Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
Game #66, Home Game #34: Los Angeles Clippers 90, Minnesota 99
Season Record: 16-50
1. Pick and Roll Call
The Clippers without Chris Kamen are a feel-good victim for a ballclub ready to generate some springtime momentum despite its inevitable trip to the lottery. Wolves coach Randy Wittman stomped and gyrated and spun and screamed and acted out for a good part of the game on the sidelines, then came in from the nine-point triumph and essentially praised everyone on the roster.
And with good reason. Abetted by a steady diet of pick-and-rolls--"we run more of them against [the Clippers] than any other team" Wittman said--Minnesota made at least half their field goals for the third straight game, held the Clips to 38.8% from the field, and used a 13-4 run in the first 3:42 of the 4th quarter to turn a two-point lead into double-digits and a relatively comfortable coast to victory.
With that said, let's begin the roll call.
The easy story is Al Jefferson because it follows the classic arc of shame and redemption: Benched for horrid D Friday night against Seattle, challenged to improve at that end of the court for at least the last month, according to Wittman--"it is the next step for him"--Jefferson made a pair of tone-setting blocks on shots by Josh Powell and Tim Thomas in the first 1:10 of the game and then added another against Cuttino Mobley with 4:06 to play in the period. And in the second quarter he lunched Powell again at the 3:16 mark.
It ruins the plot to point out that those first three blocks didn't really set the tone: The Clips were firing away at 53% (9-17 FG) during the first nine minutes of the game. But both Wittman and Jefferson were enthused about his defensive play, and the Kamen-less Clips--who also got a subpar effort from a dinged up Al Thornton--did only get 30 points in the paint, so if Big Al wants to use this one as a momentum changer toward a new emphasis on protecting the rim, no self-respecting Wolves fan should stop him. Especially with Memphis (Darko), Indiana (Jeff Foster) and the Knicks (Zach Randolph) on the dance card of what should be a very successful week.
I'd rather toss garlands at the invisible man, Ryan Gomes, who was second on the team to Marko Jaric in minutes-played, led in plus/minus at plus +15, and in scoring efficiency by getting 19 on 6-9 FG, 1-1 3pt and 6-6 FT--and was barely noticeable. Gomes was the only guy on the team who understood how to play offense in the first quarter, as the Clippers aggressively doubled Jefferson--move without the ball. Jefferson barged his way for 2-5 FG, and Kirk Snyder barreled into the lane for 1-3 FG and 3-4 FT. Meanwhile, dynamite sticks Foye (1-5 FG) and McCants (0-2) misfired from the perimeter. It was left to Gomes to school the lard-heavy (in brain and body) Tim Thomas, from the first points of the period (a 17 footer from near the baseline) to the last (a pretty layup on a deft dish from Corey Brewer). While the rest of the Wolves were shooting 5-18 FG, with none of the baskets assisted, Gomes was 3-4 FG, with dimes tossed in all three buckets, and 4-4 FT to account for 10 of the team's 23 points. He added 5 more in the second quarter (including a trey) and then deferred once Minnesota discovered the pick and roll between the littles and the bigs, shooting just 1-2 FG in 17:15 in second half play, but chasing Thomas from the paint to the arc and helping out on rotations down low. The Barometer is holding steady: good, unsung game from Gomes, victory for Minnesota.
Plaudits also to Shaddy McCants, who had one of those games that makes you wonder why he isn't registering 35-40 minutes per night. After a tepid first and early second quarter, he re-entered the game with 5:08 to play in the half and the Wolves down 2. In the space of 3:36, he nailed a trey on a feed from Foye, caught the Clips napping on a breakout transition layup courtesy of a baseball bullet pass from Snyder, then fed Jefferson for a turnaround 10-foot bunny, Gomes for a layup and Foye for a trey: 5 points, three assists, Wolves up 3 at the break.
McCants would have finished with 9 or 10 assists instead of 6 had Craig Smith not done an atypically poor job at finishing at the rim. Shaddy to Rhino was one of the choice spreads in the pick-and-roll bread-and-butter, with McCants delivering the bounce pass in rhythm nearly every time. Then there are the purely aesthetic delights, such as the Clips blocking the passing lane as the Rhino stampeded down the left lane, leaving McCants to dribble once, twice, and then right-dribble-to-left-hand crossover dribble as he's moving left, only to right himself toward the hoop as he skies and squares in muscular ballet, nailing a 21-foot liner the way you and I toss a soggy paper towel in the wastebasket from across the room.
His 9 points on 3-3 FG, 1-1 3pt and 2-3 FT tied Smith for 4th quarter honors. He finished with 16 points on 10 shots, was a second-best plus +6, and contributed to Cuit Mobley and Quinton Ross (his two primary matchups) going 4-18 FG.
