The Wolves are in New Orleans tonight to take on the Pelicans with Eric Gordon back in the mix. Some notes:
-Return of Gordon. EG has played 5 games this year for New Orleans, averaging 15.6 a game. While he will certainly be a threat, his 3 point shooting has yet to return to form as he is just 3-20 on the year. However, given how many 3's the Wolves have been giving up over the last few games, leave it to Gordon to get hot tonight. The Wolves will need to keep close on him on the perimeter and keep him below 20 points to ensure an easy victory.
-Ham vs. Brow. You have to love this matchup, Cunningham is proving his worth as one of Kahn's best moves of the offseason. While not scoring at a high clip since taking over for Love in the starting lineup, he has given non-stop energy and defense, two terms not quite typically uttered when discussing the Wolves. With HAM's length vs. Brow, this is going to be an intriguing matchup. But does coach Williams place Brow on Pek in the block given Pek's slight issues against lengthier defenders? Perhaps.
-Adelman Update. Per the team, Rick's wife has been admitted to the hospital for unknown reasons, hence his recent absence. There have been no formal reports on how long he will be out, but speculation indicates it could be awhile, if not permanently. Wishing Rick the best as he goes through this difficult time.
-Injury update. Barea will likely be out tonight again, along with the usuals: Love, Roy, Budinger, Lee, etc. Not having Barea really hurt bench production against the Thunder the other night. Not that the Wolves had a chance given turnovers and OKC's near perfect shooting. Lazar Hayward continues to be our purgatory player of choice while Gelebale continues to be watched by the Wolves. I have a feeling once Gelebale is ready to leave for the NBA the Wolves will sign him to two 10-day contracts. While Gelebale isn't going to light the world on fire, it will be an interesting storyline to observe should Sixth Sense Hayward continue to be generally underwhelming.
-Prediction: All will depend on shooting. If the Wolves go on a few runs, the game should be ours.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
