Wolves Host Kings After Big Phoenix Win

Check back with Wolves Hoops Blog on Thursday for my SPM Sports Inc article on this game.

After defeating the Pistons in Detroit on January 15, I warned of a letdown. The Timberwolves followed up their great win with a loss at home to the Atlanta Hawks, followed by the temper-tantrum rematch with Detroit in which Ricky Davis refused to re-enter the game and Kevin Garnett ejected for fighting with Antonio McDyess. Minnesota’s troubles continued with four more losses on the road, a coaching change and questions again regarding Garnett’s future in the Twin Cities.

Now, coming off two straight wins against the LA Clippers and the Phoenix Suns, Minnesota needs to again be careful not to disappoint the fans and, more importantly, themselves. Although Sacramento, who holds a 17-26 record coming in, surely is a better team then Atlanta, this is a game that the Timberwolves should win.

The Kings are playing their final game of a four game road trip, losing the first three stops along the way. Proving they are just as schizophrenic as Minnesota, Sacramento has lost to the Hornets (without Chris Paul) and the Grizzlies on this trip. Yet, they played the Dallas Mavericks tough in Dallas, losing by only two points. Which Sacramento team will show up in Minneapolis Wednesday night is anyone’s guess.

Kevin Garnett and company need to take their cue from new head coach Randy Wittman, who said after the big Phoenix win, “As I told the guys afterwards, you know what? I believed in you. You guys believed you could do it and you did it. This should not be a surprise for us. They are in our building. We’ve got to develop more pride in this place,” Coach Wittman preached. “These are our fans. This is our community. There not here to watch Phoenix…they’re here to watch us. They were great tonight.”

Minnesota must take care of their home court before they themselves head out on the road for three games against New Orleans, Dallas and Houston. Although the record under coach Wittman is 2-2 entering the Sacramento game, the Wolves have played hard for four quarters in each game and giving their maximum effort. As Witt said, if they continue to do that, the wins will take care of themselves.

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Visitor Role Call

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Wolves Snap Suns Streak, But That's Not The Story

I had the opportunity to watch two great basketball games last night.

When I arrived at the Target Center, two basketball teams, comprised of roughly 10 year olds, were engaged in battle on the Target Center floor. As I prepared my materials for the upcoming Phoenix Suns/Minnesota Timberwolves game, I could not help but watch these kids play the game they love.

More...

http://www.spmsportspage.com/published/spmfeatures/this-is-the-right-coach-f.shtml

Wolves Chances Slim Against Phoenix

Be sure to check back with Wolves Hoops Blog on Tuesday for my SPM Sports Inc article on this game. There certainly will be much to talk about.

With the historic winning streak that the Phoenix Suns are on right now, some may look at Minnesota’s chances as slim to none tomorrow night. In their first game home after a long road trip, winning only one out of five games and a coaching shakeup, the Wolves will attempt to fight back to the 0.500 mark with a victory.

There are a few reasons that Minnesota has a decent shot to win the game. First of all, Phoenix will be playing the second game of a back to back after winning in Cleveland Sunday. Although the Suns team is full of athletes, one has to think at some point they have to run out of gas. Will it happen in Minnesota? Probably not, but who knows?

Secondly, it seems as if Cleveland gave a glimpse into how to defeat the Suns, although Phoenix pulled away in the second half. Slow the game down, move the ball from side to side and attack. Phoenix is not a great defensive team, although they do have individual defenders who can be stellar. Obviously what Minnesota needs to avoid is to get into a fast-paced game against this team or they will completely run the Wolves out of the Target Center.

Finally, Minnesota has the “what the heck” factor. Coming into the game under 0.500, playing against a team who has won 17 straight games and holds an overall record of 36-8, nobody really expect the Wolves to have a shot. With that, some of the pressure is off the Wolves and they can go out there and just play. Stick to your gameplan, fight with all you have and have fun. Coach Wittman has reminded his team numerous times already that this is indeed a game and should be fun.

Win or lose, it will be fun for the fans.

Checking In With Coach Ociepka-Los Angeles

I would like to whole-heartedly thank Coach Ociepka for taking the time to check in with Wolves Hoops Blog while on this long and crazy trip for the Wolves. He certainly had more on his mind, but found the time after each game to check in and it is very much appreciated.

With that, the final Checking In With Coach Ociepka.

What does it say about this team at the end of a long road trip, taking a hit in the mouth in the fourth quarter and losing the lead, you were able to scrap and fight and were able to pull off a win?

Yeah, we did hang on to win that game. Coach Randy Wittman got his first win here in Los Angeles. It was a hard-fought win. They had changed from man to man to zone to start the fourth quarter, changing up their defense a little bit. Sometimes it takes a little bit to adjust to it. That was why they were able to take the lead, their zone defense. A timely timeout, getting guys on track, getting the ball moving from side to side and once we were able to establish that, we were able to get back on top. It was adjustments by the players on the floor. They got the ball inside better and, as a result, were able to put that game away.

Mike James has been playing better as of late. Can you speak on him some?

Mike came back into the game and played very well for us. He helped to lead the resurgence against the zone, he got the ball moving and was a big part of our attack. We are pleased with the way he came in and finished off the game. Randy Wittman will go with the guy that is playing the best and that’s the way it should be. Mike certainly did a good job for most of the night.

Marko Jaric is seeing more minutes lately. Is that due to his health improving or does Coach Wittman, in a sense, have more confidence in him then Coach Casey had?

It is partly due to his injury not being as bad as it was. We missed him in the games that he didn’t play in because he’s so versatile. He can play any of the 1, 2 or 3 positions and that gives us a good defensive matchup against guys, so we missed him when he was out. I think his playing is more about him being healthier and his minutes will stay steady as long as he’s productive and he certainly has been.

During this losing streak heading into the Clipper game, there are some fans who are jumping off the Wolves bandwagon, so to speak. What would you say to those fans as the season has just passed the halfway point?

For those fans, NBA games are hard to win. A lot of them go to the wire. There are a lot of one or two point swings that determine the game. I think the two losses in Portland and Seattle were very gut-wrenching, very tough, but we were in position to win both of them and felt that we should have won both of them. Sometimes things don’t go your way and that’s the way these NBA games are. What we are pleased with is the effort of these guys, they’re hanging together, they’re battling and their resilience shows in this win here in Los Angeles, coming back from two very tough losses. All we can ask them is to give the effort they are giving, play together and if we keep doing that things will pay off. Hopefully the fans will hang in with us, knowing that when there is a coaching change there is an adjustment period and it takes a little bit of time. I think the three games we’ve played under Coach Wittman, we were right there in position to win all three of them, we won this last one and now we get to come home and take on Phoenix.

Turnovers Kill Clippers Against Wolves

Be sure to come back tomorrow for Checking In With Coach Ociepka-Los Angeles for his thoughts and analysis from this game.

The most important thing that new head coach Randy Wittman has begun to accomplish is instilling new life and confidence into Mike James. With “bust” talk lingering over his head lately, James has been aggressive on both ends of the court and his three-point shooting has also improved. This began in the Portland game when Coach stayed with James in the fourth quarter, even though his play through the first three quarters did not warrant it. As stated then, Coach seemed to be telling James from game one that “I have faith in you.” Hopefully, that will continue.

