Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
Game #41, Home Game #19: Phoenix 107, Minnesota 117
Season record: 7-34
1. About That Small Lineup...
I can argue that three players are operating away from their natural position, that the defense is terrible, that opponents who play fundamentally sound "playoff style" basketball will destroy them, and that this is clearly not the best way to build for the future. But coach Randy Wittman and any other proponent of the small lineup the Wolves have been trotting out lately can offer up a pretty strong rebuttal: With Al Jeffeson at center flanked by Ryan Gomes and Rashad McCants as the forwards and the dual-point backcourt of Marko Jaric and Sebastian Telfair comprising the starting five, Minnesota's record is 3-3. With every other lineup, the mark is 4-31.
During tonight's whupping of Phoenix--the game wasn't nearly as close as the 117-107 final margin--the Wolves certainly didn't play "small." They completely dominated the battle of the boards, essentially splitting the rebounds of their own misses (grabbing 22 offensive boards versus the Suns' 23 defensive rebounds) while owning their defensive glass by margin of 26-3. The backcourt fed the paint: Jaric and Telfair had a combined assist-to-turnover ratio of 18/2, while the frontcourt was merely 6/6, and the Wolves racked up 56 points in the paint (versus 44 for Phoenix) and 26 second chance points (to Phoenix's 6). Oh, and for the second time in three meetings this season, "center" Al Jefferson absolutely destroyed "center" Amare Stoudemire when the Wolves had the ball.
More than any game thus far this season, Jefferson played offense with a killer instinct. The raw numbers are pretty revealing: 39 points, 14 free throws, 8 offensive rebounds. Stoudemire was helpless. Or, better put, the Suns starting giving him a lot of help, with as many as two or three others collapsing on Jefferson when he received the rock, and it really didn't matter. If for some reason Jefferson didn't succeed at first, he got the ball back and tried again. The dude finished with 29 FGA (making 15) and 14 FTA (making 9) and it didn't feel like he was hogging the ball. That's when you know you are having fun.
A brief pause here, while I drop a fly in the punchbowl. Jefferson's utter lack of defense was nearly as monumental as his voracious offense. Stoudemire was 14 of 16 from the field and one of his two misses was a meaningless trey chucked with three seconds left in the game. He scored 33 points in the 29:40 that Jefferson was guarding him, which is why Jefferson finished the game with a team-worst minus -4. That doesn't change the fact that Jefferson was the dominant force in a Wolves' victory, because he most indisputably was. But it does neatly encapsulate the spectacularly half-assed season Jefferson is putting together. Okay, let's move on.
In fact let's conclude this first point by giving Wittman the chance to explain why he likes the small lineup, in response to a postgame question from the PiPress's Rick Alonzo. "I just like the spacing with Ryan at the 4 and with having our two ball-handlers in the backcourt, not turning the ball over." Earlier, Witt had opined that flexing Gomes between the 3 and the 4 may have something to do with his current resurgence: "He can get open more easily on the perimeter with a 4 on him, and he can post up more easily on a 3."
2. Kudos Chorus Line
However Gomes is stepping up his game, it sure is fun to watch. Wittman mentioned two "huge" shots he made, a left-handed flip from 5 feet out cutting across the lane late in the third period, and a baseline jumper midway through the 4th quarter, both of them after Phoenix had cut the lead to 11 and were threatening to get it beneath that psychologically important double-digit deficit. For me it was the way Gomes mixed it up in the area from directly underneath the hoop out to the sidelines; keeping rebounds in play, chasing after loose balls, making the right interior pass, constantly moving without the ball, and laying a body on his man on defense. It seemed fairly obvious that Shawn Marion mailed this one in--he attempted just three shots and grabbed three rebounds in 32:33--but Gomes's dogged demeanor successfully encouraged that malaise. Put it this way, when Marion's matchup outscores him by 7, outrebounds him by 6, and gets just as many steals, blocks and assists, the Suns' odds of winning drop dramatically.
