Howlin' T-Wolf

The Lakers are swarming in controversy right now, and perhaps growing desperate. Thanks to superstar Kobe Bryant’s open comments about the trade rumors revolving around teammate Pau Gasol, the Lakers’ front office has never been in a more awkward position.

And while the Lakers continue to sort through the internal issues, the controversy actually hurts the Wolves. ESPN is reporting that the Lakers have inquired about the Timberwolves’ Michael Beasley. A trade, if done, wouldn’t be worth much in return for the Timberwolves except mostly likely a big fat salary dump and maybe a draft pick — something the Wolves certainly don’t need, believe it or not.

Although we recieved Beasley for two loaves of Wonder white bread, he still holds some value to the young Wolves. After suffering a foot injury that sidelined him for 11 straight games, Beasley has nestled himself into the sixth man role for the Wolves. An unfamilar spot, Beasley is still taking his time getting used to the reduced role and reduced minutes. But Beasley’s rotation swap has forced him to be more efficient in his limited time on the court.

Known as a volume scorer a lot like Kobe Bryant, Beasley, in the past, needed the ball in his hands to be successful. But lately Beasley has been spotted doing all sorts of things for the Wolves including higher rebounding numbers and stiffer defense, once an afterthought in Beasley’s capabilities. These different aspects of his game have actually improved his offense a bit too as well as his confidence. He’s looking to post up more often, where I believe he does his best work, and is hitting his open shots, especially from three-point land (43-percent, a team high).

Beasley still has lightyears to go in terms of attitude and overall game i.q., but he’s proving himself worthy of being a potent scorer off the bench, much like Jason Terry has done for the defending champion Mavericks. It’s a brilliant move by Adelman to move Beasley to the bench because; 1) It has forced Beasley to amp his game up and make his minutes more efficient; and 2) Limits Beasley from blowing up on the court when things start going awry, which happens often on the offensive end.

He’s a headcase and somewhat of a black hole on the offensive end. I’m not so sure how any of Beasley’s qualities fit the Lakers’ needs — they’re small forward position is weak — but using Beasley outside of his current sixth man role would do them no good; he’d likely fall back into his comfort zone of demanding the ball and taking lots of shots. That’s not a good combo to put alongside Pau Gasol and, of course, Kobe.

The Wolves don’t need to dump Beasley quite yet. David Kahn needs to let the season run its course and see who could fill the small forward/sixth man position in the future — Michael Beasley or Derrick Williams, if he loses weight, that is. Once that gets sorted out, then the Wolves could afford to make a move using either forward to seek the ultimate prize, a starting 2-guard. Having said that, the Wolves would be smart to hold on to Beasley for the rest of the season before jumping the gun for minimal assets.

This is where the game got out of control

The steal had to have thrown off Martell Webster’s logic. All of the scenarios probably ran through his head and he strategically plotted what to do in any given situation before the ball was ever inbounded. Well, except for getting the steal himself.

But maybe Webster’s logic wasn’t wrong, rather just misinformed. Maybe Wesbter thought we had another timeout, where going for the quick dunk would make some sense, not a lot but at least some. In that situation, the quick two forces the Wolves to foul, hope for the missed free throw — which happened — and then they could utilize that final timeout to doodle up the game-winning attempt in the halfcourt.

That wasn’t the situation to Webster’s misfortune. The Wolves didn’t lose because of that miscue, though. If Nikola Pekovic wasn’t sidelined the rest of the contest with a sprained ankle, the Wolves come out on top. If the Wolves had gotten some foul calls once the tilt turned into a rumble in the Octagon as both sides became chippy and aggressive, they would’ve won. If Ridnour had gotten that layup to just slide through the net in overtime, the momentum could’ve drastically changed and the Wolves wouldn’t have had to extend the game with fouls. (Ridnour was right to use the right hand on the lefty layup, by the way; he used it to shield off the defender and prevent an easy block.)