2. A Pleasing Display of Depth or Disappointing Development?
Among the evening's plethora of solid performances were those lodged by Kirk Snyder and Marko Jaric, at both ends of the court. For Wolves' fans this is of course a good thing, except that Snyder and Jaric got plenty of burn at the expense of Corey Brewer and Randy Foye, the coveted first-round draft picks for whom the Wolves' tanked down the stretch the past two years.
The Jaric rescue effort is easier to take, because Foye has been on a bit of a roll lately. As nifty as Sebastian Telfair is at slinging the rock, Foye's visually less pure floor generalship has nevertheless resulted in a greater spread of shots taken, producing more balanced scoring (and more scoring, period) and assist-making. His defense has been so-so at best, but Foye at the point has found a groove.
But not tonight. Where McCants and Jaric envisioned and initiated pick and rolls galore, fueling a collective 16/3 assist-to-turnover ratio, Foye was adrift, ignoring Wittman's entreaties to pound the ball into Jefferson despite the double team and preferring to launch before the pick arrived. He finished the game 3-9 FG, with just 2 dimes and 2 miscues and sat for all but 36 seconds of that win-going-away 4th period, supplanted by Marko and his 5 assists in the final period alone. Yes, it would be preferable in the team's future for Foye to have racked up another notch on his point guard credibility meter, while Jaric was the dunderhead. But it will take more than these occasional blips to recast doubts about Foye right now, and it's a minor pleasure watching Jaric revel in his role as the steady, savvy vet.
Snyder and Brewer is another story. Corey Brewer is a very likable performer--he hustles, he's smart, his demeanor is sunny and industrious, and he's got the high profile championship college pedigree. By contrast, there's something about Snyder that seems a tad too forced and strained, and besides, wasn't he supposed to be little more than a bit part that enabled Minnesota to shed itself of Gerald Green and filch a second-round draft pick besides?
During the first half, Snyder did not live up to his role as the defensive stopper (same as Brewer's), allowing Corey Maggette to run amok, a grievance partially mitigated by him burning Maggette for a pair of fouls and a trio of hoops at the other end. By the end of the night, Maggette had done his thing against both small forwards, getting 20 points in the 22 minutes Snyder guarded him and 14 in the 14:20 when Brewer was the matchup. Nevertheless, watching the game, you had the impression that Snyder was the more effective defensive foil--at 6-6, 225, his dimensions mirror Maggette's (compared to Brewer's 6-9, 185), and he was more physical, if less constantly in his presence, than Brewer. Wittman confirmed as much by saying, in reference to Maggette's game-high 34, that the Wolves didn't have "another big 3 other than Ryan, and I wanted to keep him where he was."
Then there is the offense. After shutting down Kevin Durant in his first notable game in Minnesota, Snyder bricked enough shots to gain the rep of a defense-only guy. But he's shown some signs of being able to get to the rim, and finished tonight a respectable 5-10 FG in 25:56. For Brewer, alas, it was the same old shaky aim. He was 1-7 FG in 24:05, with the make being a slam dunk--no funky jumpers converted. For the year he is a dreadful 139-387 FG, barely above 36%.
Snyder is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Brewer is expected to be a regular, if not a cornerstone, for this franchise for the next 5-10 years. Nearly every game he does something unique--tonight it was using his extra gear, the jet gear, to swoop in a snatch a rebound of an indifferent prayer-shot at the end of the half and immediately gather steam enough to fling a 3/4 court-length shot at the buzzer. Yet at precisely the time in the season when McCants and Foye began to figure it out and emerge during their rookie campaigns, Brewer is fading. When you're a defensive stopper and a 24-year old competitor defends as well as you do and scores a little besides, well, it will take more than that to bump you out of the club's blueprint. But it is still enough to sow a little doubt.
3. Give Me April-June Madness
As everyone marks their NCAA brackets, I'll ignorantly claim that the Big East and Pac-10 will fare best, with Butler a huge sleeper and the Big 10 bounced by the final 16. Meanwhile, the Celts toppled the Spurs tonight, the Spurs 4th straight March loss, putting them in a tie with Dallas for the 6th seed in the West. Any one of the top nine teams in the West could lose in the first round. And if San Antonio has to play every series as a road team, the fiedl will be wide open.
Well I guess I will be biased with all of this but hear me out.
I think the criticism of Corey Brewer is fine and dandy but let us look closer at what true potential is. First of all, no one will argue with Brewer's athleticism and ability. We can all see that he can run and jump. Now let us also look at his mind, He is one of the best on the Timberwolves(if not the best) at fundementals and awarness. He plays defense as a team and as an individual which is crucial. Last, He has heart.