No Timberwolves player is looking forward to coming home more than Randy Foye. He has had a rough trip offensively, but he is still getting starter minutes, learning from each game. His playmaking ability has also shown signs of improving, which was one of the biggest weaknesses in his game to start the season. Foye did have a few big shots in the fourth quarter, he needs some love from the hometown fans.

What many will be watching for will be which guard Coach Wittman will go with in the fourth quarter. On a rare night like this when Mike James has it going for the most part, does James stay in or does the clutch rookie, Randy Foye, get the nod? Or, in the best of both worlds, do both of them play alongside Hassell, sitting Davis in the fourth as his defense can not always be trusted?

In true superstar form, Kevin Garnett set the tone early for the Wolves. He was not going to allow his team to lose tonight. It is on nights like these where Garnett is rolling, Mike James is aggressive and the team is playing defense that makes one wish for that consistency that we have heard about all season. Play like this on most nights will lead to more checks in the win column.

Coach Wittman showed in this game that he is able to make on the fly decision-making, which, to some, was a weakness of Dwane Casey’s. By changing the substitution pattern in the second half, bringing Smith instead of Madsen off the bench, he showed that a player can earn more minutes through solid play. Although Mark Blount was in foul trouble, it is still scary when Smith and Madsen are on the floor together, but Garnett had to get rest for the fourth quarter.

The biggest downside to this game was the lack of production out of Ricky Davis. Although Coach Wittman is doing exactly as needed by sitting Davis when he is playing poorly. Marko Jaric certainly can be a liability at times with his turnovers seemingly coming in bunches, but when Jaric is playing well he is the Wolves X factor. Both positively and negatively, Marko Jaric’s play off the bench is a determining factor in each and every game.

Minnesota took a punch in the mouth from the Clippers, losing the lead after being up ten points. As was stated at the half, were the Clippers turnovers due to Minnesota’s defense or LA’s bad play? Starting the season off well in close games, Minnesota has faltered recently in that department. Hopefully, a win like this against the Clippers can get them back on track.

On an off-note, Craig Smith is quickly gaining on Troy Hudson for the worst hairdo on the team.

The Halftime Report-Los Angeles

The Wolves started their game with the Clippers with the most heart and energy that we’ve seen from them on this road trip. Maybe it was Coach Wittman starting to get through to the players, maybe it was KG sparking his team with his defense or maybe they are just a team who does not want to finish this five game road trip 0-5.

One of the obvious changes under Randy Wittman is in Garnett himself. KG has been notorious throughout his career for taking jump shots from the outside and fading away on his post moves. In the past few games, Garnett is putting his head down and driving to the hoop, forcing the action.

Ricky Davis had a rough start to the game on the offensive end although he was playing decent defensively. It is on nights like this where subbing Davis out for Jaric would be beneficial. As stated before, the combination of Hassell and Jaric has been productive this year. As this paragraph is being written, Coach subs Jaric for Davis with the Wolves lead 21-14.

How great is it to see Rashad McCants in uniform? Even if he does see minutes tonight, he will only play in spurts. McCants’ appearance suited up should hype up Wolves fans. With Mike James struggling with his three-point shot this season, McCants could be that consistent outside threat which is much needed in the Minnesota attack.

Due to the fast start, Minnesota was able to find minutes for Garnett to rest. This obviously is a good thing as Coach Wittman was able to “steal” time. Anytime that can happen, it is beneficial to your team in the second half.

Are the turnovers by the Clippers product of the Wolves defense or were they just not ready to play at the start? Either way, Coach Dunleavy will certainly have them focused coming out of the half so the Wolves will need to match that energy.

Although the offense becomes stagnant at times and spacing can still be an issue, there is more movement in Minnesota’s offense. With a few practices coming up at home, the Wolves can continue to build on what Coach Wittman is preaching. Phoenix, Sacramento, New Orleans and Dallas are coming up for Minnesota, so they need to be quick studies.

Wolves In Need of Win Against LA Clippers

Be sure to come back at the half for The Halftime Report as well as after the game for thought/analysis. Coach Bob Ociepka will also be calling for the final Checking In With Coach Ociepka-Los Angeles tomorrow.

The Wolves complete their five game road trip tonight against the LA Clippers, still in search of their first win of the trip. Coming off two tough losses to Portland and Seattle, the Wolves definitely will need to work tonight as the Clippers are quite tough at home.

Although the storyline is becoming old, Sam Cassell will certainly have the Clippers ready to play tonight. Coming off an off night against the Supersonics, Kevin Garnett will also be focused and ready to fight. What amazes about Garnett is that on a rare off evening, he still nearly achieves a triple-double. The Clippers had better have a game plan for the Big Ticket.

After defeating the Pistons in Detroit to bring their record to 20-16, the Wolves have now lost six straight games, seen Kevin Garnett and Ricky Davis suspended, fired a coach and the bottom seems to be falling out. With both Phoenix and Dallas on the upcoming schedule, Minnesota is in need of a win tonight.

Arriving in LA late after a tough loss to Seattle, we should not expect to see too many changes in the Minnesota attack. However, new head coach Randy Wittman can certainly make some lineup changes that will help the Wolves achieve victory. Trenton Hassell, who nearly had a triple-double himself last night, was struggling on the defensive end. Yet, former Clipper Marko Jaric, played Ray Allen much better, but was subbed out in crunch time. This move was certainly a factor in the loss.

Craig Smith, coming of his career high in points, made an extremely strong case for being the first big off the bench for Minnesota. Mark Madsen, although strong defensively and always energetic, is needed at times, but should not be relied upon. Also, if Madsen is on the court, Kevin Garnett must be out there with him or, at the very least, Mark Blount. Madsen and Smith on the court together has been disaster for Minnesota.

The Wolves are excited to close out this long week and come home, but they could come home with a small bit of their confidence back to the Cities with them. A matchup with Phoenix awaits them at the Target Center and to have any chance in front of the home crowd, they will need to be a confident bunch. That being the case, Kevin Garnett and company have a lot of work to do…starting tonight in LA.

Checking In With Coach Ociepka-Seattle

Your rookies played well tonight. Can you speak on Randy Foye and Craig Smith?

Craig was fantastic. He did a terrific job on the boards. They did some double-teaming to Kevin Garnett, which effected his play a little bit, but Craig really slid into the open slot and drove to the basket. As I said, he got on the glass for us and was a force and, as a result, Randy Wittman had him finish the game tonight.

Randy also logged big minutes. There’s a lot of responsibilities for a point guard, but he’s growing each time out. We watched some tape of a previous game defensively and he was better defensively tonight. He keeps growing as an offensive player too. We’re happy with the progress of both rookies.

Kevin Garnett had a rare rough game, although he was one assist off a triple-double. Do you expect him to come out strong tonight to, in a sense, make up for his rough night?

Kevin, you expect great things from him every night because of the player he is, but he usually doesn’t have two bad games in a row. A bad game for him is a good game for a lot of players. I’m sure he will be ready to go tomorrow night in LA and we expect better things tomorrow.

Trenton Hassell also flirted with a triple-double tonight. Can you speak on his value to this team?

