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From Ryan McNeill/HoopsAddict:
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It’s because Jefferson and Love have such different skill sets that Wittman believes they’ll have success. In fact, you could consider the duo the NBA’s version of Beauty and the Beast; Love is the cover boy while Jefferson is known for doing do the dirty work in the post and on the glass.
“Love’s a very high IQ player and he’s going to know where his strengths are going to be,” Wittman explained to Hoops Addict. “Playing with Al, he’s going to be a passer, he’s got great instincts and he can hit the face-up jump shot. So when you’re looking at who to play next to Al you need someone like that who can spread the floor, make shots and also be a good passer.”
Gomes, who came to the Wolves in the Kevin Garnett trade last year, started his foundation during his rookie season with the Boston Celtics in 2005, after a former teammate died from sudden cardiac arrest. Last year, Gomes’ Hoops for Heart Health partnered with Bothell, Wash.-based Cardiac Science Corp. and Geneva, Ohio-based Parent Heart Watch to donate 14 automated external defibrillators to gyms, recreation centers and Boys & Girls Clubs in cities where the Wolves played, including two in the Twins Cities. This year, the foundation plans to donate 18 defibrillators during its Let the Beat Go On tour.
Wittman said he's liked what he's seen thus far from Love.
"With any rookie there's going to be ups and downs, but he's a very confident player," Wittman said. "He believes in himself.
"What he's gone through so far has opened his eyes, as far as the speed and quickness of the game,"he added. "He's got to adjust, but he's going to be a very good player. His basketball IQ is very high."
In fairness to Foye, he hasn't exactly had the supporting cast during his first two seasons in the league the aforementioned names have. In talking to Foye, though, the fact he isn't mentioned in the same breath with some of the top young points guards clearly has him irked a bit.
"It definitely does motivate me," Foye told HOOPSWORLD. "I think the team we have this year is similar to the team (Chris Paul) has had. They have shooters that open up the floor and post players. They got the shooter in Peja Stojakovic and we've got a shooter now in Mike Miller. They've got a post player in David West and we have one in Al Jefferson. It's just time for us to put things together and try and win some games."
From KXMC.com:
Workers with the Bismarck/Mandan Chamber of Commerce have been setting this event up since late August, working with the Timberwolves to make it possible for "Big brothers/Big sisters" to get so much more than just a ticket to the game.
"Kids'll be able to say I met Kevin Love, I met Mike Miller." says Parsons.
Along with the basketball clinic, kids get to meet players for the Timberwolves...
Wolves vs. Denver in Bismarck, N.D. • 5:30 p.m. today • No TV or radio
Click here for the forum's game thread
As much as Wittman appreciates the effort of his second unit, he wants to see more from his starters, starting with tonight's game against Denver in Bismarck, N.D.
"It's not the record in this situation," he said. "My main concern is whatever unit — we've played a lot of different combinations, started different lineups — that we come out with energy each time. And we haven't."
The Wolves' starters could get a boost tonight with the expected return of shooting guard/forward Mike Miller, who practiced Saturday after missing the past two games because of a sprained ankle.
Wittman said he will continue to experiment with different combinations and is in no rush to settle on a starting lineup.
Mike Miller hails from Mitchell, S.D. Though it is about 340 miles from Bismarck, those with North and South Dakota ties can mesh and welcome home their fellow statesmen. Heck, Miller was even embraced by local media when the team made a stop in Billings, Mont., earlier this preseason...
Brian Cardinal (calf), Jason Collins (elbow) and David Harrison (calf) all worked out on various exercise machines during the portion of practice open to the media. Wittman, though, said Harrison did participate in live action earlier in the day and would be evaluated further this morning.
But Ahearn has to cut down on turnovers and improve his defense if he hopes to make the team.
"Blake needs to be better when he's being pressured from an offensive standpoint, and he needs to show he can stay with the quicker point guards," Wittman said. "... He's done some good things."
There is the possibility that the Timberwolves could keep Ahearn and assign him to the D-League.That would mean he would be playing with Minnesota's affiliate - and the Wizards' main rival - the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Joel Brigham/Hoopsworld on "unexpected happenings" during the second week of preseason.
