Timberwolves News

Comparing rookie point guards 'not fair'
Comment
November 7
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Like Brandon Roy and Randy Foye before them, the Timberwolves' Jonny Flynn and Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings might be forever compared, because they play the same position and were selected four spots apart in this year's NBA draft. At least their surnames don't rhyme. Jennings had fairly amazed in his first three NBA games, delivering a near triple-double (17 points, nine assists, nine rebounds) one night and a 25-point game another that already might have Wolves fans alarmed. Don't be, Kurt Rambis said. "It's not fair," the Wolves coach said of such comparisons. "[Jennings] has a lot more freedom than Jonny has. I'm asking Jonny to do a lot more things. He's in a much more complicated ..."
Lifeless Wolves fall apart in second half vs. Bucks
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November 7
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis needed a strong lozenge after Friday night's disjointed 87-72 loss to Milwaukee at Target Center. His team simply needs a victory. After a season-opening comeback over New Jersey, the Wolves today take a five-game losing streak out onto the road for a two-game trip to Portland and Golden State. Friday's streak-busting possibilities vanished when the Bucks outscored them 31-14 in the third quarter. His voice raw from unsuccessfully urging his team to move the ball all night, Rambis watched a team that played with so much vigor in Wednesday's 92-90 home loss to Boston and Kevin Garnett play with so little on Friday, particularly in the third quarter. That's ..."
Timberwolves' Darrick Martin eager to work with Jonny Flynn
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November 7
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Former Timberwolves guard Darrick Martin, the team's new assistant coach for player development, is delighted that his first NBA coaching job is with the team that gave him his best opportunity as a player. Martin played parts of three seasons with the Wolves: 1995-96, 1996-97 and 2003-04 — the year the Wolves advanced to the Western Conference finals. "This is a blessing to be back where it started for me," Martin said before Friday night's Wolves-Milwaukee game at Target Center. "I got the coaching bug during my last three years with Toronto." Martin, 38, retired after the 2007-08 season. As a point guard, he had an edge over other candidates who interviewed to be an assistant to J.B. ..."
Timberwolves' latest loss points up shortage of leaders
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November 7
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Another deficiency with the Timberwolves might have surfaced Friday night, and there's not much coach Kurt Rambis can do or say about it. Rambis tried to talk his players out of their sporadic pace, and he got a sore throat. He waited for one of them to step up during a timeout to urge the team to play harder, to play with more passion and energy, and it didn't happen. One of the lingering realities from the Wolves' 87-72 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at Target Center is that the team appears to have a shortage of leadership, a major concern for Rambis after the Wolves' fifth straight loss. "There's not a true leader on this team right now," Rambis said. "It's one of the things we're trying ..."
Timberwolves' Pecherov making the most of his opportunity at power forward
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November 6
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"In less than a week, Oleksiy Pecherov has gone through a surprising transformation in the Timberwolves' offense — from unnoticed to almost irreplaceable. The 7-foot Pecherov was the only Wolves player to play the entire fourth quarter in the team's 92-90 loss to Boston on Wednesday night at Target Center. He took the most shots in the fourth (six) and scored 10 of the team's 18 points in the period. Pecherov's quick rise to clutch stature had teammates wishing they could have gotten the ball to him more often in the closing minutes. The surge in confidence from teammates and the coaching staff gave the Ukraine native a warm feeling. "I feel trusted," Pecherov said after Thursday's ..."
Wolves' 'parasite' racks up points on a busy night
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November 6
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis has a name for the kind of player Oleksiy Pecherov is, or is on his way toward becoming. "The term I use is a parasite," Rambis said. Let Rambis explain before you get this mental image of some creature that populates gastro-intestinal tracts. "A lot of guys in the league are parasites," he said. "They survive off the creative ability of other players. Other players collapse defenses and kick the ball out to them, or it's our offense that creates the shot for them. It's not a matter of putting the ball in their hands and they create a shot for us. He's not at that stage." Oleksiy, a 7-foot Ukrainian forward acquired from Washington in last summer's Randy ..."
