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Written by SG
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Sunday, 07 February 2010 05:01 |
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Colangelo said USA Basketball on Wednesday will announce between 25 and 28 names in the mix to play in Turkey as well as in the 2012 Olympics in London...
While Colangelo already has said Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant is assured of playing in Turkey, he wouldn't reveal other names on the list. However, sources confirmed Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge, Minnesota's Kevin Love and New York's David Lee are among those who will be named.
Q Do you ever tune out during a break and watch the dancers or contests instead of Kurt Rambis?
Flynn The only time I do that is when I'm out of the game, and the mascots and people are jumping off the trampoline. It was a good one at the Target Center [recently]. They had all the mascots on the trampolines and shooting half court shots. I tuned out for a long time during that one. Love Yeah, especially when the Klondike stuff is happening and you see Big Al on the screen, you just can't help yourself. Obviously when the dancers are there, you can't help but look sometimes...
Before Saturday's game, the Wolves had held their previous three opponents — the Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks and Dallas — below 40 percent shooting from the floor. Memphis shot 51.7 percent (45 of 87), but the Wolves made key defensive stops in the fourth quarter to erase a seven-point deficit.
Rambis credited the recent turnaround to the players' work ethic and their belief in the coaching staff.
"If you look at where we started and what the team has been through, this team has made tremendous progress," Rambis said. "I'm very proud of where the players are right now. The guys are executing the offense and doing what it takes to get stops."
It's not easy, the Wolves coach said, "but some of the turnovers I have to expect because I'm asking the guards to do different things than they're used to doing."
Until Saturday, when the Wolves made only seven turnovers in a 109-102 victory over Memphis, that had led to an avalanche of miscues on the floor -- more than any other NBA team, in fact. The Wolves had committed 814 turnovers before Saturday's game, 36 more than second-worst Phoenix. Jonny Flynn, who handles the ball more than any other Minnesota player, ranks 17th in turnovers per game -- but given that the top 10 includes players such as Steve Nash, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, it's not necessarily anything to be ashamed of.
Still, the Wolves even made their winning streak a little more difficult by committing 51 turnovers in the first three games, an average of 17 a night.
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Written by SG
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Sunday, 07 February 2010 04:58 |
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Wolves record: 13-38
Box Score
In sports, however, athletes can tolerate pain a lot easier after a win. Jefferson was in that mode Saturday night after the Wolves extended their winning streak to four games with an impressive 109-102 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in front of 14,159 at Target Center.
Jefferson's performance — scoring 16 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter — overshadowed the milestone of the Wolves' first four-game winning streak in more than a year. Jefferson had a coming-out party of sorts that generated a fun night for everybody except the Grizzlies.
"I felt like the old Al Jefferson tonight," he said. "That energy I had came out of nowhere."
Corey Brewer, who had 15 of his 17 points in the third quarter, helped spark the turnaround by finishing a fast break with a one-handed dunk from outside the lane to tie the game at 76.
Ramon Sessions had nine of his 19 points in the third, too, playing well enough that rookie starter Jonny Flynn sat on the bench for nearly the last 20 minutes of the game.
Kevin Love returned from a scary injury to knock down the sealing 3-pointer with less than 2 minutes left to give Minnesota a 104-99 lead. Love whacked his chest a couple of times on the way back to the other end, and Flynn leaped into his arms in a bear hug in celebration.
Jefferson was the star of the show, though, pump-faking newly minted All-Star Zach Randolph into the air and dribbling right for a baseline jumper that cut the Memphis lead to 95-94 at the 3:48 mark to end his run of 12 straight points.
Here's another good sign: Jonny Flynn's savvy and selflessness. The rookie point guard sat down four minutes into the second half, and Sessions proceeded to go on a 15-point, four-assist spree. Rambis stayed with the backup until he appeared winded midway through the fourth quarter, when he signaled for Flynn to return.
Flynn talked him out of it. "He came into the coaches' huddle and said, 'No, no, Coach, he's playing well,'" Rambis said. "That shows growth and maturity."
Suddenly, the Wolves are showing a lot of that.
Fans received quite a scare when Randolph fell on Love in the third period. Ryan Hollins inadvertently tripped Randolph, which created the collision and forced Love to limp back to the locker room. Luckily Love did not sustain a serious injury as he returned to the floor with nine minutes left in the game.
"They're starting to build confidence, they're starting to believe in themselves, they're playing together better, and so it's a really good blossoming aspect for me to see as a coach. I'm enjoying watching them perform out there. And they care. They care about each other," Rambis said.