This game was riddled with miscues and opportunities all game long. The Wolves went 6-27 from downtown. The Nuggets out rebounded the Wolves 57-50, including 17 solid offensive rebounds, five of which came by way of Kenneth Faried’s frantic ways. Ricky Rubio shot too much, again, instead of setting up teammates with assists.

There are so many reasons that the Wolves should be leaving the Pepsi Center with another win in their pocket that it’s not possibly fair enough to place the blame on one player’s shoulders. Not Webster’s, not Ridnour’s, not anyone, really.

You can still be optimistic after this one. The Wolves played one of the toughest games of the year coming off an emotional win at home on back-to-back nights. Denver is a division rival that plays as hard and scrappy as I’ve seen any team play in the NBA. The Wolves were able to match that intensity most of the way through. It simply came down to logistics and making the play when you needed it. The Wolves didn’t, the Nuggets hit their free throws; eliminate all of the drama that happened in between and there’s your result: a tough Wolves’ loss.

Not much left to say about that one without letting emotions getting too out of whack and having the piece go awry. Next up is Utah at the Target Center. Another division foe that will give the Wolves a run at their money.

This victory just tastes so sweet

The chants get to be awfully annoying. Naive Timberwolves fans think it’s cute to chant “MVP” regardless of the situation, regardless of which player is even in that position. The chants are just straight silly, and they’re engaged by the crowd because of a sheer lack of anything better to say.

The Timberwolves are gratefully lucky to have one league MVP in the past, so the chant ought to be respected, especially in Minnesota. The continued chants night after night are just overboard and plain obnoxious when they have no relation to the situation on the court. But when a player as prominent to a losing franchise as Kevin Love is to the Wolves, those chants become increasingly more deserving and you can’t help but join in the beautiful chorus. That was Target Center. That was tonight.

Love was stuck in a shooting rut all night long. It was one of his worst games offensively all year long, starting the game a mere 2-15 from the field. But when the Wolves needed help the most, Love came through in the clutch, scoring 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, including two calmly stroked free throws to tie and win the game with just 0.1 seconds left in the contest.

Because of Love’s inadequate shooting performance, the Wolves demanded that someone step up, anyone really. That person was actually a collective effort from the point guard trio, led especially by Ricky Rubio. With Love starting the first quarter 0-5, Rubio took the bulk of scoring into his own hands. He managed to put up 14 points in the first, utilizing shots from all over the court. He nailed two threes to help close the 11-point gap the Sixers had created in the early going. Then it was his free throws that kept things close all the way through. When Rubio saw bench time, JJ Barea was able to fill the void of any scoring deficit.  Although Barea takes risks, his gamble usually proves successful and tonight was one of those nights. And alongside both Rubio and Barea, Ridnour was able to knock some important shots down, while playing stiff defense on Lou Williams, at least in the first half. The trio combined for 46 points, and, perhaps the most important number of them all, committed just two turnovers.

Nikola Pekovic was another deciding factor, as inserting him into the starting lineup alongside Love has helped create a deadly duo under the hoop. Pek recorded 17 and nine along with five big offensive rebounds; it marks the fifth time this year that Pek has ripped down five or more offensive boards. More than half of Pek’s points were generated from the charity stripe. The sweetness of having a 6′11″ center that can nail his free throws is nearly unmatched. His brute force under the hoop can’t even be punished with the old “Hack a Shaq” technique because from there he’ll just hurt you even more. 9-10 from the line? C’mon now.

It was clearly a group effort from Adelman’s shortened rotation of just eight players, accentuated by those mentioned above. In a game with two equally matched, highly talented teams, there was a sense that this one would come down to the wire, and without big moments and plays from those guys, this wouldn’t have ended the same. In such a close game, there was never a game-clinching run that all but sealed it, spelling out that these two teams were ready to battle to the last 0.1 second, and that they did. Both teams hit big shots when they needed it most. Both teams stiffened their defenses when they needed a stop. But it came down to the end when both teams were waiting for the game to bend and finally break. The Wolves were graced by the presence of a possible MVP. The Sixers were not. That was the ultimate difference.

