Alexey Shved has made these Olympics a coming out party. Simply said, his short career has peaked during this pool play. According to Sporting News, he averaged 10.5 points and 5 assists in the Olympic qualifying tournament, improving upon his Eurobasket tournament numbers of 8.5 PPG and 3.1 APG. In these four Olympic games he has bolstered all these totals to 15.7 PPG and 8.3 APG. Should Wolves Nation take this play as a sign of things to come or rather just a small sample size worth overlooking?

Before answering this question, it is worth asking if Shved is best suited to be a point guard and a true court leader? As of now, the Wolves already have three point guards in Ricky Rubio, Luke Ridnour and JJ Barea.  The current roster would suggest Shved is destined to be their backup shooting guard.  Although he seems to excel in his current role as PG, Shved may actually be more successful working off the ball. During the Olympics, Shved has consistently shot the ball with confidence and solid form- most closely resembling that of Mike Miller or JR Smith.  Yet, his ability to create his own shot may go unnoticed playing alongside Ridnour or Barea.

Rubio has near unrivaled court vision, perfectly suited to Shved’s ability to space to floor and cut to the basket.  Unfortunately, Ridnour and Barea are far from the ‘true point guard’ Rubio has quickly become. Both are more inclined to create their own shot, even when contested. Trade rumors suggesting Ridnour or Barea could be moved should signal Shved’s importance to this team and which PG front management believes can best adjust to his needs.

Shved’s skills may be greatly valued but his faults should raise some eyebrows as well. Even with impressive numbers during these Olympics, Shved has struggled. During Russia’s win against Spain, Shved played limited minutes. Coach, David Blatt commented on this controversial decision by stating, “Do you know the story of Icarus? He put wax on his wings and began to fly and everyone believed he was superhuman. Suddenly the sun shone brightly on those wings and they melted and he fell. Now, Alexey, to his credit, has had an amazing Olympic Games and really has come out in a big way, as he did last summer for the Russian national team in our medal-winning performance…. I think he was just too good too fast for too long, and you know, his day came that he wasn’t that good and I recognized it.” Mythical comparisons, while theatrical in this sense are just as telling for a player’s boundaries.  Blatt’s comments point to the gift and risk Shved presents as a player.  Seemingly smooth, quick and controlled Shved must learn when to dictate the pace of game for the benefit of his team and when to prove himself as player.

I believe Shved will be best judged with Rubio out of the lineup. Ultimately, he will either show he is effective scorer off the bench or the play maker we have witness during these Olympics. Rubio may be his perfect court mate, but Shved has much to prove and needs to improve this team. His talent will be told in Rubio’s absence- an opportunity I expect him to embrace with style and enthusiasm.

Feb 26, 2011; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Utah Jazz small forward Andrei Kirilenko (47) during an NBA game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace. Detroit won 120-116. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

End scene. The curtain may have finally dropped on the dramatic third act of this offseason. In a surprise turn of events, the Minnesota Timberwolves have come to an agreement with Euroleague MVP Andre Kirilenko for a reported 2 year/$20 million offer, according to Adrian Wojnarwoski of Yahoo! Sports!. Like many decisions by Wolves’ General Manager David Kahn, there was a quality of spontaneity and desperation to the recent addition of the Russian small forward. However, unlike past tradings and signings by Kahn, this deal is both sensible and well-structured, adding to a chain of quality acquisitions this summer. Many have speculated if the upheaval of this team is the work of head coach Rick Adelman rather than Kahn, yet either way the Wolves have now placed themselves in a position where they can be hold their own in the ultra-competitive Western Conference and Northwest Division.

Why does Kirilenko impact Wolves’ standing so greatly? Put simply he brings skills sorely lacking in the Wolves roster- defense and effective wing play. When you examine the Wolves’ previous wing players- Michael Beasley, Wesley Johnson and Wayne Ellington- Kirilenko is a tremendous upgrade. With CSKA Moscow, Kirilenko shot a remarkable 40% from beyond the arc. While the competition and 3 point line overseas may fall short by NBA standards, Kirilenko’s overall production should remain free from harsh scrutiny. Kirilenko’s best seasons with the Utah Jazz were arguably 2009-10 and 2010-11 when he averaged close to 15.8 points per game and 6.6 total rebounds; with CSKA Moscow he increased these values to 19.8 PPG and 10.2 RPG respectively. While he will not hold such a prominent scoring role with Minnesota, his play on the offensive and defensive end may be even more reliable than that of new (and slightly unpredictable) Wolves, Brandon Roy and Alexey Shved.

When the Blazers matched the Wolves’ offer sheet for Batum, Kahn and Adelman both responded with disappointment claiming they believed him to be the ‘missing piece,’ according to Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The gap in age between Batum (23) and Kirilenko (31) may be startling, but Kirilenko’s consistency over the years largely makes up for this difference. Kirilenko has never held a PER under 15.0 during his 11 year career, per basketball-reference.com. What’s more, Kirilenko’s contract is a far greater trade chip than Batum’s offer sheet of 4 year/$46 million if the Wolves ever face future salary cap issues.

Kirilenko is the prize of the Wolves’ offseason (assuming Roy does not grow cartilage in his garden), and as fans we should be elated. Wolves Nation can nitpick over numbers, but the recent dumping of poor role players and compromising contracts should signal that risks and expenses are needed- it’s that black and white (or maybe just mostly white). The upcoming season brings a new culture, both literally and figuratively, and with it a very welcome shock.