Minnesota played its best basketball game of the season to beat Utah earlier this season. They played one of their worst, least inspired games in the rematch with the Jazz, a contest in which my criticism of the Wolves' effort was greeted by many commenters with: "We knew they had no chance because Utah remembers what happened the first time and wants revenge."
Okay, I wasn't there this afternoon--out of town on another assignment--so what happened?
As in the first game, it looks as if the scoring was very balanced, with seven players in double figures, and an 8th, Randy Foye, with 9 points on just 5 shots. Kirk Snyder, bumped from the starting lineup for the first time in nearly a month, led the Wolves in plus/minus and Jefferson, McCants and Gomes led them in scoring. On paper, it looks as if D-Will had a bad game.
So chime and let me know what happened.
What happened is Utah was exposed. They're in the West! They can't afford loses to lowly teams like the TWolves! Even with Memo and AK not playing, they shouldn't lose that game.
Basically, the Utah bandwagon should be disbanding soon. Phoenix would beat them in the playoffs; matchup, schmatchups. Utah's missing, to be vague dumb and cliche, "Something".
But as for the Wolves, it was the Brewer coming out party. He knew what he was doing, he knew what he could do, and he did more than that. FANtastic! offensive game by Brewer. And a FANtastic! defensive game by Jefferson. And McCants provided the dagger with a great 4th, and Snyder cleaned up the win with hustle....Really gave you hope for the future.
I know draft talk is somewhat frowned upon here - but we are a Beasley/Rose away (and a free agent Defensiveminded Center) from the playoffs. Foye's getting it, McCants is getting it, Brewer's getting it, and Jefferson has it. We're a lot closer than it looks, which makes me wonder how McHale will screw it up this time.
I was at the game and was pleasantly surprised. A very workmanlike performance that took a team effort, not some individual (usually Jefferson or McCants) going off. A couple of notes:
1. No Okur or Kirilenko and R. Brewer was hobbled by something in the 2nd half. So this was not the full-strength Jazz. That being said, this is still a pretty good (though I don't think great) team.
2. Brewer was generally very aggressive and smart, which showed in his full stat line. He did a great job crashing the boards and a number of his shots came on either tip-ins or drives/slashes to the hoop. A very good, smart performance for him. Whitman is quoted in the Strib saying that he wanted Snyder on Harpring (which makes some sense), which is why Snyder played for the entire 4th (and he played well, so no reason to take him out). More on my thoughts on that later.
3. Britt, you asked McCants to step up in the 4th quarter, and in this game he did -- 13 of his 16 points in the last 18 minutes. He had Korver on him to start the 4th, and he just abused him -- got to the rim for some shots/fouls, and also dished to open big men, leading to some of the free throws for folks like Smith and Richard. Note that the Wolves got the Jazz in the penalty in the first 4 minutes of the 4th quarter, which is pretty remarkable for this team and due in a large part to McCants. McCants' aggresiveness forced Utah to switch and put Deron Williams on him (with Korver guarding Marko). That's the type of dictating tempo/matchups that good teams do, and I think it says something about how McCants is playing and the fact that he's starting to get a rep as a pretty explosive scorer. I'm sure the rep is that if you can stop him from scoring he lets the rest of the game get distrupted, but still.
4. I wouldn't expect the Jazz to go far in the playoffs -- they seem to be a player short and are not playing their best basketball now.
5. While I like the win and I like the fact that we're 14-19 in our last 33, I still wonder what the plan is here. I would think that the primary goal here in the last 3 weeks of the season would be to continue to develop our young players (particularly our last three lottery picks plus Jefferson). Yet Foye and Brewer didn't see the floor in the 4th quarter, despite playing pretty well for the 1st three. Now there is some benefit to seeing what Snyder can do, and Jaric was clucth in the last 4 minutes (though he had a rough shooting night). But I still think that we'd be best served to put our young guys in the pressure situation, come what may. Anyone feel differently?