No matter how excruciatingly painstaking his shooting performance could’ve been, Love single-handedly accomplished the team’s goal of obtaining a victory. Before this game, it was fair to consider him a longshot MVP candidate. After this game, his name demands to be in the running as a serious contender. The chants are now necessary and warmly welcomed. Seriously, that drive was breathtaking; it literally sucked the air right out of the Target Center. The two free throws? The floors were practically rumbling due to everyone’s shaky knees. But the way Love stepped up and knocked them both down with tranquility was blissful, and just so MVP-like.

This win puts the Wolves at .500 again for the season at 16-16. Now the Wolves are just one win away from tying their win total of all of last season. If that’s not a complete 180, then I don’t know what is. Some of it has to do with Adelman, some of it has to do with Rubio. But most of it has to do with the maturity and clutch ways of Kevin Love.

Next up the Wolves travel to Denver to take on the Nuggets squad, who was upset in a thriller against the OKC Thunder tonight. Maybe, just maybe, it was enough to knock ‘em off their high horse just enough for the Wolves to take advantage of their momentum and push their record above .500 yet again.

Nikola Pekovic is Minnesota's answer to all the "Linsanity"

The sensation that is the buzz around New York’s Taiwan Don, Jeremy Lin, is special. Lin has a Knicks team steamrolling the league to seven straight victories without a full, healthy squad.

But if this weren’t happening in New York, one of the world’s best cities and the NBA’s very own baby, would anyone really care?

Meanwhile, in the cold tundra that is Minnesota, (Or that’s what people believe but it’s actually been the warmest winter to date) Nikola Pekovic is literally steamrolling his opponents to obliteration. He’s not rolling the Wolves to seven straight victories, in fact, the Wolves just broke a four game losing streak last night. But Pek’s accomplishments have been overlooked due to all of the Linsanity. The NBA has another international sensation establishing his name in the NBA.

Last night against the Charlotte Bobcats, Pek posted 21 points and 11 boards. Bobcats’ head coach, Paul Silas, mentioned that his team did a good job of keeping Love contained; they forced him into taking long shots, moving him away from the basket. “But the other kid. Pep-a-vich his name is? Whatever, he just killed down there.”

That’s like saying, “What’s his name? Wang? Yeah, he’s good.”

Okay, maybe not. Lin is Lin and he’s doing his thing, while Pek is ripping opponents limb from limb up here in Minny. Different tales, different coverage. But just because Pek doesn’t own that coy and bashful persona doesn’t mean he hasn’t earned the attention.

Since being inserted into the starting lineup less than a month ago in place of Darko Milicic, the 6′11″, 290 lb behemoth has scored in double-digits in every game but one. Of those 12 in double-digits, seven he was able to record a double-double. The numbers compared to last season are worthy of Most Improved Player honors.

What’s so lovable about Pek’s game is his how sound but goofy it is. Pek’s footwork on the block is above-average but it’s his strength and positioning that allows him so many easy looks inside. He comes down the court, sets up his post directly under the hoop, gets bumped out maybe once or twice but still, his position is so perfect already, the defender has no room once Pek gets the entry pass. Even when he doesn’t have that great of position, Pek makes due with what he has by battling down with his shoulders and then utilizing a soft touch around the rim. He has an array of shots that all seem to get the job done, from the drop-step layup to the baby hook. What sums it all up, though, is how Pek takes his shot, watches it go through and then cross country skies back up the court, bobbing his head with every stride. He’s the definition of a troll, if you ask me. But a cuddly, teddy bear-like troll.

