Happy New Year, Wolves...Need a Win in Charlotte

Although the Timberwolves did catch a few bad breaks last night against the New Jersey Nets, a loss is a loss. The Wolves are now two games below 0.500, Kevin Garnett is in a shooting slump, Mike James and Ricky Davis are consistently inconsistent and Randy Foye is still learning.

Of course, a decent amount of the team’s lackluster play is on the shoulders of Coach Dwane Casey, but he has shown growth in the past week. Casey has now developed enough confidence to pull struggling Mike James and insert Foye at a much quicker rate recently. Showing he would much rather take his lumps with a developing rookie over a struggling veteran can be a risky move, but in this case is the correct one.

The problem right now is that he still will not bench Ricky Davis when he is not playing defense. In my article for SPM Sports on Marko Jaric, I spoke with Coach on his seemingly short leash on Marko Jaric. Jaric stated that he was not happy with his role and has more to give this team, if only given the chance. As stated before, when Davis is rolling he certainly helps this team, but when his shot is not falling, thus causing his defense to suffer, he can lose a game for Minnesota on his own. This seems to be the obvious time to insert Jaric.

To a certain degree, it may seem as if I'm obsessed or harping on this point. I feel very strongly that this would help the team significantly.

Hopefully, Coach Casey can figure this out soon. It is great to see his ability to go with Foye over James lately, but he still has another adjustment to make before full credit can be given.

Marko Jaric Deserves More Playing Time

Entering action Friday night against the travel-weary Seattle Supersonics, Marko Jaric was averaging 5.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Although these numbers on their own do not fly off the page at you, Jaric is one of the most important pieces of the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball team.

http://www.spmsportsinc.com/published/spmfeatures/marko-jaric-deserves-more.shtml

The Most Boring Game of the Season

Last night, the Timberwolves took advantage of the Seattle Supersonics weariness. After having a difficult time getting out of Denver after the game on Thursday, the Sonics made it to town with very little rest.

This was a game, as I stated in my last post, that Minnesota had to win. They did. Now, can they follow it up and get a win in New Jersey tonight? The second half of back to backs are always tough, but after the Sonics game in which the Wolves main players rested for most of the fourth quarter, they need to take advantage tonight.

After the New Jersey game is completed, the Wolves have finished the first two months of the season. With a win, they would return to the 0.500 mark. In the month of January, the Wolves have nine home games, along with road games against the Bobcats, Grizzlies and Blazers. This is the time to make a push.

The telling point of the season should be the week of January 22-27, where the Wolves play five road games in that stretch against the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Portland Trailblazers, Seattle Supersonics and Los Angeles Clippers. Starting with tonight’s game against New Jersey and ending with the Clippers game on the 27th of January, Wolves fans and, more importantly, the Timberwolves themselves should know what kind of team they have.


Come back to Wolves Hoops Blog soon to see my
one-on-one interview with Marko Jaric.

Weather in Denver Today Favors Timberwolves Tomorrow

As the Seattle Supersonics play the Denver Nuggets in Colorado tonight, the Minnesota Timberwolves are home. Tomorrow night, these same Sonics will invade the Target Center, attempting to be the next in the line of visiting teams to win in Minneapolis.

After a tough loss in Toronto last night, the Wolves are in great need of a win. Well, this is their shot. Seattle is a respectable team, but certainly beatable. Especially since a lot of factors are favoring Minnesota.

Ray Allen is not playing against Denver since he is awaiting the birth of his second child. Some reports are stating that he will meet up with the team in Minneapolis in time to play against Minnesota, but without confirmation of the birth, he’s not going anywhere.

I wish Ray and his family the best during this great moment in their lives, but his fiancé can take her time having this baby.

Rashard Lewis is also out. With a torn tendon in his hand, he will not see action for awhile.

As the Wolves rest tonight and, in theory, should be fresh tomorrow night, the Sonics will be on the second half of a back-to-back.

The other factor in the Wolves favor is the weather in Denver. The Sonics would have a late night anyway, flying from Denver to Minneapolis, but with the snowstorm in Colorado it could be even later.

Will they even be able to get out of Denver? Will they be able to leave tonight or will they have to wait for morning?

With or without Ray Allen, there is absolutely no excuse why the Wolves should not defeat the Sonics Friday night.

