Announcements

Hey Timberwolves and Lynx fans,

I will be taking a much needed vacation over the weekend, so there will be no posts until Sunday night.

Wolves fans--I am still attending the Corey Brewer press conference today and will give a post Sunday night on my observations.

Lynx fans--I will not be posting on tonight's game, but will be back in town for Sunday's game. I will create a post with thoughts on the outcome of the weekend.

I hope you all have a great weekend (I know I will be.)

See you Sunday!

Brewer's Our Man.

The correct choice.

I'm looking forward to meeting him at the press conference tomorrow at 3:00.


But, he has one stike against him in my book. He will be wearing my number, 22, so he better earn it. LOL.

Signing off for a bit...

...maybe for the night.

McHale just spoke on the Chris Richards selection. Said he likes those of us who actually stuck around for this.

Said he has a great chance to make the team...like Craig Smith last year.

I'm going home now, but will check email and posts when I get there. Feel free to continue any conversations.

Chris Richard

OK, so I was wrong on Marc Gasol, but Richard is a good pick.

However, doesn't he do a lot of the same stuff as Craig Smith?

My pick for our second round pick...

Marc Gasol.

I'll take that chance.

Mark it down.

So, obviously...

Posts are going to be kind of dead for a little bit. Still awhile until the Wolves next pick and not many media people hanging around. I'm going to go take a bit of a break, but feel free to post any questions you may have and I'll answer what I can when I get back.

A lot of press has left....

Not sticking around for the 2nd round pick. Only people of note still around...Britt Robson, Kent Youngblood, Charles Hallman, Larry Fitzgerald and Rick Alonzo.

Notice that list does not include one Sid Hartman.

Brewer Press Conference

Tomorrow at 3:00 on Skyway level...

I will be there to cover it.

Email me questions you may like to have answered by the newest Wolf.

McHale just spoke...

Normal stuff you would expect...

Brewer's a special kid. Very versatile, does little things well, etc.

Funniest move was Sid trying to convince McHale that either they do not have a 2nd round draft pick...or they have two.

Then, after McHale left, Sid called him "a f*&$ing priss."

Sid gives me a hard time

Sid just tried to knock me down, but it didn't work.

On the call with Corey Brewer, I was the one to ask him what number he will wear since number 2 is retired for Malik.

Sid says "I'm so glad that you asked that question about the jersey number. Really important stuff." Very sarcastic and mean.

I turned and said "Well, what did you ask?"

He didn't ask Corey a single question...so his response was "Oh, forget about it," and walked away.

Brewer says...

He patterns his game after Tayshaun Prince and Josh Howard...

I'll take that on the Wolves.

Also, loves Randy Foye and said Foye was the toughest player he played against in the tournament.

He will be in town tomorrow, so looks like he'll get his number 22 tomorrow.

Brewer still talking right now, but...

He will wear my number, 22, as a member of the Wolves.

Call from Brewer in a minute

PR just told us that the conference call with Corey Brewer will be shortly. Let you know what he says.

Sid Comment

"The Wolves liked Brewer so much, they would've taken him with the 3rd pick if they had it. I know that for a fact."

Great

Sid just came back in and sits right across from me. As I'm facing the computer to type, I'm looking right at him.

Well, I should hear some good Sid-isms for awhile.

Well, Portland is going to be great

With Oden, Frye, Roy and whatever you can get out of Francis....

Another team in the division that looking great.

Just told...

That there was a big Florida Gator contingent out at the Draft Party with a flag and that the fans out there knew we were getting Brewer once Yi was selected by Milwaukee.

Sounds like fans here are happy...as they should be.

Still no press conference...

Where are they? They've got to be working on something...

Rumblings in the room

That if Philly takes Thornton, then there may be a trade between the Wolves and Philly.

Brewer goes to Philly for Thornton and the #21 pick is the rumor.


***Update...but, they didn't take Thornton.***

Certainly don't want to go into detail now, but...

Patrick Reusse is one opionated guy, who has some bad idea.

Curious that....

McHale and company haven't come down to chat with the media yet.

Everyone wondering if they have made some sort of trade that can't be announced until after a pick is made.

Another Sid Comment

Sid says "Chicago will be the team to beat next year with Noah."

The addition of Noah immediately makes Chicago better then the Spurs?

Interesting comment

Britt Robson just said "Well, goodbye to Trenton Hassell" now with Brewer on the team.

What do we think? Where could he go and what could we get for him?

By the way, what number will Brewer wear? He was number 2 in college, but obviously cannot wear that here.

RIP Malik

IT'S COREY BREWER!!!

Oh, my god...they actually made the right call.

Man, it was hilarious to hear how quiet it got as the commish was walking to the podium.

Oh thank God!!!

At the very second that the commish announced that Yi was going to Milwaukee, Sid finally shows.

Just in time to announce that "if it isn't Corey Brewer, I'll be shocked." Really?

Anyone getting nervous...

Since Noah and Hawes are both on the board?

There have been comments that we will hear the boos from the Draft party soon.

The anticipation is building in the room...

Not for the Timberwolves pick.

For the glorious arrival of the one and only Sid Hartman.

He'll probably write an article tomorrow that he was the only person in the world who thought that Greg Oden should have been the #1 pick...and how he was proven to be the smartest journalist ever.

I'm happy for Al Horford

In most drafts, Horford would be the #1 pick.


He's a good kid.

...and, is my darkhorse candidate right now for Rookie of the Year. Yeah, you heard me.

Funny to me...

The division between the media members here. TV people are in one room, print people in another.

Not much talk between the two.

There might be a fight.

Wally Szczerbiak to Seattle?

Wow...World cannot be happy about that.