But this clumsy troll is putting up astounding numbers. His per-36 minute numbers are simply bewildering since being named the starter. 18 points and over 10 rebounds a game with a 61-percent field goal percentage. Those are top-5-best-center numbers behind the likes of centers like Dwight Howard, Al Jefferson, Greg Monroe and Andrew Bynum. Pek’s true shooting percentage of 64-percent ranks second of all starting centers in the league, only behind Tyson Chandler, who dunks every shot he takes. Contributing to his high TS percentage are the 20 dunks he has this season, thwarting whatever the timid Darko Milicic had as a starter last year and this.

Last season, Pek averaged a turnover and a half in just 13 minutes a game. He also somehow managed to rack up nearly three fouls in those limited minutes as well. The transformation from Pek last year to Pek this year is astronomical. Part of the difference comes in part to his offensive rebounding rate of 17.7-percent, which rivals and completely trumps that of his teammate and the tip-in king, Kevin Love. More minutes equals more offensive rebounds equals more tip-in layups equals more points and a better efficiency rating.

Since Pek’s improvements are across the board, he’s been rewarded with one of the league’s best PER’s as a starting center at 21.71. No longer are the mental mistakes hindering his game, rather he’s taking care of the ball and being efficient with his looks.

The Wolves have desperately searched for a competent starting center their entire existence. Rasho Nesterovic, who started from 1999-2003, was the closest thing to a franchise center since this team’s conception. The Wolves’ misfortune at the position has been well-documented, from missing out on both Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning in the 1992 Draft to signing Michael Olowakandi, one of the NBA’s biggest draft busts taken first overall, in 2005.

Nobody expected Pek to be this good. Nobody. Last season, he showed glimpses of having a serviceable post game coming off the bench. Other than that, he was turnover prone and one of the biggest hacks in the league. He spent most possessions scrambling to spots on the floor, posting up and then flailing upwards in hopes of a foul only to turn the ball over. His defense was even more frightening.

But this season is much different, and thanks to his newfound efficiency and dominance, the Wolves may just have found they’re first cornerstone center in franchise history.

Derrick Williams is just turning this into quite the entertaining weekend. Originally named to the Rising Stars Challenge along with teammate Ricky Rubio, Williams is now throwing his name into the dunk contest, the weekend’s true highlight reel.

This now means that Timberwolves are now infesting All-Star weekend like never before. Kevin Love is playing in the actual All-Star game as well as the three-point shooting contest. Rubio is playing in the Rising Stars Challenge alongside Williams and I wouldn’t be surprised if he dabbles in the skills competition. And now Williams, who has to be the favorite to win, is in the dunk contest.

Again, he’s got to be the favorite over mediocre rim-rattlers like Chase Budinger, Iman Shumpert and Paul George (George can actually throw down). William’s jumping ability and explosiveness is nearly unparalleled, well, except by Blake Griffin, of course.

But this is just nasty:

Kemba vs. Pek

This is how you win. Sure, this one came against a dismal franchise in the Charlotte Bobcats but the Wolves put together a complete game from shooting to rebounding to defense. And it really only took one half.

Disregard whatever that was that showed up and laid that egg in the first two quarters. The Wolves fought through the deficiencies in the first half and came with a vengeance in quarters three and four.

This was a must-have win for the Wolves. Too often do bad teams step into Target Center visualizing an upset and actually seem pull it off. The Wolves have played good teams tough this season but it’s the bad ones that seem to squeak out victories when the Wolves are at their lowest. A sliding four-game losing streak with a lack of offensive confidence had the Wolves in a bad place, right where the Bobcats, who have lost now 16 in a row, wanted them.

Adelman wasn’t going to let that happen. He stuck with what was working and that was Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic. Love hit two big threes in the third quarter that sparked that go-ahead run. Then once Love started to cool down a bit, it was Pek’s turn to rev things up inside; he straight mucked it up inside. A lot of it was due to JJ Barea’s vision off of the Pek ‘n’ Roll, who found Pek countless times rolling off of screens to the hoop. The Target Center saw a good 3-4 rim-rattling slams from Pek as a direct result to Barea’s aggressiveness and timing.