Kudos also go out to Marko Jaric, the man I have nominated to head to the bench in favor of a center Chris Richard. Wittman has done exactly the opposite, sitting Marko a grand total of 3:48 *combined* the past two games. And in those two victories, Marko has compiled remarkably similar stats, registering 15 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists tonight after going for 16-8-10 versus Golden State on Monday. For a man who hates to come out and pouts when he isn't playing and/or the team is losing, Marko needs to cherish the current harmonic convergence of his Iron Man status (others include superrapper Ghostface Killah and comic book superhero Tony Starks, neither of whom have supermodel Adriana Lima at his elbow) on a team with a winning streak, however modest. Life is good, even when the thermometer says -16.
Kudos also to the trio coming off the Wolves' bench, and to Wittman for keeping the rotation down to 8. How many times have we seen the Wolves and their opponent feel each other out, play on relatively even terms, and then have the opponent explode for a 10 or 12 point splurge in the second quarter to open up a formidable gap that essentially dictates the course of the game from there on out? Wasn't that pretty much what happened when Minnesota travelled to Phoenix less than a week ago? Well tonight it went the other way, the way of the Wolves, and the splurge-makers were the subs, Corey Brewer, Antoine Walker, and Craig Smith.
I must confess that I still cringe when Brewer goes up for a jumper. But unlike, say, Bassy Telfair, who seems to weigh the validity of his missive on the shot-selection chart even as he is leaving his feet, Brewer continues to play as if he knows damn well what is or isn't a good shot, and if it's a good shot in the flow of the game, then he's going to take it. And guess what? Tonight's 6-11 FG makes him 38-82 over the last 16 games (a pretty solid sample size), which is 46.3%, or better than the NBA average of 45.3%. Yeah, the fact that he hasn't hit a trey since Dec. 11 makes that eFG% pretty paltry, but paltry is two or three levels better than the clanging albatross stage when he couldn't make 30% of his shots for nearly three weeks.
Just as he put invisible training wheels on Gerald Green's game when the two shared the court a few weeks back, Antoine Walker is mentoring Brewer in ways large and small lately. 'Toine knows, even if Brewer doesn't, that the thin rook's biggest flaw is shooting, and so tonight he laid at least three or four shots for Corey on a platter, mostly in transition, in the form of dishes for bunny jumpers, or on a drive-and-kick to the corner, and once on a very sweet feed that Brewer, the throttle all the way down, couldn't help but to rise up and slam through the hoop. Then 'Toine would twinkle-toes his way back upcourt, secure in the knowledge that the experiences he was generously doling out were accumulating karma points that, in all fairness, should be paid out in the form of a trade to a contender before next month's deadline expires. The man has done his penance for gluttony, or whatever sins troubled the fevered brow of Pat Riley down in Miami, who, speaking of karma, is currently riding a 14-game losing streak. Anyway, as much as he likes to feign delight in rearing players up here on the frozen tundra, young'uns who were fourth-graders when he first broke into the league, you know 'Toine itches for a meaningful hardwood milieu come May and June, perhaps for a playoff team in need of postseason experience who plays in a warm clime, such as Orlando. No doubt he has been a boom-or-bust commodity thus far this season, but when he's on he can be a maestro, orchestrating the development of potential into performance--Brewer was plus +13 in the 21:40 he played alongside 'Toine tonight and minus -2 in the 8:15 he played without him. And even when he's off Walker remains a highly respected presence in the locker room and a good-vibes pom-pom guy on the bench.
3. Hype On the Horizon
The next game is the Celtics, in Boston. We have a tendency to focus on Garnett, obviously, but in terms of the Timberwolves, the team's two best players, Jefferson and Gomes, are going back to the only NBA home they ever knew before this season, and to a rabid fan base that will dole out the love and hate with vigor. The won-lost records offer a strong rebuke to the current worth of Jeff and Gomes, one I imagine they will be very determined to counter. Assuming Witt maintains his version of smallball, that puts Jefferson on Kendrick Perkins, an opponent he surely has faced, and bested, many times in practice; and Gomes on KG, who is larger and faster, etc, etc. How do you match up Marko and McCants on Pierce and Ray Allen? It doesn't seem like it will be pretty, but then again the C's have hit a bit of a trough--they lost to Toronto at home tonight--and the Wolves, well, these Wolves are playing better than ever before. Or, as Wittman says, We've beaten the best team in the West (at least record-wise) twice now, let's see if we can beat the best team in the East.
