When competing in the ever-talented Western Conference, teams need all the advantages they can get.
And if preliminary reports are correct, the Minnesota Timberwolves (9-9) may be getting a very big advantage back tonight with the potential return of injured star point guard Ricky Rubio.
The 22-year-old point guard from Barcelona, Spain has been slated by the Timberwolves to return on Wednesday night against the visiting Denver Nuggets at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
Rubio, who tore his ACL near the end of the regular season last March while guarding Kobe Bryant in a loss to the Lakers, has been inching closer to a return for months, and was seen practicing with the team in late November.
However, the team has remained cautious heading into Wednesday's game about declaring Rubio as ready to go for the T-Wolves.
Minnesota coach Rick Adelman remains vague on who will be slated in the point guard rotation for Minnesota.
"I don't really have an answer until I find out what Ricky's status is," Adelman told the Associated Press.
With the start of a six-game, nine-day schedule looming, the Timberwolves, who have lost six of the last 10 games, could surely use Rubio's light-footed strides and passing know-how. Rubio averaged 10.6 points, 8.2 assists and 2.2 steals before his injury last season.
Forward Andrei Kirilenko added that Rubio has "looked great" in practice, although he wouldn't venture a guess as to when Rubio will make his season debut.
"He's (one of) those kind of guys that can make a difference in the game," Kirilenko said. "And playing games in practice, you see that."
If Rubio does return Wednesday night, it wouldn't be the first time the Timberwolves got a major star back when playing the Nuggets. All-Star forward Kevin Love made his return to the Timberwolves from a broken hand Nov. 21 in a 101-94 loss to Denver.
"He's looked good in practice," Love told reporters of Rubio. "We'll just have to wait and see (if Rubio plays Wednesday). But I'm sure it is going to be pretty soon here."