From Britt Robson/On The Ball:
My two cents is that Jefferson is still not worthy of All Star status. The most persuasive argument–that he joins Dwight Howard and Tim Duncan as the league’s only 20-point, 10-rebound guys–is praise by association, without acknowledging that a lot of the luster accrued to Howard and Duncan stems from their stalwart defense. And yes, there are a lot of lousy defenders who get voted to the All Star game. I don’t think they belong either.
After a December that cost them their coach, comprised more than half of their losses, surrendered an NBA record 33 point quarter to a single player and frittered away a franchise record 29 point lead, the Minnesota Timberwolves have started the new year with a clean slate. The team is undefeated in ‘09, in the midst of its first five game winning streak since 2005. But the excitement surrounding the Wolves is incredulous at best and skeptical at it’s worst.
The Wolves have moved up to #22 in Marc Stein’s weekly power rankings.
Undefeated in 2009? Longest active win streak in the league? One blown 29-point lead away from an 8-1 record since Christmas? You can look it all up if you don’t believe this is all about Kevin McHale’s Wolves.
From David Thorpe/ESPN:
Heading into a matchup against Mayo and the Grizzlies on Tuesday, Love has put together the best two-game stretch of his young career, scoring 37 points and grabbing 20 boards in the Wolves’ back-to-back wins.
It’s easy to suggest that Memphis got the better end of the Love-for-Mayo deal, but it’s still too early to declare the winner. Mayo will always be the bigger star, but that was assumed from the start. Love’s toughness and hoops IQ, plus his size and skills, also give him a chance to anchor winning teams in the future.
BallinEurope interviews Wolves draft pick Nikola Peković:
This year you were drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the first pick of the second round. What do you think about getting drafted and what did the management at Minnesota tell you about your future with the team?
“I don’t think now about NBA. It’s something I tell to everybody. I really don’t like to speak about it. There is no pressure from their side. They tell me “come in two years”. I don’t know what will happen in two years. I am such a kind of player. Even when I signed for Panathinaikos they were asking me about it and I was giving the same answer. “I don’t know. Let’s get there first”. I am very happy in Panathinaikos right now and I don’t think about the NBA”.
Scott Howard-Cooper/Sacramento Bee on how the “A-list” coaching candidates view various franchises:
Minnesota Timberwolves
Pros: A muddled front-office situation, created once Kevin McHale was removed as personnel boss to become interim coach, allows owner Glen Taylor to offer the spot to a marquee candidate, something none of the five other clubs of the moment would do. The big-man combo of Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, and emerging guard Randy Foye, is a decent step to the future.
Cons: A muddled front-office situation. Coaches can’t be certain what will happen on the court. They at least want assurances they will have a clear chain of command and that they have a good relationship with the basketball boss.
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