a little clarification on my part.
i mentioned being stressed out in iraq and loving that ostrich bit about mchale in a recent thread. but i'm a civilian reporter with stars and stripes newspaper, not a soldier deployed here. i didn't initially put i was media because i didn't want to toot my own horn, etc. in retrospect i should have. anway, I'm VERY VERY sorry for any misunderstanding and please know i'd never try to pass myself off as one of the men i'm lucky enough to be walking with for the next two months. false valor is a sickening thing, and i wasn't trying to be a party to that kind of shit.
having said that, i met two marines from minny so far. as we watched the highlights of the nets-wolves game during breakfast this morning, i tuned one of them into this blog.
again, i was having a pretty shitty day down here and that line made me laugh, and i was just trying to say that someone over here on the other side of the world was enjoying it. i wasn't trying to misrepresent myself or try to garner pity points or any of that shit. i feel like a total idiot now.
having said that, fallujah is in a remarkable state at this point. i was skeptical of the reported turnaround in this area, but it really is a sight to behold.
i blog about it at geoffisrighthere.blogspot.com, and my email should be listed here if you wanna know more.
The Timberwolves put up a release on their site (http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/free_tickets_to_return_of_kg_080125...) that suggests you can get free tickets to KG's return to Target Center.
You used to have to buy the two-game pack to get a Boston ticket, but if you watch Friday night's game on KSTC (Channel 12 on Comcast), they'll say how to get one of 50 pairs of tickets ... For free. Rumor has it that during the first quarter, the way to get the tickets is to go to www.sweetwaterjones.com. If you go there now, you won't see anything, but once the game starts, the promotion will be up.
Mr Robson:
I was reading an article about last year's Celts when I came across a nugget about Ratliff's back surgery saving the team a ton of money because it caused him to miss enough games to kick in insurance coverage on his ridiculous contract. This saved the Celts millions of dollars.
Do you know when the insurance mark kicks in for Ratliff this year? One of the things that has bugged me in the past few weeks of anticipating the big man's return is that the Wolves seem to be fostering a mistaken idea that Ratliff's expiring money will provide the club with heretofore unseen financial options in the offseason when, in fact, his retiring coin only serves to save Glen a ton of money...even more so if insurance picks up the tab.
I'd argue that after Big Al and the do-over on the Wally pick, Ratliff's contract was the most important part of the KG trade. Now I've followed this club from the beginning so I'm pretty used to getting kicked in the nuts by a front office that seems to have a poorly hidden distaste for even its most die-hard fans, but if Ratliff's money is allowed to expire, and if he meets the insurance mark, and the team rolls with the talking point that Ratliff's expiring contract gives them more money to play with...well, that just sucks.
I guess I'd just like to know when that insurance money kicks in so when Ratliff just happens to play 1 less game than required for the Wolves to pay the whole deal, I can spread the anger out over a period of time rather than just releasing it all at once.
I thought Bassy played a great game. He created several turnovers, he distributed the ball well and he didn't turn the ball over. On one of these comments you point out that he allowed Nash to go off for 21 points and 16 assists. That is true, but Nash is going to get his, I think Bassy did a good job against a two time MVP. I think he has gradually gotten better this season and I look forward to seeing him progress more.
Jaric also played a great game. But he has shown spurts of great play in the past. I love it when he plays well but I have come to not trust him. He is just too streaky for me. Although he has flirted with triple-doubles the past couple games. I could not help but be impressed if he pulled a triple-double off.
I read somewhere that Jefferson's impressive stats were a product of him being on a bad team. Sort of a "somebody has to get the points and boards" type comment. That did make some sense to me until last night. He truly was a beast last night, I am very impressed. The Wolves were very lucky that Stoudemire got into foul trouble. But Jefferson deserves some of the credit for putting Stoudemire in foul trouble.
Brewer also deserves some props. He made some jumpers (for the first time in a long time) and as always was productive in transition. Smith came in and had a very productive nine points and six boards in 13 minutes.