The Wolves practice on Sunday and Monday before heading out to Philadelphia for the final matchup of the year against the Sixers.
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Written by SG
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Saturday, 06 February 2010 05:38 |
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Click here for the forum's thread for tonight's game against Memphis
Game previews:
Wolves boss David Kahn used those four days for a whirlwind two-city European tour in which he scouted prospects Ricky Rubio and Nikola Pekovic.
Kahn watched Rubio's Regal Barcelona lose for the first time in 12 Euroleague games Wednesday night in Belgrade, Serbia, and watched Pekovic's Greek team play in Athens as well. He said he visited with Rubio briefly after that game and told Pekovic the next time he sees him, he'll have Rambis with him in May.
Rubio, the fifth pick in last summer's NBA draft, won't play for the Wolves until 2011 at the earliest, or possibly 2012.
Pekovic -- a bruising 6-11 post presence whom the Wolves selected with the first pick in the 2008 draft's second round -- is eligible to be signed this summer if Kahn deems he fits into a frontcourt currently built around Kevin Love and Al Jefferson.
The former Minnesota Timberwolves center was a mountain of a man whose statistical accomplishments would make Bill Brasky blush. He grabbed more rebounds per minute than either Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell.
However, it is not Winter's 3 rebounds in his 5 career minutes that we are here to discuss. It is the 5 fouls he committed in those same 5 minutes. That wacky statistic from Winter's one career game in 1999 cements the 7-footer's status as the Foulin' Prince of the NBA.
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Written by SG
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Saturday, 06 February 2010 05:21 |
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Wolves record: 12-38
The Mavericks fought back from a 13-point deficit to take a 106-104 lead with 2:35 remaining, but the Timberwolves responded with a 13-2 surge to finish the game and extend their season-best winning streak to three games.
"It's just a good win against a playoff-caliber team," said Minnesota rookie point guard Jonny Flynn, who had a team-high 19 points and seven assists. "We really held them off during that great run and we came away with a big win."
Corey Brewer scored 14 points and began the decisive run with a 3-pointer at the 2:14 mark. He pushed the lead to 112-108 by making all three free throws after he was fouled by Nowitzki on a 25-footer with 1:07 left. Rookie Wayne Ellington delivered the dagger, swishing a 3-pointer from the corner to make it 115-108 with 32.3 seconds remaining.
Al Jefferson and Ryan Hollins added 15 points and Ryan Gomes scored 12 as all five starters reached twin digits. Kevin Love had a double-double off the bench with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The Wolves now have beaten the Clippers, the Knicks and a suddenly struggling Mavericks team consecutively for what Rambis calls a "multitude of reasons."
They include a corresponding lineup change that saw long, athletic Ryan Hollins move into the starting frontcourt and Kevin Love and Damien Wilkins switch to reserve roles that have both helped produce faster starts to games and bolster the team's second unit.
Rookie point guard Jonny Flynn is playing with newfound direction and assertiveness, as evidenced by his 19 points, seven assists and one turnover.
At 12-38, Minnesota is the worst team in the Western Conference, at least by record.
At 31-19, the Mavericks looked much worse than the Timberwolves in this game.
Three games ago Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Kurt Rambis told his team they were starting over. Forget their record, the fact that they'd been blown out three times in a row, and that the 2009-10 NBA season was basically at its mid-point. Rambis gave his team a clean slate and said they could start over. So far, they're off to a great start.
The Timberwolves, who hadn't beating Dallas since 2006 and boasted a modest 11-38 record (worst in the Western Conference), shot 54% from the field and lead most of the way as they handed Dallas a 108-117 loss on their home court. It didn't take a career night from an opposing point guard to cost Dallas a win, rather they stood by seeming completely disinterested on the defensive end as six Timberwolves scored in double-figures and Minnesota racked up 36 points in the paint.
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Written by SG
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Friday, 05 February 2010 02:52 |
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Click here for the forum's thread for tonight's game at Dallas
Game previews:
13. Al Jefferson, PF, Timberwolves
Timberwolves president David Kahn insists that Minnesota has no interest in moving Al Jefferson.
Other GMs around the league are equally convinced that Jefferson is available for the right offer, especially if the Wolves can get a big man in return.
