Losers of four games in a row, our 5-6 T-Wolves visit the 7-6 Warriors tonight. Despite the heroic early return of Kevin Love to the basketball court, it hasn't yet paid dividends in the win column. Hopefully that ends tonight, but Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are probably going to eviscerate our terrible defensive backcourt. Ridnour and Barea are truly dreadful on the defensive end, and anyone that can dribble a basketball stands a good chance at getting whatever they want on that end of the court. And unfortunately for us, almost everyone in the NBA can dribble a basketball pretty well (except you, Lessly Johnson.)

It might be a close game, and the Warriors are only favored by 3 points, but I don't think we pull this one out tonight. Maybe something like a 104-101 defeat.

But come chat with us in this game thread during the game, or at least drop by the TWB Forums, it's always a good time!

Steve McPherson of A Wolf Among Wolves reminded everyone on Twitter this morning that while we reel from the recent loss to the Nuggets, last year fans were celebrating .500 like it was 1999.  That’s the amazing thing about basketball, as quickly as momentums shift in a game so do our expectations and feelings about a team’s potential.  The first ten games of this season have offered glimpses of how good this team can be even in the midst of all their injuries.  For this reason, it seems reasonable to see a team better than 5-5 even if the past held a different standard.  But hopes and dreams aside, .500 is a fitting mark for the Wolves’ season thus far.  Good play has been matched with bad luck.  Love’s surprise return only adds to the mixed feelings of anticipation and caution.  Tonight the Wolves will look to take one more step to develop their chemistry, overcome their physical setbacks and learn their sets to become the better than .500 team we believe they can be.

Love’s Return:  Safe to say no one predicted that Love’s homecoming would include anything more than a Thanksgiving dinner with the fam.  Yet here’s Love after 5 weeks of rehab and coming off a 35 point, 14 rebound debut ready to show off for his home state.  While his play on Wednesday was impressive, Love admitted to feeling sore the morning after, signaling their my be more rust to his game than his numbers against the Nuggets alluded to.  It’s also worth noting that Love’s recent performance resulted in less plays designed for AK and Pek.  Love will have to learn quickly how to operate with his teammates on the court if this team is to succeed on the road.  Tonight’s game may point to how long or short this process will ultimately take.

AK vs Batum:  Batum has been great this season, so has Kirilenko and at this point it seems hard to say if the Wolves ended up with right guy.  Kirilenko’s do-it-all game and defensive prowess has been key in keeping this Wolves squad competitive.  However, Batum has shown he can be a total game changer as well with strong performances as seen recently against Houston and Chicago.  Batum currently averages 20.1 PPG and 6.0 RPG and will need to provide a line similar to that in order to get a win tonight.  While those kind of numbers aren’t out of the question, it’s likely Kirilenko will prevent Wolves fans from wishing the Frenchmen was on this team.  I expect Kirilenko to prove why he is such a valuable commodity and the reason why this team is 4^th in the NBA in defensive efficiency instead of 30^th where Portland currently sits.

Who to Fear?:  If AK does in fact shut down Batum then Portland will need big offensive contributions from either Lillard or Aldridge in order edge closer to their Northwestern Division rival.  Lillard has dazzled thus far and will likely continue his impressive streak tonight with Ridnour too slow to contain the ROY candidate and Barea still reeling from his mid foot sprain.  It’s not crazy to think Lillard could be the one to bring home a win if the Wolve can’t generate their own offense.  Aldridge on the other hand has yet to find his sweet stuff, shooting within 30-35% on multiple occasions this season.  In the past Love and Aldridge have traded off fantastic performances, however this game does not feel like a great opportunity for either one to break out.  Both seem to need more time to return their elite status making tonight’s matchup more of a stalemate than a true battle of talent.

Prediction:  Even if with all the questions marks surrounding the Wolves a win against the Blazers is certainly within reach.  Come tomorrow morning we will be sitting pretty above .500 once more.

Final Score:  Wolves 106 Blazers 94.

MVP: Kirilenko 16 PTS, 11 REBS, 2 BLKS, 5 ASTS

                                                   ?????