The 4-1 Minnesota Timberwolves
Who'd a thunk that the Wolves would be one of the hottest teams of the preseason? Certainly Al Jefferson is the team's top player, but they're so much deeper than anybody expected. This is a group full of huge bodies and athletic swingmen. The point guard position has been a concern, but even backup Kevin Ollie has been fantastic. I'm not sure the Wolves are going to be playoff-caliber, but they're going to be an interesting team to watch this season.
no commentsWolves preseason record: 5-1
Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman was looking for better play from his starters Sunday night and he got it.
Guard/forward Mike Miller scored 11 of his 17 points in the opening period as the Wolves raced to a 31-18 first-quarter lead in a 111-107 win over the Denver Nuggets in Bismarck, N.D.
Guard Kevin Ollie hit four free throws in the final 16 seconds to help Minnesota improve its exhibition record to 5-1.
From the Associated Press:
Ryan Gomes scored 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the field for the Timberwolves (5-1). Mike Miller had 17 points, Al Jefferson added 15, Craig Smith 13 and Randy Foye 12. Foye also had 15 assists.
"Miller and Gomes had the hot hands,'' Denver coach George Karl said. "I thought some of that was our fault and some of it was they are very talented shooters.''
...Reserve guard Blake Ahearn broke a tie when he made a 3-pointer from the left corner with 33 seconds to play to give the Timberwolves a 107-106 lead.
Rookie Kevin Love continued to struggle, finishing with five points in a little more than 11 minutes before fouling out.
Wittman said the Wolves need to be more disciplined in general to avoid foul trouble.
"We've got to do a better job of not putting a team into the bonus with seven, eight minutes to go in a quarter," Wittman said. "That's hard to overcome, especially against a good team like Denver."
no commentsMyron P Medcalf/Star Tribune on Friday's Tubby's Tipoff at Williams Arena:
Junior college transfer Devron Bostick showed off his jumping ability, when he threw the ball over the backboard, turned 180 degrees and slammed.
That dunk was judged the best of the competition by Timberwolves Mark Madsen and Kevin Love, assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff and broadcaster Jim Petersen.
Steve Aschburner/SI.com on the Heat, Hornets, Magic and Timberwolves celebrating their 20th anniversary.
As 2008-09 begins, though, all four teams bring optimism. The Hornets were the No. 2 seed in the West last spring and, in preseason picks, are neck-and-neck with the Lakers to reach the Finals come June. Orlando won 52 games with Dwight Howard turning 22; what might he do at a post-Olympian 23? The Wolves and Heat have intriguing rookies, Kevin Love and Michael Beasley, respectively, and young veterans (Al Jefferson in Minnesota; Dwyane Wade in Miami) dedicated to fixing what's broken.
In eight days, the Timberwolves must submit their regular-season roster to the NBA office. Barring a late personnel move, their decision on the team's third point guard couldn't offer more disparate choices.
Kevin Ollie, steady and defensively dependable, is 35 and an 11-year veteran now playing for his 11th NBA team. Blake Ahearn, a playmaker and an NCAA record-setting shooter, is 24 and played 12 NBA games with Miami late season after starting with the Dakota Wizards in the NBA Developmental League.
Aaron Seehusen/Timberwolves site sits down for a Q&A with Jason Collins.
TW.COM: What were your first thoughts when you received the news that you were going to be headed here?
Collins: Haha. Oddly enough, I was already here. My fiancée was born and raised here in Minnesota and we were here for one of her cousin's weddings. When I got the news I was like, well that's funny because I'm already here. All kidding aside, it's a great opportunity to come to a new team that has a couple of players that I'm very familiar with in Mike Miller and Brian Cardinal from Memphis. I'm looking forward to having a good year this year.
OUTLOOK: With good inside-outside balance and an emerging star in Jefferson, the Timberwolves would have hopes of competing for a playoff spot if they played in the East. Instead, they'll have to settle for trying to be competitive against the West powers and continue building for the future.
From USA Today:
THIS SEASON, PREDICTED: 36-46 (4th in the Northwest Division)
POSSIBLE CHANGES, PREDICTED: Randy Foye, an explosive scorer in a point guard's body, begins the season as the team's starter, but Sebastian Telfair's ability to run a team could eventually create a change. Randy Wittman's job security is threatened if the Wolves don't show significant improvement.
Minnesota GM Kevin McHale, a former Celtic teammate, is an Ainge friend. But Ainge contends that dealing with him was hardly an advantage. "We're really close friends and yet we're very competitive people," said Ainge. "Kevin McHale had never given me any indication that Garnett was tradable."
So Ainge went with his gut.
