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Game previews:
Jonah Ballow/Timberwolves site talks to several of the players about their March Madness memories.
“Just coincidence,” McHale said when asked how three players from the same region tournament in his town ended up on his team. “I’d seen those guys many, many times. I’d seen them in the Wachovia Center [in Philadelphia]. I’d seen them down in whatever that place in Florida is called, the Swamp? I’d seen them all over. I don’t think it made any difference that I saw them [in Minneapolis]. I saw Randy play so many times. I saw him play better than that a couple of times.”
Foye isn’t so sure. The Wolves acquired him and Smith, a second-round pick, in 2006 and took Brewer with the seventh pick in the draft a year later.
“I think it did because he was there and those games were there and I was just a monster those games,” he said. “I think it had a big impression on him.”
From John Hollinger/ESPN:
So before we write off the league’s bottom third for the year, let’s take a look at those who have the most to look forward to.
Here, in order, is how I rank these teams’ chances of contending for a playoff spot next season:
4. Minnesota: The Timberwolves won’t be drafting quite as high as the three teams above, but they’ll benefit from a high draft pick all the same. And they’ll benefit even more from the changing of the guard in the front office — Kevin McHale has apparently been stripped of decision-making power, which means the torrent of bad drafts and worse contracts that have hamstrung this franchise for years should finally come to an end.
Moreover, there are some pieces already in place. Al Jefferson is a monster on the block, assuming he recovers well from knee surgery, and Kevin Love — who had 23 points and 11 boards in a near-upset of the Hornets on Wednesday night — is second among rookies in PER. Randy Foye, Mike Miller, Ryan Gomes and Craig Smith all are solid pieces around those two, meaning if Minnesota can just find a point guard and keep Jefferson healthy all year, the Wolves could be poised to make a charge up the standings — as shown during the 10-2 run the team went on in January when everybody was healthy.
From Sid Hartman:
Wolves owner Glen Taylor said that even though the team is losing lots of games and money, none of his partners has asked to withdraw from the ownership. And there hasn’t been any suggestion by any of the stockholders to move the team because it hasn’t drawn well in the past few years.
Of course, when you don’t win, you don’t draw.
Taylor said all of his partners have been patient and, like him, are convinced that with Kevin McHale as coach and three No. 1 draft choices next year, the team will turn things around and the fans will come back.
From the Timberwolves site:
The Wolves game on Sunday, March 22 vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder is the fifth of six 20th Season Tribute games this season, meant to celebrate 20 Seasons of Timberwolves basketball. The Wolves will be honoring Sam Mitchell on court during the game in recognition to his 10-season contribution to Timberwolves basketball.
At least one of McCants’ colleagues thinks he’s worth the risk. Sean May, the Bobcats big man whose three seasons with McCants at North Carolina culminated with a national title in 2005, said McCants could flourish in the right setting.
And Minnesota, where McCants played for his first three-plus seasons before he was traded to Sacramento last month, clearly wasn’t that place.
“Minnesota was a young team,” May said. “When Kevin (Garnett) was there, I think it was a little bit better for Rashad. Once Kevin left, the locker room struggled.”
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