Well, now he can be teammates with Kevin Durant.

Didn't Danny Ainge say that it was "unlikely" that they'd trade the number 5 pick?

...and, it begins.

There's the commish, so we are underway...


Will Portland actually take all five minutes to make their selection?


***Shocking! Greg Oden is number one***

Everyone laughing at Andy Katz "sitting on KG rumor"

Everyone is enjoying the jounalistic integrity of Andy Katz saying he knows what is going to happen with KG, as RealGM is reporting, but isn't going to say what it is until it happens.

So, how do we know that he knows anything?

Noah

Man, did you see what Noah is wearing?

That will be great for ticket sales.

Finally Set Up

Hey all,

After a few computer issues upon arriving here at Target Center, we finally got it all figured out and are ready to go.

Sitting here in the media room with Rick Alonzo, Kent Youngblood, Patrick Reusse, etc...

Wolves PR people have been making jokes that they better get the press release ready to announce that Amare Stoudemire will be a Wolf soon. (This, again, is a joke...don't start rumors.)

What are your thoughts now that we're about to get going?

Minnesota Basketball Draft Coverage

Who Will It Be?

By the end of the evening, one of these players may be the newest member of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

I will be at the Target Center tonight for the festivities, so check back often for random media room happenings. I will post as often as possible.

Feel free to discuss the events here throughout the day and evening if inclined. Also, do not hesitate to send me an email at stephenwolvesguy22@hotmail.com with questions on what is going on, who is hanging around, etc.

A Risk the Timberwolves Need to Take

Lately, the rumor mill has been going crazy. Anybody who has an opinion has been speaking on who the Timberwolves will draft on Thursday and the opinions are different everywhere you look. You have been bombarded with the names Corey Brewer, Jeff Green, Spencer Hawes and Mike Conley Jr.

More...
http://www.downtownjournal.com/index.php?amp;amp;page=65&story=6046&page=65&category=57

Lindsey Harding: The Future Is Now

Before the Lynx faced off against the Seattle Storm Friday night, I sought out rookie Lindsey Harding. With the season nearing the All-Star break, I wanted to check in with the Rookie of the Year candidate to get her thoughts on the first half of her first year in the WNBA.

SL: Obviously, the record is not where you would like it to be right now, but how do you feel your transition to the WNBA game has gone so far?

LH: I think, definitely, that I had a great opportunity to come to Minnesota and probably get the most playing time for a rookie. The thing that is different is just learning my teammates, learning a whole new coaching style, a whole new style of basketball game--this game is a lot quicker, bigger and stronger--so, at times, that adjustment can be a little difficult as well. We’re almost halfway through the season, so with all the work I’ve done the rookie jitters are pretty much gone.

SL: We’ve heard a lot about this being a young team and that you have a lot to learn this season. Like you said, the season is about half over, so what is the biggest lesson you feel the team has learned to this point and the biggest lesson you have learned personally?

LH: You can’t teach experience and that’s something this group doesn’t have. That’s going to take some time, whether it’s through this year or whatever. The other teams have point guards who have more experience, they have post players who have more experience then we have, so that’s the biggest thing we’ve learned. So, we’re not letting the youth get to us. We’ve had a lot of close games--under ten points--and we lost, but we know that we’re right there. We’re right where we want to be. In Seattle, we lost by seven points, so that’s a three possession game. We are three possessions away from a win, so we’re learning that each possession counts. We don’t have that luxury to take time off. I think that’s the biggest thing and seeing how close we are and not giving up. Last year, they might have been blown out, but this year we’re not. We’re really close.

SL: You somewhat answered my next question, but with the record being what it is, why do you feel that the team hasn’t thrown in the towel and continues to fight?

LH: Well, that’s the thing. You know, with my mentality, not having a winning record--coming from Duke and that’s what I’ve known--we know that in this league, anyone can beat anybody at any given time. If we have a certain amount of people scoring and a certain amount of people playing defense, we know that we can win against anybody. I just think our coaches have been great on ‘We’re not getting up on you. We’re here to coach you.’ That’s why we haven’t given up on each other…we’re so close. It’s different if you’re losing every game by 20 or 30 points and you’re just like ‘Good God,’ but we’re really close. We’re like ‘Oh, I should have made that shot’ or ‘I should have blocked that.’ Everybody has one thing they could’ve done that could have changed the outcome of the game, so that’s good looking forward.

SL: Coming from Duke, like you said, you’re not accustomed to losing. How have you dealt with the losing record to this point?

LH: You’ve got to get it and go. Move on. I can’t sit there and dwell on my sorrows because we’ve got another game coming up. We definitely have a break coming up for a week or so before we play again, so we would love to come out with a win. The biggest thing I’ve learned though is just to learn and go. After our first loss I was mad--after our first exhibition loss I was mad--and they were like ‘Lindsey, it’s ok. You’ve got to move on.’

SL: With the level of play at which you have performed so far, do you think that you are the rookie of the year?

LH: I don’t know. I haven’t even thought about that. That definitely would be an awesome honor to receive that because of all the hard work, but right now, I’m just trying to run this team. I’m just trying to get us W’s in the winning column.

Although Harding had a tough shooting night, she was a main reason for the Lynx win. After that rough first half, she played beautifully in the second, never once backing down from Seattle’s Sue Bird. The rookie stood up to the veteran and, on this one night, led her team to a confidence-building win.

Head Coach Don Zierden was very happy with Harding’s game in his post-game press conference. “I thought, in the second half, Lindsey Harding played like we need her to play. If Lindsey Harding plays like that consistently for two halves, as a fan, I want to come out and watch this team because I think with Lindsey Harding and Seimone Augustus, you’ve got some really fun guards to watch.”