Ratliff and Foye are practicing with the team again. I'm excited to see what Foye will bring to the table. I'm also looking forward to seeing Rhino and Big Al next to a real center.
Britt -
Antoine deserves another run? I take issue with that.
Walker has done a terrific job on this team providing leadership, tutelage and repeated runs of energizing play. But I don't think Father 'Toine, "in all fairness" deserves another run.
He's in his 12th season and looks every day of it. He's guaranteed about $18 million between this season and next (followed by $10 mill in '10-'11 that will be his then-employer's discretion). He's got a ring. Being a player-coach for a bunch of kids at $9 million per isn't purgatory, particularly compared with the poisonous situation he left in Miami.
I adore the big lug, but who's gonna want him anyway?
This game has nice story lines, but will pale in comparison to the hype of the Feb. 8th game. The Cs fans are very excited to see Al Jefferson come back to Boston, but in his 3 years there, he just barely blossomed and matured as much as we saw KG do the same in his rookie year alone. I still can't imagine what the mood is going to be like at the Target Center when the Celtics visit.
I just hope the security is ready to boot anyone that boos KG.... I imagine there will definitely be some.
I absolutely agree w the assertion that the wolves small ball lineup will not hold up long term against quality NBA teams playing w anything resembling playoff level intensity. this said; i do give wittman credit for putting together a rotation of his 8 best players and letting them play. One of my chief complaints about the recent casey/wittman coached wolves was the general insistence on trotting out lineup featuring a traditional -1,2,3,4,5 when it seemed fairly clear the vast majority of the nba level talent was in the backcourt.
I understand that championship teams often feature a "traditional" lineup at winning time but the the current wolves roster simply does not contain an nba level front line in the traditional sense. We've seen enough losses when considerable minutes are thrown at richard/doleac/mad dog. Now, I understand that certain matchups (ie yao) require a willing + able defender in the post (jefferson clearly doesnt qualify), and i agree that it is not time to give up on richard entirely, but, in general, it seems talent wins games in the nba. the current 8 man rotation is at least giving us a punchers chance on most nights. thats all i can ask given the active current roster.
Not buying the small ball success quite yet. I think the success has been totally related to the small ball being played by the opponent.
Starting with the victory against Miami (who, based on Shaq's current physical condition has to be considered a small ball team), the T-wolves have been 3-5. The opponents have been Golden State x2 (small ball), Phoenix x2 (small ball), Miami, Houston, San Antonio and Denver (small ball).
We are 3-3 against the small ball teams with all 6 being very competitive. We are 0-2 with both games being blow outs against more traditional NBA style teams. While the starting lineups were different, the actually minutes played by the main players were pretty similar in all 8 games. (Doleac's minutes in the 2 blow outs came at the expense of subs (ie Brewer))
To me, Wittman has found a rotation to play small ball competitively. Unfortunately, most of the NBA does not play that way. There are 10 games before the all star break - not one against a small ball team. I hope that we are just as successful in these games. But I am going to wait and see before I jump in the small ball band wagon.
Last night's was the first game I've watched start-to-finish in over a week, and I guess I picked a pretty good one. Two PFs masquerading as Cs going off for big nights on each other, except Phoenix's style of play didn't allow Amare to keep his end of the bargain after the 1st. My observations:
1. Craig Smith and Al Jefferson were never on the court together. Of course, this is PHX, so there's little need for extra bangers - we needed perimeter defenders, and guys like Marko came up big. Good call on the rotation, limiting defensive exposure, yet we still managed to grab plenty of boards.
2. Corey Brewer needs to play for 30 minutes a night to gain some experience and level up. I brought it up at the beginning of the season and was shot down, but don't you think he would gain some confidence in the D-league? Walker isn't going to be spoon-feeding this kid all his life, is he? I know I need more patience, but I just haven't seen improvement from him, and won't his minutes get cut into a bit when Foye comes back? Brewer doesn't look NBA-ready yet, but I don't want him sitting on a bench either.