The last week or so has almost felt like a mini-offseason. The Wolves haven't played a game since last Friday, where we saw the Wolves lose their 2nd game in a row and 3rd of the last 4. Five or so days of rest, practice and rehab time later, the Wolves remain at home to face an underachieving-to-date Denver squad. Some bullets:

-Injury Report. The good news is that the Wolves may actually be able to almost field a full roster for tonight's game. 11 whole players! Call it something of a Thanksgiving miracle. Nikola Pekovic is set to return and JJ Barea is likely and also eager to give it a go after suffering yet another very painful paper cut. Pek will be an enormous boost for this team, and may actually make the game winnable. While Greg Stiemsma has been generally fantastic off the bench this year, he was nothing short of atrocious as a starting center going against the first teams. Greg was murdered on the glass, and generally looked highly overwhelmed playing in a role that is anything other than a sparkplug bench energy guy. Not to be overly harsh on the guy here, he is a sound bench center playing 10-15 minutes a game where he is less of a liability, and easily replaceable with other bigs should he be having a rough night. Greg back in said role, being replaced by our current go-to scorer is a welcome adjustment indeed. Other than that, Budinger, Roy, Rubio and Love are all out  of course. 

-Inside Battle. Speaking of Pek's return, it was basically mandatory for any chance of victory tonight. The Wolves were absolutely destroyed the other day on rebounds (50 to 34 to be exact) and 2nd chance points against Golden State and, despite another encouraging and ferocious 4th quarter rally, again fell short.  Denver has a solid trio of bigs that will present themselves as formidable foes: Kenneth "Fried Nugget" Faried, Kosta "Toucan Sam" Koufos, and JaVale "Lloyd Christmas" McGee. If Golden State's successful game plan is any indication, George Karl is pining those three to crash the offensive glass as much as possible and create problems for the Wolves. If Denver is to emerge victorious tonight, it will probably be by virtue of inside play given the somewhat shaky starts offensively for their perimeter players. This is also how Denver won in Memphis. Get will soon, K-Love. It's been 5 weeks!

-Depth Perception. Thus far in the season, and before the injury bug really hit, the Wolves have won games with their depth, getting contributions from the bench and manhandling the opposition's 2nd units. Denver presents a challenge here because, while the team lacks a go-to "star" player, just about every rotation player on the roster is potentially a starting caliber NBA player. Denver's bench features a primary rotation of Andre Miller, Corey Brewer, and JaVale McGee, in addition to a stacked starting 5 full of producers (including former Wolf Kosta Koufos). These 3 will go up against Shved, Barea, Cunningham, Howard and Stiemsma who all expect to see significant minutes. Keep a keen eye on the game flow when the 2nd unit steps out onto the floor, as Barea and Pek's returns make things easier on everyone. And most importantly, we likely have your first Shved vs. Brewer matchup of the year! Last and not least, Anthony Randolph returns, however given he has only played five total minutes this season, his appearance in a game is unlikely ("but he still has SO MUCH POTENTIAL!" :eyeroll"). 

-Prediction:  The return of Pek and Barea make this game interesting. The Wolves have played surprisingly well against the Nuggets at times and even won a game against them shorthanded last March (although we can pretend Love wasn't playing in that game and his 30-20 had nothing to do with it). Given the Nuggets lack a star, it will all come down to consistency yet again. Despite the fact that Denver is coming off of a road win against the 8-2 Memphis Grizzlies, and in honor of the holiday, I'm taking the homer route and predicting the well-rested Wolves pull off the upset against this sub-.500 division rival at home. 

Have a great holiday.

Breaking news on the latest with Brandon Roy's knee, and it's not good folks:

"Brandon Roy will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery this week, the seventh knee surgery of his career. Roy fatefully banged his knee in the Wolves' final preseason game, which led to ongoing soreness and caused him to miss the past four games. His upcoming surgery is another sad if predictable chapter in his NBA career, and could very well signal the end of his season, if not his career."

Soooooo, yeah. Pretty much turns out he was a failure signing. It was nice to see him try to get back on the court and all, but it does appear that he's done-for. Little wonder not many other teams were trying to sign him last off-season, and certainly not lining up to pay him the $5 million per year Kahn offered.

Bummer, especially as the Wolves are just insanely decimated by injuries.

The 4th Google Image Result for "David Lee Fail" and thus the obvious photo pick.

After a gut-crushing Kemba Walker game winner the other night, the Wolves take on the undermanned Warriors tonight at Target Center, the last game in a busy stretch before an extended break through next Wednesday. The Warriors are not a very good team, but the Wolves will still have quite the mountain to climb to emerge victorious, with the amount of injuries to date still remaining comical. Don't look now, but the Warriors are a quiet 4-4 and remain a concern for the playoff race down the stretch. As such, this is a quasi must-win statement game, even if it is early in the season. Some bullets:

-Josh Howard's debut. Josh Howard is officially signed, sealed and delivered. He naturally passed his physical this morning, which is clearly quite the task for our training staff, who would likely clear Betty White for major minutes with the Wolves (I can hear Gregg Farnam yelling to Adelman now, "Hey Coach! She's good to go!"). What does he have left in the tank? Can he provide size and defense off the bench? Can he shoot better than Wes Johnson could have? I am intrigued, and it might be the most interesting story line of the evening. If for any reason than to provide closure on 9-years of bitterness for the notorious selection of Ndudi Ebi.

