Click here for the forum’s thread for tonight’s game against the Lakers
Game previews:
Hey guys. I wanted you all to be the first to hear the news that as of last night Rashad and I are no longer together. Relationships are hard enough as is when you live in the same city, and he’s in a different city everyday for games. Our time together was just so limited because of both of our schedules that we decided it is best not to be in a committed relationship. The last seven months have been great and we will definitely remain close friends.
Point guard Sebastian Telfair played just 20 minutes against the Pistons because of a bruised right thigh, and McHale said even that might have been too much.
“Last night I felt bad,” McHale said. “I called him up after the game because I said, ‘Hey, I’m sorry for playing you at all.’ He got kneed on the first play. When he’s able to turn the corner and do some stuff, he gives us a whole other dimension. Poor Bassy couldn’t turn the corner, and he was out there kind of dragging his leg around so hopefully he’ll be better tomorrow.”
With Kevin Ollie still recovering from a dislocated left elbow, Randy Foye is the only other option at point guard, and Love said the Wolves missed Telfair’s speed Wednesday.
For most of his second season in Minnesota, and especially during the Wolves’ 10-3 January, Telfair has been the man with his hand on the stick shift.
“When he’s able to turn the corner and do some stuff, he gives us a whole other element,” McHale said after practice on Thursday. “And poor Bassy couldn’t turn the corner. He was out there kind of dragging his leg around and hopefully he’s better (Friday).”
Telfair did only some light work in practice on Thursday, but said he is hopeful to play on Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. He was first injured against Milwaukee on Monday night, but still was able to start the game against the Pistons on Wednesday.
Brian Stensaas/Star Tribune on this weekend’s games against the Lakers and Celtics:
Even after a loss to Detroit on Wednesday that coach Kevin McHale a day later called “mentally … a big step back,” the Wolves remain among the best in 2009. The team has a 10-3 record this month after a 4-23 start to the season. The Lakers and Celtics enter tonight’s action 10-4 in January.
“It’s a good test for us,” Wolves center Al Jefferson said of this weekend’s games. “We’re ready to take the challenge to see where we’re at.”
This will be a significant barometer. Before Wednesday, the Timberwolves had some advantages against some of their January opponents.
The game against the Pistons was Minnesota’s first against a fully healthy team in some time. The Wolves responded by coughing up an 11-point second half lead and eventually lost by nine.
From the Associated Press:
In the first 13 games in January, Love averaged 12.5 points, 10.1 rebounds and 24 minutes and shot 53.7 percent from the field. The month before, he averaged 6.6 points and shot 38.1 percent over 16 games.
“My teammates are happy with my play, my coaches are happy with my play, and I feel a lot more confident,” Love said. “Just got to keep heading down the right road. There’s going to be some more bumps this rookie season, even probably into next season a little bit, but I’m just looking forward to keep getting better and keep being productive.”
David Berri/Wages Of Wins blog on Kevin Love’s exclusion from the All-Star Rookie Challenge:
Unfortunately for Love, what he’s offering doesn’t get much…. okay, love (had to see that coming). And this is the problem for all these assistants who someday hope to lead a team. On the one hand, coaches are often telling players to understand their role and not focus solely on scoring (see HERE and HERE). On the other hand – as Love has learned – scorers tend to capture more than their fair share of attention and love (okay, I’ll stop). This conflicting message must make coaching in the NBA harder than it has to be…
RandBall on Wednesday’s loss to Detroit:
Gratuitous joke favored by MC Creme Fraiche: “I love Randy Foye’s game, but sometimes it seems like his heart’s in the wrong place.” It’s true! (Note: we don’t wish to make light of his condition; if it pleases the court, we will go back to the standard Wally Szczerbiak/promotions guy lookalike joke at the vast majority of home games).
John Supinie/GateHouse News Service on last night’s Gophers game against Illinois.
Brian Cardinal, a former star at Purdue and now a member of the NBA Minnesota Timberwolves, sat in the first row behind the Illini bench. Cardinal, who prepped at Tolono Unity, is the son of Rod Cardinal, the former Illini trainer who oversees projects within the basketball office.
The truth Xross refers to, of course, is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s all over his new album, “Tell ‘Em tha Truth.” And it consistently defined an interview with the 34-year-old rapper two weeks ago at Nutty Boyz Entertainment, the Brooklyn Park recording studio owned by former Timberwolves player and aspiring rapper Troy (T-Hud) Hudson — who has enlisted Xross as a spiritual adviser, while Xross uses T-Hud’s studio for some of his recordings.
Coach Kevin McHale, on the Timberwolves’ resurgence: “It’s 99 percent players and prayers. I’ve got nothing to do with it.”
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