He’s our defender. When we make our game plans, when we look at playing a Ray Allen or a Kobe Bryant, guys of that caliber, Trenton’s the one who has the task of being assigned to those guys. It takes a lot of pressure off the coach, knowing you’ve got Trenton to guard those guys with minimal help. Although players of that caliber are going to put up numbers because of the volume of shots they take and because of their talent, one guy can’t do it alone, but Trenton does a heck of a job. He’s a guy who can also post up which he’s done some of that for us lately. He’s taking guys down in the post, forcing double-teams and finding open players playing off of him. He’s very valuable to us, not just from a defensive standpoint, but offensively as well. I know the other players appreciate his effort and work out on the court.

Is the team antsy to get back to Minnesota after a long road trip?

Yeah, we are antsy to get home, readjust to the time zones and so on. It seems like we’ve been out here awhile, but that’s the way the league is. We’ve got a game tomorrow night, then we come back and have to readjust to play Phoenix on Monday. So, yeah, we’re anxious to get back.

Wolves Can't Stop Ray Allen and Lose to Sonics

Check back tomorrow for Checking In With Coach Ociepka-Seattle

for his thoughts on this game.

Minnesota has hung their hats on being a defensive team so far this season, but on this road trip the Wolves have really struggled to shut down the other team. Tonight against Seattle, the obvious key matchup was Trenton Hassell on Ray Allen.

Whenever you play a player of that caliber, you must decide if you will let the star go off while shutting down his teammates or to constantly take the ball out of the star’s hands, making the “other guys” beat you. Tonight, the Wolves did neither. With Allen scoring at will throughout the game, Minnesota needed to buckle down and not allow guys like Chris Wilcox, Nick Collison and certainly not someone like Mickael Gelabale get hot.

On the few nights that Hassell struggles defensively like this, it would be beneficial to switch Marko Jaric onto him. Jaric certainly has had his struggles this season, but think back to how he and Hassell combined to shut down Tracy McGrady earlier in the season in the fourth quarter. He was remarkable. Coach Wittman could slowly build Jaric’s confidence back up by giving him responsibilities like this.

Although, it is hard to criticize Hassell too much as he did nearly have a triple double.

The one confusion in the rotation right now is when Mark Madsen and Craig Smith are on the court at the same time. They did luck out and play well tonight, but it is hard to believe that a combo of those two will consistently produce.

Another point of interest is in the bench play. Minnesota has not been able to trust its bench throughout the season, but it is nights like this that make one wonder what if. What if the bench could give a consistent effort? Where would the Wolves be then?

With tonight’s loss, the Wolves fall to two games below the 0.500 mark. With a matchup with Sam Cassell and the LA Clippers looms tomorrow night, Minnesota potentially could be looking at an 0-5 trip. This will be a tough game for Minnesota, especially being the second game of a back to back. Looking at the schedule before they left on this trip, a 2-3 trip was hoped for. With an improbable win tomorrow against LA, the Wolves would finish 1-4.

The Halftime Report-Seattle

Check back with Wolves Hoops Blog after the game for thoughts/analysis. Also, check back tomorrow for Checking In With Coach Ociepka-Seattle.

The Timberwolves started off their contest against the Sonics very sluggish…almost as if they were on the fourth game on a five game road trip. Although it does not occur very often, the reason for the Wolves slow start was Kevin Garnett.

Garnett was not playing his normal stellar defense in the first half, again not showing well on pick and rolls. He had a few early turnovers and was not shooting well. What is promising for the Wolves is how the rest of the team covered for their superstar as he continues to work to get himself on track.

It was only one half, but how nice was it to see Mike James hit a couple three pointers? James, to this point, has been a disappointment, but if he were able to get his three point shooting on track he would benefit the rest of the team. Garnett and Blount would have more room to operate down low and Ricky Davis would have more driving lanes to break down the defense. Hopefully, he can continue to get himself on track as well.

Through the first game and a half of the Randy Wittman era, there are a few changes that are notable. First of all, Mark Madsen has been the first big subbing into the game, which is somewhat surprising. Although most fans would like to see Craig Smith instead of Mad Dog, Smith has somewhat hit that rookie wall. Now that the opposing teams are able to scout Smith, he does not surprise teams anymore and must now find a way to work through this. By his play tonight, Smith looks to be up to the challenge of earning back his minutes.

As has been the case all season, rebounding is still a major concern for the Wolves. An addition of someone like a Nazr Mohammed would be great for this team, adding another big while subtracting a guard from Minnesota’s surplus. Does Coach Wittman truly believe in what Marko Jaric can bring to the table or has he been playing more lately to showcase for the Pistons? Either way, Jaric is playing a lot. It would be nice to see Foye and James play more minutes together when Jaric is struggling.

Randy Foye has had a rough road trip. It has been a few games since he has shown anything that excites. Has Foye also hit the rookie wall or is he just in a rookie slump? Hopefully, it is the latter. Also, as Jim Petersen mentioned during the local broadcast, when Garnett sits, Davis needs to be on the court. When they both are on the bench, Minnesota’s offense struggles, not being able to rely on Foye for consistent scoring and Blount plays better when playing off Garnett.

The Wolves need this win and are still right in it. Knowing the competitor’s heart that beats within Garnett, especially after his own rough start tonight, he will do whatever possible in the second half to pull out a win.

Timberwolves Look For First Win Of Trip In Seattle

Don’t forget to come back to Wolves Hoops Blog for the Halftime Report as well as thoughts/analysis after the game. Coach Bob Ociepka will also check in after the game for Checking In with Coach Ociepka, which will be posted tomorrow.

For game two under Randy Wittman, the Timberwolves face the Seattle Supersonics tonight in Seattle. Starting 0-3 on this five game road trip, Minnesota is in desperate need of a win tonight to fight back to the 0.500 mark.

There are many matchups that will tell the story of this game, but there is one that will determine the outcome of tonight’s contest. The key matchup tonight, obviously, is Trenton Hassell against Ray Allen, Seattle’s sharp-shooting guard. Averaging 26 points per game thus far into the season and coming off a 44 point effort against the Denver Nuggets, Allen is going to be a lot to handle.

Another thing to keep an eye out for is if Coach Wittman is able to make any changes to the lineups tonight. Although he did not and could not make too many changes before the Portland game on Wednesday, we should see a bit more of what changes he is going to make tonight. As a whole, these changes may be skewed, as the Wolves will be playing the first of a back to back. Tomorrow, the Wolves will travel to Los Angeles to play the Clippers before returning home.

Will this team continue to push the ball more, using their athleticism to their advantage? Will Randy Foye play starters minutes? Is Mark Madsen the first big off the bench again? Will Ricky Davis play defense tonight?

There are many questions to answer, and what is disturbing is that most of them are the same questions we have been asking all season.

Also, will former coach Dwane Casey be in attendance, although he stated today that he will be watching on TV? Stay tuned.

Checking In With Coach Ociepka-Portland

There seemed to be a concerted effort to push the tempo last night and to take quick shots, as long as they were smart shots. Is that something we should expect to see more of for the remainder of the season?

If you watch Portland’s team, they like a slow paced game. There in the bottom of field goals attempted, break points and so on. They like to walk it up to get Zach Randolph touches in the post, so we had a conscious effort to try to push the ball. Anytime you get easy opportunities for some easy baskets, you want to do that anyway, but as a team, when the opportunity presents itself we are going to push it. Yesterday was a more conscious effort to do that.

It seemed as if Coach Wittman found a way to sit Kevin Garnett more minutes in order to be fresh in crunch time. Is that the substitution pattern we should expect to see with KG from here on?