I believe these all add up to making him a likely candidate to boom once he gets a consistent role that he can be confident in. Just look at the quality of Florida players. Richards, even though he is horrible untalented, looks to have one of the most fundemental games I have seen. Noah, is logging minutes and producing even with the lack of a shot. Horford speaks for himself. Add to this that just this week Donovan banned the Gators from the training center because of lack of heart. Donovan is a coach that takes what he has and gets the most out of it.
I know these paragraphs have been choppy but im kinda tired and rushed along with the fact I could write ten pages on the quality of Florida players.
Basically it comes down to this. Brewer has all the qualities to bloom into a good and maybe great role player, one who would be worth much more than his stats. Think a defensive stopper averaging 15ppg and getting his team fired up. Mark my words, in five to seven years, all three big Florida players will be making big contributions to their teams.
I am very disappointed with the Taylor comments. I am slowly losing respect for him because every time he opens his mouth he seems to blame KG.
MEH... It's one think to take pride in not tanking, it's another thing to dump on someone who carried you for so long. As I said when a trade seemed imminent .. wherever he goes, he'll always be one of the biggest timberwolves' heroes .. Don't ruin that now Taylor .. whether it's true or not, you don't say that kind of thing...
The rest of the things he says are ok though, it's nice they're winning for the players and for the fans, thinking about who we have now (though as someone already pointed out, we can't win enough to lose our pick anymore).
Good stuff Britt and all,
Britt, since your move to the Rake, I have noticed you are almost always on the "most popular today" list at the top, even on days you don't post. As much as I thank them for providing you with a place to provide for us, I hope they appreciate you (as they should) as much as we do. I just hope they recognize- that I do jog around their site after the sports blog meandering as I'm sure others do too. You have given them more audience and it shouldn't go unsaid or unrecognized.
On to basketball
I was left scratching my head on how the Wolves managed to keep pace with the Clipps after that 1st quarter. Britt, you nailed it, Gomes. The guy was the hustle and the scoring. But like you said, invisible in some ways. But without him in the first quarter the wolves would have taken a hard hit.
Oh- was it just me, or was Jim making an excellent point about getting to the line with Corey Maggetti, in that getting to the line open your game immensely. I've said it before, McCants becomes 1 dimensional very fast. After he hits 2 jumpers in a row, you won't see him drive anywhere near the paint. What I saw Corey do is nail the jumpers early, now they gotta come out and respect the outside jump shot, once they come out, it's and easy drive to the hoop with a quick first step. He blows by the first defender leaving the defender near the hoop in a bad position, often coming in late and drawing the fowl...
Just saw this on SI.com.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/03/18/garnett.taylo...
Any suggestions on how to help Taylor recover from his diarrhea of the mouth? What good comes of him making comments like this?
I think it's getting personal between him and KG or KG and the organization. If you read some of the columnist in towns, it sounds like KG was a total he-diva behind the scenes the last several years and even when the Wolves did a tribute to him earlier this season, it sounded like he still wanted a big say on that.
Owners versus players have been around for some time. I remember the Karl Malone versus Larry Miller of the Utah Jazz feuds. I believe Olajuwon also had issues with Rocket ownership and vice-versa.
Also - kudos for Dan Barreiro (champion of Timberwolves?) and KSTP AM for continuing to talk Wolves. I can't believe my beloved PA & Dubay show has turned into a hockey program. How did that happen??
Throwing KG under the bus and bragging about the current "plan" is so pathetic. So was it KG who told Mark Madsen to launch threes against Memphis, too? This is an example of why most Minnesota sports fans don't respect Taylor, McHale or the organization in general.
As for Brewer, the truth is he's an intangibles player who never should have been taken with a lottery pick because he doesn't have the body or offensive skill set to play his position in the NBA and probably won't for a long time, if ever. People cut him more slack than they would other guys because he hustles harder than most players, is a nice guy and came from a prestigious college program. All admirable traits, to be sure, but ones general managers shouldn't have to spend top 10 picks or long-term contracts on.
I think the fact that Brewer is already "an intangibles player" puts him ahead of most rookies, and having only two identifiable areas of improvement (shooting and bulk) does not make a long list for a rookie player. I cut him slack for the reasons you mention, along with his veteran understanding of how to come off a pick, close on a fast-break, close out on defense and still beat his man to the spot, and the simple fact that he's 6'9" with great quickness and agility. Looking back on the draft, there may be guys taken behind Brewer that will have better careers, just like there may be guys taken ahead of him who will fare much worse. If we're comparing him to Al Thornton, I feel pretty comfortable in saying that we got the player more likely to find himself contributing to team success.
