Noah as part of their core. Their core is Derrick Rose who is a stud and will be great for years to come.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Lastly, team I believe is least hurt by the lockout. An established team that is only lacking playoff experience. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are extremely young and proven talents. Maybe most importantly, their competition gets older. Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Antonio all have aging rosters, which means OKC can catapult those teams to dominate the West.

Minnesota Timberwolves Lose Heartbreaker to Oklahoma City Thunder

The Minnesota Timberwolves lost a nailbiter to the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-117 in overtime. It was another one of those close games that the team couldn't close out and get the victory. Kevin Durant had a career night - 47 points and 18 rebounds. Kevin Love had another spectacular night, with 31 points and 21 rebounds. Michael Beasley had 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists in a near triple double. The Timberwolves missed a chance with a tie game on the line at the end of regulation. Kevin Love's hook shot just rimmed in and out. In overtime, Corey Brewer's missed free throw resulted in a Luke Ridnour 3 point attempt. He missed and the game was over.

Kevin Love MVP Consideration?

It's December 10th. Kevin Love is currently averaging 20 points and 15 rebounds. Look at that stat for a second. 20 and 15? In this day in age? That is an outstanding statistic, one that hasn't been reached since Moses Malone in 1982-1983. He could be on pace for a historic season. As a Minnesota Timberwolves fan, Kevin Love is a treat to watch. He is already the #2nd best Minnesota Timberwolves player in franchise history, in my humble opinion. Wally was solid, Marbury was nice, Cassell and Sprewell were outstanding for that season, but Kevin Love is as consistent as they come. At this point, he deserves to make the NBA All-Star Team and COULD be in discussion for MVP. Of course, that hinders on how the team is also doing which will most likely hurt him against Kobe, Durant, and LeBron.

Oklahoma City Thunder 111 - Minnesota Timberwolves 104

On Wednesday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves were defeated by the Oklahoma City Thunder 111 to 104. It was another case of the inability to finish the games, aka against the Spurs and Knicks. The Minnesota Timberwolves were up as much as 40 to 22. Unfortunately, the Oklahoma City Thunder knew how to finish and went on a spree, winning by 7. The Timberwolves are clearly much better than last season - but they need to finish games in order to get those hard-earned victories. Kevin Love had 22 points and 21 rebounds. Tonight, the Minnesota Timberwolves host the Detroit Pistons.

Team USA Wins Gold

Besides Kevin Love appearing on another Entourage episode last night, the power forward is now a World Champion. Team USA defeated Turkey 81-64 behind MVP Kevin Durant in the Gold Medal Final. Team USA did not lose a game in the entire tournament and win the tournament for the first time since 1994. Kevin Love did not record any points in the final but he had a good tournament overall, when he played. He will be crossing the pond again soon as the Minnesota Timberwolves will travel to London and Paris for exhibition games. Sidenote - Johnny Drama in last night's episode: "I would have had him if not for Jordan Farmar and that Kevin Love guy."