"I confronted Kevin McHale," he said. "I called him" — and liked the response. "He indicated it might be something they'd explore."
no commentsAndrew Thell/Empty The Bench posts a preview of the upcoming Wolves season.
The goal entering this season has to be locking up a low-level playoff spot, no matter how unlikely that may seem right now. If Jefferson continues his All-Star trajectory, Randy Foye finally lives up to the draft-night swap for Brandon Roy, Mike Miller thrives as a primary weapon outside, Corey Brewer emerges as an athletic defender who can run the floor, Kevin Love becomes the inside presence and passer the Wolves offense needs to outscore teams, Sebastian Telfair continues his maturation as a true backup point, Rashad McCants embraces his role of microwave off the bench, Craig Smith keeps cracking skulls in the paint, and Ryan Gomes continues to be professional and efficient beyond his years, well, then they just might have a chance.
Ok, so they don’t have a chance. Still, they need to see all of the aforementioned players do those things...
TrueHoop asks Craig Smith and others in the league for their guesses on the big storylines of the upcoming season.
I think the trade of Artest to Houston was as big as any of last season's moves, so it'll be interesting to see if that makes things even more competitive at the top of the West. Maybe this will be the move that finally gets Houston (and T-Mac) past the First Round.
Stan McNeal /SportingNews also previews the season:
How will Al Jefferson and Kevin Love work? On paper, this young frontcourt pairing is promising. Al Jefferson emerged as one of the game’s best low-post scorers last season and was one of only five players (Dwight Howard, Carlos Boozer, Yao Ming and Antawn Jamison) to average 20 points and 10 rebounds. Love is considered a great—that’s right, not just good—passer for a big man. He also is a solid outside shooter, so he will be able to bring his defender away from the basket and make double-teaming Jefferson more difficult. Love, however, is considered undersized (he’s listed at 6-10 but measured at 6-7 3/4 without shoes at the predraft combine), and his athleticism has been questioned. Because Jefferson will be playing more center, the key to their success will be how well they hold up going against larger opponents through the course of an 82-game season."K.L. is going to be a player," Jason Kapono said as he assessed his fellow UCLA alumnus. "The kid can flat-out shoot the basketball and he's a great kid."
Kapono knows a thing or two about shooting.
During the warmup last night, Kapono watched in awe as Love stepped outside the three-point arc and drained jumper after jumper with a form only a player of Kapono's ilk can appreciate.
"Just look at him knock down shots," the reigning two-time three-point king said. "He'll be very effective in pick-and-pops."
Kapono worked out with Love in the off-season, showing the kid the ropes and trying to serve as a mentor.
Wittman said star forward Al Jefferson is "not in shape" after injuring his knee in September and needs to get there by opening night against Sacramento...
Harrison, the Wolves' comparatively super-sized center at 7 feet and 280 pounds, hasn't joined full practice yet because of a calf he strained during a free-agent workout with the team last month. Collins remains out until November while his surgically repaired elbow heals.
"I want to get a big guy because we're going to need size, too," Wittman said. "Hopefully, we can get somebody healthy enough soon to see what we have."
From John Focke/Timberwolves site on Blake Ahearn:
Last year, Ahearn was a member of the Dakota Wizards, an NBA D-League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards.
It was an experience Ahearn credits with getting him to where he is today, on an NBA training camp roster. "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for that organization. I'm thankful for everything they've done for me and its going to be great going back there."
The Star Tribune lists team owner Glen Taylor at #10 on its list of "who's who of the famous (and in a few cases infamous) names behind the state's campaigns."
From the Timberwolves site:
The Minnesota Timberwolves today began the team's first annual Wolves Radio Caravan. Over the course of five days, between Oct. 16 and Oct. 21, the Wolves Radio Caravan will travel to 10 cities across Minnesota, doing in-studio interviews and community appearances in select locations...
The next Timberwolves radio broadcast of the 2008-09 season will air on KFAN-AM 1130 on Wednesday, Oct. 22 when the Wolves take on the Chicago Bulls for a preseason matchup at Target Center.
Wolves record: 4-1
Last night, the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Raptors 90-86, mainly because their reserves drilled their Raptors counterparts so thoroughly it didn't seem quite fair.
From the Associated Press:
Ryan Gomes scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, and Blake Ahearn added 15 points to help the Timberwolves beat the Toronto Raptors 90-86 on Thursday night.
"Our first unit has to play better," Wittman said. "If it wasn't for our second unit tonight, we don't win the game."