I think Randy Wittman has a plan to try and get him a little bit more rest. He’ll come out at the end of the first quarter and third quarter, so he can finish up each half and be fresh. That too was a conscious effort on Randy Wittman’s part.

Although Ricky Davis is capable of playing 48 minutes each and every night, is there also going to be an effort to reduce his minutes in order to be as fresh as possible in the second half of the season and, hopefully, the playoffs?

With all these guys, we want to keep them fresh. The plan is to use that bench a little bit more. Although he did play a lot yesterday, he hit all seven of his shots early and had some big shots for us down the stretch. I think Randy is looking to take advantage of the strengths of all these guys.

With the focus being on Coach Wittman’s role obviously changing on this road trip, how does your role, along with Coach Kalamian, change now?

With Randy Wittman now being asked to be the head coach, all of the assistants have to step up and make sure our voices are heard and try to give as much input as we can as the game is going on and also in practice. Being more vocal, giving suggestions. Again, as assistants, you have suggestions and the head coach has decisions. All of us will combine and step up in terms of input.

Wittman's Debut Ends In An Overtime Loss...But With Promise

Be sure to check back tomorrow for Checking In With Coach Ociepka-Portland for his thoughts/analysis on tonight's game.

If the remainder of the season is anything like tonight’s game against Portland, Timberwolves fans have a lot to be excited about. There, of course, is still work to be done, but by the hustle and heart this team showed tonight, fans can tell that the Wolves are giving them all they have.

In the first half the ball movement was beautiful. At times, all five men on the floor were offensive threats, making the defense sit back on their heels. Although the five man attack sputtered, the ball movement did not, more often then not ending up in the hands of Kevin Garnett for two points.

Many fans continue to question why Mark Madsen is seeing the amount of minutes he has lately, but Mad Dog contributes so much that does not show up in a stat sheet. He plays great pick and roll defense, whether or not he hauls in the rebound, he keeps the ball alive and, on this night, disrupted Zach Randolph in the second half. Madsen’s play, although not the sole reason, allowed for Garnett to sit early in the third quarter in order to be rested in the fourth.

Mike James played a lot of minutes in the second half, which was surprising. Yet, hopefully, this was Coach Wittman telling Mike James “I have faith in you.” Garnett and Davis have a surplus of confidence, but it is believed that James needed a nudge from his coach like this. Hopefully, this can help to build James confidence, allowing him to get his game back on track.

This team took a punch in the mouth from the Blazers in the fourth quarter. However, they absorbed the blow and fought until the very end. That is in no small part to Garnett’s opportunity to be fresh in crunch time. This really felt like a game that brings a team together, willing to fight to the end with and for each other…and for their new head coach.

Although the game did end in another Timberwolves loss, that motto "Grind It Out" comes to mind.

The Halftime Report-Portland

There have already been some big changes to the Timberwolves attack in the first half of the Randy Wittman era. Obviously, this game can still go either way, but win or lose tonight, the Wolves have found some area to build on.

The first thing that jumped out to start the game was the higher pace. There seems to be a conscious effort to push the ball up the court, taking early shots as long as they are smart shots. Ricky Davis has been notorious for taking shots early in the shot clock, most of the time with no teammates under the hoop to rebound. It may be working tonight, but it is still a scary thought to give them the green light to shoot early. If it works, this will be a major accomplishment for Coach Wittman.

Kevin Garnett was subbed out early for Mark Madsen, allowing Ticket to rest for a good chunk of time. The nice thing here is Coach Wittman, if this is the consistent substitution pattern for KG, is using the Michael Jordan substitution pattern that I have previously mentioned would be beneficial for Garnett. The Jordan substitution pattern is to sit with approximately 3-3 ½ minutes left in the first and third quarters, utilizing the extra few minutes between the quarters for rest. Hopefully, this will continue.

Randy Foye played starter minutes in the first half, although Mike James received the courtesy start. Not only is this what the fans want to see, but it is also most beneficial to the future of the Wolves both this season and beyond. Foye, who has shown flashes of the future, should be allowed to develop at a faster pace, which would be accomplished by having more court time with Garnett.

This is obviously just the first half of the remainder of the season, but the team as a whole looked as if they were embracing Wittman and his ideas. After more practices together, they should be able to clean up a few things, building on what is accomplished tonight.

An exciting aspect of all the craziness of the past few days is that the team is out on the road during this time. They have no other choice but to band together, move on and fight. From what has been shown so far tonight, they are doing just that.

Wittman Debuts As Wolves Coach Tonight In Portland

Randy Wittman makes his debut as the Head Coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight as they attempt to stay above 0.500 in Portland. Portland enters the game with a 17-25 record, while the Wolves are 20-20.

Although there should not be many changes visible tonight after a few short practices, what will be interesting to watch for will be the team’s energy, hustle and heart. A coaching change usually has an immediate effect on a team, whether good or bad, and depending on which reports you choose to believe, most of the players welcomed this change.

After a roller coaster ride of a week, Minnesota will fight to not fall below 0.500, hopefully winning their first game of this five game road trip. With Brandon Roy, who the Wolves drafted this past summer and then traded in order to obtain Randy Foye, the front-runner thus far for Rookie of the Year honors, along with a sometimes dangerous Portland attack, Minnesota will have their work cut out for them.

With this Portland game being the halfway point of the season, the Wolves should have a good idea of who they are as a team, ready to make a strong playoff push. However, they still have no idea of what they are capable of and what their identity is, which led to the firing of Coach Dwane Casey. Hopefully, Randy Wittman is the right man for the job and can make adjustments to playing time, lineups and substitutions along with finding a way to bring this team together to accomplish their goals.

Can he do it? Only time will tell…and that clock starts tonight in Portland.

See you tonight for the Halftime Report as well as thoughts/analysis post game

A Checklist For New Head Coach Randy Wittman

The expected has finally happened to the Timberwolves. Coach Dwane Casey has been fired, making room for Assistant Coach Randy Wittman to take the helm for the remainder of the season. Many thought that Casey should have been let go after his rookie coaching season, but Glen Taylor surrounded him with more experience by hiring both Wittman and Assistant Coach Bob Ociepka. But halfway through this season, Taylor has finally decided Casey’s 53-69 record was not good enough, and that the consistency of which Casey spoke of was not there.

More...
http://www.spmsportspage.com/published/spmfeatures/a-checklist-for-new-head-.shtml


Don't forget to come back to Wolves Hoops Blog tonight for the Halftime Report and thoughts/analysis after the game.

Checking In With Coach Ociepka-Utah

Your thoughts on Ricky’s game, coming back from his suspension?

Ricky Davis had an exceptional game. I think the situation he was in, he tried to come out and help his teammates and try to help us get a win. You could see determination in his eyes when the game started. He was all business and kind of was on a mission, so we were pleased with the way he came back and responded and gave us a chance. That’s kind of how our team has been. We’ve been pretty resilient. We lose a few and sometimes we get down in games, but we battle back. I look at the earlier win against the Clippers at home where we just couldn’t find anything to work and all of a sudden, “Boom.” We came back and pulled a game like that out because our guys take a lot of pride in battling until the end. When Coach Casey goes to the bench, we’ve got guys who respond and still put forth the effort. That helps you win games and helps you battle back.

Some fans don’t understand Mark Madsen’s value to the team at times. What was the thinking behind having the Dog in the Utah game in the fourth quarter?

