...ugh... hoy, pediran la cabeza del Bareilla,,,

J.J. Barea, off the bench, buries 14 points and has scored in double figures in 23 of his last 26 games. He is now averaging 14.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists over his last five games.

J.J. Barea thinks the Timberwolves would be better off if they all tried to be a little more like Greg Stiemsma.

Seriously. But Barea was talking mainly about the attitude the team's backup center brings to a game. Barea -- who said the team needed to get tougher after Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers -- was asked about Stiemsma standing up to three different Clippers during a stretch in the second quarter.

First, Clippers forward Matt Barnes sent a forearm into Stiemsma's throat on a hard pick, which got Barnes ejected. Moments later, Stiemsma was called for a flagrant foul on Grant Hill, and Caron Butler and Ronny Turiaf were whistled for technicals for getting in Stiemsma's face.

After the game the Clippers said they used that moment for motivation to turn around a slow start. Barea, meanwhile, pointed to those moments as proof that the Wolves need to get tougher.

He reiterated that Thursday.

"That's something we, as a team, need to be better at," Barea said. "We have to be a little tougher, and just be a little more like Steamer sometimes."

The guard isn't talking about starting fights or throwing fists. He's talking about a hard-nosed attitude that is as much mental as physical.

The Timberwolves are sinking in the Western Conference. They've lost five in a row and 10 of 11 and at 17-25 are in 12th place. Friday night, in a nationally televised game, the Wolves will take on the 10th-place Los Angeles Lakers (20-26), another team that has dealt with injuries and losing this season.

The Lakers' three-game winning streak ended after a fourth-quarter collapse in Phoenix on Wednesday.

Barea isn't the only one who believes the Wolves need a more physical edge to turn things around.

"I think so," said coach Rick Adelman, who also said he didn't feel Stiemsma deserved be called for a flagrant foul. "I think there's times when we aren't going good at one end of the court, and we drop our heads instead of fighting through. You've got to fight through it. A lot of it might be our younger guys, guys getting caught up in officiating. ... If they're missing shots or things aren't going good at one end, you've got to stay tough at the other end. You've got to have that mental toughness."

The Lakers come to town with their own issues and an eight-game road losing streak. Kobe Bryant has tried to become more of a facilitator of late. But veteran guard Steve Nash has been up and down in his play, center Dwight Howard has a sore shoulder, and Pau Gasol is both injured and frustrated with his role under coach Mike D'Antoni.

The Wolves, meanwhile, have had to deal with a litany of injuries. And while the team has stuck together, Barea said it might be too nice.

"We have to be a little bit not nice," he said. "It all has to do with us being in a tough time right now. It's been draining. We have to like to compete, like to win. Everybody is mad right now. We just have to take that onto the court."

Count Ricky Rubio among the Wolves believing Barea has identified a shortcoming.

"We have to get tougher," Rubio said. "I think we did it [Wednesday], but we have to be even more. Like the Clippers, when the game is not going their way, they try to get tougher. They hit Steamer and tried to get physical against us. We didn't know how to [fight] back. We have to keep calm, but we have to hit, too."

Rubio was asked Thursday if Gasol was being treated fairly.

"I don't think so," Rubio said. "He proved in the league that he is one of the best. He can pass, he can shoot, he can rebound. He can do a lot of things. I think if you use him in the right way, he is a top player in this league. If they don't want him, we are more than welcome to get him."

Rubio, joking, laughed. But it's true Gasol has been the subject of trade rumors for much of the past two seasons.

...ahora este empieza a patalear y a lloriquear pidiendo que le traigan a su mejor amiguito, y como el es el "jugador franquicia", la gerencia termina haciendo un cambio tipo "perder/perder" que traera a los Lobotes al viejolo lesionado Pau-Pam-Pum a cambio de algun o algunos buenos jugadores Lobotes... ay, que daria por ver al Bareilla vestidito de Lagunero...!!!

www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/189353851.html?refer=y

CG wrote:
Rubio. Hay Bendito Rubio. jajajaja

Juventut divina juventud.= Hace cometer errores. Mas bonito se ve calladito.

Tengo una hipotesis = Hoy es un dia de enseñarle a los Wolves el por que los Lakers quieren enviarle a Paul Gasol a su equipo. Hoy no van a dejar jugar a Howard para que Pau asi se luzca y Los Wolves de una vez y por todas acepten su salariote y para asi los Lakers desprenderse del cancer y hacerse de lo que necesitan. (Mas Espacio salarial).

Definitivamente Barea debe estar molesto pues puede que se le caiga el plante por este Ricky estar hablando. Hoy el y Zuleika deben estar con los dedos cruzados esperandoq ue Gasol meta 30 puntos y coja 18 rebotes.

Entonces Ricky quedate calladito, please.

Miren un twiteo que segun responde DÁntony:

TwolvesNow ‏@Twolvesnow
D'Antoni fires back at Rubio for criticizing his use of Gasol: "When he gets a team he can coach, then he can make that decision!" Ooooooh!

Osea, callate si no sabes de lo que hablas.

Continuamos . . .

Raphiel wrote:

•J.J. Barea has scored in double figures in 23 of his last 26 games. He is averaging 14.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists over his last five games. His current scoring average of 11.4 is a career best. Barea is a team-leading +25 when on the floor this season.

Laguneros...!!! Ponganme Atencion...!!!

www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/gamerecap-...es-lakers-2013-02-01

...sufran "jeiters"...!!!

..."buena" substitucion....

03:41
Barea Substitution replaced by Rubio

03:25
Rubio Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:Jamison (2 ST)

Bryant Pullup Jump shot: Missed

03:10
Cunningham Rebound (Off:1 Def:5)

02:57
Johnson Jump Shot: Missed

Bryant Rebound (Off:2 Def:10)

02:56
Clark Jump Shot: Missed

02:36
Pekovic Rebound (Off:1 Def:8)

02:22
Rubio Turnover : Traveling (3 TO)