3. What happens to our rotation once Foye and Theo come back (according to the TV broadcast, before the all-star break)? Obviously he won't be starting right away, but I hope his minutes come at the expense of Rashad - I think Foye will thrive if he plays with Bassy and Jaric. Either way, these last couple of wins have eased my mind a bit, but GS and PHX are unique teams in that they have no true center.
To: Brit Robinson
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! As a Timberwolves fan, I am finally reading intelligent and insight comments about the team. Let me explain.
I just discovered your blog about two weeks ago. I had been reading the Rube Chat Comments over at KFAN and finding the comments especially worthless. But one of their comments linked me to your column. I was shocked that someone not only was writing long columns about a hopelessly losing NBA team, but giving me opinions and comments that were interesting. Not only are your columns great, but the posted comments are also great.
So, let me ask the quesion that I have been mulling about. It seems like the T-wolves need another star and a center. If we can stop this foolishness of winning of games, we should be able to get another star with one of the top three draft choices. So, how do we add a center? If we draft the point guard from Memphis, do we trade Foye to draft a center. If we draft the forward from Kansas, do we trade Brewer to draft a center? If we draft a off-guard, do we trade McCants?
Just wonder.
PS. Let me repeat. The Timberwolves have got to stop winning games. Play Gerald Green and Mark Madson!
Jerry--
Thanks for the kind words. Now I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you down.
What you are describing is tanking, something that we unfortunately have discussed the past two springs on this blog. I have a couple of what I hope are short-circuiting comments about it.
First, it is WAAAY too early to think about purposefully losing games. I would argue that there is never a time, but my god, the squad was teasing out the pace of the worst-ever NBA record for more than two months, then puts together its first *two* game winning streak and somebody brings up tanking! Believe me, I understand the concept; watched the Mad Dog Reggie Miller-fest and KG's faux injuries, the whole sorry sordid shenanigans. And I know that without doing that, we might not have Randy Foye and Corey Brewer today.
But I have this little problem with integrity--I believe sports franchises should practice it and try to do as much as possible to win in the future as well as the present--*with the personnel they currently have on hand.*
Finally, you can't rig the system; you can only make yourself look pathetic trying. The Wolves tanked the past two years and got Foye and Brewer. The Portland Trailblazers tanked very little if at all the past two years and got Brandon Roy, Lamarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden. And what was at the time a fairly obscure trade with the Miami Heat may turn out to land the Wolves a better pick in 2010 than the one they will get regardless of how they play this year. The point is, You Never Know.
Now the previous paragraph may seem like the cue for everyone to start bitching and moaning about McHale's decisions, but before that happens, I would humbly request that you all come up with some original material. I can mentally recite the blow by blow back and forth about tanking and it is nothing but an energy sucker. Those who are for it, practice your voodoo, do your wailing, just don't do it here. Ditto the McFail and Wittless witticisms. If you have some recent and specific criticism about what the brain trust is doing, go for it. Otherwise, you are just parading your lack of imagination.
If you ignore my humble requests, I'll just wipe your stuff off the comments section.
(All this is not meant specifically for Jerry, of course, but to all posters. And while we're on the subject, I want to close out on an appropriately positive note. It's late January and this is the first I Am God speech about comments that I have made this season. Your self policing and high IQ is, as always, very much appreciated.)
WOW! I'm even more impressed that you actually responded to my comment, although you did not recognizing my sarcasm about the Wolves needing to keep losing to improve their draft postion. I of course agree with you that the team needs to develop habits that will lead to winning.
Thank you for not wipping out my comment and I'll be more straight forward in the future.
I must come out of hiding to praise the Ghostface Killah reference. Caught me off guard and nearly caused a mouthful of coffee to spray out my nose.
I like what I've seen lately from "the kids," but KG is going to have the Celtics amped for this game. I don't think it will be close.
Ball movement and defense.
You don't hear nearly as much about the need for another jump shooter when the defense creates opportunities for easy transition baskets, and when players look to create for each other. If the quotes from Big Al and Bassy are serious about how everything starts with the defense and they've figured it out, that's Progress.