We threw him in the game last night to help give us some extra energy because we know he’s always going to do that. He’s always going to battle, he’s always going to get in there and work the boards, set screens and do all of the dirty work, stuff that helps you win games. Last night, our guys fed off of him when he came in. Defensively, he went in and played Boozer some and caused him some problems, which allowed us to put Kevin Garnett on Okur, who was hurting us from the outside. Dog battled, he worked the glass, he got us extra shots with rebounds and guys feed off that energy, so he’s a valuable guy to bring off the bench and a guy that’s always ready. Anytime his number is called, he’s ready to respond. We always appreciate Mad Dog’s efforts out there.

How is Marko’s thumb? Is this something he’ll be battling with all season?

I never get into the medical stuff. I don’t know what Marko’s situation is, but anytime you have an injury like that in the spot that it is, there’s always that tendency to get it hit or get banged. He was battling Matt Harpring in there, so there are scenarios that he’s going to be hit with the ball, he’s going to get hit with a body, so I’m not sure how that will affect him, but I know he’s battling through some pain.

Check back with Wolves Hoops Blog after the Portland game for Coach Ociepka's thought and analysis.

Man!

For the first time in a long time, I took the day off work to spend some time at home. After taking a much needed nap, I awake to find a message left for me from Coach Ociepka and that Coach Dwane Casey has been fired.

No rest for the weary apparently.

Check back to Wolves Hoops Blog shortly for Checking In With Coach Ociepka-Utah very shortly as well as my SPM article on Coach Casey's firing asap.

Wolves Back to 0.500 With Loss in Utah

Check back tomorrow for Checking In With Coach Ociepka-Utah for his thoughts on this game and the remaining three games on this road trip.

One of the glaring problems in the second half was Mark Blount’s inability to stay with Mehmet Okur. Okur had his way in the third quarter and there were no adjustments to stop him. During a good chunk of his run, his partner in the low post was Jarron Collins. Why not shift Garnett over to Okur and allow Blount to play defense on Collins, who is nowhere near the offensive threat of Okur.

Utah did a great job of not turning the ball over in this game and taking advantage of Minnesota’s miscues. After playing relatively free and loose in the first half, Minnesota tightened up in the second. Minnesota has lost it’s defensive identity the past few games and must find it quickly or this road trip could end very badly.

There has been some debate as to whether or not Garnett will ever be a player who demands the ball in a game such as this, but whether or not he shows up in crunch time Garnett needs to take more shots in a tough divisional road game. It was great to see the Wolves fight back into this game, but Garnett is needed to push them over the top on night’s like this.

A loss is a loss and this one drops the Wolves back to 0.500. With a day off before facing Portland, Minnesota must find a way to play with the same intensity and heart that they showed in the fourth quarter tonight throughout the entire game.

This certainly was a tough loss for the team, but keep it in perspective. Minnesota is full of talent and is a good defensive team on most nights. As they have hammered on over and over this season, the key to whether or not this year will end in a playoff berth will be consistency.

The Halftime Report-Utah

Kevin Garnett returns tonight and restores order toe the Timberwolves. Although the game is only at the half, this team is moving the ball much better and seems to be feeding off KG’s energy. Ricky Davis is not having that much luck thus far filling up the stat sheet, but that is mostly due to Mike James having a decent first half.

A concern for this Wolves team right now is their second unit does not have an identity. It seems as if the starters could play with any starting five in the league, but when the second unit is in, leads are given up consistently. Playing Ricky Davis with the second team is a good move by Coach Casey, but only when Davis is being aggressive offensively. However, when Garnett sits and Davis is still on the court, Ricky becomes passive. Although Hudson is struggling tonight, he can be a valuable asset to the Wolves if used correctly.

Which is why the reemergence of Troy Hudson is another sound move by the coach. Randy Foye continues to develop, taking over games at times, but he too is inconsistent. Troy Hudson, as long as his shots come within the flow of the offense, keeps the defense honest. When given the point guard duties, Hudson has also done an admirable job at running the show.

The coaching staff needs to determine a better substitution pattern as they almost exclusively go to the starters in the first quarter and the bench in the second. This gives the opposition confidence and momentum going into halftime, making the game an uphill battle for the team nearly every game.

On a night like this when Mike James is being aggressive and hitting shots, he should see more court time. Some of the players have begun to jokingly call Coach Casey “Antifreeze,” because it seems as if when a player is rolling, Coach freezes them out by sitting them down. Will Coach continue this or will he find the hot hand and let them roll?

Checking In With Coach Ociepka-Phoenix

How did the coaching staff feel about Randy Foye's first career start?


From the moment he was drafted the expectation was that he would be a starter, so last night was a great experience for him. Going up against Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns without our top two scorers was good for him. We, as a coaching staff, are very pleased with Randy’s performance last night while he continues to learn the small nuances of the game. In a situation like last night, we just give it the best shot we could, learn from it and move on. There are no lingering effects as we prepare to take on Utah tonight.

Will Ricky Davis immediately be placed back into the starting lineup or should we expect to see him off the bench for a game or two?

Ricky will be in the starting lineup. He served his punishment and that is in the past. We look at it as it’s over and we’re moving on and preparing to face Utah.

Is Rashad McCants with the team? Do you believe that we will see him on the court during this trip?


Rashad is with the team. He’s working out before the games, shooting, getting therapy on his knee. He will not play tonight for sure and I honestly do not know if he’ll play on this trip.



Check back tomorrow for another Checking In With Coach Ociepka regarding the Wolves/Jazz matchup.

Garnett and Davis Return Against Utah Tonight

Come on back to Wolves Hoops Blog tonight for the Halftime Report as well as thoughts and analysis at the conclusion of the game.

The Timberwolves will add Kevin Garnett and Ricky Davis back into the mix tonight against the Utah Jazz, the second stop on their five game road trip. After a rough night against Phoenix, Minnesota will have a fresh Garnett who will surely be riled up to get a win against the division leader.

Rookie Randy Foye started the first game of his young career last night and played well, doing as much as he could to shoulder the load against a much better team. Due to his level of play consistently rising as well as Davis’ tirade against Detroit, which cost him a game, will Davis come off the bench for Dwane Casey or is he immediately placed back into the starting rotation? To some, it makes sense to have Davis show he is a team player by bringing him off the bench as the sixth man, a role that he has been placed in the past and has performed very well.

Although Justin Reed gave great effort when on the court last night, he was mostly ineffective. Marko Jaric, who is battling a thumb injury, returned to the lineup last night and brought energy to the game while attacking off the dribble, something Reed is unable to do. Coach Casey must find a way to get Jaric more minutes as his injury heals.

Many knock the decision to play Troy Hudson lately, but he must be given credit for his play. Last night against Phoenix, his offense was needed badly and he provided that. Hudson has not seen much floor time this season, but when he has he runs the offense well and is not jacking up as many bad shots as is his usual. At what point does Coach forget about Mike James contract and sit him for Hudson, who is actually outplaying the Wolves’ big off-season acquisition?

A loss tonight and the Timberwolves are back to the 0.500 mark. With Portland and Seattle the next two games on the schedule and are, on paper, games Minnesota should win, a win tonight against Utah would be the perfect beginning to a new winning streak. Four games remain on this trip and Minnesota has started 0-1. For this to be a successful trip, they must at least go 2-3.