"He's showing all of our big guys how effective they can be when they run the floor, how you get easy scoring opportunities," Rambis said after inserting the four-year veteran into the Wolves' starting lineup. "Al [Jefferson] and Kevin [Love], they see that, it'll drive them to get up the floor as well."
That energy has helped Hollins make an impact beyond what Rambis was expecting when he made the move. Hollins responded to his new starting role with two of the top three scoring games of his career, putting up a career-high 19 points against the Clippers last Friday, then following with 16 against the Knicks.
"He's got a lot of potential in him, with his athleticism and his length," Rambis said. "He's still just very raw."
High-5 to the players taking part in the Timberwolves FastBreak Foundation's Black History Month. At the recent Foundation “Reading Timeout”, Wolves players Corey Brewer and Damien Wilkins were armed with books and read a pack of the books, including "Meet Martin Luther King Jr." to second and third grade students at Whittier International School in Minneapolis. You might not have known but this is pretty common. Players get out nearly every week and give back to the community and get valuable face time with kids all over the metro and the state. Thanks too to the Hennepin County Medical Center for sponsoring the event.
Timberwolves top draft pick Ricky Rubio, 19, scored his Euroleague career high of 14 points the other day for Regal FC Barcelona against Montepaschi Siena.
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Written by SG
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Thursday, 04 February 2010 07:32 |
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The Wolves flew to Dallas on Wednesday morning, two days in advance of Friday's game with the Mavericks. The purpose: Give the players a break from Minnesota's snow and cold, even though it was raining and in the low 40s when the team arrived in Texas.
Rambis also gave them the day off from practice, after saying Monday and Tuesday that they'd work all four days between Sunday's victory over New York and Friday's game. He did call them together for an afternoon gathering Wednesday, and they are scheduled to practice Thursday afternoon at American Airlines Center.
From ESPN: Most Improved Player of the Year Watch 4. Corey Brewer, Wolves: He has gone from being just a lockdown defender to being a lockdown defender with a jumper. His shooting range, shooting percentages and points-per-game average have risen each month this season.
Quickest off the dribble: Brandon Jennings, Bucks
Runner-up: Jonny Flynn, Timberwolves
Flynn gets this over Lawson. Barely. In fact, Flynn is a better finisher at the rim than Jennings, using his superior strength to square up at the end of drives and kiss it off the glass. He can drive in either direction and shoots the midrange jumper well enough to keep his defenders close, which then gives him the chance to change gears and separate from his defender on his way to the hole.
Eric (Minneapolis)
Everyone keeps talkng about trading Al Jefferson, why? Kevin and Al are getting along fine. They both score and rebound at high rates. Why not give them time to work out the kinks on defense?
David Thorpe (12:19 PM)
They can play offense together and are a great rebounding tandem, but I have doubts about what they can do on d. Can they win 45 games with them as the frontcourt? Yes. But can they contend for a title? No.
Royce White, the ex-Gophers basketball player who on Wednesday dropped out of school, could end up trying the music business with former Timberwolves guard Troy Hudson, who has tried to make it as a rapper.
From Jonah Ballow/Timberwolves site: Jefferson may head to Dallas on February 12 to watch Flynn and Kevin Love fight head-to-head at the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge during All-Star Weekend. Flynn was selected to the game along with a group of ultra-talented point guards, including Tyreke Evans and Brandon Jennings.
Flynn's numbers against the elite point guards of the league are helping him gain respect from a first-year player to a future Hall-of-Famer."I've known Jonny for a while now; he's a good friend of mine. I played with him a couple of times; he's just a good kid," Evans said. "We both bring a lot of energy and we both love to win. He can get to the basket like me, he's a little guard and I go with the big guys. He's a great finisher and a great point guard. I'd say we have the same ability to get to the basket."
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Written by Mike Reynolds
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 09:00 |
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Have you ever seen the movie Sliding Doors?I haven't, but I hear it's decent (although Paltrow's shining performance was her breakout minor role as a teenage Wendy in 1992's Hook. Trust me, she is in the movie. I promise/Rufio.). From what I understand, the basic premise of the movie outlines the simple choices we make and how they affect the larger outcomes. The film is split into two parts, and shows us what would happen in the main character's life based on whether she catches a train or not, presenting both outcomes to the viewer. A great idea for a movie. I'd like to see a non-chick flick version. So, aside from tears, boredom and frustration, what does a forgotten chick flick possibly have to do with the Wolves?