Keep the faith with your observations about small ball Britt. Eventually, the need for someone who can at least disrupt post play and stop dribble penetration will be necessary to go to the next level--apparently just north of Miami this year. Since many teams are going through mid-season course corrections--Boston and Detroit included--it will be interesting to see how the Wolves play teams getting their second wind and fighting for playoff seeding. They still can't stop many folks; what they have done effectively is strip the ball in the paint and limit second chances from time to time.
Having lost in poor fashion against the Raptors, I'm sure Boston will be in a great mood on Friday. Get ready for some aggressive, pick-you-up-in-the-back-court defense from the Celtics, very much unlike GS and Phoenix. It should be fun for at least awhile.
Peter, that's an excellent comment. Ball movement in finding the open man was a difference maker.
Also, with Big Al having three sometimes four defenders riding his back, he still took it to the hole. Amazing.
McCants was not on his game, but as Jim Pete said, Witt took him out for a few moments, schooled him, and pushed him back out. This has to help McCants through the poor performing nights.
I wish I had half the energy that Brewer expends on the floor. Eventually, that energy will play bigger dividends. Right now he looks like a whirling dervish.
Britt, great work on the stats concerning Brewer + Toine. But can the wolves afford to lose Toine for the remainder of the season while school is in session? In a fair world, Toine does deserve another shot at a ring.
Peter--
Don't know what quotes you are referring to, but if Jefferson is talking about how everything starts with defense then he never got started last night.
Stoudemire went 14-16 FG, 14-15 really, if you ignore the last seconds toss by Amare at the end of the game. Nash, Telfair's matchup, had 21 points and 16 assists and was plus +6 in 35:10. Meanwhile, Jeff and Bassy were the only Wolves to post minus numbers on the plus/minus.
"Just win baby," is an Al Davis quote that is hard to dispute in the short term, and the Wolves have endured so much losing this season that nit-picking their victories seems pretty mean-spirited. But when you yield an average of more than 108 points per game over your last seven contests, some bad habits are being developed. I'm not sure Al Davis would approve of the career records compiled thus far by Jefferson, Telfair, and Wittman.
I'm surprised to see no comment on the free throw totals last night:
PHX did 13 of 13
Twolves 22 of 34???
Where did 34 come from? DId Wittman's complaint to higher powers have an affect?
Britt -
Yep, the Jefferson comment was right after the game ended on Wolves Live, where he did say they've figured out that it starts with defense. The Suns shot 56% I believe from the floor last night, and I suppose about 80% in the last three minutes or so, and, Jefferson is no defender to be sure. But their defense created transition opportunities last night, which fairly negated Phoenix's vaunted fastbreak. So, for a team that is horrible defensively, and usually doesn't share the ball much, it was nice to see them trying to play the right way. A thin silver lining to be sure...
Heading back to my curmudgeon-like persona however, I think it's pretty clear both GS and the Suns played with a total lack of energy, and finally the Wolves simply twice took advantage of that. Given all the contexts of the Boston-Minnesota relationship, and the fact the Celtics lost against Toronto, I suspect Boston will be energized and ready to rock on Friday.
Last night after I got home from Target Center was the first night in seven weeks I performed a postgame analysis. With their performance against the Suns, the Wolves sucked me back in. Hallelujah! Let's see how long it lasts.
The shocking line in the box was Amare's 14-16. He picked up his fourth foul early in the second half. Had he not been in foul trouble the result of the game may have been different. There are two ways to look at that: Glass half empty - Big Al's subpar defense could have cost the Wolves the game had Amare not been forced to sit. Glass half full - It was Big Al's aggressiveness and success on the offensive end that got Amare in foul trouble in the first place.
There were periods in the second half where Phoenix's ball movement bordered on Super Human. For those of you over 40, it looked like a pinball machine. For those younger, type "Pinball Machine" on Wik to see what I am talking about. Two or three times, the ball and flow was moving so fast that the Wolves were shading towards the next pass and at that moment the Sun with the ball on the perimeter would stop on a dime and pop a virtually uncontested three, his defender having already moved away in the direction of the next expected pass. The speed and precision is remarkable and quite beautiful to watch - like a finely tuned sports car - the problem for the Suns is it is hard to maintain consistently which is the main reason the Suns won't go all the way.