Young Timberwolves appear on right track
Comment
November 6
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 columnist Sid Hartman
"You have to take your hat off to Timberwolves president David Kahn and Kurt Rambis and his coaching staff for the way the young, inexperienced team has played in the past three games. They lost by a total of 13 points against the Suns and the Clippers on the road and the Celtics here on Wednesday night. True, the Celtics had played the night before in Philadelphia while the Wolves rested, and Boston didn't get to the Twin Cities until way past midnight, but you had to admire how the Timberwolves played Kevin Garnett and company, losing by two points after leading most of the way. Had Kevin Love been healthy, the Wolves might have won the Clippers and Celtics games. They have played a lot ..."
Brewer brings energy even if his shot is still a work in progress
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November 5
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Corey Brewer was the seventh overall selection in the 2007 NBA draft. He was such a bricklayer as a rookie that there was the impression the Timberwolves had spent this lofty choice on a player destined to be a defensive specialist. The Wolves talked up Brewer's improvement in 2008 training camp, and then he played only 15 games before being injured. He underwent season-ending surgery on his right knee. There was a massive restructuring during the offseason that included the trade of Randy Foye and Mike Miller to Washington. Foye was erratic and Miller was reluctant as shooters last season, but they still appeared to be the Wolves' best options to make some jump shots from the off-guard ..."
Celtics able to keep the Timberwolves away from the door
Comment
November 5
Boston Globe
 
"The Minnesota Timberwolves finally solved the Celtics' defensive puzzle. They shot 52 percent from the field last night - the first time an opponent bettered 42 percent this season - but it wasn't enough as Boston took a 92-90 victory at the Target Center."
Celtics survive a scare
Comment
November 5
Boston Herald
 
"They couldn't stop Al Jefferson- or Oleksiy Pecherov. All that needs to be said about the offense is that Paul Pierce and Ray Allen shot a combined 9-for-25. But that's where experience comes in. The Celtics, still undefeated, pulled out last night's 92-90 win over Minnesota with very little of anything working. And that should be considered a good thing. On the nights when life is a desert and everything comes up dry, the Celtics still have enough of a second sense to win. "That definitely played a role tonight," said coach Doc Rivers. "It showed when we didn't get too excited. We just stayed kind of even. Nobody panicked. At times I wanted them to get excited, but this was definitely a ..."
Timberwolves exercise options on Kevin Love, Corey Brewer
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November 3
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The Timberwolves exercised contract options on guard/forward Corey Brewer and forward Kevin Love before Monday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers, keeping both players from becoming free agents after the season. For now, Brewer and Love are under contract through the 2010-11 season. The Wolves exercised the fourth-year option on Brewer and the third-year option on Love. "It's always good to have a guaranteed deal for next season; at least you know you'll have a job," Brewer said. "I want to be a Timberwolf. I feel like we're building something good here." A 2010-11 option on forward Oleksiy Pecherov's contract was not picked up. President of basketball operations David Kahn said ..."
Al Jefferson's 24 not enough for Timberwolves as Clippers get first win
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November 3
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Kurt Rambis was an assistant coach, assistant general manager and head coach with the Los Angeles Lakers for 10 years, all at Staples Center. But when he showed up here Monday, he couldn't find his locker room. "I did have to ask somebody where the visiting locker room was," he said. "I didn't know where it was." Yes, it's a new world for the Timberwolves' new coach, who helped lead finely tuned, star-studded Lakers teams to four NBA Finals and two championships. Now he's trying to rebuild a franchise that was never all that built to begin with. The Timberwolves showed considerable life Monday, and often looked good, but in the end they became the Los Angeles Clippers' first victim of the ..."
Clippers put this 1 in the win column, beat Minnesota, 93-90
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November 3
Los Angeles Times
 
"Finally, a winning finish. It may have been a wavering one against a non-playoff team playing its second game in two nights, but the Clippers managed to stagger across the finish line into the win column with a 93-90 victory against Minnesota on Monday at Staples Center. Easy? Of course not. Would you expect anything else the way things have gone for the Clippers this last week or year(s)? They were up by 13 points against the Timberwolves early in the third quarter and let the lead shrivel and watched it eventually disappear by the opening seconds of the fourth, but they hung on. What stopped the bleeding, among other things, was the continued excellence of center Chris Kaman, who was 10 ..."