I agree with Andy G and would add that no one knows the "truth" about any player after one season, especially considering where he's played it. He's probably a better fit for a team that gets up and down the court more, and we probably won't know for a couple of years whether he can put on weight and/or become an above-average contributor on offense. As far as the weight situation, Josh Howard's 210 and doesn't look that muscular. Brewer could easily get up to that point. If they get better defensively, he'll be able to get more easy baskets on fast breaks. His NBA-ready skills are those intangibles, but his real potential is in the ground he can cover in a short amount of time. It seems like he hasn't gotten that swagger he had in college; if only he'd go back to the headband and the baby fro.
I don't mean to sound ridiculously hard on Brewer, but I do think people overate the little things he does on the floor. "Little" things are important, I know, but how far do they go for a player the organization wants to try to build around? When I said the "truth" I was mainly referring to his draft position, I don't think there's much question he would not have been taken as high as he was had he not won championships in college.
In my opinion, scoring ability trumps a lot of other things that players can do, which is why I'd rather the Wolves selected Thornton. There are very few teams who can afford having a starting small forward or shooting guard who isn't a shooter. Now if Brewer ups his field goal percentage dramatifcally, everything changes, but there is no evidence at this point that he will.
As somebody mentioned below, the intangibles provided by Brewer would be much more important on a good team. I agree that other guys taken behind him would look better on this bad team, but I like the fact that they took somebody without the pure scorer mentality of the previous two first-round picks of McCants and Foye. I've only seen Thornton once (the other night) but he looks to be a guy very interested in his own scoring, and not so interested in much else. Maybe it was just an off-night, but I was looking at habits and not stats. Plus, isn't he a few years older than Brewer?
I'm contradicting past posts about Bassy, whom I ripped for having a bad shot with bad form, and now I'm defending Brewer in spite of the same things. I guess with Brew, I think A) his form isn't quite as bad as Bassy's; B) he doesn't hesitate as much as Bassy; C) from everything you read, he's got a great work ethic--(not that Bassy doesn't, just that you don't read about it, so I'm less certain); and D) Brewer is 6'9" and athletic. So, you could criticize me for my inconsistencies in judging these two players, but I have at least tried to give some reasons for it.
As far as the post before this one, I get that a team that is one of the least-productive offensive teams probably could use someone with a more polished offensive game. As far as that goes, Brewer definitely runs hot and cold. But I can see what they're looking at with him. His greatest untapped resource, at least for this season, has been his ability to run the floor. On a team with the ability to fast break consistently, he'd have 8-10 points on layups every game. I think there are several reasons why this maybe hasn't happened, but overall that shouldn't be overlooked with him. Also, I think he knows the game very well, but he's lacked confidence. It's a lot easier to increase a person's confidence than it is to increase their awareness of the game. I don't see the swagger I saw when he was with Florida yet.
Maybe the biggest untapped resource that may never get realized but would elevate him to deserving his high pick is the potential he has as a 6'9 guy who could handle the ball and increase the tempo. He's done it a couple of times this season, and I get the feeling that they're working on his ballhandling because they want him to be a person who can start and finish the fast break. That's where he'd go from just intangibles guy to game changer.
Whether he's the ball-handler or just filling the lane and closing on the basket, you're right that he seems comfortable in transition. We probably saw more of this with Telfair, since he looked to push it a bit more than the others. For the last decade or more, the fast-break sort of died in the NBA, but it seems like certain successful teams (LA, Phoenix, Golden State to name a few) are bringing it back. The only thing that concerns me with our team is that our big man doesn't appear to want to run the floor or even look to outlet the ball quickly. Whether that ever becomes a part of our M.O. is up in the air, but you're right that it would reveal another strength of Brewer's.
Britt -
I thought Corey Brewer had two previous games that were comparatively respectable. So, I don't see the evidence to suggest he is tanking.
3/14 Seattle - 5 for 12 FGA (two steals)
3/15 Portland - 6 for 11 FGA (7 rebounds)
Some of his inconsistencies are obviously related to the 82-games.
Forgot to mention Al Thornton, since I think I remember some debate a while back about how we should have picked him over Brewer. I hadn't seen him play yet, but tried to watch him closely last night, when he was in.
Judging only by what he showed on the court last night, his great NBA body is where it begins, and about where it ends for Al. He had noticeably bad footwork, especially on offense, and his jumper was as ugly as it was inaccurate. On his first possession of the game, Brewer drew an offensive foul on him. On one of the next possessions, he stood on the wing, opposite side as the post with the ball, with his hands on his hips. I thought it was funny when Walker had his hands on his knees during an offensive set this year, but that was at least because he was out of shape. Thornton was just plain disinterested in a set that had him more than one pass from the ball. Anyway, I'm sure he shows an upside sometimes when he uses that big frame to pound it inside, but I'm not too worried about not having him be part of this franchise, regardless of our current deficiencies. Brewer needs to gain weight and shoot more baskets, but at worst, he's a non-factor, whereas Thornton appears to be of the Troy Hudson-type where his presence could be noticeably negative.
