From David Thorpe/ESPN:
Kevin Love, Timberwolves
Just a month ago, many experts were bashing the Wolves for the Mayo-Love trade. I, too, admitted that it looked like a big mistake, even though I loved the deal on draft night. The thing is, we forgot how long the season is and how special a player Love is.
What Love has really shown lately is his incredible combination of skill and size, and his feel for the game — he’s often in the perfect position to make a play. He’s now No. 2 in Player Efficiency Rating for rookies and is tops in all three rebounding metrics (offensive, defensive and total rebound rate). That’s impressive, considering his poor start.
Kevin Love comes in at #4 on SI.com’s weekly rookie rankings.
Love had 19 points (on 8-for-11 shooting) and a season-high-tying 15 rebounds Sunday against the Bulls for his eighth double-double — all of which have come in his last 27 games. Love is the leading rebounder among rookies at 8.4 per game. “He’s just a gritty, tough, hard-nosed kid,” Minnesota coach Kevin McHale told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “The ball goes up on the glass and he feels like he should get it, and more often than not he does.”
Tony Mejia/Pro Basketball News on All-Star reserves:
My final frontcourt spot, contested between ‘Melo and Jefferson, goes to Minnesota’s young standout. Anthony has only played in 31 games, missing nearly one-third of the season. He’s shooting just 43.7 percent from the field and averaging just over 21 points per game, his lowest numbers since 2004-05.
That wasn’t good enough to get him into the showcase then, and shouldn’t be enough to get him in now, especially given the broken hand. Jefferson, averaging 22.6 points and 10.6 rebounds, has emerged as one of the premier big men in the NBA, but since few people ever see him play with the Timberwolves, his dominance often goes unnoticed. Fully expecting Jefferson to get snubbed in favor of Anthony, I’ll still go on record as having his back.
Xavier (Seattle): Anything new on the Mike Miller trade front? Nets and Cavs are both interested, but McHale said he’s not on the block – telling the truth or smokescreen?
Chad Ford: He’s on the block, but the Wolves don’t want to give him away. They need to get a piece back for him. That’s why the Wolves are talking tough. They want teams offering more than just an expiring contract. A pick or another young player would do the trick.
From Chad Ford/ESPN: Top wings on the block
Mike Miller, Wolves
Getting Miller as part of the Kevin Love trade this past summer looked like a coup for the Wolves. However, Miller hasn’t fit in and reportedly has been miserable in Minnesota. While the Wolves publicly say there’s nothing to the Miller trade rumors, a number of GMs around the league disagree.
Miller’s shooting ability and reasonable contract make him one of the most attractive trade candidates out there.
Chance of trade: 65 percent
Jonah Ballow/Timberwolves site posts gameday note and audio previewing tonight’s game against Detroit.
Sebastian Telfair is hurting from thigh to toe, but there’s no way the Timberwolves’ starting point guard is missing tonight’s game against Detroit.
“I’m definitely going to play, for sure,” Telfair said after today’s morning shootaround. “I’m going to go out there and try it. I’m a little banged up, but we’re playing too well to change anything right now.”
Telfair sat out the final 4:11 of Monday night’s 90-83 win at Milwaukee after being kneed in the thigh, but he was already hurting.
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