Wolves Lose Without Garnett and Davis

The Phoenix Suns pulled away in the third quarter, yet the Timberwolves continued to fight. At no point did it seem as if this team was packing it in, looking forward to Garnett and Davis rejoining them tomorrow.

They simply were defeated by a better team.

Against this team, an obvious key point is the ability of your defense to get back in transition. The Wolves started the game off strongly by rushing back on defense and making the game a little tougher for Phoenix. In the second half, the transition defense was not as good. Phoenix showed how important depth is to a championship contender and just ran the Wolves out of the gym.

The defense was not good, to be kind, but that is to be expected without Garnett. After a loss like this, Minnesota must find a way to on the good things that happened and continue to grow. Randy Foye played well in the first start of his career, Marko Jaric is back in the mix, Trenton Hassell continued his steady play and Troy Hudson was effective.

Their record falling to 20-19, Minnesota is facing a tough stretch of their season. With the next four games on the road, things could get bad quickly. The blessing in disguise just may be that Garnett will be rested tomorrow night against Utah, surely hungry for a win.

Coach Ociepka has been contacted and we are now waiting on his response. As soon as response is given, it will be posted here at Wolves Hoops Blog. Check back later for his thoughts.

The Halftime Report

The Wolves players allowed to suit up tonight against the Phoenix Suns are in the midst of giving the best effort expected. However, this game is being played at the Suns pace, which will be a problem for the Wolves in the second half even though they are weathering the storm at the moment.

Minnesota needs to slow down the pace of this game by playing solid defense. With the shooters the Suns have on their team, it would be most beneficial to allow Amare Stoudamire to work down low and get his points while staying home on the outside shooters. Right now, Minnesota is helping each other too much on the defensive end.

The ball movement has not been the best to this point as the a lot of the play has been one on one. This is understandable as the cornerstone of their offense, Kevin Garnett, is not down in the post, making the decisions. Mark Blount is certainly not the greatest post player, but for this night, the best option is to run the ball through him.

Coach Dwane Casey and the coaching staff should be commended for their ability to have this team focused and willing to put up a fight tonight. It would have been very easy for this team to come out and give a half-hearted effort with this long road trip in front of them and without Garnett and Davis. Minnesota is down at the half, but are playing well. Hopefully, that will continue in the second half along with the free throw shooting improving.

Minnesota should go into halftime proud of what they have accomplished in the first half, yet know there is still more work to do.

Garnett and Davis Out Against Phoenix

This five game road trip probably will not be starting off on the right foot as the Timberwolves will face the Phoenix Suns without both Ricky Davis and Kevin Garnett. Garnett, suspended for his actions against the Detroit Pistons, will rejoin his teammates in Utah while Davis’ status is uncertain.

With the loss of their two highest scorers, the Wolves now face one of the best offensive teams in the league. Who will Coach Casey insert into the starting lineup tonight? Some reports state that we possibly may see Rashad McCants for the first time this season, although that is hard to believe until it is seen.

Even with Garnett and Davis this would have been a tough game, but without them it probably won’t be pretty. Hopefully, the players who are in Wolves uniforms tonight can find some heart and fire and grind it out. What an opportunity for the rest of the team to make a statement to the NBA world then by beating the Suns in Phoenix without Davis and Garnett?

Nice idea? Yeah.

Likely? No

Come back to Wolves Hoops Blog for the Halftime Report and be sure to come back after the game concludes for analysis of this game. Also, be sure to check back tomorrow with my preview for the Jazz game as well as my conversation with Assistant Coach Bob Ociepka after the Phoenix game is complete.

Checking In with Assistant Coach Bob Ociepka

Be sure to come back to Wolves Hoops Blog all next week for the Halftime Reports as well for an exciting exclusive.

Assistant Coach Bob Ociepka will be checking in with Wolves Hoops Blog after each game of the road trip to give a behind the scenes look at the games, the team and life on the road.

Garnett Ejected, Wolves Lose and Davis Loses It

Minneapolis, MN - January 18, 2007 - Most headlines today will have to do with Kevin Garnett being ejected from last night’s game against the Pistons. One cannot blame Garnett for the motivation for his actions by sticking up for teammate Mark Madsen, Garnett did indeed let his team down by getting into an altercation with Antonio McDyess and getting himself tossed from the game. Although that is certainly news worthy, it is not the most important occurrence for the Timberwolves.

More...

http://www.spmsportsinc.com/published/spmfeatures/garnett-ejected-wolves-lo.shtml

Well, That Was Insane

Most of the Timberwolves showed a lot of heart tonight, especially after Garnett was ejected. After all that three things are important. One, a loss is a loss and the Wolves added another one tonight. Two, will Garnett be suspended for his actions? And, three...check back tomorrow for my SPM article.

Flip and Chauncey Return To Minnesota

Check back with Wolves Hoops Blog on Saturday

for my recap, notes and analysis from this game.

After Wednesday’s lackluster effort by the Timberwolves, Coach Casey needs to find a way to motivate this team to bounce back. Their ability to recover from an effort such as that is what will be the defining point for this team as they attempt to make a return to the playoffs.

The issue at hand is that the Detroit Pistons are not a good “bounce back” team. Although they lost Ben Wallace, their anchor, over the summer to the Chicago Bulls, this team still has the heart of a champion. Especially after the overtime loss in their gym on Monday, there will also be a revenge factor to this game, trying to give Minnesota a loss in front of their home fans.

All this without mentioning the return of Flip Saunders and Chauncey Billups to Minneapolis. They certainly will have their team motivated and clicking on all cylinders, ready to dominate from the tip. Flip and his MVP would love nothing more than to leave the Target Center with a notch in the victory column.

Not to mention that Detroit comes to Minnesota with a new weapon in their arsenal. His name is Chris Webber.

In what, hopefully, should be an exciting game, Minnesota can redeem themselves to a certain degree if they decide to show up against Detroit. As mentioned before, fans will excuse an occasional loss as long as the effort was there. Against Atlanta, the Wolves had no effort or heart, which will be concerning if that happens two games in a row before the biggest road trip so far this season looming.

Will Minnesota be able to match the intensity that Detroit will bring?

Wolves Loss Embarrasssing, But Not Unexpected

During Minnesota’s recent streak of solid play the Wolves have been preaching two mottos. “Consistency,” and “Grind it out.” They have been grinding it out well, winning a majority of their games since January 1st, shown by their four overtime wins recently. More importantly, they have been giving maximum effort and playing with consistency. To a certain degree, fans will forgive a loss as long as the team gives their all, giving them a chance at a victory.

The Wolves did not give their fans that effort last night.

More...
http://www.spmsportsinc.com/published/spmfeatures/embarrassing-but-not-unex.shtml

No Excuse For This One

The Timberwolves owe their fans more than this.



Come back to Wolves Hoops Blog Thursday morning for my SPM article on this embarrassment.

Check Back Tomorrow...

...for my SPM article on the Wolves/Hawks.

A Should Win For the Wolves

After a fantastic overtime thriller against the Detroit Pistons, the Wolves now return home with their 20-16 record. In town Wednesday night are the Atlanta Hawks, who have a 5-13 road record and 12-23 overall. In what on the surface looks to be another Timberwolves win, this Minnesota team has not yet reached the point where they can overlook anyone.