Adelman was so hung up on what was actually working for once, he actually left in the lineup that was clicking — Barea, Ridnour, Webster, Love and Pek — for a majority of the entire fourth — with a 16+ point lead — until about a minute hit the clock. It was a big win to get, why jack around and risk a mini-comeback? No, the Wolves needed to kick a bad team in the teeth tonight and they did just that.

And bullets to finish up:

• Hello, Wes. Johnson was able to see some shots go through the net tonight. He started off 3-4 from the field, and it had to feel good. I wrote about Wes needing to find his niche until his shot starts to fall just yesterday. He did some things right tonight, namely his defense, which seemed to help in get into the groove of the game. If he can continue to find his way in the flow of the game from the tip, he’ll be able to piece together good games like this tonight. I don’t care if he went 0-4 form the perimeter tonight, at least he tried and was able to sustain himself in the flow of the game for the most part tonight.
• The Boris Diaw tweets will never get old. “Boris Diaw is just one cup size away from DD.” You can’t help but crack a smile.
• Michael Beasley played nine minutes. Derrick Williams played nine minutes. Both guys only had four points each. Odds are it’s just a result of not being in the lineup that found a groove in the third. It’s still something I personally don’t like to see.
• After missing the last game due to personal reasons, — praying that all is well with Luke and his family — Ridnour was able to find his shooting stroke tonight. Adelman and the Wolves really need Ridnour to do one thing and that’s make shots. When he’s not doing that, he’s practically worthless, especially playing at the 2-guard. Good for Ridnour tonight.
• I never mentioned it above, so here: Love’s line: 30-18-3. Yowza.
• And, finally, that Kemba Walker dude, he’s gooood. I thought he was a spitting image of the man that could’ve been, Jonny Flynn. No, sir. Kemba is a strong option to lead this Bobcats team moving forward. Could/should morph into a highly competitive Brandon Jennings.

That’s all for tonight. Next up the Wolves take the road to Houston to play the Rockets yet again. They’ve been hot, including a win over OKC tonight. But these two have history and match up well up and down the roster, for the most part. Should turn out to be a great game Friday night.

Where does Wes go from here?

The NBA, as well as other leagues, favor youngsters over seasoned vets when it comes to drafting them for good reason. A younger option gives the team youth, energy and, usually, someone with a higher ceiling. Although older rookies may be more NBA ready and mature, their ceilings aren’t as high because they haveless time to learn all there is to become the best they can be; sometimes older rooks will come into the league as good as they’ll ever be.

In Wes’s case, his age was actually attractive, especially to a team as young as the Wolves; being able to add a new piece to the puzzle that was the most NBA ready was a treasure in disguise, really. They risked age over ceiling and the gamble looked “safe” at the time.

Wes came into his rookie season as an instant starter, looking to inject Kurt Rambis’ system with some perimeter shooting while being asked to cover the NBA’s best guards and forwards on a nightly basis. Because of his poise and maturity, he held his own. He had his rookie moments, especially on offense, but for the most part, Wes proved himself to be a valuable selection; believe me, it could’ve been a lot worse.

Wes contributed nine points a contest in 26 minutes. Even playing completely out of his comfort zone at the 2-guard, Johnson showed glimpses of having an all-around NBA game — passing, defense and rebounding — but it was clear that his bread and butter was the deep-ball; he clung to it in need. Teammates knew this and got him his looks but he never demanded the ball — he knew he wasn’t a superstar nor was he in Minnesota to blossom into one — rather he just fit in where he needed to, did things that coach told him and made the plays that were designed for him, in the huddle or on the floor.

Being that mature rookie, it helped fine tune him into an above-average, serviceable rotation man with the chops to start where you need him. The value of getting a do-it-all swing guard/forward at the fourth overall slot was a bargain; championship teams would kill to have role players like him but they come at a premium. The Wolves, instead, were able to lock him in on the rookie wage scale and boast having this kind of guy for the next four years and then some.

