The 2011âÂÂ12 Minnesota Timberwolves season was the 23rd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In their first season with head coach Rick Adelman, the team finished the lockout-shortened season with a 26âÂÂ40 record, nine wins above their previous season and finished in 12th place in the Western Conference. This season saw the debut of 2009 draftee Ricky Rubio, who was a contender for the Rookie of the Year Award until he tore his ACL and his lateral collateral ligament after colliding into Kobe Bryant during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers and was out for the rest of the season. Following the season, Brad Miller retired.
Due to the 2011 NBA lockout negotiations, the programmed pre-season schedule, along with the first two weeks of the regular season were scrapped, and a two-game pre-season was set for each team once the lockout concluded.
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | December 17 | Milwaukee | | Michael Beasley and Kevin Love(21) | Kevin Love (15) | Ricky Rubio (7) | Target Center 15,013 | 1âÂÂ0 |- bgcolor="ccffcc" | 2 | December 21 | @ Milwaukee | | Kevin Love (22) | Kevin Love (16) | Luke Ridnour (6) | Bradley Center | 2âÂÂ0
|- bgcolor=#fcc | 1 | December 26 | Oklahoma City | | Michael Beasley (24) | Kevin Love (12) | Ricky Rubio (6) | Target Center<br>19,406 | 0âÂÂ1 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 2 | December 27 | @ Milwaukee | | Kevin Love (31) | Kevin Love (20) | José Juan Barea<br>Ricky Rubio (4) | Bradley Center<br>17,352 | 0âÂÂ2 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 3 | December 30 | Miami | | Kevin Love (25) | Kevin Love (12) | Ricky Rubio (12) | Target Center<br>19,356 | 0âÂÂ3
|- bgcolor=#cfc | 4 | January 1 | Dallas | | Kevin Love (25) | Kevin Love (17) | Ricky Rubio (7) | Target Center<br>15,115 | 1âÂÂ3 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 5 | January 2 | San Antonio | | Kevin Love (24) | Kevin Love (15) | Luke Ridnour (9) | Target Center<br>14,514 | 2âÂÂ3 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 6 | January 4 | Memphis | | Kevin Love (27) | Kevin Love (14) | Ricky Rubio (10) | Target Center<br>17,404 | 2âÂÂ4 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 7 | January 6 | Cleveland | | Kevin Love (29) | Kevin Love (14) | Luke Ridnour (6) | Target Center<br>16,943 | 2âÂÂ5 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 8 | January 8 | @ Washington | | Kevin Love (20) | Kevin Love (16) | Ricky Rubio (14) | Verizon Center<br>13,095 | 3âÂÂ5 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 9 | January 9 | @ Toronto | | Jose Barea (16) | Kevin Love (14) | Ricky Rubio (6) | Air Canada Centre<br>14,097 | 3âÂÂ6 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 10 | January 10 | Chicago | | Luke Ridnour (22) | Kevin Love (13) | Ricky Rubio (12) | Target Center<br>19,356 | 3âÂÂ7 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 11 | January 13 | @ New Orleans | | Kevin Love (34) | Kevin Love (15) | Ricky Rubio (9) | New Orleans Arena<br>14,295 | 4âÂÂ7 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 12 | January 14 | @ Atlanta | | Kevin Love (30) | Kevin Love (13) | Ricky Rubio (12) | Philips Arena<br>13,135 | 4âÂÂ8 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 13 | January 16 | Sacramento | | Kevin Love (33) | Kevin Love (11) | Luke Ridnour (9) | Target Center<br>16,159 | 5âÂÂ8 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 14 | January 18 | Detroit | | Kevin Love (20) | Kevin Love (17) | Ricky Rubio (8) | Target Center<br>15,598 | 6âÂÂ8 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 15 | January 20 | @ L. A. Clippers | | Darko MiliÃÂià(22) | Kevin Love (14) | Luke Ridnour<br>Ricky Rubio (6) | Staples Center<br>19,492 | 7âÂÂ8 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 16 | January 21 | @ Utah | | Ricky Rubio (17) | Kevin Love<br>Derrick Williams (8) | Ricky Rubio (11) | EnergySolutions Arena<br>19,911 | 7âÂÂ9 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 17 | January 23 | Houston | | Kevin Love (39) | Kevin Love (12) | Ricky Rubio (12) | Target Center<br>16,924 | 7âÂÂ10 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 18 | January 25 | @ Dallas | | Kevin Love (31) | Kevin Love (11) | Ricky Rubio (12) | American Airlines Center<br>20,150 | 8âÂÂ10 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 19 | January 27 | San Antonio | | Kevin Love<br>Ricky Rubio (18) | Kevin Love (16) | Ricky Rubio (10) | Target Center<br>16,699 | 9âÂÂ10 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 20 | January 29 | L. A. Lakers | | Kevin Love (33) | Kevin Love (13) | Ricky Rubio (8) | Target Center<br>17,551 | 9âÂÂ11 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 21 | January 30 | @ Houston | | Michael Beasley (34) | Ricky Rubio (8) | Ricky Rubio (11) | Staples Center<br>14,264 | 10âÂÂ11