Ben Wallace Thinks Garnett Should Retire a Timberwolf

Let’s face it. When a superstar player leaves the team that made him famous to chase an NBA Championship at the end of their career, it is sad sight to see. Whether the player leaves on his own accord or the team finally decides that it is in their best interest to finally trade him, it is always depressing.

http://www.spmsportsinc.com/published/spmfeatures/ben-wallace-thinks-kevin--2.shtml

Mark Blount and Randy Foye

As this blog is still relatively new, I thought I would post my one-on-one interviews with Mark Blount and Randy Foye for those of you who may have missed them.

Mark Blount
After being part of the Wally Szczerbiak trade between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics last season, Mark Blount was looking for a jump start to his basketball career.

More...
http://www.spmsportsinc.com/published/spmfeatures/mark-blount-minnesotas-so.shtml

Randy Foye
Coming off an MVP showing in summer league play, rookie Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves was being mentioned as a likely candidate for the Rookie of the Year award.

More...
http://www.spmsportsinc.com/published/spmarticles/minnesota-timberwolves-ro.shtml

Coach Casey's Biggest Flaw

In a time where every Wolves loss brings more and more conversations about a firing of Coach Dwane Casey, he finally seems to be feeling the heat. Casey has been much more eager to call a timeout when things are getting out of hand, he has been more receptive to ideas from his assistant coaches and he is even allowing for the players to have some say of what should be done as they are the ones on the floor with a close up of the action.

Although it may be unfair for Casey to be taking the heat for a team constructed by Kevin McHale, he did accept the job and the scrutiny that comes with it. As much as most fans do not want to see the areas of growth, he has indeed grown since last season. Does he still have a ways to go? Yes.

Right now, the glaring area where Coach Casey is lacking is in consistency. Last season he had a short leash with then rookie, Rashad McCants, while this season he eased this year’s first round gem, Randy Foye, into the mix.

Marko Jaric, who was mostly a disappointment last season, has shown great leaps of improvement in his play and confidence when given playing time, yet he is the Timberwolves player whose chocked by Casey’s tug on the leash.

The problem is that Casey is rough on the wrong player. The player he should be pulling from games with more regularity is Ricky Davis.

When Davis is motivated, he can play outstanding defense. The problem is that Davis himself struggles with consistency in that department. When asked about this topic, Casey answers with the “Ricky’s offense is needed out on the court.” This answer is contradictory to Casey’s defensive philosophy and he needs to find a way to have the same guts to bench Davis when he’s not playing defense like he does with the rest of the team.

The Timberwolves, in both wins and losses recently, have been moving the ball much better than earlier in the season, which creates open shots for anyone. This is due to Kevin Garnett’s aggression and decision-making, mostly in the low post, so why not let Garnett quarterback this team when Davis is out? Why not give Jaric the minutes he deserves, especially since the combo of Trenton Hassell and Jaric has been surprisingly effective recently?

Simply put, if Casey can find the consistency needed to pull Davis when he is not effective, the Timberwolves would be better off. More importantly, at least to Coach Casey, his seat on the sidelines might not be in jeopardy.

My Christmas Gifts to the Timberwolves

After Thursday's inexcusable loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, I was determined to sit down and point out every fault in every player, coach and executive in the Minnesota Timberwolves organization that I have witnessed. As someone who has been dubbed by many as “the eternal optimist,” I left the Target Center incredibly frustrated, just like all fans in attendance.

More...
http://www.spmsportsinc.com/published/spmfeatures/my-christmas-gifts-to-the.shtml

(Although the Bucks game was Friday night! Oops.)

Coming soon...

My Christmas gifts to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

One-On-One With Kobe Bryant: This Writer's Dream

In an empty visitor’s locker room in the Target Center prior to the Los Angeles Lakers crushing defeat of the Minnesota Timberwolves, SPMSportsInc.com’s Stephen Litel had a rare opportunity. Although brief, the Lakers superstar sat down with Litel for a chat.


http://www.spmsportsinc.com/published/spmfeatures/oneonone-with-kobe-bryant.shtml

Coming soon...

My one-on-one interview with the one and only Kobe Bryant.

Questions for Timberwolves?

Feel free to post questions here for players or Coach Casey that you would like to have answered. I will do my best to retrieve the answers to your questions.

Post the specific player or players names you would like asked along with the question and I will do my best.

Please know that I do have the ability to filter questions here and only legitimate questions will be posted. Only those questions will be given the chance to be answered.