Good effort in loss to Suns is a start for young Timberwolves
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November 2
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"This is a work in progress, Kurt Rambis reminds us. And he's OK with that. "As long as I see the light bulb turning on, and I see they're understanding," the first-year Timberwolves coach said. "And even more than anything else, I just want to see them play hard." So Rambis felt pretty good Sunday night, even as his young team learned a hard lesson from the Phoenix Suns, who showed them what a veteran, well-schooled team does in a 120-112 victory at U.S. Airways Center. The Timberwolves played well enough for a young team learning the ropes, and still were no match for Phoenix. Channing Frye made 6 of 10 shots from three-point range, and Steve Nash had 14 points and 14 assists as the Suns ..."
For Timberwolves, triangle is still a work in progress
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November 2
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"For Kurt Rambis, the triangle offense is one of those 19th-century nostrums, a magic potion that will cure the gout and improve your disposition. Only his is designed specially for basketball players. All the Timberwolves have to do is buy it. "It will make them better basketball players," the Wolves' head coach said Sunday. "It helps them understand the game better. It helps them to play with the ball and helps them to play without the ball. It helps them to pass and to dribble — all of these good fundamental skills. It makes them better basketball players." No word yet on whether it will cure plantar fasciitis. The triangle's guru is Tex Winter, who learned it while playing for Sam Barry ..."
Kahn must decide on offers for Love, Brewer, Pecherov
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November 2
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Wolves boss David Kahn must decide by today whether to offer Kevin Love, Corey Brewer and Oleksiy Pecherov contract extensions for the 2010-11 season. On Sunday, Kahn wasn't saying what he'll do. Kahn said during training camp that extending Love a $3.64 million salary for next season is a "no-brainer." At that same time, he said he "couldn't fathom" not extending Brewer -- the seventh pick in the 2007 draft -- a $3.7 million offer. If Kahn doesn't extend Brewer or Pecherov ($2.38 million), he would save $6 million and give the Wolves even more salary-cap flexibility -- with the option of signing multiple free agents, including perhaps one to a maximum contract -- for a long-awaited ..."
Suns' Richardson makes debut
Comment
November 2
Arizona Republic
 
"Jason Richardson worked harder in the off-season than he ever has during his career. And then he had to sit at home as the Suns won their first two games, serving a two-game suspension for a DUI conviction last season. "I felt a little like a fan, yelling at the refs through the TV," Richardson said. On Sunday night, he finally got a chance to put all that off-season work to use, making his season debut for the Suns against Minnesota. Richardson said he came to training camp 10 pounds lighter than last season after spending the off-season working with a personal trainer to improve his conditioning. "It was good last year, but this year I want to have the energy for both ends of the ..."
Rambis serves as coach and teacher
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November 1
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The son of a high-school math teacher, new Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis says he considers himself more of an educator than anything else. So if he hadn't stuck around the NBA for 14 years as a player and another decade as a coach and front-office executive -- winning six NBA titles along the way -- what kind of school teacher would he have been? (Other than one of the world's taller ones, of course.) We asked the man himself and the coaches and players around him that question and these are some of the answers received: Jonny Flynn, rookie point guard "I think he would have been one of those teachers who a lot of kids think they could push over, until they push the wrong button and he ..."
Hard to get a good angle on Rambis' new offense
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November 1
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"You might not have to be a fully certified Zen master to completely comprehend basketball's unorthodox triangle offense. But if the Timberwolves' opening two games are accurate reflections, they're going to have to stretch themselves some before they fully grasp the elements of the offense that new coach Kurt Rambis has installed. "We're going to have to expand our games and our minds in order to make this offense work," Wolves forward Ryan Gomes said. So far, they are not nearly there yet. Not after two games in which the Wolves have shot a combined 39.1 percent. In Wednesday's opening comeback victory over New Jersey, nobody had more than two assists. In Friday's home loss to Cleveland, ..."