Wes has other tools than shooting the ball

But something went terribly array from last year to this. The lockout, for one, limited any practice time the team’s had. A new head coach was brought in to better suit the team’s new incoming rookies, Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams, as well as Kevin Love. Question marks dotted the Wolves’ entire roster, jeopardizing any and everyone that was a part of such a dismal team in 2010-2011.

Whether any of this actually crept into Wes’ head, he’s clearly not the same as he ever was.

Wes was a smiley player last season; Canis Hoopus enthusiasts always said, “We lead the league in smiles!” Wes was one of those guys that enjoyed his rookie campaign because it was filled with minor successes and step-by-step improvements, despite not having the most fruitful season.

But in his sophomore journey, thus far, smiles haven’t ridden their way across Wes’ mug too often. He currently finds himself in the middle of one of the worst shooting draughts I’ve ever witnessed from a Timberwolf. Johnson’s stats have declined in nearly every major and advanced statistical category across the board. Most notably, his three-point shooting percentage and field goal efficiency have seen major dropoffs. That was the bread and butter, though; it was the go-to in the clutch; it was practically all he had to do last year to bare any success on the offensive end.

And the sudden decline has no genuine excuse. He hasn’t been injured; his shots aren’t being stolen away from him; he’s playing five minutes less per game than last season but that seems more like a result of his bad play, not a catalyst.

Johnson’s rough patch has wildly hurt the Wolves all season long. Without a scoring option in the starting lineup behind Nikola Pekovic and Love, the Wolves have found themselves getting out to rough first quarter starts. Johnson keeps shooting and shooting but nothing is falling. If he fails to hit his first few shots, depending on the defensive matchups, Wes has trouble ever seeing the court again. That’s a serious blow to anyone’s confidence.

In watching basketball all my life, the only proven way to get out of a slump is to keep in the game and shoot until they start to drop. In Wes’ case, the Wolves don’t necessarily have the time or patience to remedy his issues. The Wolves are trying to win now and taking time to allow Wes to catch up with his game isn’t in the winning formula.

So what’s Wes to do? If he can’t boost his confidence on the offensive end, what can he do to be more involved?

First thing’s first, he can always improve his defense. One of the only reasons he’s still on the floor this season is because he’s a physical specimen at the guard/forward combo. He’s 6′ 7″, 215 lbs; his wingspan spreads across 7′ 1″. He has the physical tools to defend the NBA’s elite at shooting guard, small forward and some tweener power forwards. Last season, Wes showed that he can become a viable defender in the NBA. But this season, Wes seems to have lost that step. Whether it’s his overall confidence that is affecting him, his defensive numbers have gone down and he looks lost on defensive rotations. Buckling down on defense could help get Wes in a “hungrier” mood. Stopping his opposition dead in his tracks could result in buckets at the other end.

Johnson could also improve his rebounding. No need to belabor his size but a “shooting guard” of his stature should be grabbing more than three rebounds a game. He’s an elite jumper; Luke Ridnour called him the best dunker on the team for that reason. Rebounds at his position come as a result of hustle more than positioning but Wes’ tools should make rebounding come easier. Those rebounds turn to fastbreaks which turn to easy lobs. He can be the catalyst in those plays and even the receiving end of a lob, rewarding his hard work on the glass.

And, finally, Johnson needs to work harder on creating off the dribble. Although it’s never been his knack, he’s an all-around type of player who has good court vision. Working off the dribble creates a plethora of options for Wes and the Wolves. Depending on what he sees underneath, one quick dribble and two steps later could mean a dunk, a layup or even a simple drop pass to Love or Pekovic. It’s easier said than done but he’s proven that he can get the the rim before. When his streaky shooting started earlier this season, head coach Rick Adelman urged Wes to drive the ball. Once that started happening, he started opening up the lane and drawing fouls. Wes makes 69-percent of his looks at the rim and only 36-percent of efficient field goals from the three-point line. The numbers don’t lie, and Wes has the tools to get to the rim more often. It bodes well in the end for all parties, whether Wes takes it himself or drops it off, it ends in two points.

