Jock Itch Nikola Peković, the unlikely hero

With all the excitement surrounding Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio this season, it's easy to forget about the other 10 guys on the Timberwolves' active roster. Yet far from receding into the background, one Wolf has been inching into the spotlight. No, it's not the hazy-eyed Michael Beasley, nor is it former second overall draft pick Darko Milicic. The man in question is none other than the Count of Montenegro, Nikola Peković.

Pek's play in the last two weeks has been nothing if not shocking, leaving many a Minnesotan to wonder: Where did this come from? This is a guy who, in his first NBA season, averaged five points per game and three rebounds per game, a guy who played only four minutes in the first 11 games of the ’11-’12 season, a guy who runs like a hippo that desperately needs to take a dump. And yet, in his last seven games, Nikola Peković has averaged just under a double-double, tallying 15.6 PPG and 9.7 RPG. 

The Wolves have won five of those seven games, most recently defeating the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday without the help of suspended Kevin Love. In that game, Peković shot 75 percent from the field, went five for five at the line, gathered ten boards, managed two blocks, netted 23 points, and yoinked three balls, with one of said yoinks culminating in a ridiculous breakaway layup—a play topped only by a Ricky Rubio between-the-legs pass that culminated in a Peković wham.

His recent performance is not necessarily unheralded; after all, Peković was drafted 31st overall in 2008 and would have likely gone higher were it not for contract issues. And he's a proven winner, racking up European titles like Zach Randolph racks up arrests: Back-to-back-to-back Serbian Championships, two Adriatic Championships, the Serbian Cup, the Greek Cup, two Greek Championships, and the Euroleague Championship. Yet amid all that success, Peković never put up numbers like he has in the start of this new year. His Euroleague averages were respectable (11.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG) but nothing compared to those of his last four games: 18.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG. It is undeniable that Peković, The Beast from the Black Mountain, has hit some sort of Hulk-like stride.

Across Minnesota, Peković fever spreads like hot butter on a pancake; but of course, it's far too early to tell if the Montenegrin center can sustain such play for the entirety of the season. This may just be a flash in the pan. Still, coach Rick Adelman would be a loon to not ride the Peković wave for as long as possible. What's the alternative? Let Milicic put up worse numbers in more minutes? It's not like Peković is a slouch on the defensive side, either, and at 26 years old, now is the time to see what he can do.

In short, Nikola Peković is going H.A.M. in every sense of the acronym, and probably eating a good deal of ham as he does so. He shall henceforth be known as The Steel Badger, a moniker drawing from his Slavic heritage, his on-court tenacity, and, of course, his physical similarity to a member of the Mustelidae family. While we're likely not witnessing the birth of a superstar, Peković deserves a larger role. He's earned it.