Sonia
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Written by SG
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Friday, 11 April 2008 |
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The Wolves are also without Craig Smith, who was ruled out for tonight's game. Smith suffered an injury to his left collarbone and sternum area when he was reaching for a loose ball and collided with another player late during Wednesday's game against New Orleans. "I'm just a little banged up, a little sore," Smith said. "It's a tough little injury. I'm just day to day." Officially the injury is a "sprained left sternoclavicular joint."
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Written by SG
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Friday, 11 April 2008 |
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The only player who has more double-double games this season than
Wolves star Al Jefferson is Magic center Dwight Howard, whose 67 in 78
games is 15 more than Jefferson's 52.
Also from Zgoda:
A few days ago, it looked as if Sebastian Telfair might play tonight
for the first time since spraining his ankle in Sacramento on March 7,
but he did not accompany the team Thursday on this two-game trip to
Orlando and Memphis.
With only four games left, it might not be worth potentially aggravating his injury. He will be a restricted free agent this summer, so it's an important offseason for him.
WD/Canis Hoopus on Kevin McHale scouting at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament
The Twins and Timberwolves also added to the prime-time competition
Wednesday night. The Twins' 12-5 victory over the White Sox had a
strong 8.9 rating and 16 share on WFTC (Ch. 29); the woeful Wolves'
122-90 loss to New Orleans managed a minuscule 0.1 rating (1,707
households) with a 0 share.
Similarly, a good case can be made for Chris Kaman to be the league's Most Improved Player. Before he got injured he was averaging nearly 16 and 12 – by far the best season of his career. The Timberwolves are trying to make a case for Al Jefferson, who has also had a monster year. But is a player who's having a great year for a terrible team really the Most Improved?
Previews of tonight's game at Orlando:
T-Wolves, who are coached by former Magic assistant Randy Wittman, have
lost six in a row and have a league-worst road record of 5-33.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 11 April 2008 )
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Written by SG
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Thursday, 10 April 2008 |
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Craig Smith suffered a sprained left sterno clavicular joint in the
closing minutes of Wednesday evening's loss to the New Orleans Hornets.
Smith is listed as day-to-day, and is scheduled to go on the team road
trip to Orlando and Memphis. Smith scored two points and grabbed five
rebounds in 16 minutes of action against the Hornets and is averaging
9.4 points and 4.6 boards in 20 minutes of playing time per game.
According to orthogate.org, "The sternoclavicular (SC) joint is important because it helps support the shoulder. The SC joint links the bones of the arms and shoulder to the vertical skeleton . . . The SC joint connects your clavicle (collarbone) to your sternum, which is the large bone down the middle of your chest. This attachment is the only bony joint linking the bones of the arm and shoulder to the main part of the skeleton."
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Written by SG
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Thursday, 10 April 2008 |
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In all seriousness, I'm not certain giving Brewer any more burn in
these final four games is a good idea. Better just to let him keep
practing and then proscribe an off-season diet of milkshakes, bench
presses, squats and cheeseburgers along with a daily diet of about
10,000 jump shots. The boll weavils have infested his confidence and it
will take a few months to clean them away.
The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament kicked off today at Churchland High School in Portsmouth, Virginia. The high school gym was teeming with NBA General Managers, scouts, media members, and local hoop fans. There were scouts from all over the world representing many leagues from many nations.
Larry Bird, Danny Ainge, and Kevin McHale were among the General Managers seated right behind one of the baskets.
About 20 NBA scouts packed the gym on Wednesday for the international practices in Portland for the Nike Hoop Summit. Recognizable names in attendance included Fred Hoiberg and Jim Stack of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Gersson Rosas of the Houston Rockets, Tommy Sheppard from the Washington Wizards, and Michael Born of the Portland TrailBlazers.
Sebastian Telfair on his progress this year:
“For myself personally, I feel like I established
myself as a point guard this year. I take a lot of pride in that
because I was consistently getting guys open shots and being a point
guard every game. I take pride in that and have to give myself a little
pat on the back for that, but as a team, the way we’ve matured as a
team from the beginning of the season to right now, we’re a completely
different team.”
Translation: This is about the corniest thing I
could possibly say to a reporter about my season, and the T-Wolves as a
whole. And that’s not me. I’m so real they named a sex position after
my crossover. But I mean every word of this, and at this point in my
chaotic career, that feels f*cking fantastic. This is my very own “Star
Spangled Banner.”
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 April 2008 )
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Written by SG
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Thursday, 10 April 2008 |
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Wittman said he did not feel the need to talk to guard Rashad McCants
after benching him Tuesday against Charlotte. McCants committed two
fouls in three minutes in the first quarter and was pulled for the rest
of the game.
"They know," Wittman said when asked before the game if he needed to
explain his decision to McCants. "I've been pretty consistent in that.
