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Game previews:
Jonah Ballow/Timberwolves site- Saturday practice notes featuring audio from Kevin McHale, Shelden Williams, and Bobby Brown
With a contract that expires at the end of the season, Williams is getting what amounts to a two-month test drive with the Wolves.
Because McCants and Booth had yet to take their Sacramento physicals, Williams and Brown had to sit out Saturday’s practice, and they won’t be in uniform tonight when the Los Angeles Lakers visit Target Center.
Once on the court, though, Williams hopes to start fulfilling the promise that led the Atlanta Hawks to make him a top-five draft pick, ahead of all-star Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy and the Wolves’ Randy Foye.
“I think it’s a question of time and opportunity,” Williams said. “Being able to play and not be on a short leash. You can’t really play when you’re on a short leash. You always kind of look over your shoulder and see what’s going on. Hopefully, this is a different situation.”
Jerry Zgoda/Star Tribune on Williams:
His acquisition allowed the Wolves to trade McCants, an unhappy, unwanted player with limited trave value, for a once-ballyhooed prospect whom McHale and his scouts liked coming out of college and a young point guard who impressed in the Las Vegas league last summer.
“We wanted to give Shelden a look,” McHale said. “He’s a guy we liked in that draft. He’s played a role at times and he hasn’t had a role at times. Hopefully we can put him in a situation where he can feel comfortable and go out there and play.”
McHale said he will get that opportunity once the trade is finalized and Williams can get some practice time to learn the Wolves’ terminology and system.
From Sid Hartman:
Asked if he wanted McHale to remain coach, Taylor said: “I think he’s a very good coach. Hopefully, he’ll want to continue in the future.”
About the salary cap, Taylor said: “We have positioned ourselves pretty well, so we can re-sign our players or get new players. We signed the three guys from Boston [acquired in the Kevin Garnett trade] we wanted to keep [Jefferson, Ryan Gomes and Sebastian Telfair]. We signed them to extended contracts, so that is all done. If we can be a little lucky in the draft, and pick up one or two players in the first round that help us next year and maybe go out and sign a free agent, hopefully we’ll be very competitive next year.”
The Wolves have stockpiled first-round draft picks for this summer’s draft, and Taylor is not concerned about the potential cost. “We have positioned ourselves really well that way with contracts. [Jason] Collins is coming off his contract, and that is a big contract,” Taylor said. “So, we have money there to sign three. I think the reason you might not want three, I’m not sure we need that many young guys on our team.”
From Jerry Zgoda/Star Tribune: Jermaine O’Neal’s journey took him to Portland, where an 8-year-old Kevin Love landed a spot in a TV ad with him.
From the Star Tribune:
STAR TRIBUNE’S STAR OF THE WEEK
Sebastian Telfair, guard: He gave everything in Wednesday’s victory at Miami: Scored a career-high 30 points, made a career-best six threes, delivered a big steal on Mario Chalmers in the final minute. Even handed over his sneakers to some young fans after the game.
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