Jon Krawczynski/AP Sports watched part of Monday’s game at Dallas at Al Jefferson’s house.
This season closes on Wednesday night in the finale against Sacramento. But while many see this as yet another lost year, Jefferson thinks his team will benefit from this adversity.
“I really believe that even though things didn’t go like that and with me getting hurt, I still look at this season as an improved season because we won more games than we won last year,” Jefferson said. “This is still a good season for us to continue to climb up the ladder.”
He would like to see McHale return as coach, but only if that is what makes McHale happy. He knows there will be changes to the roster for a team that will have abundant cap room and three first-round draft choices.
And even though he still walks quite gingerly when he heads down the stairs to his basement to watch the team play, he vows to be ready to go once next season begins.
Click here for the forum’s thread for tonight’s game against Sacramento
Game previews:
Jerry Zgoda/Star Tribune on Kevin Love:
Tonight, he will break Christian Laettner’s team rookie record for double-double games in a season if he gets his 29th, and his 25th since Jan. 1. His 28 right now is 10 more than the next best rookie, New Jersey center Brook Lopez. His 25 minutes a game average is fewest among all the top rookies, and 13 minutes a game fewer than Mayo’s season average.
Love calls a 17-point, seven-rebound game against Memphis on Dec. 29 the turning point of his season. He considers it so not because it was his first game against Mayo, who at that time was making the trade look mighty lopsided, but because he had just played only eight minutes at New York two games before and decided enough was enough.
“There’s a presence down there,” Golden State coach Don Nelson said of Love. “His game will continue to be refined and get better, I suppose. Right now, he’s a rebounder. He rebounds every night, and he’s able to get double-digit points and double-digit rebounds. In the pros, that’s hard to do.”
Tas Melas/Sports Radio talked to Kevin Love about his rookie season.
On Kevin McHale’s attitude / effectiveness:
“You saw what we did, what the coaching staff and what we did in January. We went 10-4, had the best record in January, so we know what we’re capable of. Mac (Head Coach Kevin McHale) has just done a fantastic job, I hope he comes back for seasons to come. Touching on him as a player: he was a beast. I use to watch him growing up – had the old ‘Showtime Lakers’ and Boston Celtics highlights tapes with all those guys. He’s a tough guy and you can tell in practice that he wants us to go hard and doesn’t call many fouls. So, you better toughen up if he’s gonna be the coach the next few years.”
Those wishing for a return to the Wolves’ “glory” days by bringing Flip Saunders back, well, looks like it’s just a dream. Not only does it look like Flip will be announced sometime in the next week as the Washington Wizards next coach, but he also might bring Sammy Cassell along with him. Actually, Sammy and Agent Zero — Gilbert Arenas — in a weird sort of way might speak the same language.
It’d also make sense for former Wolves coach Randy Wittman to end up in Washington with the Flipster. He’s out of work and worked with Flip for years with the Wolves.
From Mike Jones/Washington Times (via Canis Hoopus):
According to Comcast’s Chris Miller, Randy Wittman is also on board as one of Saunders’ assistants. Wittman, who followed Saunders for a brief stint as Minnesota’s head coach, is known as a defensive-minded coach, so that will take care of that.
It has been a frustrating season for Gomes and the Timberwolves.
“We are not having a great year, but we have to continue to try to improve in these final games to see what we can become as a team,” the swing forward surmises. “We still want to keep playing and continue to improve. Since Al went out, this is a test for us.”
On playing without Jefferson, Gomes points out, “I just want to finish [the season] and show that I can be one of the top guys on this team. Every night is not going to be a 15-20 point night but as long as I bring energy and effort, that’s what the coaches and fans notice when I am playing 100 percent out there all of the time.”
Al Jefferson is an All-Star in the making if he returns healthy next season. Kevin Love had a promising rookie season, particularly in March when he averaged 15.8 points and 9.6 rebounds.
But Jefferson will likely endure some of the same frustration Kevin Garnett experienced in Minnesota if the Timberwolves don’t find him some veteran help. Not until the T’wolves brought in Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell did Garnett advance out of the first round of the playoffs.
Forget the youth movement. Jefferson is ready to take the next step now.
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