The reputation of Randy Wittman probably couldn’t get any lower than it is now, in the wake of this McHale coached resurgence. But whether you liked him or not, Wittman emphasized defense far more than McHale, and that inverted priority revealed itself in the Wolves’ inept reactions the classic Sloan menu of quadruple screens and back-door cuts and taut pick and rolls and interior passes. There were a half-dozen defensive embarassments; plays where a member of the Jazz caught the ball two feet from the hoop without a Minnesota player within ten feet of him. Both the execution and the communication were shoddy. Jefferson was the most obvious culprit, but it was a team-wide breakdown and it started at the top, from the coach on the sidelines.
David Thorpe/ESPN has Kevin Love at #5 on his list of the top rookies for the week.
It’s not just Love’s rebounding that has helped spark the Wolves in 2009. Or his knack for getting by defenders using shot fakes and good footwork. And it’s definitely not his outside shooting, as he’s hitting less than 31 percent of his perimeter shots.
I think his biggest value comes in his rare combination of toughness and intelligence. He battles every team’s bigs down in the post, using his strong legs to hold his ground. He brings the fight right to them, but he’s smart enough to avoid fouls most of the time. He averages just 2.3 fouls per game, but in no way can he be considered a soft player.
A few SI.com writers put Al Jefferson on a list of players who should make the All-Star game as a Western Conference reserve.
Al Jefferson had a pretty great quote when you stop and think about it: “Okur, he’s a big-time vet. He’s won championships. He knows how to win games. He’s the reason we lost last time we played against them.”
I guess Jefferson forgot that he’s got a guy on his team in Mark Madsen who’s won championships also. In fact, he’s won twice as many as Okur, who played a total of 39 minutes in four games for Detroit in the 2004 NBA Finals.
Madsen didn’t play Tuesday, which had to disappoint the fans who started chanting “We want Mad Dog,” in the first half.
Carney added that, in addition to being his teammate, Ollie has also been a spiritual mentor.
“Because of Kevin Ollie, my faith has gotten stronger,” Carney said. “I was hotheaded in my rookie year and wasn’t really going to chapel or praising God like I should have. When these things happened, I went to him, and he told me that I have to praise [God] through the good and the bad. Once you have peace of mind, things settle themselves out.”
“As Christians that is what our job is — to plant seeds whenever we can, and show the light of Christ through us,” Ollie said. “That is what I try to do each and every day, and hopefully he sees some of the things I’ve been through in my life, some of the things I’ve been through even in Philadelphia in not playing, and how I can stay at peace and still have joy.
“He (Carney) has matured a lot, grown up and understands that this is a business and to not take it too personal,” Ollie continued. “Just having him content and being at peace of mind, no matter what the situation, he is doing a beautiful job.”
From The Bleacher Bums:
Is Miller getting the yips? Is he suffering from the type of mental block that prevented Steve Sax and Chuck Knoblauch from being able to perform the routine task of throwing the ball to first base? I’m certainly not qualified to answer that, but right now the former Sixth Man of the Year is a far different player than the one Timberwolves fans thought they were getting. He’s kind of like the Wolves version of Delmon Young.
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