Perimeter D and Alternate Dimensions/Universes. Malcolm Lee again has a sizable test tonight, guarding Klay Thompson and/or Steph Curry. With David Lee not exactly blowing out the box scores early on in the season, the Warriors will rely on their back court for much of the scoring load. Lee's pesky, annoying efforts on D are going to be a big key to maintaining the possibility of a victory. There is an alternate universe with Curry (being correctly picked over national boob Jonny Flynn) on the Wolves and Mark Jackson coaching the squad, which is notable, especially if you are trying to make a game preview a little bit longer in length. If you really want to get deep on the alternate universe theory, perhaps there is even one where Kahn flips Love to Golden State for Anthony Randolph and a pick (as was actually rumored), and then signs David Lee in 2010. Kahn did, after all, bring him to town when he was a free agent and took him to a Twins game. Can you bloody imagine? While Kahn did a helluva job this summer, this man is still your President of Basketball Operations.

-Rookie Spotlight: Harrison Barnes. Speaking of alternate universes, there is certainly one where Harrison Barnes ended up entering the 2011 draft and was picked by the Wolves over Derrick Williams at #2. Cripes, you are looking at a situation where the Wolves could have had nearly the same exact core as the Warriors do today. Prior to the draft, Barnes had been hailed by some as a bust-in the making, not exactly demonstrating an ability to score efficiently at the NBA level. Thus far, Barnes isn't scoring a tremendous amount, just under 10 a game, but his shooting percentages are sound in 8 games. He has shown he can adjust his game to the NBA level, not being a focal point of the offense, and remains the most intriguing player to watch on the GS roster.

-Steemer Redemption. The other night, Greg played a terrible game and there is no other way to put it. Let's root for Greg to make the most of his extended minutes and dominate the interior D, helping D-Will contain David Lee. It might be interesting for Rick to keep Stiemsma on Lee for defensive reasons, allowing D-Will to guard the offensively inept Festus Ezeli, filling in for the oft-injured Andrew Bogut. 

-Prediction. In a vacuum, the Wolves will win this game. However, the problem with having basically every one of your consistent scorers out means one must rely on bench players to will the win. The Wolves' woefully up and down shooting percentages have been an issue to date, and should they fall into another 5-6 minute rut with no FG's, Golden State will run away with the win. If the Wolves can stay consistent, they will win. If not, it likely will not be pretty. Get well soon, everyone.

                                           Your Newest Minnesota Timberwolf

Chris Broussard seems to have first reported, but odds are it was a smaller source first and Broussard, per usual, replaced "(insert local reporter's name)" with "sources." The Wolves, after working him out in Dallas earlier this week, have signed 32-year old NBA veteran Josh Howard to a 1-year deal for the veterans minimum. All signs point to Will Conroy being waived to make room, but such news has yet to be reported. UPDATE: Conroy has indeed been waived.

Howard brings a scoring touch and defensive ability to the team as a guy who expects to log minutes immediately. Doogie Wolfson reports he is flying in today to take a physical (which, if the Wolves training staff are involved, he will obviously pass (sorry, below the belt shot...couldn't help myself)) and will be in uniform tomorrow night against Golden State. What he has left in the tank will again be up for us all to discover together. Howard played some decent ball in Utah last season averaging 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 43 games. However, Howard isn't exactly known for being an NBA iron man himself, having missed major time over the past several seasons. His 2012 season with Utah was cut short due to knee issues. However, what this team needs at this point are able bodies, and Howard is apparently an able body at this point in the season. Sometimes it's as simple as that when you have nine healthy bodies, one of which was Will Conroy, who isn't exactly what you would call an NBA-caliber player. 

With the addition of Howard, Wolves fans will continue to enjoy some redemption of a few of the team's most notorious draft-day moves (or non-moves in Howard's case). In addition to getting Roy back this offseason, Howard closes yet another circle. McHale famously picked Ndudi Ebi over Josh Howard in the 2003 draft, which was, well, an interesting decision at the time. Ebi of course never even played out his rookie deal in Minnesota, while Howard went on to become an excellent player and All-Star for the Dallas Mavericks. He certainly brings a wealth of experience to the team.

