Pregame Post-Ups: T-Wolves Bolster Roster Ahead of Matchup vs. C's

MINNEAPOLIS - The Boston Celtics spent the last two days preparing for Minnesota's personnel, only to find when they woke up Thursday morning that that personnel had changed.

The Timberwolves added former MVP Derrick Rose to their roster just hours before Thursday night's matchup against the Celtics. He is expected to play, meaning Boston has had to make a slight adjustment to its game plan heading into the game.

"They could have multiple point guards in at once," C's coach Brad Stevens said ahead of tip-off at Target Center, "because Tyus (Jones) has played well all year and Jamal Crawford handles the ball a lot for that second unit. So, they could have a lot of guys in that role in the second unit should they decide to go that way."

The positive for the Celtics is that Rose could be rusty having barely played this season. His last game for the Cavaliers before being waived was on Feb. 7, and that was marked just the ninth game he had played since early November.

With that in mind, T-Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau wants to keep things as simple as possible as Rose reacclimates himself.

"You start with a small package, things that you know he'll be familiar with, and then you build day by day," said Thibodeau. "But the important thing is just being ready for whatever comes your way."

The one advantage that Rose has is that he played under Thibodeau in Chicago, so he should be familiar with the coach's style.

"I think it speeds up the process," Thibodeau said of Rose's familiarity. "He has a good understanding of what we're trying to do. He's played with some of the guys before, so that helps."

And don't forget, this is a former league MVP that we're talking about. Yes, multiple injuries have cause Rose's athleticism to drop off over the last few seasons, but he still possesses the same elite offensive creativity that he entered the league with.

"He's an outstanding player," said Stevens. "We played him the first game of the season and he was really good in that game (14 points, four rebounds). And obviously he'll be comfortable with Tom's system."

- Taylor Snow