Rambis trying to keep things simple as Timberwolves look to rev up sputtering offense
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November 1
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"There are no simple solutions for Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis to improve the team's struggling offense. Most NBA coaches would stress going inside more, but Al Jefferson is still working his way back from major knee surgery last season and Achilles' tendinitis, and forward Kevin Love is out with a broken hand. The Wolves' outside shooting isn't good enough to make the inside game more effective, so that's not much of an option. In two games, the Wolves are 4 for 21 on three-point attempts. Out of necessity, Rambis said his best option is to keep things simple and not introduce more plays until the team makes significant progress with the basics of his triangle offense. "If I was a ..."
Too much LeBron, too many breakdowns
Comment
October 31
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"There isn't much Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis can do in these situations other than admire the opponent and keep teaching. Against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team expected to contend for an NBA championship, the rebuilding Wolves might have needed a flawless performance Friday night at Target Center to pull off an upset. But Rambis saw numerous breakdowns by his team — miscues that the balanced Cavaliers took advantage of to cruise to a 104-87 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 19,356. "We ran into a pretty good team tonight," Rambis said. That's the admiration part from Rambis, a salute to LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal and a capable cast of role players. As for the teaching, Rambis ..."
Rubio's game has an NBA maturity
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October 31
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Timberwolves fans haven't yet seen hide nor hair of lottery draft pick Ricky Rubio, and won't do so for at least two more years. LeBron James has. The Cleveland Cavaliers star faced Rubio twice in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where James' U.S. team played Rubio's Spanish national team twice. In the second meeting, Rubio started at age 17 in the gold medal game for injured Jose Calderon and didn't play a lick like his age. "He's a really good push guard," James said when asked about Rubio's NBA prospects. "He's very smart. He has been playing professionally for a long time now over in the Euroleague and on the Spanish national team. He looked good against us. He was very under control. You ..."
Cavs down Wolves
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October 31
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Timberwolves conjured magic in their season opener on Wednesday, when they recovered from 16 points behind with fewer than seven minutes left to beat New Jersey on Damien Wilkins' buzzer beater. Of course, LeBron James wasn't in the house that night. Neither was Shaquille O'Neal nor the Cleveland Cavaliers, who on Friday received what TNT analyst Charles Barkley called the perfect "elixir" for their unexpected 0-2 season start: A date with a Timberwolves team that hadn't beaten them since November 2005 and still hasn't, not after the Cavs won 104-87 at Target Center on a night when any fourth-quarter theatrics by the Wolves were clearly out of the question. The Wolves are 1-1 after two ..."
LeBron, Williams lead Cavs to a win
Comment
October 31
Akron Beacon Journal
 
"LeBron James apparently had no intention of allowing the Cavaliers to begin the season 0-3. And as if his resolve wasn't enough, point guard Mo Williams felt the same. James led the Cavs to a 104-87 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, their eighth consecutive win over the Timberwolves. It also was the Cavs' first victory of the season and their best performance. The Cavs shot 48 percent from the floor, allowed the Timberwolves to shoot just 42 percent. In the process, James scored 24 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had six assists. Williams scored 20 points for good measure. Point guard Jonny Flynn led the Timberwolves with 17 points and three assists. While the outcome never ..."
Minnesota Timberwolves to use a free flow of players
Comment
October 30
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown might need a flexible game plan tonight at Target Center. There's a good chance he will not see a definitive lineup combination or substitution pattern from Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis. NBA coaches can pick up on lineup tendencies when watching film of opponents. Rambis showed Wednesday night against New Jersey that he's willing to mix and match his players until he gets the results he's looking for — even if it means sitting starters for an extended period. "I've told the team that if a unit is playing well, I'm going to keep them on the floor as long as possible," Rambis said. That's why reserves Wayne Ellington, Brian Cardinal and Sasha Pavlovic ..."