As for the move itself, I guess I have to say "approved." Howard can play. Hopefully. Some of the remaining free agents are still question marks or too young to take on such a critical role. Pietrus was allegedly unwilling to take the minimum to play here, so Kahn went with the next next option, which was most certainly Howard. He can come in and play the wing position for 20 minutes per game, and help give AK47 a rest so he does not over extend himself. He will be a welcome addition to what is simply a very awkward time for the team. What the major factor is (AGAIN), is whether he is healthy enough to play a regular role until Budinger returns in February. And whether he fits with the "win at all costs" mentality this team has developed.

Thoughts?

                                                 Photo courtesy of the Timbertrolls

The Wolves return home from a 2-game road trip, going 1-1 and losing two men in battle, to face the not-AS-lowly-as usual Charlotte Bobcats at home tonight. The problem with analyzing the Bobcats (a team that has a better record than the Los Angeles Lakers), is that the team is still "in development" and inconsistent. I mean, among the team's best players is something called Byron Mullens. As an east coast team, games generally start earlier, and the team isn't exactly featured on national TV too often. However, aside from the Wolves, there really isn't a team that is off to a more surprising start, so we can at least get a gauge on who matters and who doesn't by looking at box scores. Some keys: 

-Injuries. The Wolves will be without Brandon Roy, Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio, Chase Budinger, JJ Barea, and Nikola Pekovic tonight. This is almost humorous. I hate to stir up controversy and totally understand that injuries are fluke, but what on earth is going on with the training staff? Are they taking every precaution to identify muscle weakness/areas of risk and doing their diligence? This is too unusual for comfort. SIX injuries, all starters or big role players. Not ok. I refuse to believe the training staff is doing everything they can. Refuse. Evidence I have of this: none.

-Malcolm Lee vs. Kemba Walker. This is officially your hot matchup of the night. I am eagerly anticipating some quality Malcolm Lee minutes guarding Kemba. Malcolm did a fantastic job against OJ Mayo in Dallas the other night. Tonight Lee will have his chance to prove himself against another volume scorer, and should he be successful, may be well on his way to a regular role in the rotation.

-Will the Wolves sign someone? Pietrus and Josh Howard are the hot names. Thoughts on either? Worth an add? I think so. If for no other reason than to prevent AK47 from overdoing it and getting hurt himself. He should not be playing 44 minutes on a nighty basis. Conroy adds nothing to this team basketball-wise, while the aforementioned two players would. An easy decision. 

-The Rise of Shved. You know things are dire/weak when Alexey is going to have to single handedly command the bench offense tonight. Expect big minutes from Alexsey. He is probably the barometer for the game. Should the starters flop at the start, Alexey's production is going to be the key to victory tonight. He had a terrific outing in Dallas on both ends of the court and is gaining confidence by the game. The one thing we have to get excited about in this juncture of the season (aside from an inexplicable record) is Shved generally playing far above expectations as someone who is still a relative unknown. Root for him.

-Upcoming Schvedule. The Wolves play Golden State on Friday and then receive a very welcome 5-days off until Denver at home next Wednesday. Hopefully after this 2-game stretch, some of the hurt Wolves will get enough rest to return.

-Love time-table update. It has officially been over 4 weeks since Love broke his hand. All signs point to him being ready before we know it. The injury timetable was 4-6 weeks, so hopefully he plays on the upcoming west coast road trip at the end of the month. His welcome back party can't come soon enough.

And yet through all of this nonsense, the wins keep coming! A victory tonight would be huge. 

-Prediction: I just can't see the Wolves losing this game unless the shooting percentages are completely out of whack. Wolves move to 6-2. That being said, it is NOT going to be an easy win. When you have to rely on Will Conroy and Lou Amundson as more than spot-duty guys, the game will be a difficult out. The Bobcats could easily win this game. They are not the Bobcats of last year and have a generally healthy roster (aside from Henderson and Ben Gordon potentially our for personal reasons), whereas the Wolves obviously do not.

Put this team in the witness protection program, it isn't safe for them to be playing basketball. 

• Love - Dead
• Rubio - Dead
• Budinger - Dead (Out a couple months with knee surgery this week, source)
• Roy - Dead (maybe, really hard to say.)
• JJ Barea - In stable condition but not out of the woods yet

Ladies and gentlemen we've given Shved 5 games to get aclimated to the NBA, he should be ready to go 38 minutes a game for the next 2 months right? 

Wow, what a game last night. Let us first bask in the glory of AK47's unbelievable poise and unselfishness, Budinger's brilliant cut, and Gerald Green's great fantastic defense.