From my seat in the Target Center, I was taken by how the two teams on the floor would have made a couple of decent NCAA Final Four teams, but hardly worth the $70 face value of my NBA ticket. And the crowd, if you can call it that, might have made Lynx ticket vendors happy, but I'm sure that Gen Taylor expected more from his premier team.
Yes, Jefferson had some early blocks, but overall, I'd hardly say his defense was solid. Definitely not much help for his teammates when the lane needed to be closed down. Still, it is obvious that he is the one quality player on the Wolves who could start for most NBA teams -- at PF, mind you.
I have to take exception to the thought that Foye [is/was/will ever be] a point guard in this league. I simply don't feel that he wants, or knows how, to be a floor general. His passing isn't crisp, nor are they particularly well timed. It's not like the Clippers are a paragon of defensive prowess. Nor does Foye show me much on the defensive end, he seems to have little feel for correct positioning of his body between his man and the basket. I had the feeling that Brevin Knight could have gone by him any time he wanted to. There must be some reason that Wittman didn't play Foye in the 4th until the closing seconds of the game. Indeed, as Britt said, it was a minor pleasure to watch Marko.
McCants? I don't think he'll ever learn to be a team player. His passing is even weaker than Foye's. He did get some assists, but on several of them it was Gomes making a great play to handle a poor McCants pass and then turn it into a basket. A couple of really selfish shots just sealed the deal as far as I'm concerned. Hey, he'd make a great Clipper.
I'm afraid Corey Brewer is going to turn out to be one of those fan favorites that a team just can't afford to play very much. Who doesn't like his hustle and off the ball positioning? But it's clear that he's not a shooter (even passing up a couple of open shots that got Wittman hollering at him). And will his body type ever let him gain the muscle he will need for the NBA? It is not automatic that work in the weight room translates to muscle mass.
You can ask, Hey Levi, did you see anything good for the Timberwolves last night? Well, yes. Ryan Gomes was in my opinion, the player of the game for the Wolves. He worked hard, got most everything going on offense and didn't suck on defense. Not that I would base my decision about a guys career on a single game, but I think that the Wolves should choose to keep either the Rhino or the Gomester. Last night, I thought Gomes showed us that he was the one to keep.
I agree with the troubling sentiment regarding Brewer, but it's also important to remember that the first offseason is usually the one where you make the biggest strides. I think he knows what he needs to improve upon, and will spend his time shooting jumpers and pumping iron.
Let's also not forget that defenders like Posey, Bowen, and Hassell are all relatively poor shooters, yet have made their mark in the league. Sure, they're more likely to stick an open 3 than Brewer is right now, but they've also had enough experience to build confidence, something that comes with time. Corey has good natural instincts, he just needs to compliment them even more to succeed at this level.
In the past six games the Wolves are 4-2. The prior sixty they were 12-48. Weak schedule, depleted, unmotivated opponents, March malaise.
Still, two things are striking in the box scores. Through March 5, Ryan Gomes was averaging about 11.2 points and 5.3 boards. In his last six games Gomes has delivered 18 and 6.7. That's a big, semi-sustained step up and a badly needed on for this team.
Perhaps even more impressive is the team's jump in assists to turnovers. First sixty games the team averaged 19.2 assists and 15.4 turnovers. Over the last six those numbers are 23 and 10.3. Assists up by 20% and turnovers down by one-third.
My favorite play last night was one repeated a handful of times: Point guard brings the ball up and gets it to the right wing - usually Marko. Marko loops back towards the top of the key takes a step and half towards the basket and finds Al on the block for an easy basket. It seems like a wise adjustment in an effort to find a less protected angle to get the ball in to Big Al.
I heard the McHale interview regarding the "core players jelling" and just about fell off my chair. Hello?? Anyone home?? Maybe you should TELL your coach that! Because Wittman continues to muck up the lineup more than anyone I know. (Did you hear Hanny say that 24 lineups have been used this year - a team record?!!) Wittman is simply not capable of defining roles and sticking to it.
Brewer is one player whose development is being negatively impacted by this yo yo roster. He starts, he's a reserve, he starts again, back on the bench. He plays 30 min a game, then 14, then 36. He is the defensive stopper, he is the energy guy. There is no rhyme nor reason to his role which has to be very difficult for a guy used to regular minutes.
It is also the main contrast point with McCants and Foye. By this time in their rookie years, they had defined roles and regular minutes. That helped them develop. Wittman needs to do the same for Brewer.
I agree on this. Remember how Dwane Casey limited McCants' minutes early in the season, playing him usually only in the first half, and then slowly building them up? Same thing happened with Foye, who was losing minutes to Troy Hudson early in the year but was slowly being worked in until Wittman became coach and began his string of starting Foye then starting Hudson then going back to Mike James.