It’s time to accept that Wes will never “pan out” the way we had hoped. His age already lowers his ceiling, but it’s his lost confidence that is ultimately deterring his NBA career from running on track. Wes needs to find himself on the court. His comfort zone has been breached and now he needs to do things that he’s normally not been asked to do in the past. Things like defense, rebounding and attacking the rim are all questionable aspects of his game but all can aide him going forward while he continues to find his shot.

The Wolves don’t need Wes to take over games; he was never drafted for that purpose. But the Wolves do need him to step up his game to get back to winning. Without any hint Wes, the Wolves are pretty lost themselves.

Jeremy Lin is good, not unbelievable

No, I do no want to add an “L” to a word’s prefix that begins with “in” for dramatic effect. No, I don’t want to fall into the swirling affection that has bloomed for the NBA’s new Golden Child.

I’m all a little over it.

I’m not jealous; Ricky Rubio is still the league’s best point guard prospect, hands down, end of discussion. I’m indifferent over the entire phenomenon that is “Linsanity.” It’s just all a little overblown.

Jeremy Lin is a talent. Speaking strictly of his basketball skills, — because that’s the only thing that matters, right? — his ball-handling is extraordinary. His jump shot could use a little fine-tuning — He hits more contested shots than wide open ones. Next to Dwyane Wade, he’s probably second-best at utilizing the reverse layup not just for show but as a means to achieve the best shot possible at making his layup that he worked so hard for.

Behind Lin, not because of him, the Knicks are prowling their way on an impressive little winning streak; they’re playing beautiful team ball with all of their pieces making contributions. You see Lin running everything and making big drives. You see Landry Fields and Iman Shumpert step up the scoring punch. You see Tyson Chandler filling his own in the paint and still chip in offensively. You even see Steve Novak get into a groove; given playing time, he could be the NBA’s best three-point shooter.

The Knicks are a classic example of the clogging superstars. With two on your team, who demand the ball and all the shots, it stops the flow of the offense, which flexes the defense because you’re likely playing a man down; and that halts any chance momentum has to build. Right now, playing without those two guys, all phases of the game are affected positively and they’re winning, in terms of the Knicks.

As for the Wolves, they lost this game on their own. They stiffened their defense in the second half, just enough to sustain a minimal lead the entire game. Is it their fault for not pushing that lead at any point? Perhaps. They did have the opportunity. But a team only running through their best two players, they ended up “dropping the ball” in the final seconds.

There are team differences between the Knicks and Wolves and they’re big enough to justify five game winning streaks or three game losing streaks. Those “differences” — Turnovers, poor shot selection, limited defensive effort — are revealing glaring team weaknesses that are hindering any stretch of growth. The Knicks, on the other hand, well, you get it.

There will be growing pains, there will be insurmountable mistakes. Ask any OKC Thunder fan and they’ll tell you that the playoffs don’t just come overnight. This one will hurt for a while but there’s a lot to learn if they’re willing to study.

Next up the Wolves travel to Orlando to play Dwight Howard and the Magic. Game is Monday night.

Kevin Love and Michael Beasley were the Muskies tonight. That's it.

I ought to forfeit this recap, just as the Wolves nearly did in the first quarter tonight, due to complete negligence.

The Wolves, honestly, wasted my night of NBA watching tonight (Yes, I spend my Friday nights at home sipping on Irish coffees, squandering League Pass.) The team that usually is, on a nightly basis, the single most entertaining team in the NBA — when healthy — laid straight duds in their last two games, and it really couldn’t have come at a worst time.

