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?
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