Zierden continued with “I think, by listening to the crowd there a little bit at the end, I think the fans feel that way too.”

What impresses most about Harding is that even on a night such as this, where she was a huge key to the win, she goes out of her way to praise her teammates. “They stepped up and they played. It was my job to find who was filling it up in the second half. Ohlde started feeling it, so I’m going to go to Ohlde. Shay can come in, so ok, I’m going to go to her. I’m picking and choosing who I’m going to each time and when everyone is scoring, it’s so easy. I can pass it anywhere and it makes my job easier. I can pass it off or score it and it’s good.”

What is really good is that Seimone Augustus has found her running mate for years in Lindsey Harding.

Random Notes From Juwan Howard Press Conference

As one of huge crowd of media members--actually, it was only Kent Youngblood, Rick Alonzo and myself--I had a front row seat for tonight’s press conference. Juwan Howard did not have to answer many questions at his introductory press conference, partially due to Youngblood and Alonzo having already spoken with him. The lack of questions for Howard may also be due to the remaining media members not in attendance realizing how virtually unimportant this move is for the future of the Timberwolves.

Myself? I just wanted to be in attendance in case a last minute trade happened and Kevin McHale would announce that Kevin Garnett has been traded…and that he would be handing the franchise over to Fred Hoiberg effective immediately.

Well, that didn’t happen.

Here are a few interesting tidbits from Howard and McHale…

---

Q: So, are you in negotiations for the number 5?

JH: Well, I’m a 13-year veteran and I think this will be Craig’s, well, he’s still a rookie right now. So, him and I have to get together and see what can we do to work on that jersey number 5.

KM: Juwan coming here starts an entire trading of numbers amongst a lot of people, so it’s just starting a bad domino effect. McCants is going to move and then Craig wants number 1. There are a lot of people who want different numbers.

JH: Well, then number 5 will be available.

---

SL: As an opponent last season and watching film on the Timberwolves, what are your thoughts on the young trio of Randy Foye, Rashad McCants and Craig Smith?

JH: This team has some exciting young player and, of course, have a very good future ahead of them. If they continue to work on their games, play hard and be aggressive out there on the floor, I mean, the sky’s the limit.

I think Randy (Foye), of course, showed a lot and surprised a lot of people coming in as a rookie. He came in and was well-polished, played with poise, held the team together and, at times, won some games for the team. I was totally impressed with him and, not only that, was happy for his success.

Craig Smith…he hurt us. When I was playing for Houston and Craig came in the game, he was like a game-changer. Very aggressive, strong, active, very active ball player. Not only that, but he can put the ball in the hole. Being undersized, he certainly has a big heart. He’s a fearless competitor.

McCants…he had an injury, of course, last year and didn’t play much, but before that injury, the guy was a skilled player, athletic, he’s a champion, he won on the college level--and that shows you right there that the guy knows how to win--and a big time scorer. I’m pretty sure this summer he’s working very hard because he has a lot to prove next year.

---

McHale on how Howard’s addition might effect their decision in the draft…

KM: I think at seven, you’re going to try and take the best possible player. Juwan’s addition does balance out our lineup. We needed another veteran big, no question. We were probably overloaded at the guard spot and being able to move Mike (James) and Justin (Reed) that has opened up a spot. It opens up some more time for Randy to play a little bit more one and two and some different things. ‘Shaddy’ now can probably go back in the backcourt. I think it balances out our roster a lot.

As far as the draft goes, I mean, I think some of the big mistakes we all make in the draft are when we start going for need, as opposed to just the best player available. I think you go need later on in the draft. At seven, if we determine the best player is a point guard and you think that guy is going to have a 15-year career and be a multiple year All-Star versus a guy you think is going to be a nice role player next year? For me and for our team, I think we’re lucky because some of our needs match up with some of the players that are in this draft. Hopefully, it will be a good night next Thursday.

Howard on Kevin Garnett trade rumors…

JH: Well, I think you touched on it. The most important word you said was ‘rumors.’ As of right now, all I’ve heard is just rumors. I’m excited to have an opportunity to play with him. This is his team and knowing that he’s going to be here, I’m enthused. When I got traded here, I knew I was going to play with a warrior, a guy that brings it night in and night out. So, I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to play with one of the young stars--I still consider him a young player, even though he’s 30-years old or whatever. He’s still young and in his prime, plays with a lot of excitement and a lot of energy. Being a guy that’s played against him many, many years, all you can do is appreciate a player like that, so I’m looking forward to playing with him.

Fan Opinion--What Needs To Happen?

One way or another, big changes have to be made in the Timberwolves organization, as most people have known for years now. The biggest task Minnesota’s franchise must accomplish off the court is to win back their fans, but is that possible?

With the dismal basketball displayed by the team the past three seasons, the only cards that the Timberwolves had to play were that it is always a joy to watch Kevin Garnett play…or that there is hope for the future. Yet, it seems as if fans do not believe in any of the hope that the team is placing in front of them, real or fake.

That’s why I’m asking for your opinions on this topic.

Has the void between the Timberwolves and their fans gotten so vast that there is no coming back?

Do you believe that fans will again flock to the Target Center to watch the hometown team as long as there is hope for the future and a plan in place to get there that you actually buy?

What needs to happen for you to believe that this team is finally moving in the right direction?

…and, please, we all know that everyone believes that Kevin McHale should go. We all know that a majority of people believe that Glen Taylor is in over his head. Let’s not go there yet again.

If the product on the floor is of good quality (with or without Kevin Garnett), will you return to support the team?

Kristen Mann Should Be Applauded

Kristen Mann has probably been given the toughest task on this young Minnesota Lynx team outside of Seimone Augustus.

