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Love’s three-month, season-ending absence has given Williams the time and space to better find his way during his second NBA season than he did in his uneven rookie year. “You never want to see a player, especially a great player, get hurt, but it has been good for me,” Williams said. “I think this time really did help my game. I’m just trying to find my game, adjust to the NBA game. I can get better. Everybody in this locker room can get better.” Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Minnesota Timberwolves, Derrick Williams 

Adelman remains hopeful that Williams will be able to play more small forward as his career progresses. That would allow Love and Williams to play more together, as would playing Love at center. “That’s something we’re still going to look at,” Adelman said, referring to Williams’ possible future at small forward. “I think he can play there, but it’s about understanding what you have to do at each position. If he’s playing small forward, he has to be aggressive and go to the basket and post up. “He’s a young player. He has only played two years. He’ll find his way.” Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Minnesota Timberwolves, Derrick Williams 

Joan Nielsen: God love Adelman. When asked if there was a point when he gained more trust in Derrick, he said: "Well, Kevin Love's broken his hand twice." Twitter @JoanNiesen

Minnesota Timberwolves, Kevin Love, Derrick Williams 

Ken Berger: In Minnesota, J.J. Barea is indeed available, as are Luke Ridnour and Derrick Williams, sources say. Twitter @KBergCBS

Minnesota Timberwolves, Trade, Luke Ridnour, Jose Juan Barea, Derrick Williams 

Chris Broussard: One of the teams Utah has talked to about Paul Millsap is Minnesota. The name of the very available Derrick Williams came up. Twitter @Chris_Broussard

Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Trade, Paul Millsap, Derrick Williams 

To get Boston's Avery Bradley, the Wolves would have to sacrifice Williams and a future first-round pick, according to a league source. That's not happening. 1500 ESPN

Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, Trade, Avery Bradley, Derrick Williams 

With the trade deadline two days away, Williams was asked on Tuesday what would surprise him more -- if the Timberwolves would move him or if he stayed in Minnesota. "I wouldn't be surprised at all either way," he said after the team's first practice following the All-Star break. "I'm just here to play basketball. I've heard trades since the day I got picked. It's nothing new. The first time I heard it, I was a little surprised. It's been a year and a half now, so I wouldn't be surprised either way." TSN

Minnesota Timberwolves, Trade, Derrick Williams 

Jerry Zgoda: Interesting DWilliams answer: Asked if he'd be more surprised if he was traded or not traded by Thurs, he said neither would surprise him Twitter @JerryZgoda

Minnesota Timberwolves, Trade, Derrick Williams 

Forward Derrick Williams is available, but a trade seems more likely this summer. 1500 ESPN

Minnesota Timberwolves, Trade, Derrick Williams 

Except, you know, that whole Melo thing, those minutes where he grabbed the game by its neck and squeezed until it turned Knicks blue. That's the difference. In the locker room postgame, Derrick Williams couldn't help but smile as he said the name. Carmelo. Superstar. Carmelo. Superstar. The kid is still a little bit (a lot) in awe, and it's hard to blame him. He's 21 and has watched Anthony for the past decade, watched him win each season, over and over. And now he's going up against him, getting on the wrong side of the refs in the process, because who is he other than a 21-year-old who's still grasping at his potential? "It's a little tough," he said. "It's just, he's a superstar, man. You can't really say too much about it. You can't really complain." Fox Sports North

Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Williams 

The Minnesota Timberwolves chose Derrick Williams No. 2 before last season. In December, the coaching staff told him he had a choice to make. He could throw himself into extra work with assistant Shawn Respert and the rest of the staff to try and establish himself in the NBA. Or he could keep doing what he was doing and join that long list of ''Terrible Twos'' who never panned out in this league. ''I don't want to say any names, but there have been a lot who haven't worked out,'' Williams said. ''A couple have sky-rocketed and a couple have been pretty decent. My whole life I never wanted to be a decent player.'' Yahoo! Sports

Minnesota Timberwolves, Derrick Williams, Shawn Respert 

The Wolves assigned Respert to work with Williams every day after practice, both in the film room and on the court. But the most important challenge for Respert was reaching Williams on an emotional level to spur the kind of growth in his mental toughness that the team saw as the primary problem getting in the way of his development. ''Even watching him in timeouts, he was so frustrated, like a young man who was insecure about 'Is this where he is supposed to be?''' Respert said. ''I saw him get so frustrated where he started to tear up and his eyes started to water because he has no answer to fix this problem that he has.'' Yahoo! Sports

Minnesota Timberwolves, Derrick Williams, Shawn Respert 

''Derrick's such a nice kid,'' assistant Bill Bayno said. ''We've been telling him you've got to leave that nice kid in the locker room. When you step on the court, you've got to be nasty and mean and tougher.'' Yahoo! Sports

Minnesota Timberwolves, Bill Bayno, Derrick Williams 

But a team source said that has changed in the last week. In fact, Kahn was aggressively working the phone Wednesday and Thursday way more than normal for mid-January and is making some progress on a trade. The source said it's for more of a big guy, not a wing. The most likely player to be sent elsewhere is forward Derrick Williams. Multiple team and league sources say he's being shopped heavily. 1500 ESPN

Minnesota Timberwolves, Trade, Derrick Williams 

Darren Wolfson: Forgot to answer Hickson question on @1500ESPN. The #Twolves have not asked about him. Told Derrick Williams is being shopped heavily. Twitter @DarrenWolfson

Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Trade, JJ Hickson, Derrick Williams 

Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman usually is a man of few words, and he becomes one of even fewer still when asked if second-year forward Derrick Williams is better prepared now than he was two months ago to seize opportunity. "He better be," Adelman said. "I mean, he better be." Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Minnesota Timberwolves, Rick Adelman, Derrick Williams 

Saturday night, Williams went scoreless through three quarters, then scored 18 points in a fourth quarter when the Wolves erased a 22-point, third-quarter deficit and got within a basket in the final minute before ultimately losing 102-97 to a Portland team they are chasing for the West's final playoff spot. Williams played the entire fourth quarter, much of it in a small frontcourt with Cunningham and Andrei Kirilenko where it's not exactly clear who's at what position. "I think I am," the 6-8 Williams said when asked who the center is in that configuration. Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Minnesota Timberwolves, Derrick Williams 

He often is the first Wolves player to arrive before games, meeting assistant coaches Bill Bayno and Shawn Respert 2 1/2 hours or more before opening tip, and often is one of the last to leave the practice floor as well. Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Minnesota Timberwolves, Bill Bayno, Derrick Williams, Shawn Respert 

Sources say the Wolves are big fans of Orlando's J.J. Redick. An unrestricted free agent this summer, the indication is he's going somewhere. The Wolves are the worst 3-point shooting team in the NBA, so Redick is an obvious fit. It'd take forward Derrick Williams, plus a future first-round pick just to get into the discussion. There will be plenty of teams after Redick. 1500ESPN.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, Trade, JJ Redick, Derrick Williams 

Even though he's gone from ESPN, Ric Bucher still has great contacts, so my tentacles went up after he briefly mentioned the Wolves in connection to Orlando shooting guard J.J. Redick. Well, after digging, the Wolves are big fans. If the Magic decide to move Redick, consider the Wolves heavily in the mix. One league source said that it'll take more than forward Derrick Williams to get a deal done. 1500ESPN.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, Trade, JJ Redick, Derrick Williams