By Michael Rand

Corey Brewer, almost every game, will look better to the naked eye than he does on the stat sheet. There are notable exceptions, including his most recent effort — a 27-point outburst against the Cavs in which he was both efficient and red-hot from three-point range (5-for-5).

But typically, Brewer’s contributions are better appreciated with the eye test. He’s always been that way. The differences now – in his second go-round with the Timberwolves – are varied. How much has he improved vs. how much have the Wolves flat-out gotten better since he left in the middle of the lost 2010-11 season? Well, that’s an interesting question. We’ll attempt to answer it, and as usual the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

*First off, there is no doubt the Wolves are better. He was drafted in Brewer’s final two years, the Kurt Rambis years, the Wolves won 32 games combined. The top six guys in minutes during Brewer’s rookie season with the Wolves, 2007-08, were Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Marko Jaric, Rashad McCants, Sebastian Telfair and Brewer. The typical starting lineup in that final season, 10-11, was Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, Darko Milicic, Luke Ridnour and Wes Johnson, with Brewer playing heavy minutes off the bench. You get the picture. This year’s team is so much better it’s not even funny.

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