I agree. Besides that, there's no guarantee Snyder will even be here next year. Given the way both Foye and Brewer were playing yesterday, no one could argue you played them to try to lose. Playing Jaric hoping he'll make himself trade-bait is more understandable. But Brewer really deserved to be rewarded for the way he played and Foye is supposed to be the finisher. At least the Griz got a win this weekend too.
I feel differently. At this point in the season you know who you want on the court in crunch time. The players know it too. There is a difference between being young and being young and ready to lead a team to victory
I watched the Celtics all last year, and by the end of the season, they played Pierce, Jefferson, Delonte West, Rondo, and Gomes in crunch time and won quite a few games. On the bench were Perkins, Gerald Green, Telfair, Allen Ray, Scalabrine and a bunch of other guys that fans were begging Doc Rivers to play because they supposedly represented the future. Look at those guys, two are out of the league, two are STILL on the bench in crunch time and one is injured. My point is, getting good wins like yesterday is 100 times more beneficial for guys like Jefferson, Gomes, and Smith (the REAL future of the team) than bogus losses. Once you start getting used to losses, you fall into bad habits.
Just because these guys are young does not mean they deserve to be on the court in crunch time.
It's funny how Jaric gets such a bad rap on all the boards. Is this because they traded Cassell for him? Or his supposedly high salary?
The reason he plays 40 minutes in Telfair's absence is because he creates opportunities for the offense better than any other backcourt player on the team. As a starter he's been getting between 5 and 8 assists per game. In addition, he attacks the lane opening up spots for Smith, Gomes and Al to get an easy shot or go to the line. While his stats won't be setting the world on fire, he runs the offense better than anyone on the team.
Correct me if I'm wrong but his playing time recently has coincided with the Wolves most competitive month. So why would Wittman play Foye at the point in his place?
Well the thing is that Jaric is not part of our future. He's a lot older than the other players. So we need him to be a veteran presence and help us teach the younger guys how to win but not at the expense of those some guys.
I've also noticed that when we win games most of those games Jaric also had a good game. So it's just that he's not part of the future and we want to maximaze "learning". Some ppl might think Jaric getting 40 minutes is not good for Foye's development. If they are, I don't know either...
I'm not that big of a believer in this "Let's Build For the Future" nonsense. You should try to win as many games as possible every year and play your guys according.
While the Wolves have a decent core group, I don't think many of these guys will be here in a year or two. I also don't think Foye has as much upside people think. He just seems to be an ordinary player. McCants is a real gunner in spirts kind of like Vinnie Johnson but he just isn't there yet mentally and may never be. I'll spare comments on Brewer, Richard, Telfair, Snyder individually by saying perhaps one of those guys will be core players on a team that goes deep into the playoffs.
So on that note I see nothing wrong with playing veterans at this point in the season. At least they have not let any 15 point leads slip away in a while now.
I'll just add, that even if you believe in the building to the future plan, Playing Jaric at the expense of Foye or Snyder at the expense of Brewer, haelps both of the young core players develop to be competent plyers at thier position. I have said it before that fans and pundits worry way too much about professional athlete's confidence levels. Yes, they are human and they can suffer from bouts of insecurity just like the rest of us. But, the good ones persevere and take criticism and sitting down as challenges to get better. Both Jaric and Snyder were in there in the 4rth, because Wittman saw that the WOlves had a chance to beat a playoff team at home for the second time this season. Jaric and Snyder were playing well and he trustyed they had a better chance at delivering the victory. If anyone's psyche we should be worried about it is Al Jefferson's. He is a professionally poliched player at a very young age and it is hard to see many areas for improvement on the offensive end for him. He is suffering through another losing season. Al needs some wins to keep him interested and believing in his supportinng cast. Foye and Brewer also benefit from watching Jaric and Snyder get it done. Brewer had a good game yesterday. I think part of the reason he played well is because he has been sitting down and watching Snyder for close to a month now. He challenged himmself to make good, when Wittman placed him back in the starting role. When WIttman gives him a chance to end a game, he now has another challenge. Ditto Foye.
