Neal: It’s time to see what A-Rod and Marc Lore can do

A-Rod, you are no longer on deck.

Marc Lore, we wonder: What type of owner are you going to be?

You are going to be leaders of the Timberwolves heading into next season. Before you guys request support to build the Telosa Center, or whatever the new arena you want is going to be named, there’s the matter of augmenting a roster that suddenly looks incapable of getting to the NBA Finals.

That’s because the Oklahoma City Thunder completed a comprehensive beatdown of your team in the Western Conference finals. They took the series 4-1, with three victories that were blowouts. And the other loss to Oklahoma City was statistically impossible to occur, but did.

The Thunder are young, with upside and have potentially 15 first-round picks through 2031. They are going to be a problem.

When Lore and Alex Rodriguez were introduced as future owners in 2021 — and the layaway plan to slowly transfer ownership to them was announced — I asked Rodriguez about their plans.

“We want to do everything first class,” A-Rod replied.

A first-class operation sounds nice. And Target Center is the second-oldest building in the NBA, behind Madison Square Garden. That needs to be addressed, and I get that.

But fielding a championship-caliber team around one of the league’s best players in Anthony Edwards must be the No. 1 priority while that window is open.

You want a sparkling, state-of-the-art arena with facial recognition, aromatherapy and holograms of George Mikan? Fine. You want to mend fences with Kevin Garnett and finally hang his jersey from the rafters? Overdue.

But how about getting a point guard?

Before making a commitment to opulence, make a commitment to on-court excellence.

Rodriguez and Lore must give President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly everything he needs to help the Wolves take the next step in the postseason. Glen Taylor’s run as owner included some turbulence. But one thing he wasn’t afraid of was paying for a winner when he had one. He wasn’t afraid of dealing with tax aprons.

The Wolves this season had a top-five payroll and a top-five luxury tax hit. According to Spotrac, the Wolves are looking at $91 million tax bill after this season. Keeping up with the Thunder and going after a title might require more funding and with it, a bigger tax hit.

Just over a year ago, there was a report that Rodriguez’s and Lore’s plans were to cut payroll to avoid a large tax hit. Since then, they have added Michael Bloomberg to their ownership group, so maybe that is less of a concern. But this is about deeds, not words. The Wolves roster needs work and the new majority owners need to show what their intentions are.

Mike Conley has been the old soul in the locker room. But an NBA team that is talented enough to reach consecutive conference finals can’t have its point guard average 8.2 points and 4.5 assists during the regular season. Rob Dillingham might be the answer, but a veteran floor leader might be a better option.

With Rudy Gobert around, getting offense from the other four starting positions is paramount. In addition to more production from the point, how much longer can the Wolves wait for Jaden McDaniels’ offense to blossom? His field goal percentage dropped for the second consecutive season. Love his defense, but the Wolves need more buckets.

If Julius Randle opts in for next season, the Wolves still need another quality offensive option. If he leaves, replacing him becomes a top priority. And they will need another scoring big man if they can’t retain fan favorite Naz Reid.

I’m trying hard not to mention a current Phoenix Suns player who is in his mid-30s but can still score a bunch. But A-Rod and Lore could connect with a home run of a move for a player of Kevin Durant’s caliber.

Wolves leadership deserves a high-five for four consecutive postseason appearances and back-to-back trips to the NBA’s final four. We have been reminded of how the Twin Cities loves its hoops, and the fan base is long overdue for a winner.

The Minnesota Frost just won the Professional Women’s Hockey League championship for the second consecutive season. They are the first Minnesota pro sports team to win consecutive titles since the Minneapolis Lakers in 1953 and 1954. That means the last NBA title here was 71 years ago.

A-Rod and Lore are finally getting the keys to the gym at the end of a four-year process. It comes with a chance of doing something special. Fellas, don’t screw this up.