Tonight the Wolves face a similarily undermanned Chicago Bulls squad in Chi-town. Some brief keys to the game.

-Bench Play. Yet again. The Wolves' depth and team efforts have been critical in this shocking early season run through 5 games. The Bulls have more depth than some of the other teams the Wolves have faced to date, but still got worse this offseason. With Budinger likely getting the start in place of Roy tonight, and Barea out, our depth is starting to suffer a touch. It will take a complete team victory and another big game from Shved off the bench to get the dub tonight. HAM is slowly becoming sort of a poor-man's Taj Gibson here in Minnesota, and his role tonight vs. Taj will be crucial. But we have Stiemsma, and the rest of the league does not.

-Boozer/D-Will. Probably the Bulls' best offensive weapon tonight with a favorable matchup against D-Will. Derrick will have to hustle early to contain him, and keep working hard. Is it just me, or is Derrick looking like a more well-rounded contributor thus far to start the year? His defense has been passable and he is not forcing his shots as much. As a D-Will cynic, his play of late is encouraging for his future as a contributor. Even Adelman has been singing his praises

-Back to Back #2. The Wolves' 2nd back to back effort of the season starts tonight. While the schedule-makers were kind in terms of the opposition to start the year, the games to date have been rather condensed. Last week had tilts against Toronto and Brooklyn on back to back nights with the Wolves obviously emerging victorious in Brooklyn. Let's see how they respond on night 2 on the road tonight with fewer options. 

-Prediction. Embrace Homerism. I am forever conditioned to expect the worst from this team, but this unexpected run to start the year is starting to change the mantality. While predicting a win tonight is very tempting, the Bulls have more firepower in the starting lineup and thus will likely emerge victorious. If the Wolves do win tonight, it's time for a full-on switch to blind homerism. Especially with the Bobcats coming to town in a few short days.

Not much else. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and tune in at 7:00 tonight to catch the game. 

in 2010, Kahn preferred Wes Johnson over Paul "Mr. First Names" George

Ed Note: TCSnyder is a new contributor to TwolvesBlog.com. He resides in Phoenix with his wife who, while working for ASU, once recieved a phone call from Rob Babcock wanting to know if James Harden had any character issues. As Beard ended up elsewhere, we can assume she issued Babcock a terrible review, and thus we can blame her for the start of the OKC non-dynasty, and the subsequent trade to Houston. TC resides in Phoenix where he spends his days eagerly anticipating nightly hall-of-fame performances from Michael Beasley, Wes Johnson and Sebastain Telfair. Welcome, TCSnyder (no relation to Kirk Snyder)!

Familiar Foes. Both Indiana and the T-wolves have played at Toronto and against Sacramento at home. Indiana emerged from two close games 2-0. The Wolves got the W vs. Kings to open the year, but received a bare-bottom, pants at the ankles spanking in the 4^th quarter as Toronto pulled away to win by 19. It is hard to draw anything conclusive from playing identical opponents, but it is interesting nonetheless.

Worth every penny. AK-47 is proving his worth. The season is young, but everyone who watched a game last year and beyond can appreciate the fact that Martell Webster and Wes Johnson’s respective reigns of terror are over, and in Johnson’s case, relocated to Phoenix for me to appreciate for 82 games. You are a special, special player, Wesley! I digress. AK-47’s line vs the Nyets is a thing of beauty:  7 of 11 FG, 16 pts, 10 boards, 6 assists, 4 blocks, 1 steal. Without K-love, he might be the most important player on the team.

Paul George: two first names, one tall fellow. Paul George is leading the Pacers in rebounding at a healthy 10.5rb/game through 5 games. As a team, the Pacers lead the league in rebounding per game. George is also averaging nearly 40 minutes per game. AK-47 will likely draw defensive duties here. Mr. Masha Lopatova needs to chase Mr. 2 first names off the 3pt line and keep him off the boards. If George has a big scoring night, the wolves are in trouble.

Length vs. Strength. Pekovic did not play his best basketball against the Pacers last year. I think part of it is due to Hibbert’s length (his overall play wasn’t bad either) and part is due to the injuries Pek had last year. This time, I see Pek putting up his first dbl-dbl of the year.

Prediction.  These are two teams missing key pieces (K Love/Ricky for wolves and to a lesser extent Danny Granger for the Pacers). The wolves are winners of 2 straight, seemingly hitting stride, while the Pacers have dropped 2 in a row. Can the Timberwolves build off an extremely heartening comeback against Brooklyn and strong performance against Orlando? I think they can. Buoyed by big games from AK, Pek, and a solid game from D Will (14-18pts), the wolves win at home.