Big Al was ruthless all game on the offensive end. Gomes is our official Glue Guy and is a pleasure to watch when he is being aggressive and relying on instinct. Eighteen assists from our starting backcourt and a solid outing from Corey was icing on the cake. Craig Smith felt like an adequate cog. Shaddy's game did not impress.
I don't know what Witt said when he called time early in the first with the Wolves down 14-4, but I hope someone took good notes in the huddle because whatever he said sure did the trick.
I went to my first game of the year last night. The tickets were free courtesy of the Wolves trying to woo back a former season ticket holder. Thanks Wolves.
Brit pointed out the obvious -- Al dominated Amare and the entire Phoenix Suns team all by himself. He sure hates defense though. I hope he will commit himself someday to playing defense. But for one night anway, this KG-apologist applauded "The Trade."
Jaric was that really you? The glue holding everything together. Bringing pace and spacing to both ends of the Court. Playing with the savvy moves of an established veteran. Either he's turned the corner -- please God -- or it just demonstrates how enigmatic he can be. But last night he was simply the second best player on the Court.
I know things always look rosier with a win, but here's my thoughts on some other players.
Gomes, where did this type of play come from? Surely in a losing effort it can be a pleasant surprise, but he's undoubtedly helping his team win.
Telfair -- there's hope for his future. Such a young talent that it would be nice to hold on to him and see if he blooms late like so many other point guards.
Craig Smith -- sorry but I love his back-up role. He should stay there. I think Jaric is taller than Smith.
Walker -- my wife thought he looked like he was in pain, but it's just his style. Is he looking more like Sam Cassel?
McCants -- also known as "the Streak" and tonight the streak was broken.
Brewer - with an NBA body and a reliable shot could be an all-star type.
The Ostrich -- he looks like a pregnant Herman Munster with a bad limp.
Olowa
oh my god, i'm currently stressed out in iraq, but that "Ostrich" description nearly made me fall off my cot in laughter. just in case anyone missed it, "he looks like a pregnant Herman Munster with a bad limp."
At first i thought, 'which player is that? madsen? doleac?' then I remembered the iron ranger in his bill cosby sweater, and a bit of sweet minnesota came to me. kudos to you sir.
Geoff--
Be well, my friend. There is a contrarian streak in me that wants to belittle the Wolves' efforts to mess with our emotions by trotting out first soldiers and now kids with cancer and other heart-rending conditions. I wanted that stated up front to avoid my own hypocrisy on this subject.
That said, I'm proud if this site offers you any succor whatsoever while you lay your safety on the line in duty to your country. Nothing would please me more than if we stopped trying to simultaneously wage war and implement permanent tax cuts, and instead put forth the time, money and energy necessary to ensure that you and your fellow soldiers have everything you need--including the best equipment and normal rotations. Those of us back home should pay for every penny of this military occupation as we go, and if our leaders--from both major parties now, I might add--continue in their determination to prolong our occupation, I believe we should institute a draft. Being fully accountable for the financing and staffing of this war, rather than palming it off on our kids and making our existing soldiers do extra duty, is the only way to truly determine the validity of what we are doing among the citizens of this country. Since that isn't likely to happen any time soon, people like myself need to say more often how much we acknowledge and appreciate the fact that you are literally going beyond the call of duty.
Hey Geoff,
Keep yourself safe in Iraq and Kudos to Olowa for giving you something to laugh about. Also, to the Wolves for winning the past two games. That must be a rare treat for Wolves fans in Iraq as well.
Anyway,
Hope you can tune into a few games and cheer for the Wolfies to win a few more, then get yourself back here healthy to the states in time to enjoy the Minnesota spring and summer (Its been damn cold here the past week). We'll keep a Summit cold for ya.
Thanks
The more I think about Jaric's play, the more I think we've all been quick to judge (not to pick on you, just your comment made me think about it). Sure, we know what he brings to the table, and yes, he's sometimes inconsistent, but hasn't the play of his teammates been pretty much the same story since he's arrived? And haven't his expectations also been pretty "inconsistent"? The man was overhyped after being traded for 1/3 of MV3 AND a 1st-round pick! So how does he respond? With a sub-.400 FG%, and a dip in stats across the board.