Jawai's bulk will be needed against Shaq
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October 30
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"LeBron James arrives early this season for his lone Target Center appearance, tonight against the Timberwolves. And this time, for the first time, he's bringing Shaquille O'Neal with him. Such special occasions sometimes require new approaches, which is why Wolves coach Kurt Rambis plans to introduce newly acquired Nathan Jawai 10 days after he was obtained from Dallas in a bit of salary-cap bookkeeping. The Wolves traded a very conditional future second-round pick for Jawai and some of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban's plentiful cash in a transaction for a young, raw prospect who possibly can provide a team that's otherwise either undersized (Kevin Love, Al Jefferson) or lanky (Ryan Hollins) ..."
Damien Wilkins' putback gives Minnesota Timberwolves late win over New Jersey Nets on opening night
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October 29
New York Daily News
 
"If the Nets are going to approach respectability this season, there are some games that they have to win. Wednesday night's was one of them. But after taking a commanding lead against one of the few teams predicted to be as bad as they are, the Nets blew their season opener in grand fashion. After leading by double digits for most of the second half - and by 16 with 6:51 left - the Nets let the Timberwolves back in the game and lost, 95-93, on Damien Wilkins' bank shot at the buzzer. In the final seconds, Wolves rookie point guard Jonny Flynn drove down the right side of the lane and put up a shot that bounded off the rim. The ball was tipped around in the paint before Wilkins picked it ..."
Buzzer-beating victory makes change ring true
Comment
October 29
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Timberwolves trailed New Jersey by 19 points in their season opener Wednesday night at Target Center. They didn't have one player who finished with more than two assists. Their first three-pointer of the night was made by a fan during a halftime contest. So how did the Wolves ever leap away with a 95-93 victory over the Nets on Damien Wilkins' putback bank shot at the buzzer after they trailed by 16 points with less than seven minutes left? "You have to tell me that," Wolves rookie guard Jonny Flynn said with a quizzical look. Some things, you just can't explain. On a night when the Wolves introduced a new coach and seven new players, New Jersey center Brook Lopez threatened to make ..."
Sure, the Wolves ran -- after leaving the blocks a little late
Comment
October 29
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Timberwolves were so enamored with the slogan "See What They Can Do" that they used it for both the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. There weren't all that many Minnesotans who came to Target Center to take the challenge in person. Glen Taylor saw clearly what Kevin McHale's nucleus of players had to offer -- 46 victories and 118 losses in two seasons -- and the owner finally decided to see what an outsider could do. Taylor hired David Kahn as the team's first executive to carry the title "president" of basketball operations. Kahn set about changing everything, including the slogan. There was a dramatic unveiling of this on the team's website Wednesday: "Let our detractors underestimate ..."
Flynn overcomes flu bug, takes the floor for opener
Comment
October 29
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Flattened by the flu for two consecutive days, Timberwolves point guard Jonny Flynn recovered well enough to start his first NBA game in Wednesday's opener against New Jersey at Target Center. If he hadn't, he would have known what to blame. Being a rookie. "Actually, I had the same exact thing Al had last week," Flynn said, referring to teammate Al Jefferson. "That's what the doctor said. I think it was from me carrying his bags, doing that rookie treatment for him. He joked around with me when I came to practice. He said, 'My fault for making you do all that stuff.' "It's cool, though. I'm here now and I'm just ready to go." Flynn was instrumental in the Wolves' 95-93 comeback victory ..."
Al Jefferson ready to go for Timberwolves' opener
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October 28
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Two days of pain-free practices convinced Timberwolves forward Al Jefferson that he's ready to play significant minutes in tonight's regular-season opener against New Jersey at Target Center. Jefferson has been slowed by Achilles' tendinitis but performed well enough in practice Monday and Tuesday to persuade Wolves coach Kurt Rambis to reconsider his plan to monitor Jefferson's minutes tonight. "I'm feeling good right now," Jefferson said after Tuesday's practice. "They're going to let me go. Kurt is trusting me to let him know if I'm in any pain or not." Jefferson, battling back from major knee surgery in February, sat out the Wolves' final three preseason games and did not practice last ..."