Mann, out of necessity, has been given the job of playing at the power forward position although her more natural position is that of a small forward. Because of this, she is constantly matched up against players much bigger then she is, but Mann has shown that the size of their hearts are the same.

More...

http://www.downtownjournal.com/index.php?&story=6020&page=65&category=57

Minnesota Lynx: A Winning Streak?

Here’s an interesting stat for you. The starting lineup of Lindsey Harding, Seimone Augustus, Svetlana Abrosimova, Kristen Mann and Nicole Ohlde now have a record of three wins and two losses.

The three wins have come against the Phoenix Mercury, Connecticut Sun and now, the Los Angeles Sparks. Those three teams are all solid and are considered some of the best in the league, despite Connecticut stumbling out of the gates this season.

Speaking with Kristen Mann prior to the matchup with Los Angeles, she spoke on the team’s confidence despite their record…

“I don’t think we’re playing like a 2-9 team. I don’t think we pay any attention to it, especially lately,” said Mann. “I think a lot of teams might take us for granted, thinking that ‘Oh, it’s the Lynx and they’re 2-9.’ Even though we only have two wins, I think anyone who comes to our games and compare us from last year to this year, you can tell there is a big difference.”

Once the game began, Minnesota was called for three fouls in the first one minute and 24 seconds, one each from Nicole Ohlde, Seimone Augustus and Lindsey Harding…all of which were questionable. After the foul called on Harding, she hit the ball and it rolled into the tunnel, forcing the ref to call a delay of game.

Although the rookie’s response may not be exactly what you might want in that situation, she showed her leadership by letting the Sparks now at that moment that the Lynx were ready to go to battle…and, this visiting team with the best record in the Western Conference was not going to walk all over this young Lynx team. Three minutes later, when Svetlana Abrosimova hit Nicole Ohlde with a beautiful pass for a layup which gave Minnesota the lead at 10-8, the Sparks would never hold another lead in the game.

This was easily the most complete game from the Lynx this season, led by Kristen Mann’s 16 points. On nights such as this where all five starters score in double-figures, along with 15 points from the bench, Minnesota’s attack is scary. When they are able to set each other up with their beautiful ball movement with 22 assists on their 29 made baskets, they are able to alleviate some of the burden from Seimone Augustus’ shoulders, especially when Augustus has a rare rough shooting night like this.

“We played them last week, so we were at the point where we were so close last week, we’re coming off a great win (against Connecticut) on Wednesday, so we just fed off that,” said rookie Kathrin Ress after the game. “We just stayed together, like we have been doing all season, and just fed off it and kept going. It’s fun to play when everybody is playing, everybody is together and everybody is hard to stop, so it was huge.”

“Ditto,” said fellow rookie Shay Murphy, with a smile on her face.

Watching this team in training camp as well as during the early stages of the season, there were times when I nearly began to wonder how long the Lynx should be allowed to use the “We are a young team with a lot to learn” mantra. There were times when they just flat out played like a bad team, not a young team. Yet, after games such as this against one of the best teams in the league--with or without Chamique Holdsclaw and Lisa Leslie--that it is tempting to drink from the cup of optimism.

“You know, we felt like we should have won that game at their place,” said Svetlana Abrosimova. “We knew that would help us right now. We didn’t want to wait for them to set the tone and we’ve been working on that, especially at the beginning of the games and the beginning of the third quarters, we really try to take pride in attacking. It works and we’ve won two in a row. I mean, I know we’re 3-9 and we’ve got to dig out of that hole and we’re not too happy that we won, but it’s a great thing. It’s pretty good.”

To complete the circle, I speak with Kristen Mann as she sits at her locker after the win...

“We just really tried to carry the momentum we had with the win against Connecticut. That was a big win for us since they’re a team that’s always in the playoffs and, obviously, that’s where we want to be,” Mann said. “We want to be in the playoffs and LA has that thing that we want. They have that championship and, hopefully, we can keep going that way.”

Coach Zierden and his staff continue the evaluations of the players on this team, along with what may be missing on a consistent basis and it is tough to not feel as if they are steering this team in the right direction. Speaking of a championship may be chugging from that cup of optimism mentioned earlier, but there may be reasons to take a sip or two, looking towards the future.

Good Luck To Justin Reed In Houston

Certainly, the story right now for the Timberwolves is the arrival of Juwan Howard…or is that the departure of Mike James? Either way, Minnesota made a good trade. I’m not going to go into all the same reasons why McHale and crew actually made a good deal since you can read that in countless other places.

I will, however, point out that the other piece to the trade, Justin Reed, is a good guy and I wish him well in Houston.

Reed did not see much court time in the 2006-07 season, only appearing in 41 of the 82 games--as well as only seeing an average of just under 8 minutes in those games—Reed, as a whole, remained professional and made the best of his situation. Although there were times when it seemed as if Reed was flirting with joining the destructive clique on the team, he never actually made the jump.

Prior to a late season game as I made my appearance in the Timberwolves locker room, I found Reed laying on the floor, headphones on and being stretched out by one of the trainers. When he saw that I was in the room, he took his headphones off and said, “I don’t know why I’m getting stretched out. I know I’m not playing tonight.”

As I began to think how this may be an indication that Reed had finally made that leap to the wrong side of the team, he redeemed himself. “Well, I suppose you’ve always got to be ready, huh? You never know.”

Now that this trade has become official, I’ve been reading all the other stories about Mike James and how he was a locker room cancer. Although I never truly believed that during the season, as all I have to go off is what I see with my own two eyes, I realize now that at no point during the season—not a single time—did I see James speaking with Garnett in the locker room.