Also, I don't get why guys like Jaric and Snyder (or at least Jaric) aren't being shelved while they figure out what they have in the other three. Not that they'd go to the inactive list, but at least out of the starting lineup. It's one thing to tank; it's another thing to win games when other teams might not be trying and claim you're "building confidence" when you're not letting the young players work through their trouble spots or providing for as many opportunities as possible to evaluate players for next year. I'm not surprised their play is improving late in the year, but show me a plan, Randy! Show me a plan!
The plan is to gain enough karma points to start a faith-based organization which will then be used to pray for the #1 draft pick.
Exactly how I feel. I'm feeling very good about our players but the coaching... It's not that Witt is not a good coach but there are only 30 NBA coaches .. 30! Is Witt one of the 30th best coaches in the world? Don't think so...
If the requirement for leadership of the USA is that one is the most competent in judgement with the most knowledge to inform decision making, would Bush be qualified as President? Clinton, Obama?
Wittman has to be judged based upon the job he is doing. The standard set by everyone at the beginning of the year was not wins and losses, but improvement over the year as well as evaluation. I've had my moments of being dissatisfied with the job Wittman is doing, mainly concerning Jefferson being groomed for the center position vs. the power forward spot for the foreseeable future and other rotation issues. However, by any measure, the Wolves have improved from the beginning of the year and seemed to be primed to win 20 games or more by seasons end.
Wittman has the job for next year if they finish the year out like this. Next year, the standard should be the same. WIth the addition of a draft pick or two to the roster and a narrowing down of the rotation with less emphasis upon evaluation and more upon performance, the goal should be .500 ball for the season. If Wittman is not around tha mark by Christmas (barring significant injuries), then I'd say his job is in jeopardy.
Andy B,
I have bad news for you. Wittman is signed for next year with an option year. Glen Taylor has been quoted as saying he is not going anywhere. Including next Christmas.
The problem with Wittman has been (in Cleveland) and is (in Minnesota) his inability to define roles and develop a regular rotation.
My problem is that defined roles and regular rotation is EXACTLY what a young team needs. Ergo, we have the wrong coach for the current players.
JAF,
I wouldn't put much stock in what in contracts or what Taylor says. When Wittman was hired back as an assistant by Taylor, Glen made clear that he was not the head coach in waiting and he had full faith in Casey. Losing changes perspectives very quickly. Taylor will say what he needs to say even if what he says in not quite believable (i.e. KG tanked not the Wolves the last two years.).
But, what I was mainly trying to say, and I admittedly am not always clear in my hurried posts, is that Wittman should not be judged upon by wins and losses this year but rather by improvement and the evaluation of players. Next year has to build on that improvement. .500 is a reasonable expectation on next year's ball club. I think people can start askign for a new coach if Wittman can not meet that expectation (I think he can). Whether or not Taylor and McHale listen to the urging for Wittman;s ouster if he does not meet this expectation is another story.
I came away with the same feelings about everybody, but Snyder. His stats may have come out ok, but that 2nd Quarter was one of the uglier basketball periods I've ever seen. On one end, the Clips had Cuttino Mobley isolated with his back to the basket for about 13 straight possessions. I almost fell asleep. On the other, Snyder was cranking up shots in a variety of unintelligent ways. I'm basing this off my memory from being at the game, and no stats, so maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought. It seemed like a pretty horrible period, though.
There were some bright spots, though. Great night for Shaddy, as you described. Foye made me slightly more convinced than I already was that he's a 2-guard. Smith played pretty well, and Jefferson got his usual.
Did anyone else think Maggette could've dropped 50 without much additional effort last night, if LA would've realized (or acted on) the fact that he couldn't be stopped? He got 34 on 18 shots, and watched an entire period of Mobley isolation sets. I thought he was the most entertaining player last night, and it could have been a really exciting game had LA fed him all night and made a more genuine effort, considering the depleted state of their roster.
One other observation, and maybe Britt noticed this also. On two straight possessions in the 4th, Shaddy seemed genuinely distracted, albeit for just moments, about very unimportant things. On one, he fed Marko for a three and didn't get a high-five that satisfied him, and he sort of jawed with Marko about it--nothing major, but he seemed a little irked. Then, the next possession had the ball fly a few rows deep in the crowd, and he got pretty rattled when the fan didn't immediately get him the ball. Nothing too major, but sort of Gilbert Arenas-esque in that he seemed a little like a space cadet out there more than a tuned-in competitor. However, it was one of his best 4th Quarters of the season, so maybe he needs to be a little less focused to succeed--who knows. Just like there are some big Foye and Telfair supporters on here, I'm one of the Big Shaddy guys, at least in the context of this ballclub, so I can forgive some odd idiosyncrasies, as long as they are paired with production.