All in all, a great game for the wolves. I thought Brewer really brought the aggressiveness tonight. I was surprised to not see him at all in the 4th quarter, as he had 16 points and 7 boards through 3, with most of his shots being very high percentage (even for him).
Al Jefferson has dropped off a bit in the points/rebound department, but I think he has given more than lip service about being accountable on the defensive side of the ball. He has been more aggressive about going for the block (having 3 in the 1st half), which really forced the Jazz into shooting jumpers for most of the 2nd quarter. He also has been forcing big guys further out on the block, and it really showed last night when he held boozer to 6 points for the 1st half.
I think it is a little baffling to see Snyder ending the game when Brewer is really playing well, and it would have been nice to see Foye get some burn at the end of the game, rather than see Jaric shoot 3 treys in 4 possesions down the stretch...at least Foye is a pretty good shooter.
I think a disturbing trend is beginning to rear it's head. What the heck is up with Randy Foye's playing time? Telfair's ankle injury was suppose to allow him to step up, not take a step back on the depth chart. Sure, he'll probably never be as good as Brandon Roy, but certainly better than Marko Jaric.
Marko Jaric played 40 minutes yesterday. His minutes have gone up while Foye's have steadily gone down. Either the Wolves are showcasing Jaric to drum up any interest or Randy Wittman just doesn't see Foye as his starting point guard.
Or Foyes time off from his injury has made his stamina and endurance suspect and he is suffering from mental and physical fatigue. He took a half season offf and this season is pretty much lost for him. We have to wait for next year to know for sure.
While, I do agree Marko is their best pure point guard with Telfair out, he definitely has a ceiling. The whole win games late in the season stuff - smells like Bill Musselman trying to maximize a roster to get wins 24 and 25, when winning 20 or 21 and finding out who they need to sign for long-term deals probably makes a little more sense.
I agree - we'll get a better guage on Randy Foye next season, but if got to have some idea of how good the kid is by now. I was a big believer when we drafted Foye, but I'm beginning to think the Wolves will bring back the one of the fan's favorite game - 'Spin the Wheel For a New Point Guard'. Especially if Derrick Rose is available.
This team does have way too many guards. Somebody is going to be lost in the shuffle next year out of Foye, Telfair, and Jaric. What are you going to do?
I think if you have a chance to sign Rose, you probably do sign him. In this scenario, you probably also don't resign Telfair. Or, perhaps you trade one of the either Foye, Telfair or McCants.
I think we know what Foye can do and there is still plenty of time to find out before the season ends if he can do anymore. My point is mainly that sticking fourth quarter Foye in every game pressure situation just because he needs to be seasoned is not necessarily a good strategy for a few reasons.
1. He can learn while watching from the sideliens. We know Jaric is not the point guard of the future. But, Foye can still learn some things from him as well as be motivated by the fact that he has some compettition at the point guard spot. He should take his sitting down in the 4rht last night as a challenge to step it up.
2. He is probably tired. You just don't sit out a half a season and then step into a season going full throttle. There are going to be some enduracnce issuew when all you did was ride a stationary bike for 4 months. Foye may have benefitted more if Telfair never did get hurt.
3. WInning is the most important thing. I'll take 24 or 25 points over 21 any day. I was always in favor of Musselmen and his desire to win versus playing the young guys like Gerald Glass (Who?). Jefferson needs to know that surrounded by the right calibur players he can win, not next year but now - for the sake of next year. Winning is a mindset and the sooner it is set, the better. Otherwise, Jefferson and his mates never will catch Portland.
4. Foye can be a serviceable point guard for these Wolves. Whether or not he can take the Wolves and Jefferson to the top of the West is a question mark that cannot be anwered by playing him every minute right now. He has to learn some lessons, most notably how to defend a point guard like Williams who he will be facing for many years to come, if he can thrive at PG for the Wolves. We won't know if he can be an all star this year. Perhaps, by this time next year we'll have a better clue.