Timberwolves rookie point guard Jonny Flynn young, small ... and fearless
Comment
October 28
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Don't be fooled by the childish grin or the polite manners. There's a schoolboy nature about Jonny Flynn — but not on a basketball court. The Timberwolves' rookie point guard is fearless in the face of full-court pressure and on drives to the basket. His undersized, 6-foot frame was knocked to the floor on layup attempts numerous times in the NBA preseason. Big deal. Flynn gets up, shoots his free throws and waits for the next opportunity to go right back into the lane among players who tower over him. "He's a giant inside that small body," Timberwolves forward Al Jefferson said. "He won't be denied. That's the type of leader from the point guard position we need for our team." Though he ..."
Big Al says 'no doubt' he'll play in opener
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October 27
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"When Al Jefferson takes the court Wednesday -- and he is determined to -- he will wear a black sleeve over his left lower leg to help loosen up a sore Achilles' tendon. The aching tendon kept him from practicing for about a week, but he scrimmaged Monday at Target Center with no problems. Wolves coach Kurt Rambis said the team will have to monitor Jefferson's injury into the season, which was relayed to Jefferson. "I guess so," he said. "I'm still playing on Wednesday, regardless." No doubt? "No doubt," he said. Wolves fans and NBA opponents haven't seen Jefferson's post prowess since Feb. 8, when he crumbled to the floor during the final minute of a loss to New Orleans because of a torn ..."
Injuries, leaves Timberwolves short on star power for season opener
Comment
October 27
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Kurt Rambis was prepared for all sorts of challenges in his first year as the Timberwolves' new head coach. Piecing together a lineup was not expected to be high up on the list. With Wednesday night's regular-season debut against New Jersey at Target Center approaching, Rambis knows he won't have forward Kevin Love, who is out for at least two months with a broken bone in his left hand. But Rambis remains unsure about forward Al Jefferson's availability, and starting point guard Jonny Flynn missed Monday's practice with flu symptoms. If Flynn can't practice today, and Jefferson continues to be slowed by Achilles tendinitis, three projected starters could be out of the lineup for a team ..."
New-look Timberwolves preaching patience in Year 1 of another rebuilding program
Comment
October 25
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Selling tickets is not the only bottom-line priority for the Timberwolves this season. The NBA team also hopes fans will buy into a sales pitch for patience. With no all-stars on a remodeled roster, a new coaching staff and significant changes in management, the Wolves are offering a marginal but realistic projection for their 21st season. In "two to three years," president of basketball operations David Kahn believes the Wolves can be a playoff contender in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, have fun at Target Center and don't get caught up too much with the scoreboard. "The worst thing we could do is set expectations too high," said Kahn, who was hired in May to help take the team into a ..."
Boo-hoo in the Sioux hurdle
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October 24
Toronto Sun
 
"All games are not created equal, no matter how loudly NBA coaches bang that 1-out-of-82 drum through the long regular season. That's especially so in the pre-season, when the exhibitions are supposed to build toward something. So in the last of his club's eight tune-ups, Toronto coach Jay Triano had wanted to look a little harder, and use certain players in combinations a little longer, in what wound up as a 98-90 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday night. That was the plan, at least, until Hedo Turkoglu turned his right ankle midway through the first quarter and was shut down after halftime in a precautionary move. Turkoglu, the Raptors' newly acquired point-forward, had been ..."
Timberwolves power past Raptors in pre-season final
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October 24
Toronto Star
 
"So much for that plan. One of the things Jay Triano wanted most to see in the Raptors' final pre-season game was how Hedo Turkoglu and Andrea Bargnani operated together offensively. Call it a wasted night. Turkoglu was limited to just 14 minutes because of a mild ankle sprain, and the much-needed cohesion with the other starters will have to come in the final three practices before the start of the regular season."