If the regulars don't stop taking too many jumpers and passing up opportunities to penetrate, Wittman said he's willing to make changes.
Starting shooting guard Mike Miller missed his second straight game because of a sprained ankle and his replacement, Rashad McCants, went 0-for-7 from the floor, including five 3-point attempts.
Guards Randy Foye and Rodney Carney added 13 points apiece for the Wolves and center Al Jefferson had 12 and 13 rebounds.
The big joke around the Timberwolves locker room was the fact Blake Ahearn had a huge game after getting poked in the eye. Ahearn was poked in the left eye during training camp and yesterday he was poked in the right eye during practice. Despite some issues with a sore eye Ahearn started the game shooting a sizzling 6-6 from the field for 15 points in his first nine minutes off the bench. This was part of a 18-5 run by Minnesota which burst the game open and provided them with a 47-31 advantage.
Wittman used the occasion to call out his starters afterward (even though with Big Al, Corey Brewer, Craig Smith, Foye and Rashad McCants Thursday it was a different starting lineup from Tuesday in Chicago). He praised Ahearn and said he was the team’s best playmaker on the floor, which shouldn’t be the case with Foye and Sebastian Telfair out there. And he said Jefferson needs to get in better shape by the Oct. 29 opener against Sacramento.
“We’ve got 13 days,” Wittman said. “I don’t know who the starting lineup is going to be Oct. 29. We’re going to play guys who will be aggressive.”
Jefferson, in turn, said he isn’t concerned about the starters. “Ever game is a different starting five,” he said of preseason play. And he said he had a cold Thursday and it showed in his conditioning.
Click here for the forum's game thread for tonight's preseason game at Toronto.
Basketbawful at Deadspin posts a fun preview of the team.
Does anybody else think that the NBA was insulting our intelligence by creating one of their "Where Amazing Happens" commercials for the 22-win Timberwolves? What’s next? “NBA Stadium Restrooms: Where Amazing Happens”?
Dave at Blazer's Edge also writes a Wolves team preview.
From ESPN's NBA Awards Watch, Kevin Love makes their "Rookie Watch":
4. Kevin Love, Timberwolves: He rebounds, finishes around the basket, passes well and can knock down the outside shot. His conditioning and defense need work, but overall, he'll be effective.
Via Ball Don't Lie, Sneakerfiles posts a pic of Adidas' "Miller Time" shoes.
no comments6 p.m. today at Toronto • No TV or radio
• Veteran Mike Miller practiced Wednesday after missing Tuesday's game because of a sprained ankle and he's expected to play tonight. Veteran center Calvin Booth could see his first playing time of the preseason as well.
• Brian Cardinal and newly signed David Harrison both remain out because of calf injuries. Guard Blake Ahearn, competing for the third point-guard position, was poked in the eye for the second time in 11 days, but he should be available tonight.
Ollie is competing for the job of third point guard, which takes on added importance with Sebastian Telfair suspended for the first three games of the regular season by the NBA.
Jerry Zgoda/Star Tribune on last night's preseason win in Chicago:
More than anything, though, it might have been Corey Brewer’s energy that changed everything. The guy is playing himself into a groove. Tonight, that included another three-pointer (six in preseason play compared to seven all last regular season), 15 points on 5 for 11 shooting, nine rebounds (all but one on the defensive end), a steal and blocked shot. He and Rodney Carney joined together to provide the second-quarter defensive pulse the team was completely missing in the opening quarter...
One very memorable moment: Craig Smith showing his once-swollen knee was all better with a thunderous dunk over Tyrus Thomas and Andres Nocioni in the fourth quarter. So inspired by the dunk and the spring in his knee, Smith shouted at the United Center rafters in a primal scream sort of like a former Timberwolf once did.
For Richard, he hopes the opportunity comes sooner rather than later... Soon, as in this season. Richard spent countless hours in the gym this summer; working with Assistant General Manager Fred Hoiberg among others to improve and gain some much needed confidence. Richard says that his tireless work this summer is starting to pay off. "I was here with the coaches and some of the older guys almost every day learning," said Richard. "They've all really helped me to grasp the concepts and what to look out for."
From Superior Telegram:
WEBC-AM “The Fan” 560, the radio home of Minnesota Timberwolves basketball, welcomes the Timberwolves radio broadcast team of Alan Horton and Kevin Lynch to Duluth for a promotional appearance Thursday.
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