Justin Reed, on the other hand, was friends with every single person on the team.

I truly hope that Reed will be given a fair shot at some meaningful playing time in Houston. When he was given that chance in Minnesota by then-head coach Dwane Casey, he was able to score 6.3 points, grab 2.4 rebounds and played some tough defense. Don’t get me wrong, Reed will always be a role player, but when given that chance, he can deliver.

Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming should love to have Reed as a teammate in 2007-08.

Augustus and Coach Zierden Respond

Prior to last night’s game against the Connecticut Sun, I sat down one-on-one with both Coach Zierden and Seimone Augustus. After my last article entitled “Seimone Augustus Needs To Do More For The Lynx” caused nothing short of a stir, I decided that I should speak with Augustus herself--as well as her coach--regarding the topic.

First up is Coach Zierden, who is kind enough to grant me a few minutes of his time roughly an hour and a half before the game begins. As he sits in the coach’s room off of the Timberwolves locker room with his glasses on the end of his nose, he looks more like he is trying to learn the theory of relativity more then a coach preparing for a game.

SL: What is the biggest adjustment that you and the coaching staff have asked Seimone to make this season from last year?

DZ: The biggest thing, when we met with Seimone, was when I watched the films from last year, it was basically “get the ball to Seimone and everybody else get out of the way and let her get a shot.” I thought that put a lot of undue pressure on her or we did, as a staff. So, the first thing when I met with her in Russia was that we told her championship teams have four, five or six different weapons that you can go to. We wanted to, not so much cut down her shots, but make her shots more efficient. We wanted to get her better shots on the move where the defense couldn’t just lock in on her. She was great with it. She said “I would love to have some help.”

So far, despite the disappointment with our record, we now have three players in double-figures, as opposed to Seimone being the only one last year. And, she has been highly efficient. She’s shooting over 50% as a 2-guard, which is very, very good in our league. So, I think she’s done a nice job adapting to what we’ve asked her to do.

SL: In the game in Los Angeles, Seimone went 11 for 11 from the field for 28 points. She also had her season-high 4 assists in that game. So, it’s somewhat of a chicken or the egg situation, but did her teammates step up from the beginning, giving Seimone a reason to trust in them…or was Seimone’s passing in that game the reason that her teammates were able to step up and hit shots?

DZ: I know what you’re saying, Stephen. You know what I think it is? Lindsey (Harding) and Seimone will have more assists when players start to step up and hit open shots. It’s that simple. Right now, Seimone is shooting 50%. We have no one else--bigs included--that are close to 50%.

I’ll give you an example. In the Chicago game, we’re making a comeback and we’re riding Seimone pretty heavy. Now, they’re starting to double and triple-team her and in a timeout I say, “Seimone, trust your teammates.” She dishes to wide open people in the corners--for wide open three-point shots--and we missed three straight. There’s three assists right there, if people would knock down shots.

That’s kind of what we’re going through right now. We’re the worst field goal percentage team in the league. We’re missing shots. Lindsey being a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio right now, I think is fantastic considering that we’re shooting the ball 38%. Same thing with Seimone. That night when she had four assists, she probably could have had seven because we miss open shots.

Again, this is an evolving situation here. Last year it was “go and get out of the way and let Seimone go.” Now, when Seimone has it, it’s we’re moving, we’re cutting and now you’ve got the responsibility of when you get the ball and you have an open shot, you have to knock that shot down. That’s the evolution right now that we need to continue to get better at.

SL: A majority of the assists on this team should come from Lindsey Harding and Noelle Quinn, as they are the point guards. However, is there a difference between being the primary distributor versus choosing your spots to shoot and when to get your teammates involved?

DZ: I think so. I think when you’re a two-guard or a small forward, I don’t think it is necessarily your job to get other people going. That’s the point guard’s job. So, Lindsey and Q (Noelle Quinn), along with myself, have the responsibility of finding where we have a mismatch and then trying to exploit that. Then, trying to get other people going off of their strengths.

Seimone’s situation, again I feel very strongly about this, when people start to knock down open shots from her draw-and-kick, then her assists are going to go up. Right now, efficiency-wise, we certainly have nothing to complain about with her. In fact, we’re very, very pleased with her. I shouldn’t say ‘we have nothing to complain about.’ We are very pleased with her efficiency on the offensive end.

After my conversation with Coach Zierden, it is now time to face the music. At this point, I know that numerous people throughout the Lynx organization--including Coach Z--read my article on Seimone, yet I do not know if she herself read it…or was made aware of it by anyone.

After I was granted permission to enter the Lynx locker room and I swear I hear the funeral march playing. I see that the only two people in the room are Navonda Moore--who was to be inactive for the game--and Seimone, sitting quietly at her locker with her headphones. Augustus and I have a friendly relationship, so after I thank her for spending a few minutes with me, she proceeds to give me a hard time that I’m “bothering her right before game time.” My only response is to tell her that she’s going to make me cry…until she smacks me and let’s me know she’s just messing with me.

It is at this point that I ask Augustus if she had the opportunity to read the article in question or if she was made aware of it…and she does not know of it. After I fill her in on the basic idea of the article--as well as the response to it--she seems to be very curious as to what my questions may be for her.

SL: Obviously, this may be a strange question due to what you have already accomplished on a personal level in your career already, but what areas are you continuing to work on improving your game?

SA: Definitely working on my defense. That’s what I strive to get better at each and every game. One day, I want to be known for my defensive game as well as my offensive game. I’m also trying to get my teammates more involved. I know what I have to do to try and create for someone else as much as I can. Also, on the offensive end, I’m trying to extend my range and be more consistent with that.