Good points Andy. But, I don't know if I'd take the extra wins. Would history remember those three extra wins? I know I would remember that Derrick Rose could have been a Wolf, but was one slot short at the NBA Lottery.
Just listened to the PA and Dubay podcasts (yaaaay - it stopped being an all-hockey show!) and they said that Hoiberg is in love with two players Derrick Rose and Kevin Love. At this point, I think Love will be the Wolf since we're on pace to win 23-25 games and drop to the fifth slot.
Jaric is locked in our roster for at least one more year. I don't see the Wolves moving that long contract, unless someone goes 'McHale' and sees something that's just not there. The real choice will be the troika of Telfair, McCants, and Foye. It will be very interesting to see if Telfair signs or not. It would not surprise me if the Wolves move one of their young guards this off-season.
McHale found a taker for Blount's contract.
I don't put anything past him anymore...
As with most Wolves victories, Al's supporting cast showed up. Gomes, Brewer, Snyder, McCants all had good appearances. And, incredible as it seems, McCants hit a big shot, with about 21 seconds left to play to keep the Wolves lead at six, stifling the last run the Jazz had in them.
Rashad was particularly effective; he was able to weave though the defense and score after having foul troubles in the first half. He had no assists, but was enough of an offensive catalyst that there seemed to be enough rhythm to go around.
Two players with streaky outside shooting decided to go to the basket yesterday: Brewer and Snyder. Given he's still a rookie with a long way to go, seeing him do what he does best--run the court, play defense and slash to the basket--was rewarding. If he would stick to his intangibles, and work on his outside shooting over the offseason, I don't think there would be nearly the concern over his play that there has been.
Snyder--when he's focused--is approaching glue guy status. Swapping starter/bench roles with Brewer, I thought his decision making in the fourth quarter, going to the hole instead of settling for jump shots, was also eye catching. Kirk played decent defense on Harpring, and he, McCants and Jaric stayed on the court in the fourth quarter. No "fourth quarter Foye" was on display, as he sat during crunch time this game.
As for the Jazz, they did what they do best--at least on offense--share the ball, and shoot well. Both Utah and Minnesota shot over 50 percent in the game, so it was more of a lax defensive effort on Utah's part that really cost them. Paul Milsap and Ronnie Brewer had strong games for the Jazz to compliment Boozer, but even with 13 assists, Deron Williams looked disinterested much of the game. He went 5-15 and only 1-6 behind the 3 point line.
Given the jockying in the Western Conference, losing to bad teams like Minnesota has to be an acute pain for Mr. Sloan. For the Wolves, given their inability to do well against plus .500 teams, this can be spun positively in many different ways. They will at least split the season series with Utah, and can use this for season highlight reels, broadcasting propaganda, and "turned the corner" discussions. But for a sub-20 win team, you take your victories when you can.
Controlled and professional is about the best way to put this win. I never thought I'd say it about a Wolves' victory this year, but they won because they got to the free throw line and converted: (23-29) vs. the Jazz's (20-26). Perhaps Kirk Snyder's greatest attribute is that he has given the squad a third player that has the ability to get to the charity stripe (Big Al and Shaddy being the other 2).
This game pretty much boiled down to a 7 man rotation. While Smith and Richard saw just over 10 minutes apiece, it was a crisp, play-to-win lineup with Snyder and McCants off the bench.
The reason why 4th Quarter Foye seemed so reserved is because he didn't see the court in the last quarter:
http://popcornmachine.net/cgi-bin/gameflow.cgi?date=20080330&game=UTHMIN
I'm not sure what that was all about but McCants, Snyder, and Jaric were the 1,2,3 combo for the entire 4th. I guess you have to give Witt some credit for riding the horse that got him that far, but still...leaving your starting point on the pine during crunch time (especially with his team-given moniker) is kind of a surprise nonetheless.
All-in-all it was a pretty damn good game and thanks to Memphis' surprise win over the Lakers, the Wolves gave one back that they probably shouldn't have had in the first place vis-a-vis the Grizz.