|- bgcolor=#fcc | 22 | February 1 | Indiana | | Kevin Love (21) | Kevin Love (17) | Ricky Rubio (6) | Target Center<br>15,017 | 10âÂÂ12 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 23 | February 3 | @ New Jersey | | Nikola Pekovià(27) | Nikola Pekovià(11) | Ricky Rubio (10) | Prudential Center<br>15,069 | 11âÂÂ12 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 24 | February 4 | Houston | | Kevin Love (25) | Kevin Love (18) | Ricky Rubio (11) | Target Center<br>19,356 | 12âÂÂ12 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 25 | February 7 | Sacramento | | Nikola Pekovià(23) | Michael Beasley (14) | Ricky Rubio (14) | Target Center<br>14,073 | 13âÂÂ12 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 26 | February 8 | @ Memphis | | José Juan Barea (17) | Nikola PekoviÃÂ<br>Derrick Williams (9) | José Juan Barea (6) | FedEx Forum<br>13,287 | 13âÂÂ13 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 27 | February 10 | Dallas | | Kevin Love (32) | Kevin Love (12) | Ricky Rubio (8) | Target Center<br>17,119 | 13âÂÂ14 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 28 | February 11 | New York | | Kevin Love (32) | Kevin Love (21) | Ricky Rubio (8) | Target Center<br>20,232 | 13âÂÂ15 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 29 | February 13 | @ Orlando | | Kevin Love (19) | Kevin Love (15) | Ricky Rubio (8) | Amway Center<br>18,846 | 13âÂÂ16 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 30 | February 15 | Charlotte | | Kevin Love (30) | Kevin Love (18) | José Juan Barea (8) | Target Center<br>15,139 | 14âÂÂ16 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 31 | February 17 | @ Houston | | Kevin Love (33) | Kevin Love (17) | Ricky Rubio (9) | Toyota Center<br>16,836 | 15âÂÂ16 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 32 | February 19 | Philadelphia | | Ricky Rubio (22) | Kevin Love (15) | Ricky Rubio (5) | Target Center<br>18,759 | 16âÂÂ16 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 33 | February 20 | @ Denver | | Kevin Love (22) | Kevin Love (13) | Luke Ridnour (6) | Pepsi Center<br>17,263 | 16âÂÂ17 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 34 | February 22 | Utah | | José Juan Barea (22) | Nikola Pekovià(12) | Luke Ridnour<br>Ricky Rubio (6) | Target Center<br>18,776 | 17âÂÂ17 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 35 | February 28 | @ L. A. Clippers | | Michael Beasley<br>Derrick Williams (27) | Kevin Love<br>Ricky Rubio (7) | Ricky Rubio (9) | Staples Center<br>19,243 | 18âÂÂ17 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 36 | February 29 | @ L. A. Lakers | | Michael Beasley<br>Martell Webster (14) | Anthony Randolph (9) | Ricky Rubio (9) | Staples Center<br>18,997 | 18âÂÂ18
|- bgcolor=#fcc | 37 | March 1 | @ Phoenix | | Kevin Love (23) | Kevin Love (10) | Luke Ridnour (8) | US Airways Center<br>15,071 | 18âÂÂ19 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 38 | March 3 | @ Portland | | Kevin Love (42) | Kevin Love (10) | Ricky Rubio (12) | Rose Garden<br>20,644 | 19âÂÂ19 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 39 | March 5 | L. A. Clippers | | Kevin Love (39) | Kevin Love (17) | Ricky Rubio (6) | Target Center<br>19,509 | 20âÂÂ19 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 40 | March 7 | Portland | | Kevin Love (29) | Kevin Love (16) | José Juan Barea (7) | Target Center<br>17,118 | 21âÂÂ19 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 41 | March 9 | L. A. Lakers | | Nikola Pekovià(25) | Nikola Pekovià(13) | Ricky Rubio (10) | Target Center<br>20,164 | 21âÂÂ20 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 42 | March 10 | New Orleans | | Kevin Love (31) | Kevin Love (16) | Luke Ridnour (10) | Target Center<br>20,123 | 21âÂÂ21 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 43 | March 12 | @ Phoenix | | Kevin Love (30) | Nikola PekoviÃÂ<br>Derrick Williams (8) | Luke Ridnour (9) | US Airways Center<br>14,568 | 22âÂÂ21 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 44 | March 15 | @ Utah | | Gordon Hayward (26) | Kevin Love <br> Derrick Favors (16) | Luke