The Allen Iverson Watch is Finally Over

Well, the Allen Iverson watch is finally over. I, for one, am glad although it does sting to see him go to the Denver Nuggets, the Timberwolves division rival.

Many will disagree with me on this, to be certain, but I believe NOT trading for Iverson was the best move by the Timberwolves in this situation. With Iverson in a Wolves jersey, Minnesota had a window of opportunity around three seasons. They would have no depth for the remainder of this season and struggle mightily to find solid contributors who come on the cheap, due to huge contracts of both Iverson and Garnett.

Iverson in Minnesota would have down three things. One, it would have guaranteed that Kevin Garnett ended his career in Minnesota (without a championship). Two, it would have sold out the Target Center for every home game during the time that he was here, leading to…Three, it would have either made owner Glen Taylor a personal profit or, at least, allowed him to break even.

By not getting Iverson, the Timberwolves organization is actually setting itself up for better success in the future. Does that future include Kevin Garnett? Hopefully, but who know at this point? With a young, solid core of Randy Foye, Rashad McCants and Craig Smith, Minnesota has begun to position themselves for the post-KG era.

Garnett himself has said how much he thoroughly enjoys this team and that their biggest issue is finding a way to play consistently for 48 minutes. I do not believe that this is the straw that broke the camel’s back, enraging Garnett into such a fury that he finally demands to be traded. I believe, as I was present when Garnett commented on Iverson, that Garnett enjoyed the idea of playing with Iverson, but, in his heart of hearts, knows that it would not have been the way to bring himself a championship.

I agree 100% with a comment made by one of my friends at http://www.mnsportsfans.com/ when he said the following…

“Play Randy Foye 35 minutes a night. If he was valuable enough to withhold from the deal, get his butt on the court.”

I am a big fan of Randy Foye, both as a person and as a basketball player, maybe more so than most. He has shown flashes of what he capable of, but, as expected, makes rookie mistakes. It is time to get him out on the court significantly more than what time he has been getting this far into the season and see what happens.

James, Davis, Jaric and Hassell for AI?

Rumors are circulating at the moment that the Timberwolves have offered the above players to Philadelphia for Allen Iverson. At first glance, one takes pause. However, after further thought, I believe that this would be an acceptable trade.

If this trade were correct, the Wolves lineup should be the following:

PG-Foye/Hudson
SG-Iverson/Wright
SF-McCants (eventually)/Reed
PF-Garnett/Smith/Madsen/Griffin
C-Blount/Smith/Madsen/Griffin

Although Rashad McCants is somewhat small for a forward position, it seems to be a position he was born to play with his three point shooting. With a starting lineup of Foye, Iverson, McCants, Garnett and Blount, with Craig Smith substituting in at the power forward position, thus moving Garnett to center at times, the Timberwolves should be able to run opponents out of the gym.

Also, with this lineup the Wolves have a great blend of veteran leadership and youth. The two former MVP's will demand a high level of play from the young players, which would be beneficial in the present as well as the future as they will be developing their skills in a high pressure situation at a much faster rate. With a young core of Foye, McCants and Smith, the Timberwolves would be in a relatively respectable position once Iverson and Garnett leave, either through trades, free-agency or retirement.

Not to mention that this deal does not include addition draft picks, with the Wolves already short in that department for the foreseeable future. Another plus.

The only concern is Minnesota's lack of big men, which has already been the concern throughout this season. With one injury, the depth is shot. In that case, Minnesota now would have the ability to sign free agents throughout the season to fill some holes (see: Jamaal Magloire this summer). Hopefully, on the cheap.

Again, this is only speculation since nobody really knows who will win the Iverson sweepstakes, but this proposed trade is something that Billy King really should consider.

Wolves Locker Room

When entering the Wolves locker room, you are greeted by two relics hanging on the wall. The first is a framed Malik Sealy jersey with a photo of Sealy along with it and the second is this poem...


Now this is the Law of the Jungle
as old and as true as the sky;
And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper,
but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk
the Law runneth forward and back
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf
and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.

By Rudyard Kipling

Iverson Rumors Aside, the Wolves Beat the Best Team in the NBA

Considering all of the Allen Iverson coming to Minnesota talk going on right now, I have decided to take my cue from Coach Casey. Until I hear those magic words: “Allen Iverson is now a Minnesota Timberwolf,” I will focus on the players who actually wear a Minnesota jersey. . .

http://www.spmsportsinc.com/published/spmfeatures/with-all-the-allen-iverso-2.shtml

Coach After Denver Loss

“It’s disappointing. I mean, you’re going to have that in the NBA season, but to come home and play a division leader tonight and not have the energy and focus needed tonight really was disappointing. All the players are disappointed, as well they should be.”