Pecherov leads Wolves to win
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October 23
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Oleksiy Pecherov had 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Timberwolves to a 122-114 exhibition victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night at Auburn Hills, Mich. Corey Brewer added 21 points for Minnesota (2-5) and Ryan Gomes scored 19. Rodney Stuckey led Detroit (3-4) with 25. Both teams were missing key post players. Detroit had Ben Wallace (knee) and Kwame Brown (hand) on the bench, while Kevin Love (hand) and Al Jefferson (flu-like symptoms) were out for Minnesota. Detroit led 64-61 after an offensive-minded first half. The Pistons shot 60 percent, while the Timberwolves were at 59 percent. The Pistons expanded the lead to nine points, but several turnovers led to a 22-4 run by ..."
Wolves topple Pistons with a two-way effort
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October 23
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis scrawled two sentences on the team's locker-room board after Thursday's 122-114 victory at Detroit: It's not the win. It's about how you played at both ends. There just might be a correlation there after the Wolves shared the ball, placed six players in double figures and delivered just enough defensive stops against an opponent that shot nearly 59 percent and still lost. Two nights after they got clobbered by a Denver team that made the Western Conference finals last spring, the Wolves trailed by 10 points after three minutes and led a remade Pistons team by as many as 15 in the fourth quarter in their second game without Al Jefferson and Kevin Love. "We ..."
Third season is a proving ground for Wolves' Brewer
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October 23
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Corey Brewer stood in a cramped, steamy visitors locker room and acknowledged that all this is new to him. He wasn't referring to the absence of teammates Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, a problematic situation that has thrust Brewer into the unlikely role of a primary offensive option in the Timberwolves' final preseason games. Instead, he meant a new feeling in a NBA career that's about to enter its third season with Brewer -- the former two-time NCAA champion and Final Four MVP at Florida -- still needing to prove he belongs. "I'm feeling more comfortable, like a basketball player, like I've been doing my whole life," he said. "I really never struggled playing basketball my whole life ..."
Pistons defense disappoints in loss
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October 23
Detroit News
 
"All that time the Pistons spent working on defense this week didn't help much. They still gave up points too easily and often, in losing, 122-114, Thursday to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Detroit is 3-4 in the exhibition season. It closes out the exhibition season tonight in Milwaukee before opening the regular season Wednesday in Memphis. The difference was the Timberwolves outscoring the Pistons, 25-8, to end the third quarter, giving the Timberwolves to a 93-85 lead. Rodney Stuckey scored 27 points for the Pistons, Richard Hamilton 19 and Charlie Villanueva 17. Corey Brewer led Minnesota with 21 points and Oleksiy Pecherov had 20. Minnesota scored 27 points off Detroit turnovers and ..."
Minnesota Timberwolves release center Jared Reiner
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October 22
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The Timberwolves released seven-foot center Jared Reiner today, trimming the team's preseason roster to 14, one below the NBA maximum for the regular season. Reiner, a free agent, appeared in only three of the Wolves' preseason games, averaging 3.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 10.3 minutes. Reiner played at the University of Iowa (2000-04) and led the Big Ten Conference in rebounding as a junior. The Wolves resume their preseason schedule Thursday night at Detroit."
Hall of Famer McHale joins NBA TV as analyst
Comment
October 22
NBA.com
 
"NBA Digital -- a partnership of the NBA and Turner Sports -- today announced extensive programming plans for the 2009-10 regular season, including 96 live games, exclusive studio shows, unique video content, news reporting and extensive online content. This season, fans will have complete access to more content than ever, including six days a week of live studio programming on NBA TV, original online content and more games than any other national network. Three-time NBA Champion and Hall of Famer Kevin McHale will join NBA TV's acclaimed Fan Night on Tuesday nights. Each week, McHale will be part of a team that features Emmy award-winning studio host Ernie Johnson and returning studio ..."
Ailing Jefferson to get some recuperative rest
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October 22
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Timberwolves on Wednesday sent Al Jefferson home to Minnesota, where he will recuperate for Wednesday's regular-season opener while his team plays its final two preseason games without him. Jefferson flew home from Detroit the morning after he wore a medical mask on the chartered flight from Denver after Tuesday's 129-100 loss there so he wouldn't further risk infecting his teammates. Jefferson stayed back at the team's hotel Tuesday night when the Wolves played the Nuggets without him or Kevin Love, who is in New York City awaiting an important checkup Friday following Tuesday's surgery to repair his fractured left hand. Jefferson came to the arena later in the evening and spread ..."
