Months before they pursued veteran free agent Donatas Motiejunas to bolster their bench, the Timberwolves signed veteran free agents Cole Aldrich, Jordan Hill and Brandon Rush to sensible contracts during a wild salary-cap summer when other teams spent drunkenly.
Now 34 games into the season, Aldrich is part of coach and basketball boss Tom Thibodeau's rotation, playing as many as 27 minutes and as few as four and five, or not at all.
But Rush and Hill have become fixtures on the sideline.
An eight-year NBA veteran, Hill played more minutes (18½) in a Christmas game at Oklahoma City than he had all season before then.