Yes, after that first miserable season we all learned that Marko is a point forward, not a point guard as we were promised. Rats! So instead, he had to get used to coming off the bench, competing with Wally and then Ricky for minutes at the G/F spot, and hoping he wouldn't get stuck on the court when Trenton was on the bench - those jitterbug PGs are blurs to Marko! Oh, and on top of that, we lost some very underrated players (Hoiberg, Erv) when Marko arrived, and our chances to succeed were fading, yet he was the new face, and so was saddled with the blame.
And we're not a perfect team now, but there are some fairly logical explanations to Marko's career year (at least so far). And these explanations do not all involve supermodels. Rather, the surprising play of Bassy (allowing Marko to guard non-PGs), the addition of other quality swingman defenders (Gomes, Brewer, and Buckner will usually draw the tougher assignment), low-post presence of Al (frees more court space opposed to the high-post of KG), and the decent play of our guards. Teams used to be able to hide a weak defender on Trenton last year, and now that weak defender is on Marko (or Brewer) - Rashad and Bassy are too explosive, and Gomes can post a smaller guy. Marko is more willing/able than Hassell was to exploit that matchup, and he keeps our offense flowing and can keep defenses a little more honest.
Dear Geoff, very pleased that I could put a smile on your face over there. Best of luck to you and thank you for your service. I hope you get back home safe real soon. He was wearing the trademark sweater like a boat cover.
To me the Ostrich is a walking contradiction -- Hall of Fame player but a six-time winner of the Billy King trophy for worst GM of the year. He drafts young with KG, but then follows it up with Ndu Ebi. Pulls off a good trade for Sprewell, but can't land Artest or Iverson. Fires Flip and Casey by demanding wins, but then admires Wittman for how he coaches the day after.
Antonymous, the explanation you provide holds water. But even if I had prefaced my comments with your entire explanation, I wouldn't change my analysis. Last night he simply looked like a different player. I wish you were right and that his play will last.
Brit, please tolerate some old jabs at the Ostrich. It's like having a Detroit Lion's blog and not being able to bring up a Matt Millen blunder to add the exclamation point. Also, I do understand that the media has been harsh and direct with McHale, and you have thankfully led the way, but I for one wish the criticism to be constant. My response to the lovely lady who provided us free tickets last night was that I will be a season ticket holder again, as soon as McHale is tucked away up north in retirement. I simply can't pay the fare when he's driving the bus. So, please allow me to bring up Mark Blount or Brandon Roy every now and then.
Olo--
The way you inject McHale is not a problem. Posts that preoccupy themselves on old info or tired concepts are a problem. If you want to make a McHale complaint the cherry on top of your sundae every now and then, go for it. When it is one of the ice cream flavors, the sauce, the whipped cream and the cherry, it goes in the recycle bin.
Watching the end of last night's Spurs Heat tilt got me thinking - What feels sweetest about the Heat's now 15 game losing streak?
A) There but by the grace of God go the Wolves
B) Pat Riley getting his comeuppance for knifing SVG
C) Pretty Ricky and Mark Blount showing their true colors on a larger stage
D) All of the above
AK, I've gotta go with an unmentioned option:
E) The fact that we could very well be looking at a pick in the 10-15 range next year OR even a top 10 pick in 2 years if the Heat continue their commitment to losing.
Moves like that are the ones that help vault your team from rebuilding to competitive to contending as time goes on. The benefits may be delayed, but think about it in the long-term. If the Heat lose Shaq and strike out in the draft this year and Wade's injuries continue to nag him, it's entirely feasible that we could be looking at having a top 10 pick (along with the Wolves own pick) in 2009, quite possibly as our team starts to look competitive. A shred move, dare I say, on the part of Mr. McHale and co.?
I have to agree with option E... This is the kind of trades McHale used to make in the past .. but we were on the other end of the deal.
We might not have such a positive outlook as the blazers, but we're on track...