Wolves trade for help up front
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October 21
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The Timberwolves attempted to solve some depth issues with their front line Tuesday by acquiring 6-foot-10 forward Nathan Jawai in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks. Jawai, a native of Sydney, Australia, comes to the Wolves after forward Kevin Love was lost for six weeks with a broken bone in his left hand. Love underwent surgery Tuesday in New York. Forward Al Jefferson, recovering from major knee surgery in February, has been slowed by Achilles' tendinitis and did not play in the Wolves' exhibition game Tuesday night at Denver. Wolves president of basketball operations David Kahn had been working on a deal to acquire a big man before Love and Jefferson's injury concerns. "This move ..."
Wolves deal for even more size
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October 21
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Timberwolves played on without their two best players Tuesday night in Denver. While Kevin Love recuperated from hand surgery in New York City and Al Jefferson stayed back at the team's hotel because of illness more than his aching Achilles' tendon, the Wolves traded for another big player in a move unrelated to the absence of either. Wolves basketball boss David Kahn dealt a very conditional future second-round pick to Dallas earlier in the day for 23-year-old prospect Nathan Jawai and some of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban's plentiful cash in an arrangement just too attractive to refuse. The Wolves received money in exchange for giving the Mavs some salary-cap luxury-tax relief, and they ..."
Wolves accomplish little with makeshift combos
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October 21
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis experimented with lineups and substitution patterns for the preseason's first five games. In the final three preseason games that began with Tuesday's 129-100 loss at Denver, he intended to settle on combinations he will carry into the regular-season opener a week from today against New Jersey. So what's Plan B? With Kevin Love out likely until December and Al Jefferson ill at the team's hotel, Rambis turned to an improvised starting lineup against the Nuggets that included Oleksiy Pecherov at center and was anything but the bit of fine-tuning he had hoped it would be. "It's obviously changed our plans," said Rambis, whose team lost its fifth consecutive game ..."
Mavericks' trade of forward to Minnesota is mainly a money issue
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October 21
Dallas Morning News
 
"The Mavericks liked 6-10 forward Nathan Jawai, even while he was packing at least 280 pounds. But they didn't like him enough to pay nearly $1.5 million to keep him. The Australian, considered a nice project for the future, was traded to Minnesota on Tuesday for a future second-round draft pick. It's a distant future, too. In fact, it will be surprising if the Mavericks ever see it. They'll probably use it as a sweetener for a trade in the future."
Timberwolves' Love to undergo surgery for broken hand
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October 20
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"If Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis was considering using power forwards Kevin Love and Al Jefferson as a regular tandem in the lineup, the plan has been put on hold. Love will undergo surgery today in New York to repair a broken bone in his left hand, an injury that is expected to sideline him for at least six weeks. Love broke the fourth metacarpal bone on a rebound attempt in the third quarter of Friday night's exhibition game at Chicago. "It's a blow to our team, but it's the nature of the business," Rambis said Monday after learning of Love's scheduled surgery. "Players get hurt. When somebody goes down, it's an opportunity for else." Love's surgery will be performed by Dr. Andrew ..."
Wolves' injury situation worsens
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October 20
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Eight days before the Timberwolves kick off their 21st season at home against New Jersey, Minnesota tonight will play a preseason game in Denver with its two biggest pieces facing uncertain futures -- short and long term -- because of injuries. As expected, forward Kevin Love will undergo surgery today to repair the fractured fourth metacarpal bone in his left hand. He suffered the injury last weekend in Chicago and is expected to miss six to eight weeks. But in a surprising development Monday, Al Jefferson did not practice because of a sore Achilles' tendon that caused him to play less than six minutes in the second half Saturday at Milwaukee. Wolves coach Kurt Rambis, growing tired of ..."