The Wolves did not practice today. The team just met briefly and lifted weights. Only coach Randy Wittman talked with the media. The players were quick to shower up and get on home. Reporters were told players didn’t have time to chat about Sunday’s blowout win over Detroit. They wanted to rest up; I’m sure for tonight’s charity event. Rumor has it Mark Madsen will be in a tuxedo. Wonder if he’ll dance …
The players served a Thanksgiving style dinner for soldiers, veterans and their guests during the team’s Give Thanks Event.
Marc Stein/ESPN moves the Wolves up from #30 to #23 in his weekly power rankings.
Minnesota’s change-resistant owner issuing a vote of confidence to Wittman in the midst of a 2-8 start? Not too surprising. Glen Taylor’s Wolves posting their first road win at Detroit? By 26? Total stunner.
-New Timberwolves shooting guard Mike Miller had a couple of meetings the other day with plans to start a high-test AAU basketball program in the Twin Cities next summer.
-The Timberwolves say they’re pleased with the $1 million acoustical improvements recently completed at Target Center.
From David Brauer/Timberwolves site: Catching Up With Randy Breuer
That’s Randy Foye, the Wolves’ starting point guard, who credited a pared-down playbook for the season-high 23 points and career-high 14 assists he had in a stunning 106-80 victory over the Detroit Pistons at Auburn Hills, Mich.
“Everything was simplified tonight,” Foye said after the game. “Coach brought me to the side a couple of times and told me to just go.”
Coach Randy Wittman said Monday it wasn’t a case of going back to basics as much as cutting down the play calling and running fewer set plays.
Every time you might have been tempted to yell at your television screen for Miller to shoot more, he made an extra pass, and usually the right play, keeping with his season-long determination to defer to his teammates for what he calls the betterment of a team that has won three times in its first 12 games.
Four of Miller’s seven assists came on passes to Jefferson, including three in a third quarter when the Wolves outscored Detroit 32-18.
Last night against Detroit, Bassy looked like a rookie, getting ripped in the backcourt by Will Bynum who then spiked a one-handed dunk as Telfair waited to take the ball out. Bynum has bounced around Europe before making it to Detroit, and he’s precisely the type of guy that Telfair needs to abuse if he’s going to prove to anyone that it’s worth him getting some tick.
Any NBA player feels the effect of playing on consecutive nights but none of the others are carrying 325 pounds and 17 seasons up and down the court when they do it. That is why the Suns are considering holding out O’Neal tonight. They play again Wednesday at Minnesota, where Al Jefferson and his season average of 30.5 points and 15.3 rebounds last season against the Suns caused a 2-2 split with a 22-60 team.
From the Timberwolves site:
“Spare” an evening to challenge the Timberwolves players and staff at the 2008 BasketBowl, benefiting the Minnesota Timberwolves FastBreak Foundation. Join players, coaches, staff for an exciting evening filled with bowling, silent auction, prizes and lots of fun!
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