When we play with a purpose and with our mind in it, we're competitive.
I've said that all year long. The first eight minutes of that game we
weren't."
Wolves veteran Greg Buckner's 31 minutes at
Charlotte were his most since early November. He said he was surprised
to play and that his lungs were burning.
Buckner said he has never doubted his abilities despite playing in just 30 games this season.
"Every day in practice, I play hard," he said. "I know I can play this game."
The third-worst record would mean a 15.6 percent
chance of winning the No. 1 pick when the lottery is held May 20. The
Wolves still have a chance to catch Seattle for the second-worst record
in the NBA, which would give them a 19.9 percent chance at the top
pick. Miami is on track for the worst record, giving them a 25 percent
chance.
Kline also received $1,000 from former Republican Sen. Rudy Boschwitz
this quarter, $500 from the president of "Armor Shield," a
Kentucky-based company that manufactures body armor, and $1,000 from
Glen Taylor, the owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Throw in a too-close-to-call MVP race, the Boston Celtics’
record-shattering re-emergence and a flurry of blockbuster trades, and
there’s been no shortage of things for fans to talk about.
“The races, the Western Conference, you’ve got Boston back being one of
the best teams. The Lakers are back up there again with the moves
they’ve made. I think it’s been a good year all the way around,”
Minnesota Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman said. “The more competition
you have, like this year has been, the more interesting it is.”
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 April 2008 )
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Written by SG
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Thursday, 10 April 2008 |
Rashad
McCants had 23 for the Timberwolves, who have lost six straight. Randy
Foye scored 20 points for Minnesota, but just four of those came in the
final three quarters.
The win gave the Hornets a franchise-best 55 wins, beating the record set in 1996-97.
The Hornets led just 48-46 lead at intermission but Stojakovic - who
finished with five 3-pointers - sparked a third-quarter surge that put
New Orleans in front to stay.
Wolves record: 19-59
The entire Timberwolves team looked tired and bored throughout the game. When New Orleans punched them in the mouth, Minnesota didn't care. They just stood in the corner of the ring, taking the beating from the heavyweight. There was no pride or purpose in what they were doing and looked as if they can't wait for the season to end.
Wittman was not happy with his team's focus in the first quarter
Tuesday, but the Wolves showed some life -- at least on offense -- in
the first half.
Randy Foye seemed motivated by a head-to-head matchup with Paul,
scoring 16 points in the first quarter, including 4-for-4 from
three-point range.
As a team, the Wolves shot 72.2 percent from the field in the first
quarter, but Wittman felt his players began settling for jump shots
rather than attacking when the Hornets ran out and contested shots.
Minnesota made 72 percent of their shots in the first quarter and most
of it came from guard Randy Foye, who had 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
The Timberwolves entered on a five-game losing streak.
Behind 19 points and 16 assists from guard Chris Paul and 24 points
from Peja Stojakovic, New Orleans currently stands 1.5 games in front
of San Antonio (who with a win vs. Phoenix would remain one game back)
in the race for first. To top it off, tonight's win represents a new
franchise record for wins in a season.
They were surging, winners of six of nine games at one point in March.
Since then, they have lost eight of nine games and
six in a row, including Wednesday night's 32-point loss, which marks
their second-most lopsided defeat this season. New Orleans' 34-point
win (110-76) Dec. 22 is Minnesota's worst.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 April 2008 )
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Written by SG
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Wednesday, 09 April 2008 |
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What I do know is that Wittman and McCants mix like oil and water, for
obvious reasons of temperament and personality. I also know that this
is a situation engendered by the front office. When Kevin McHale
selected McCants in the draft three years ago, he openly acknowledged
that Shaddy had some baggage but that the Wolves, unlike at least a
handful of other teams, believed his talent was worth the gamble. Then
a year and a half ago, the same McHale tabbed Wittman to replace Dwane
Casey because he felt the team needed a little discipline and a kick in
the pants. So you gamble on the volatile McCants and then you hire a
taskmaster coach and everything is supposed to go well?
The new wave of the basketball world will embrace coaches who can communicate with today's athletes. Trent Johnson is one of the best communicators in the basketball world. When he was an assistant coach at Stanford, he ALWAYS stayed after practice and played one-on-one with guys who weren't getting the reps they wanted. He talked with them and built them up and made them ready for when the opportunity which one day would come. He put in the time and work that a lot of people never saw, but earned the undying respect for the players by doing the "little things" like this. But, his knowledge and feel for the game of basketball are what puts Trent into the category of "elite" when it comes to coaching.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 09 April 2008 )
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Written by SG
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Wednesday, 09 April 2008 |
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Wolves guard Randy Foye said he will take the last
week of the season seriously because he wants the team to finish strong
and wants to prove he can be a leader. Wittman met with the team Monday
and then alone with Foye and Al Jefferson.