AG--
Didn't see the second distraction; did seem to notice something amiss between McCants and Jaric but thought it was defensive communication. There was also a time in his first rotation where McCants wasn't getting any touches when he seemed to be mentally tamping down his frustration--a positive sign. But I do think the guy is hard-wired in ways that risk short-circuits, so all these little minor battles (and I too am a supporter) are not insignificant.
I'm also a big McCants supporter, and I'm an even bigger proponent of the McCants/Foye backcourt. I had to wait all season to see it, but it has been one of the brighter spots of late. On paper they'd seem to have some redundant skills, but for some reason they've always had a synergy to me. Anyway, though I wish absolutely no ill will on Bassy, I am a bit glad that the circumstances have conspired to give McCants and Foye a bit more time together.
I also would really like to see Brewer able to, as Britt pointed out, find that next level of understanding over the last month of the season the way that McCants and Foye did. One difference, though, is that McCants and Foye were on teams that legitimately thought that they would make the playoffs for much of the year before finally giving in to mediocrity and tanking for the last month or so...a less-pressure time that allowed the rookies to thrive in a feature role. With Brewer this year, though, the entire season has been that lower-pressure garbage time, so it is a bit concerning that he has not been able to take a larger step this year.
The only thing that I can hang onto is that he is the exact wrong kind of player to thrive on a bad team...whereas McCants and Foye were both scorers that had had trouble subsuming themselves in the team game but always knew they could score, Brewer is more the type that may have been able to thrive as a short-term hustle player on a good team but that wasn't really going to score no matter what the level of competition. Hopefully this means that as the Wolves build back up to respectable, Brewer will eventually play a larger role...
drza44--
I think you nailed it in your final graph, actually. Brewer seems to crave meaningful games and consequently stokes his own momentum even better than Jefferson and Foye (who are both pretty good at it)--if he is keying a Wolves' run, usually with defense, he hits that jet gear and is an absolute dervish, yet for some reason rarely gets exploited for playing out of position.
But the moment you imagine how great he'd be for a Phoenix, Golden State or Denver, you realize how critical it is that he learns to bury an open jumper. As much as folks on this board have legitimately pulled for Brewer and Telfair, it is no coincidence that the squad has enjoyed a much higher shooting percentage as minutes have been cut for the pair. Both shoot "good" missives, correct decisions in the basketball 101 handbook, yet convert less than 40% of them.
Bassy is averaging 9 shots a game and is hitting at a 40.1% clip. That's not great but really not as bad as people make it out to be, considering he plays a position where he can be effective without scoring a ton. There are other pure PGs who are considered pretty decent starters (i.e Felton; Tinsley; Alston) who are comparable shooters.
But Telfair's minutes will be reduced to 15 per game once his ankle heals and will most likely be gone next year. I just can't see any scenario where he willingly takes a back-up role, either to Foye, Rose or an equally unproven PG, like Augustin or Bayless. If the Wolves weren't so committed to developing Foye at the point, maybe he'd take the challenge, but he's the stepchild here no matter what.
Maybe if he was 27, he'd accept his limitations, but he's a long way form that place. Bassy needs to go where he can at least challenge for minutes on a level playing field. The real concern should be Brewer. He plays two positions where offensive production is really necessary. As a swingman, intangibles do not make up for lack of offense, especially for a guy the team has really invested itself in.
I think the most unfortunate thing for Bassy about his injury is that it came at the beginning of the softest stretch on the Wolves schedule. I'm actually surprised that more people haven't implied that Bassy's absence has been a factor in the Wolves' success.
Frankly, between Seattle and the Kaman-less Clips, I've seen some of the worst perimeter and interior defense the League has to offer and would say that's as big a factor as anything.
With Memphis, Indiana and New York coming up, we may see more of the same. But before we use increased offensive production against these pigs to draw conclusions about Bassy's impact on the team, Iet's remember who was on point when the Wolves beat Phoenix twice, Utah, New Orleans, Golden State, NJ (with Kidd) and Philly (all playoff teams). The Bassy-led Wolves also took Boston (twice), Houston, Denver and San Antonio right down to the wire.
If the Bassy-less Wolves are able to get it done on offense against Houston, San Antonio, Utah, Detroit and Phoenix (all but Detroit are in a dogfight) then, I agree, we'll have something to think about.
^^
I didn't mean to post anonymously above. That's me....
I can't figure out this team's plan for Chris Richard. He doesn't seem able to get consistent minutes (at least 12-15 minutes a game would be nice). After his play at Seattle, you would think that he would get more than 7 minutes last night. Is Richard signed for next year ? Is he part of the long term plans for this club ?