Garnett On Defense

Wolves are among league leaders in defense...

“We’re new-found hyenas, if you will. It’s that hyena defense. That’s when we’re just pounding you with, not one or two guys, but all five of us. Then it seems like there are ten Timberwolves out there on the floor. All we’re doing is playing basketball and the defense is winning it for us.”

Foye On The Clipper Comeback

Foye comments on the loudest Target Center crowd of the season...

“Man, that feels good when the crowd is behind you like that. On defense and the crowd chants ‘Defense,’ and it’s just like if you’re tired it gives you an extra boost of energy. You know the home court advantage is really working.”

Mike James Rant

On the cut on Mark Blount's head...

“You see that cut on his head? My man got hit in the head with a bottle at the club. Really. He got hit in the head with a bottle. I was with him. I ran. We were in VIP, you know what I’m saying? Actually, it was me fighting and then he ran. I caught him running while I was, like, fighting and I was like ‘Oh, shit. What’s he running for?’ You know what I’m saying? Because he was leaving me. So, I picked up a bottle, I was trying to hit the guy next to me, but I made a mistake and hit him in the head.”

Craig Smith's Missed Dunk Against New York

Kevin Garnett when asked if missing a dunk like that is embarassing...

“Nah, man. You’re going to miss dunks in this league. You’re going to get dunked on, you dunk on people, air-balling, missing shots. It’s just going to happen as part of the game. But, did you see the one he made? Rocked that mother fucking rim! He’s a mother fucking beast. I love him. I love our young guys.

Rashad McCants According to Coach

“He’s on schedule, working hard everyday. He’s ahead of schedule. They tell me late December, early January. Somewhere in there. I don’t like seeing him in street clothes. I’d much rather see him in uniform. I told him I’d rather have him in uniform than speaking to the crowd, even though I thought he did an excellent job. He’s been great, cheering the guys on, listening in practice and paying attention, so he’s been great.”

Coach Casey Praising Marko Jaric

Regarding Marko changing positions this season...and thriving.

“It’s really big of Marko. He’s done a great job of accepting his role. We sat down and talked before the season started and he was willing to play any position because of, one, playing time. We’re top heavy at the point and he saw where he could come in now and really get some serious minutes. I’ve got to do a better job of finding a way to get him some touches, of getting him involved better in the offense. We’ve got so many guys who can handle the ball get shots, so with that second unit we can get him involved in pick and rolls where he can attack the basket with his length because he’s probably going to have a three man on him. So, that’s what we expect out of him and Marko’s done a great job of making that adaptation. Defensively, he’s done a great job at guarding three’s, taking challenges like Artest and then guys like Kobe. He’s done a good job on those guys, so it’s a big transformation for Marko, but he’s accepted the challenge and has done a good job.”

Garnett on Mark Blount, aka "Blizz."

“Yeah, Blizz is having a pretty good year. I think, potentially, he could have an even better one. Right now he’s playing real well for us. Him and I probably connected the most out of anybody here. We got the whole one-two punch going when it comes to guarding and post work and interacting with each other. That’s important. Post guys have to be on the same page. So now, we’re trying to connect with other guys and consistently be connected as a team for 48 minutes.”

Kevin Garnett's Wants This Team Judged On It's Own Merits

After the opening night win against the Sacramento Kings, Garnett was quite pissed when asked if he was proud that this team was able to close the game out strong which was something Minnesota struggled with last season...

“Fuck last year. I’m not talking about nothing that goes on last year. Don’t ask me no more fucking questions about last year. I’m glad we executed. We’ve got a totally new team, new nucleus, a great chemistry. Tonight we was aggressive in the fourth quarter. Yeah, they made a run, but that’s the league. What we have to continue to do is add on to this. One of the lessons in life that we’ve learned since we’ve been playing ball is that add on to what you’ve been doing. This is a great stepping stone, not only for us, but for the confidence of the team. It helps the team chemistry, the flow and going onto the road it’s a nice test to get the home opener in front of our fans at the Target Center. It’s good. It was a great night.”

Work In Progress

Please keep checking back for updates on the Timberwolves book, as well as links to my articles and random Wolves thoughts.