February has arrived. For the past several years, this has been the outlier in the season-long "Fan Interest Bell Curve." For just a three week period we can hope the Wolves will make a significant splash in the trade market. A splash that would end our futile attempt to develop any more excuses for a team that, quite frankly, has little to no championship potential without significant and dramatic personnel changes. There is little to discuss from a game recap perspective. Instead, Wolvesdom starts dreaming up ludicrous trade scenarios, and starts the draft talk nearly 150 days before it transpires. Rinse.Wash. Repeat. Jump off a Bridge.
Over the next three weeks, which could be one of the most pivotal times in franchise history, Kahn and Kahmpany have a few choices to make. Their choices will set the tone for the next 5-7 years. Kahn can either A) Stand pat and keep our expiring contracts, maybe make a minor-to-moderate deal, and hope for the best in what could be an extremely disappointing NBA Free Agent class (more on this later) or B) Cash in on over $20 million in expirings and draft picks and shoot for the moon in mid-February. There are only two choices, and the decision is much more difficult and misleading than it seems. But first, we need to all come to terms with 9 "simple" realities. I'll break it down, along with why i think making a big trade may be a mistake, below the fold.
Please click Read More to continue
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Written by SG
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 08:07 |
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Lacking a classic shot-blocker until Ryan Hollins consistently proves he is one, Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis has made legally blocking an opponent's path to the basket a point of emphasis with a defense that until the past two games has been what forward Kevin Love called "pretty terrible."
Swatting a shot into the third row is one way of discouraging an opponent from attacking the basket.
Sacrificing your body to draw a charge is another.
In fact, Rambis says, it's better. |
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Written by SG
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 00:11 |
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So why are the Wolves heading Wednesday morning to Dallas for a game that will be played Friday night?
To give the players -- and the California-raised head coach, of course -- a break from the snow and the cold.
They did something similar before they played the Lakers in December and might do so for before a game at Miami later this month.
Such a habit could be used a small selling point to prospective free agents come next summer.
Each day in practice, the coaches are spending a considerable amount of time teaching the 25-year old the nuances of playing on the block. Hollins can score in a variety of ways with his back to the basket or facing up to shoot over smaller defenders. While experiencing bumps in the road, the former UCLA center is starting to gain a firm grasp of the offense.
"I feel a lot more comfortable, you know it was just having that opportunity to do the things you work on," Hollins said.
When asking Holllins if he tries to mirror some of the great post players in NBA history, the big man pointed to his own teammates, "Al [Jefferson] is such a great player, you watch him get into that jump hook, so it almost gets engraved in you watching him. It's contagious, I don't know if you guys know this but Kevin makes some great runs and Al even sprinting down the floor. It just rubs off on each other, it's contagious -- playing hard and making plays."
Coach Kurt Rambis says Hollins' ability to run the floor for a big man has been a jolt to the team's offense. He also likes the energy Hollins is showing on defense.
From Mike Max/WCCO:The Minnesota Timberwolves talked to Rashad McCants, a free agent without a job, but nothing has moved on it.
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Written by SG
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Tuesday, 02 February 2010 07:02 |
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The Wolves have four days off coming the end of next week when the All-Star Game will be played in Dallas. So this week, Rambis is keeping up a march in which he has given his team little more than a full day's rest since Christmas.
Wolves center Al Jefferson mumbled something about "being back at training camp" this week, which is an unusual chance to hold four consecutive days of practice in the middle of an NBA season.
"We want them to think of the rest of the season as a starting point," Rambis said Monday. "It's not like I'm killing them every day for two hours, and we're doing nothing but sprints and defensive slides. Today was short. They were on the floor for way less than 45 minutes. Keep 'em loose and keep 'em active and keep them trying to improve."
From Ray Richardson/Pioneer Press:
Rookie point guard Jonny Flynn has had some fun decisions to make while dribbling downcourt in the Timberwolves' past two games. Dump the ball inside to Al Jefferson. If Jefferson is covered, go to Ryan Hollins moving along the baseline for a possible slam dunk. When Kevin Love is on the floor, see if he is available for an open three-pointer.
Perhaps more than any other player, Flynn has first-hand knowledge of the Wolves' dramatic improvement in front-line production. Coach Kurt Rambis' decision to make Hollins the starting center suddenly has given the Wolves a promising front-line trio and has led to a two-game winning streak.
"We've always known what we would get out of Al and Kevin," Flynn said. "It was sort of a mystery what we would get out of Ryan. Now we know. If he stays consistent — the way he's been playing lately — the three of them will make us so much better."
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