Other than Maggette, the Clippers were a one and done team by the fourth quarter. They had stopped sharing the ball, and were looking for a soft landing to get out of town. We should absolutely be winning games like that, especially at home. That the Wolves are beating the bad teams on a more regular basis does represent some sort of progress. They're going to need more consistency from Foye, McCants and Brewer to solidify a starting rotation.
Older school that I am, I decided to measure the length of time McCants hung on to the ball last night, as well as how many times he gave the ball up to other folks with under 5 seconds on the shot clock. I never tabulated the final count, but he did very well this game. It proves that his main obstacle to success is mental, not physical. Let's be honest here however...the Clippers weren't really playing anything resembling solid defense. If he or any other of the supporting cast could deliver, say, in the face of the defense played in last night's Spurs/Celtics game, that WOULD be impressive. The fourth quarter of that game was as intense as I've seen a regular season contest in a couple of years.
Brewer concerns me. Against Portland he shot much better, but was completely out of control in driving to the hoop in the second half of that game. Last night he was clanking them, and making a lot of mental errors on defense. On good nights his hustle intangibles are enough to get him close to double figures every game, without running plays for him. Wittman should really be limiting his shots and focusing in on creating offense though his strengths, while working on his shot in the off-season.
Interesting Kevin McHale spin-meister interview last night. I'm paraphrasing here, but he very effectively downplayed any notion of tanking, saying that the core players of the team have to jell now, and that it would be nice to see them win consistently down the stretch to build momentum for next year. I'm getting lost on who's the good cop and bad cop in this organization.
A last note: Spurs broadcaster Sean Elliott is the new Tommy Heinsohn. All that's left for him to do is develop a point reward system for hustle plays during the game. Given they're in Texas I'm sure some sort of guns/chaps/lasso theme can be created.
Hi Peter,
I've read the column and comments for years, rarely contributing but I wanted to thank you for your thoughtful contrariness (as compared to Britt's critical boosterism).
I'm sure it'll be all over the comments soon and Britt and others will all weigh in but I'd really appreciate your take on Taylor's comment that "KG tanked it" last year. In the best case it seems like a poorly executed backhand compliment to the guys who were here last year (all 4 of them?). It smacks me as a ridiculous act of disloyalty and provocation for provocation's sake. If I were a current player and my owner savaged a former great (with no evidence at all mind you), I'd be concerned that I could be next. Feels like a horrible misstep.
Snyder has posted a link to the espn article at the top of the comment thread but it was your McHale/tanking/good-cop bad cop thread that had me thinking about your opinion of these exciting new developments.
Garwood -
Thanks for the kind words. My ethic is simply to add to the great and passionate voices here, with Britt as the conductor, with no self-promotion. But since you asked, I have posted a thought about the whole Taylor issue on canishoopus.com, under the handle of finewein.
My thought: this has to stop, there's no point in it. Or, on the other hand, maybe being vindictive is the key to making billions.
At any rate, I'm sure when KG steps into the Hall of Fame, it will be in Boston jersey after this.
Taylor's comments were definitely out of line and damage his credibility to the point where I wonder why I even support this team. Probably the most hypocritical statement I've heard from him. If he's going to bash former players, there are some easy targets for him who currently reside with the league's worst team.
However, I don't see a circumstance where KG's inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Celtic. Whatever his problems with management are, there are so many more reasons why he should be considered a Wolf than a Celtic. Honestly, it'd be a slap in the face if he did that just because of issues he has with the GM and the owner.
Also, do they even make them choose a jersey with basketball? I think the only sport where that's an issue is baseball because they put a cap on the guy's head for the monument. Even in that scenario, think about Rod Carew; played a long time with the Angels, inducted as a Twin.
What a great last games this has been. Even though the competition hasn't been the strongest, it's nice to have the feeling the players actually progressed this year and are learning to overcome problems that occured frequently (FTA and 4th quarter) at the beginning of the year are only getting better and better.
Also, on a good team you don't need every player to perform each night to get a win. So it's a good sign we got that win with Foye playing a less good game.
Next year is gonna be an important year for Brewer, I, for one, have all faith in him.
I wonder if he's gonna be a SF if he gets enough weight .. or does anyone think he'll still be playing some SG minutes in case he gets to ... lets say, 210 pounds. That's a little big for a SG, no? Especially with that shooting?
If he does solely play SF and Foye plays PG .. that kinda opens up a spot at SG.. Since it could only be filled with Mccants and the 2 veterans (jaric/buckner)...
Tayshaun Prince is the same height as Brewer (6'9") and listed at 215 pounds now. I don't remember what he weighed as a rookie, but if Brewer can get up to that weight from his current 185, I think he'll be fine matching up against most SFs.