SL: The past three games the assist numbers for the team have been high, as well as your personal assist numbers. Is that an indication that the team is beginning to trust in each other more and, more importantly, that you are trusting in your teammates more?

SA: I think the trust has always been there, but there’s just been a lot of missed shots, a lot of missed chippees here and there. I think that everybody is starting to find their niche, find their stroke and they’ve had some good shooting games. Ohlde has stepped up. Whenever we can get the ball where they are effective, it makes us a lot easier on me and it makes the stat sheet look a lot better in the assist column. Like I said, I think the trust has always been there, but you can always gain a little bit more trust when you know you have a teammate that’s going to knock it down when she’s open.

SL: What is the biggest adjustment that Coach Zierden and the coaching staff have asked you to make this season as compared to last year?

SA: Just being more of a leader. I know Coach T--I say Coach T, but Teresa Edwards--is consistently staying on me about practice. She doesn’t let me take practice lightly. She says ‘When you play in practice, it’s another game for you.’ It’s not a day off and it’s not a day to go through the motions. There is always a way to make yourself better and there’s always a way that I can help to make the younger players better. She tells me ‘If Navonda Moore or Shay Murphy are guarding you every day in practice, think how much better they can get by guarding you, one of the top players in this league.’ If it’s going to make the team better, I’ll do it.

SL: We’ve heard a lot this year about this being a young team and that there is a lot for you to learn. So, here we are at about the 1/3 mark of the season. At this point, what is the most important lesson you believe that this team has learned and what is the most important lesson that you have learned individually?

SA: Whew! That’s a tough one. Alright…the team. I think that we’ve learned that, even in tough times, we can stick together. I mean, if this were the situation last year, the team would probably be totally dismantled. Throughout a 1-9 start, we still have stayed together and we still have the confidence and faith that we can put some wins together and make a run towards the middle and the end of the season.

For me? What I’ve learned is that I have to be consistent. Not just on the court, but being consistent at being a leader. One day you can’t just come in here, say a few words and then the next day be quiet. You have to be consistent in what you do and what you say each and every day, especially when you have as young of a team that we have. You have to be that leader and you can’t take days off. Like last year, I would say a little something and there were some days, some games when I wouldn’t say anything at all and just kind of let it work itself out. With a team like this, there are no days off in your leadership role.

---

Once the game begins--and, I won’t even mention anything about how hometown hero Lindsey Whalen was back in town--they Lynx are down 5-14 until Coach Zierden calls a timeout. At that point, the Lynx had shot 2 of 10 from the field compared to Connecticut’s 6 of 8, with all five of the Sun players on the board.

After struggling through a couple more minutes of rough play, Augustus begins to show that leadership that she had spoken of prior to the game. With Connecticut up 7-18, Coach Zierden subs Tiffany Stansbury into the game for Kristen Mann. Immediately, Augustus finds Stansbury with a beautiful pass, giving Stansbury a layup and Augustus an assist. On the defensive end, the Lynx hold their own leading to Augustus finding Shay Murphy for an another assist on the fast break. These two baskets bring the score to 11-18.

The two assists on consecutive possessions from Augustus lead to the crowd becoming reenergized and brings the Minnesota bench to their feet, where they will be for a majority of the remainder of the game. This also gave Minnesota the momentum going into the second quarter, which may have been the best quarter of the season.

In the second quarter alone, Connecticut’s shooting percentage went from 50% at the end of the first to 41.2% at halftime, making only 6 of 18 shots. The scoring total for the Sun was only 12 points in the quarter, as they also turned the ball over 6 times.

On the Lynx side, the shooting percentage went from a measly 25% in the first quarter to 38.5% at the half due to a 10 of 19 shooting second quarter. Minnesota’s 25 second quarter points were due to the newly-found ball movement, which led to 9 assists in the ten minute quarter.

From then on, it was a whole new ballgame. Now, certainly not all of the credit goes to Augustus, but it was the two assists at the end of the first quarter that were able to jumpstart this team on this night. The confidence that she was able to instill in her teammates, not allowing them to give up the fight, was a big reason towards the overall above-expected play out of the Lynx…eventually, leading to a victory over a championship-caliber team.

Seimone Augustus Needs To Do More

In her rookie season, Seimone Augustus played the fifth most minutes in a single season in Lynx history, scoring a franchise record 744 points due to her 21.9 points per game, which is also the second-highest scoring average in a season for the franchise.

More...

http://www.downtownjournal.com/index.php?amp;page=65&category=57&story=5995&page=65&category=57

Part Of The Problem Is Surprising

Recently the script to Minnesota Lynx games can be written one of two ways. The first option is that Seimone Augustus and company will play their opponents tough for the first quarter, allow the opponent to run away from them in the second quarter and then fight for the entire second half to make the final score respectable.

The second option is similar. Minnesota again plays their opponent basically even in the first quarter, followed by the second quarter swoon. The difference in this option is that at halftime, Seimone Augustus feels the need to attempt to take the game over by scoring the ball.

On nights like tonight in Seattle, it does not work. Certainly for the Lynx to have any success this season--as well as in the future--Augustus must fill up the box score with points. The problem is that when her shot is not falling, Augustus continues to force shots up, helping to dig a hole in which Minnesota can not climb out.

After a good first quarter in Seattle, the Lynx started the second quarter tied with the superior team at 26 points. At the half, the Storm were up 51-42. That is a 9 point edge to Seattle in a 10 minute quarter. Although nine points is not an insurmountable deficit, the Lynx laid another egg in the third. In the third quarter alone, they were outscored 23-13.