"You can lead by example," Foye said. "That's the thing he explained to me yesterday."
Wolves point guard Sebastian Telfair, who hasn't played since spraining
his ankle March 7 at Sacramento, is back practicing and could return
Friday at Orlando.
New York won its 22nd game, which means the 19-victory Wolves probably
won't finish any worse than having the fourth-best chance in the May
draft lottery. They trail Memphis by two victories and lead Seattle by
one. Miami (14 victories) is a lock for the most lottery chances.
As of Tuesday, the odds of the Timberwolves winning the No. 1
pick in the NBA draft lottery were 13.7 percent. Miami was at 24.7
percent, followed by Seattle at 19.4 percent.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 09 April 2008 )
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Written by SG
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Wednesday, 09 April 2008 |
Wittman played Rashad McCants just 3 minutes, 11
seconds Tuesday night at Charlotte because of what the coach described
as a lack of professionalism. Wittman replaced McCants with veteran
Greg Buckner.
Buckner had appeared in just one game since the
all-star break, but he played 31 minutes and scored 13 points to spark
the Wolves' comeback attempt, which fell short in a 121-119 loss to the
Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Wolves record: 19-58
Buckner played the entire fourth quarter and Jefferson supplied 29 of
his 40 points -- which tied a career high -- after halftime.
"Greg Buckner, he was the reason why we had the chance to win tonight,"
Wittman said. "Nobody else. He hadn't played in a couple of months and
he didn't mope. We called and he was ready to play. Our young guys
should learn a lesson from that. We're not going to let guys go out and
play with no effort or purpose."
Wolves forward Al Jefferson came alive as tonight’s game
progressed, but his slow start contributed to his team’s big hole
early. He tied his career-high with 40 points, but it wasn’t enough as
the Wolves lost 121-119 at Charlotte.
“He
was just going to go through the motions in the first quarter,” coach
Randy Wittman said. “We get down (almost) 20. He’s got to learn. He’s a
young kid. We all get paid for 82 games. There’s no games you just take
off. We don’t do it that way. He got embarrassed a little bit and then
he wakes up and plays pretty hard.”
The Wolves are firming up the third-best chance in the NBA draft
lottery after losing their fifth consecutive game on Tuesday in
Charlotte. Trailing by 18 points in the second quarter and by five in
the final minute, the Wolves had two chances to lead or tie in the
final 1.4 seconds, but squandered both: Randy Foye’s pass for Al
Jefferson on a pick-and-roll was behind the big guy and went off his
hands out of bounds with 1.4 seconds left. They still had life and the
ball back with .7 seconds left, but Jefferson’s baseline jumper hit the
front of the rim and bounded away.
The Bobcats let the Timberwolves, who entered the night with the
third-worst record in the NBA, back in the game with an anemic defense
and poor execution.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 09 April 2008 )
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Written by SG
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Tuesday, 08 April 2008 |
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The Timberwolves have begun the process of hyping Jefferson as this year's Most Improved Player, handing out pamphlets claiming, "In Big Al We Trust." Yet, Jefferson endears himself by his graciousness when the discussion of his chances of winning the award occurs.
"I just think LaMarcus (Aldridge) is more deserving than anybody because he wasn't even playing last year," says the gracious Jefferson. "No minutes or slim to none. What he did this year has just been incredible. If anything, I should have gotten it last year. This year, if I get it, it would be a wonderful honor, but I just think LaMarcus deserves it more than anybody."
His time in Minnesota may be unjustly brief, but if choosing to let Telfair walk is the path taken by the Timberwolves, he will justly have an opportunity elsewhere. Either way, this summer will be full of work for the pint-sized point guard.
"Well, it's going to be different this year for me because I won't be able to play a lot of five-on-five until I sign a contract," says Telfair. "Usually, I get back into it by lifting, running and I bike. Then you get back onto the court, get in the gym every day and taking shots, getting individual workouts and then playing five-on-five. Every day."
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 08 April 2008 )
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Columnists
Sonia Grover started her Wolves site, "I Heart KG", in 2006. In the wake of the big trade, she moved over to TWolvesBlog and brought her column,
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Dave Kelsey, life-long Wolves fan, season ticket holder, and forum post champion gives his humorous take on the Wolves and life in general in
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As one of the 78 owners of Troy Hudson's "Undrafted", its clear that Anthony Hall isn't afraid to go against the grain. He offers up his one-of-a-kind take on the Timberwolves in his column,
"In the Paint"
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Jeremy Knutson packed up his stuff from the Old Wolves Logo, drove over to the TWolvesBlog, unloaded the car, and now invites you to come along for a ride through the NBA in his
"Hoop De Ville"
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