Although the Hawks have quite a lot of young talent in Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith and Josh Childress along with some solid veterans in Lorenzen Wright and the underrated Zaza Pachulia, this team still has not found itself. There are some glaring holes in their attack, mainly in their lack of point guards, which makes this a good game at the right time for the Wolves.

Through the Wolves recent run of wins, the still rough spot is in the point guard play. Although Randy Foye eventually saved the day against the Pistons, he looked like a rookie throughout the first three quarters. Foye continues to develop and show promise, yet has some work to do before he will be a solid NBA point guard.

Mike James’ tough season has continued. What hurts when watching James is that you can never doubt that he is giving it his all and wants to do well, but, for whatever reason, it is just not happening on a consistent basis. However, one must give him credit as he talks the talk, but when he does not back up that talk, he admits that he is not playing up to expectations and continues to work.

Due to the weaknesses in the Hawks point guard attack, this can hopefully be a game where James and Foye can find where they’re most effective in this offense. Without overlooking this team, the Wolves should be able to work on the areas which need to be improved before the rematch with the Pistons on Friday.

After the Pistons game Friday, Minnesota will need to be on their best game. That five game Western road swing is approaching.

Wolves Defeat Pistons in Detroit to Continue Their Winning Ways

In one of the highlights of the season, the Timberwolves outlasted the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills in overtime. In a see-saw battle, the Wolves came out on top, showing that they are capable of grinding out a victory against one of the best teams in the league.

Grinding it out. That phrase has been uttered by every player on the roster, along with the coaching staff, countless times already this season.

As has been reported ad nauseum, the Wolves won three consecutive overtime games, followed by a one point loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. These wins may not be pretty, but what counts in the end? A notch in the victory column. With the win in Detroit, the Timberwolves record now stands at 20-16, which is only three games behind the division leading Utah Jazz.

On opening night, Mark Madsen summed up the season before it even started…

“You know, for us, if we get caught up in what the media is saying and the pundits and the so-called ‘experts,’ he stopped, suddenly. “The only expert, in my opinion, is the box score and do we have more points than our opponents? When it’s all said and done in the standings, are we where we want to be for playoff position? Those, to me, are the experts. The people that claim to know the game, you can’t predict this league. You can’t predict chemistry. Chemistry has no definition.”

That chemistry that Mad Dog spoke of is starting to be shown to the basketball world recently. With the recent streak of good play, which started with their game January 1 against the Charlotte Bobcats, the Wolves have had high assist totals. In the seven games since the assist totals have been 26, 27, 21, 29, 23, 21 and 19 today against one of the top defenses in the NBA.

The bond that this team has built recently will be put to the test next week when they go on the road for five consecutive games. Now, the focus must shift to Atlanta. After a nice win in Detroit, the Wolves cannot afford a let down against the Hawks.

Now that the national media is actually giving Minnesota some credit recently, the team must not lose their momentum leading up to this tough stretch of road games.

We are coming up to a very telling time for this team. Grinding it out. Continuing to find a way to win. One objective. It takes five.

Wolves Face Pistons in Early Game

Due to the time of this game, I will not be able to provide the Halftime Report as I will be at work. I will, however, provide a recap of this game and analysis after watching the video. Please come back to Wolves Hoops Blog tomorrow night.

The Timberwolves head to Detroit to play the Pistons in an early game tomorrow due to Martin Luther King, Jr day. The Pistons, who are still one of the elites of the Eastern Conference, are beatable this season with a 10-6 record at home coming in.

Minnesota is coming off a win against the New Jersey Nets and have been on a decent roll in 2007, losing only one game in the new year. However, the Wolves are also dealing with a lot of off-court distractions at the moment, so hopefully they will be able to focus, grind it out and come away with a win in Detroit.

Forward Eddie Griffin has been suspended and along with that are reports that his career with the Wolves may be at its end. Reports also surfaced in the past few days that Marko Jaric has requested a trade, feeling that he is not being utilized in the best manner to have him contribute at his peak to this team. Although contrasting reports are out there, this still must be on the minds of the team.

The Wolves could really benefit themselves by coming a way with a tough win in the Motor City. They will return home after this game for two home games against the lowly Atlanta Hawks, (which should be a Wolves win), followed by the same Detroit Pistons invading the Target Center.

After these three games, Kevin Garnett and company will face the toughest test of the season to this point. They will hit the road for five straight games, including two sets of back to backs. Starting with a back to back against the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz, Minnesota will then travel to Portland, followed by another set of back to backs with the Seattle Supersonics and Los Angeles Clippers.

That tough stretch should give the team a good sense of where they stand in the strong Western Conference, so before they hit the road they need to rack up as many wins as possible. Although it will be a challenge to leave Detroit with a win, they are catching the Pistons at a good time.

Nets Three-Headed Monster in Minnesota

The New Jersey Nets three-headed monster of Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson will bring their high-flying act to the Target Center Saturday night. In a horrendous Atlantic Division, the Nets are in second place with a 16-19 record.

Minnesota, coming off a win in Memphis, will be playing the second half of a back to back. Losing their last home game by one point, with Kevin Garnett missing the potential game-winning shot, should have the Wolves motivated both to start another winning streak as well as protecting home court.

Due to the length of Carter, Jefferson and even Kidd, this will be a game where Marko Jaric could be quite valuable to the Wolves. Leaving the Clipper game with a thumb injury and not playing against the Grizzlies, Jaric’s status against the Nets is in question. Hopefully, he will be able to suit up.

Another key will be transition defense. Jason Kidd is among the all-time best point guards at running the fast break to perfection and his job is easy on most nights, making lob passes to either Jefferson of Vinsanity, Vince Carter, for Sportscenter dunks. If the Wolves are using cross-matches on defense, they will need to be sure to communicate effectively in transition as to who is covering whom.

Ricky Davis will be needed to build off his great game against Memphis and to play great defense, whether matched up with Carter or Jefferson.

Minnesota should also be looking for a little dose of payback, losing to New Jersey earlier in the season. It can almost be guaranteed that Mikki Moore will not have the same impact on this game as he did on the last…Kevin Garnett will make sure of that.

Wolves Emotion Shows With Win In Memphis

Understandably, the Wolves offense runs with much more ease when Kevin Garnett is on the floor, so one of the tough tasks for Coach Casey is to figure out when to get him rest. Coach should implement the Michael Jordan substitution for Garnett as that would most likely be the most effective use of the Big Ticket throughout the game.

The Michael Jordan substitution was to sit with two or three minutes left in both the first and third quarters, utilizing those extra few minutes between quarters. Re-entering the game with roughly 8 ½ to 9 minutes left in the second and fourth quarters, Jordan was able to finish the games strong yet. He was also back in the game before an opponent’s run got out of hand.

It is also great to see Justin Reed getting minutes, although he is only on the court that much due to the injury to Marko Jaric. How about the rebound Reed grabbed while sitting on the floor? Great hustle.

Writers are always quick to criticize, but slow to praise when a player, coach or entire team do something well. Ricky Davis deserves an enormous amount of praise tonight. On offense he was taking good shots most of the evening, in rhythm, in the flow of Minnesota’s offense. Defensively, he was hustling to check his man, while also diving on the floor many times for loose balls. If Davis were able to play in this manner on a consistent basis, the Wolves would be a dangerous team.