It is on nights such as this that I believe Augustus herself needs to take her share of the blame for the loss. Minnesota is not going to win many games when Augustus and Harding combine for 15 points on 6 for 25 shooting. Yet, the “bad Seimone” showed up tonight, unable to help her teammates get going themselves, dishing out only three assists in 27 minutes. The biggest weakness in her game is that when she is not scoring the ball, Augustus is basically ineffective.

This Lynx team is showing the fight that they have as the supporting staff has continued to progress. Nicole Ohlde, although she has flaws of her own, is nearly always in double-figures scoring. Lindsey Harding is as well, although tonight in Seattle she had a “rookie night.” Kristen Mann and Svetlana Abrosimova both continue to find their place in this offense…and Noelle Quinn is coming along slowly.

Which is why I believe Coach Zierden needs to make another change to the starting lineup. Tiffany Stansbury needs to be inserted into the starting lineup in place of Kristen Mann. This is not a “demotion” to Mann, who--as I’ve stated numerous times--is coming along nicely and making the best of the tough situation in which she’s been placed. Stansbury’s inclusion with the starting unit would be due to her ability to bang down low, allowing for Nicole Ohlde to play more off the block and utilizing her skills to their maximum.

This also gives Mann a better opportunity to become a solid threat to score the ball, as she would face more second-unit players from the opposition. On most nights, Mann should be able to dominate those second-tier players. Svetlana Abrosimova continues to play well of late, but I would like to see her be the first substitution out of the game. I say that because she can help the Lynx get off to a good start and, once they have, allow for Noelle Quinn and Shay Murphy more court time with the first unit. Abrosimova, teamed with Mann off the bench, should be able to hold the fort as Augustus and Harding rest on most nights.

Coach Zierden has stated repeatedly the phrase “Stay the course” and, as a whole, I do agree. However, by tweaking the rotations in a few places, he could give more balance to his team’s attack, allowing for fewer swoons in the middle two quarters.

Positive Signs In Lynx Loss To Sparks

It seems as if after a rough start to the season, Kristen Mann is beginning to find her place on this Lynx team. In Minnesota’s first win of the season in Phoenix, Mann was able to score 19 points, by far her most points this season. It is hard to not feel sorry for the tough position in which she has been placed, playing out of position and attempting to hold her own against bigger players. Yet, Mann now seems to be finding a way to contribute and take advantage of her quickness against those bigger players.

Tonight, in Los Angeles, Mann finished the game with 15 points. Hopefully, she can continue to be effective, as she makes this young team much more dangerous when she is a threat.

After a tight first quarter that ended with the Sparks up 20-18, the veteran team took off on the young Lynx. In the second quarter alone, Los Angeles outscored Minnesota 29-20 to lead by 11 at the half. Coming out of the half, Minnesota returned the favor to outscore Los Angeles 26-17 in the third. It could have been easy for the young guns to give up and say “Here we go again,” but they continued to fight and, in the end, made it a game.

Although the team’s record is certainly not where Seimone Augustus would want it to be at this point, it is becoming clear that she is beginning to trust her teammates. The amount of shots per game that Augustus is taking continues to go down at the same time that her assist totals are going up. This allows for Augustus to be a more efficient player, as shown tonight where she scored 28 points on only 12 shots, all while dishing out her season-high four assists.

This is certainly the Seimone Augustus needed for this team to have any success in the future, as I delve into with my Downtown Journal article that will be published on Monday, June 11. Now that the Lynx franchise has begun to find ways to make her teammates better, she has officially begun her path towards an eventual MVP award. That MVP award will certainly not come this year on a far below 0.500 team, but it will happen one day.

Rookie Lindsey Harding continues to grow with each and every game into the second-fiddle to Augustus. The backcourt is set for the next decade, so it is now time for the Lynx to address the post issue. Nicole Ohlde continues to do what she can, but she is not a player who can be the focal point of the post rotation. Ohlde--like Mann, to a certain degree--should be given quite a bit of credit for continuing to battle each and every night, even though she is not being used in a way that puts her in the best position to succeed.

The ball movement was much improved for the Lynx tonight. With an assist-to-turnover ratio of 22-9, gave themselves a great chance to win. Yet, in the end, the more-experienced Sparks team was able to make the big plays in the end to seal the victory.

Another loss in Los Angeles brings Minnesota’s record to 1-8 on the season, but, as Coach Zierden and his staff continue to preach, they do need to stay the course. Of course, that course would be for a high draft pick this year to grab up one of the franchise post players that will be available in the draft.

Ress Reports From Phoenix

The best thing that could have happened to the Lynx occurred in Phoenix Tuesday night. Yes, they finally got their first win of the season, but something more important happened. Although the Mercury were able to come back from a large deficit to make the final score respectable (and to scare Lynx fans that they just might blow it), it taught this team two things.

One, they learned, on this one night how to close out tight games. Secondly (and equally important) was that although this game should be a confidence boost to the Lynx, they still have plenty of work to do.

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Although brief, Kathrin Ress writes after the Lynx first win of the season in Phoenix.

"It feels really good. It just proved that we are a good team. We were just really focused and I don't know, it just all clicked. It is definitely a booster (to the team’s confidence) and, like I said before, it just gave us that reassurance that all the hard work is paying off...

Coach Zierden was just really happy more for us than for anything. Now we just have to stay on that same level and keep it consistent no matter what. Win or lose we need to stay together. We learned that we are a good team. I feel like I am repeating myself, but that is it. Yes, we are young, but that does not mean anything...we are going to keep getting better and growing every game."

The NBA Got Exactly What They Wanted

Now that we know that the San Antonio Spurs will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, it is rather tough to make a prediction as to who will come away the champions. It almost seems to be the fight of head versus heart.

