Andrei Kirilenko likened the Timberwolves to Rick Adelman's Sacramento Kings teams, which featured Europeans like Peja Stojakovic and Vlade Divac playing prominent roles.

"For me, it looks like European flavor on the team," said Kirilenko, referring to Ricky Rubio, Nikola Pekovic, himself and Alexey Shved. "For me right now, it's pretty much the same type of team-building. A lot of European guys, a lot of guys who can run the floor. Alexey is another big, big plus."

Minnesota signed Shved, who scored 16 points and handed out 13 assists against Great Britain on Sunday, to a three-year, $10 million deal.

"It's a great team (they're) creating," Kirilenko said. "Kevin has really started to turn into a superstar this year. Last year, a lot of my friends were watching the games, especially Minnesota and how they play. It's very, very energetic and nice."