Credit is also due to Mike James. Although his numbers are still not what was expected out of him when signing with the Wolves, he was making things happen during his time on the court. He was aggressive and looked to have his confidence back which made him very effective.

Another big lead was given up, but that is to be expected a majority of the time. NBA players are proud individuals and, no matter what the score, are always ready to fight back. The thing that would be a boost to the Wolves would be the ability to hang onto one of these big leads to the end. The Wolves are, however, showing that in a close game, they will not back down and will fight.

Can the Wolves build on this good effort and win in Memphis by returning home and defending home court against New Jersey tomorrow?

The Halftime Report-Wolves at Grizzlies

This was the start that the Wolves needed in Memphis. Scoring 36 points in the first quarter with both their offensive efficiency and their defensive hustle, Minnesota has shown that edge that is needed every game.

Due to the comfortable lead, Coach Casey will now be able to sit his starters for good chunks of time. This is beneficial because the Wolves are playing the first game of a back to back, returning to the Twin Cities tonight in order to host the New Jersey Nets tomorrow.

Although the flow has not been as great in the second quarter as it was to start the game, this is the time for players such as Mike James and Craig Smith to get themselves back on track. James, who has struggled nearly the entire season, has lost a majority of his playing time and his confidence, making this a great game to put in some hard work, learn where to get his shots in the offense, which shots are most productive from him in this offense and to be able to grow as an integral member of the Wolves.

Smith has been a victim of Mark Blount playing at a nearly All-Star level, seeing his playing time cut dramatically. Now that other NBA teams have seen enough of Smith to be able to scout him, this is where he needs to take his next step on the road to a consistent NBA player.

How great is it to see Bracey Wright getting minutes and staking his claim to them? Although the Wolves are overstocked with guards, (and the impending return of Rashad McCants), Wright’s play lately will only push other players to fight back for those minutes. Competition is good between teammates as long as they are supportive of each other at the same time and from everything that has been seen so far this season, they are doing just that.

Be sure to come back to
Wolves Hoops Blog after the
game for the full game report.

Eddie, Eddie, Eddie.

From Rick Alonzo of Pioneer Press...

"Timberwolves forward Eddie Griffin was suspended five games without pay by the NBA on Friday for violating conditions of the NBA's anit-drug program. It was latest in a string of incidents that could put his tumultuous career with the team in jeopardy.

Griffin's suspension begins with tonight's Wolves game at Memphis. He did not make the trip from the Twin Cities with the team. Griffin had not appeared in the past 13 consecutive games as he had fallen out of the rotation.

A Wolves spokesman declined to comment immediately. The team will issue a statement later today."

This made me think back to an article I wrote when I still was with Hoopsworld.com. Check it out.

From HOOPSWORLD.com
Eddie Griffin Has Worn Out His Welcome In Minnesota
By Stephen Litel
Jun 30, 2006, 09:54

Eddie Griffin needs to no longer be a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves...period.

Minnesota was one of the few teams who were willing to give Griffin a second chance after some trouble with the law while in Houston. The Wolves even rewarded him by signing him to a contract extension after his first year in the Twin Cities. Glen Taylor’s team even stood behind Griffin after he spent time in jail last summer.

But, this is just too much.

In late March, Griffin was involved in a car accident. His car slammed into a car parked outside of a convenience store. Griffin told reporters that he had dropped his cell phone and was attempting to pick it up when the accident occurred, but as more of the truth is revealed, the easier it is to see that Griffin is not someone who should be a member of the Timberwolves.

Surveillance cameras from the convenience store show Griffin stumbling around, struggling for quite awhile to put on his own sweatshirt and they even catch Griffin admitting "I'm drunk...I can't go back to jail." It shows Griffin pleading with the owner of the car he hit by offering to buy him any car he wanted saying, "Whatever car you want, you’ll have it tomorrow...not a Bentley."

As if this wasn’t enough, one witness at the scene of the accident, which is just a few miles away from the Target Center, has told police and the press that Griffin admitted the following to him. "He was masturbating himself going down that street. That's how the accident happened because he was not paying attention," said Abed Hassuneh, who is the victim’s brother. "He's paying attention to that video and all of a sudden he's shoveled somebody's car on the top of the sidewalk."

To make matters even worse, the police officers who responded to the call are now under an internal investigation as to why they did not charge Griffin with DWI when he is so obviously drunk on the surveillance tape. They even gave Griffin a ride home to St. Paul, which by the way is leaving the city they are to be patrolling, after they charged him for not having a license and "inattentive driving."

Again, Eddie Griffin needs to not represent Minnesota any longer...period.

First of all, what happened on that night is stupid enough in itself to deserve being booted from the team. There is absolutely no excuse that Griffin could give to explain himself and have it be ok for him to step onto the Target Center floor as a member of the home team ever again.

Secondly, there were rumors circling around that Griffin would be involved in a trade this summer. What team would want to trade for him now? His play on the court was, to put it kindly, uninspired last season, averaging 4.6 points per game, 5.6 rebounds per game and 2.11 blocks per game (which did rank him 10th in the NBA in blocks)…and now add this incident on top of his poor performance on the court.

Next, the Timberwolves, as well as Timberwolves fans, are especially sensitive to the act of driving while intoxicated due to the death of Malik Sealy. Malik was a class act and a fan favorite, as well as a Kevin Garnett favorite, and was killed by a drunk driver a few years back. Because of Griffin’s actions, the tears that were shed over Sealy’s tragic death have come back. This, plain and simple, is "conduct detrimental to the team" to say the very least.

One of the few things about the Minnesota Timberwolves that continues to have fans file into the Target Center and root for the team year in and year out is that they nearly always seem to be "good guys" who are easy to cheer on. This is just no longer the case with Griffin. He is a troubled young man who needs help. It is unfortunate that at this point in his career he has not lived up to the hype that made him a lottery pick in the draft in 2001, but Minnesota needs to do the right thing here and cut him loose.

Owner Glen Taylor has a tough decision ahead of him. Kevin Garnett cannot be happy about this at all. With the yearly speculation out there that Garnett may be traded, if Griffin remains a member of the Timberwolves it just might be the push that KG has been waiting for to walk into Taylor’s office and demand a trade.

Please Mr. Taylor...do the right thing and give Eddie Griffin his walking papers.
© Copyright 2006 by HOOPSWORLD.com, a Basketball News Services Exclusive

Wolves Face Grizzlies In Memphis Tonight

The Wolves are in Memphis tonight to attempt to start another winning streak. The Grizzlies, who are 9-27, are trying to get back on track now that Pau Gasol has returned. Although this Memphis team has a bad record, they are playing much better as of late and the Wolves should not overlook this team.

Minnesota is coming off a loss Wednesday against the Clippers and one of the keys to this season will be how they can bounce back from a loss like that, with Garnett missing the potential game-winning shot, Randy Foye and Mike James both playing badly and Coach Casey’s team not having much fire to end their home stand. They need to be careful because with a loss, Minnesota will drop back to the 0.500 mark.

Against a team such as Memphis, the Wolves need to come out with an edge to them and make a strong push immediately. If Minnesota can get a decent early lead, they can try to sneak out of Memphis with a relatively easy win before returning home tomorrow to play Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson and the New Jersey Nets.

The Wolves have been playing better as of late, however it would be quite disappointing to come back home with a 0.500 record.

Be sure to check back with

Wolves Hoops Blog at halftime

for the halftime report