More...

http://www.downtownjournal.com/index.php?amp;page=65&story=5960&page=65&category=57

Ress Reports From Chicago

After another tough loss, rookie Kathrin Ress honored her committment to check in with Minnesota Basketball. I would just like to publicly thank Kathrin for her time while on this road trip. She certainly has a lot on her mind with the Lynx tough start to the season, so taking the time to do this really should show Lynx fans how special of a person they have in this rookie.

SL: Simply, why is this team shooting so badly right now? Is a lack of confidence a part of it?

KR: Shooting is different for people. Some people just need that routine and follow it every time they are open to shoot. Others just get into a flow and they cannot be stopped or, on the other hand, have a slump that then becomes mental. Right now, I think on our team our shots are just not falling...that is the only explanation I can think of. If you'd ask anyone of us to shoot 100 shots, we'd all make at least 70% of them. It is tough right now, we just need to continue and have faith and shoot with confidence when we are open.

SL: Is Tamika Raymond playing now because she is now healthy or could the coaching staff no longer keep her out?

KR: Tamika is very important to our team. She is a floor leader and gives us lots of energy. She is getting healthier every day and I think that she feels ready. Chuck is a great trainer and he would not put someone out there if they were not physically healthy. Also from tonight we saw how much Tamika can bring to our team and the coaching stuff did a good job using her to give us that spark that we needed.

SL: The past two games, it seems as if there is a conscious effort to get Ohlde out of the post and on the move. On the flipside, there seems to be an effort to allow Augustus to post up more? Is that truly a conscious effort or just the way the game is happening?

KR: Both Nicole and Seimone are such a central part of our team and they are both great players. Coach is just using the skills they both have and putting them into our plays. Ohlde is such a finesse player that she can use her speed on the block against the bigger post players she is matched up against, while Seimone can use her strength and height against who is guarding her. So it is just a matter of using their strengths to be successful.

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Be sure to check back with Minnesota Basketball after the Lynx game in Phoenix (which is on ESPN2 on Tuesday) for another Ress Report.

Listen to me on KFAN AM 1130

Sunday, June 3rd-5:00 PM

I will once again be a guest of Doogie's, as we discuss the state of the Timberwolves.

Should be fun and I hope that you will tune in.

First and Second Half: Night and Day For Nicole Ohlde

In my very first article for Downtown Journal in which I previewed this 2007 Minnesota Lynx season, I placed a great amount of pressure on Nicole Ohlde. In what may be a first, I quote myself…

“Therefore, the key to this season will fall squarely on the shoulders of Ohlde. With both the inexperience and lack of depth down low, Ohlde needs to step up her game and become a leader on the floor. The skills are there to be an All-Star in this league, but, for whatever reason, she has not shown that “killer instinct” to take over games in which she has a clear mismatch. For this team to be successful in 2007, Ohlde needs to become mean, something that is seemingly out of character for the bubbly 6’5” forward, but something needed nonetheless.”

(Full article here, for those who did not see it.)

Believing that tonight’s contest against the New York Liberty and their young post players would be an excellent opportunity to really key in on Ohlde, I was able to see both the good and the bad from her. In the first half, Ohlde led Minnesota with nine points and four rebounds. That would be the good. The bad? The final box score shows Ohlde finishing the game with eleven points and seven rebounds.

So, what happened in the second half?

To me, the answer is simple. In the first half, Ohlde was catching the ball on the move, allowing her to use her athletic mismatch against most post players. However, in the second half, when Ohlde was getting touches, she was back to the basket where her defender has a better chance at stopping her.

After New York defeated the Lynx, dropping their record to 0-6 on the season, I spoke with Nicole Ohlde on what I had witnessed…

SL: In the first half, you were getting the ball on the move more, rather then posting up. Was that by design or just how the game developed?

NO: I think it just kind of happened. We had a game plan coming in that we wanted to get their posts on the move and especially bring Jess out and stuff. We wanted to make her guard pick-and-rolls and everything like that. That’s just something that we decided to do at the beginning of the game and then other people got hot, so we went to other things. So, it’s just kind of how the game evolved.

SL: Does having Svetlana Abrosimova actually help you due to your familiarity with her?

NO: I don’t necessarily say just because of that. I’m getting more accustomed to everybody that’s playing. I’m getting used to the rookies, I’m getting used to Shay, Q and, you know, all those people playing. I don’t necessarily think that that has anything to do with it. Obviously, you love seeing Svet out there and getting more comfortable with everything because she missed three weeks of training camp. It’s just good seeing her get familiar with everything.

SL: How beat up are you right now?

NO: Not beat up enough to not want to go out there. My teammates are beat up too, so not enough. I want to go out there and just win for them.

SL: How much does this team miss Vanessa Hayden?

NO: You know, obviously, we don’t have a huge banger inside, but that’s something that we’re continuing to work on. All of us, as a post rotation, are trying to be successful, trying to work hard and trying to get better at things. Obviously, we miss V, but we understand that that is something that we just don’t have right now.

SL: What is the biggest lesson that you personally learned from this game and will be able to utilize going forward?

NO: Obviously, at the beginning of the game, I was aggressive. I came out aggressive. I was trying to attack. I think I can take that and continue to learn from everything that goes on in the game, whether it be from watching film or reflecting on what happened. I just have to learn from it now, learn from it tonight and learn from it tomorrow when looking back. I’ll just try to take things from it and the next time we play, hopefully change things up that weren’t so successful for me.

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With the next four games on the road, Minnesota is very seriously looking at dropping all the way to 0-10 to start the season. Although it may not be the only thing that the Lynx need to work on, if they are to have any success in 2007, Coach Zierden and his staff must continue to find ways to use Ohlde’s strengths…and not only for half the games.