Ridnour (13) | EnergySolutions Arena<br>18,053 | 22âÂÂ22 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 45 | March 16 | @ L. A. Lakers | | Kevin Love (27) | Kevin Love (15) | Luke Ridnour (11) | Staples Center<br>18,997 | 22âÂÂ23 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 46 | March 18 | @ Sacramento | | Kevin Love (21) | Kevin Love (11) | José Juan Barea (4) | Power Balance Pavilion<br>15,616 | 22âÂÂ24 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 47 | March 19 | @ Golden State | | Kevin Love (36) | Kevin Love (16) | José Juan Barea<br>Luke Ridnour (10) | Oracle Arena<br>19,596 | 23âÂÂ24 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 48 | March 21 | @ San Antonio | | José Juan Barea (18) | Kevin Love (12) | José Juan Barea (11) | AT&T Center<br>18,581 | 23âÂÂ25 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 49 | March 23 | @ Oklahoma City | | Kevin Love (51) | Kevin Love (14) | José Juan Barea (14) | Chesapeake Energy Arena<br>18,203 | 23âÂÂ26 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 50 | March 25 | Denver | | Kevin Love (30) | Kevin Love (21) | Luke Ridnour (6) | Target Center<br>20,023 | 24âÂÂ26 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 51 | March 27 | @ Memphis | | Kevin Love (28) | Kevin Love (11) | Luke Ridnour (5) | FedEx Forum<br>14,769 | 24âÂÂ27 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 52 | March 28 | @ Charlotte | | Kevin Love (40) | Kevin Love (19) | Luke Ridnour (14) | Time Warner Cable Arena<br>10,540 | 25âÂÂ27 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 53 | March 30 | Boston | | Kevin Love (22) | Kevin Love (11) | Luke Ridnour (8) | Target Center<br>19,356 | 25âÂÂ28
|- bgcolor=#fcc | 54 | April 1 | @ Portland | | Kevin Love (26) | Kevin Love (9) | Luke Ridnour (6) | Rose Garden<br>20,359 | 25âÂÂ29 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 55 | April 2 | @ Sacramento | | Kevin Love (23) | Kevin Love (7) | Brad Miller<br>Luke Ridnour (6) | Power Balance Pavilion<br>12,279 | 25âÂÂ30 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 56 | April 4 | Golden State | | Kevin Love (29) | Kevin Love (12) | José Juan Barea (8) | Target Center<br>17,161 | 25âÂÂ31 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 57 | April 7 | @ New Orleans | | Kevin Love (29) | Kevin Love (12) | José Juan Barea (7) | New Orleans Arena<br>15,520 | 25âÂÂ32 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 58 | April 9 | Phoenix | | Kevin Love (25) | Kevin Love (13) | José Juan Barea<br>Malcolm Lee (5) | Target Center<br>17,274 | 25âÂÂ33 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 59 | April 11 | @ Denver | | Anthony Randolph (28) | Derrick Williams (8) | José Juan Barea (15) | Pepsi Center<br>15,823 | 25âÂÂ34 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 60 | April 12 | L. A. Clippers | | Nikola Pekovià(17) | Michael Beasley (10) | José Juan Barea (11) | Target Center<br>16,016 | 25âÂÂ35 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 61 | April 14 | Oklahoma City | | Michael Beasley (26) | Nikola Pekovià(13) | José Juan Barea (10) | Target Center<br>19,552 | 25âÂÂ36 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 62 | April 16 | @ Indiana | | José Juan Barea (14) | Derrick Williams (10) | José Juan Barea (9) | Bankers Life Fieldhouse<br>11,845 | 25âÂÂ37 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 63 | April 17 | Memphis | | José Juan Barea (28) | Nikola Pekovià(11) | José Juan Barea (8) | Target Center<br>16,709 | 25âÂÂ38 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 64 | April 19 | @ Detroit | | Nikola Pekovià(23) | Anthony Randolph (10) | José Juan Barea (12) | The Palace of Auburn Hills<br>12,458 | 26âÂÂ38 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 65 | April 22 | Golden State | | Nikola Pekovià(19) | Nikola Pekovià(16) | José Juan Barea (12) | Target Center<br>15,872 | 26âÂÂ39 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 66 | April 26 | Denver | | José Juan Barea (20) | Nikola Pekovià(10) | José Juan Barea (5) | Target Center<br>14,824 | 26âÂÂ40
Many players signed with teams from other leagues due to the 2011 NBA lockout. FIBA allows players under NBA contracts to sign and play for teams from other leagues if the contracts have opt-out clauses that allow the players to return to the NBA if the lockout ends. The Chinese Basketball Association, however, only allows its clubs to sign foreign free agents who could play for at least the entire season.