When I see two tough conference matchups on the schedule, I own it; I psych myself up to just watch some elite basketball that may alter the playoff race down the line. The Wolves, somehow, managed to inexcusably spoil both viewing parties, though.

Tonight was especially awful. It starts and ends with the turnovers, all 28 of them. 28, yes, you guessed right, is the league high for turnovers this season. Every player that saw more than 10 minutes of playing time committed at least one turnover. Ball security starts with the point guard, and although Rubio forced his fair share of turnovers (4), it was the big guys underneath that couldn’t handle the rock.

• Nikola Pekovic, 3
• Derrick Williams, 3
• Michael Beasley, 3

These things add up, ya know. The worst offender of ‘em all was Kevin Love. Coming off his two-game suspension and the high of being selected to his second All-Star team, you had to expect a mix of shaky but aggressive behaviors from Love. Most of his five turnovers came from simply trying just too hard, not just mental mistakes. He bangs so hard inside, begging for calls but almost never gets them to the point where he’s left simply fighting with just his two pinkies clasping the ball. How can you criticize that? You can’t. The thing you can criticize is the complaining he does after he loses the fight, but I digress because that topic is much to pressing for me to address here and now. Regardless, Love had a monster game — his 23rd double-double of the season and his eighth 30-10 game — and his effort and drive was incomparable.

Aside from Love’s return/huge game, the silver lining: Michael Beasley. He limited his own minutes by picking up some boneheaded fouls but I can almost say this was one of his best complete games in a Timberwolves uniform. He ended with 20 points on 8-11 shooting — two of his four 3-pointers came  at the end when Dallas’ defense decided this game was over. But it was what Beaz did on the other end of the court that I was impressed with. He was contesting shots, hustling after balls and rebounds. He was more of an all-around force than I’ve seen in a long, long time, and not just a savvy scoring option as well as a liability on defense.

The Wolves will need more games like this from Love and Beaz minus the turnovers. Perhaps the biggest need overall, though, is another scoring option. No, not perhaps, definitely; the Wolves definitely need another scoring option. Luke Ridnour was the guy in the first half of the season but seems near incompetent as of late. Wes Johns… Ha, that’s a good one. Nikola Pekovic can only do so much, not to mention only so many centers in the league can be relied upon for night-in and night-out scoring.

Someone needs to step up and start hitting big shots. It doesn’t matter who it is outside of Love and Beaz. Who knows, maybe Jeremy Lin will genie his way to the edge of our bench too. Side note: Malcolm Lee has been playing well for the D-League Sioux Falls Skyforce in his rehabilitation trip so far. Given a spot and time on the court (Move over, Luke), I wouldn’t be surprised if he finds his way into this lineup next to Rubio at times; he provides great size, outstanding defense with scoring point guard instincts. Really love him as a prospect.

Anyways, speaking of Jeremy Lin, next up Lin leads the hot New York Knicks to town, and after seeing what Lin did to the Lakers last night, things could get out of hand; the Wolves defense hasn’t been special the last couple of nights. Could the Linsanity continue? Against our defense? Oh, yeah.

Dallas Maverickcs (15-11) at Minnesota Timberwolves (13-13)

Last game: Dallas: W, 105-95 at Denver; Minnesota: L, 85-80 at Memphis

But all of that is in the past. Kevin Love is back, and it’s 60’s night at the Target Center again in honor of the ABA’s Minnesota Muskies. The Wolves will don the hardwood classics for the second time this year, meaning I’ll be S.O.L. when I want to buy one again and I’ll have no money (It’s Lebron’s fault).

As for the game, this will be the third time these two face off this season, thanks to the shortened number of games. Would you believe if I also said the Wolves will be looking to beat the Mavs for the third straight time this season tonight too? 2-0 are the Wolves this year against the defending champs, who don’t look all that mighty anymore; Dirk isn’t anywhere near last season’s form — nor a All-Star bid, in my opinion; — the losses of Tyson Chandler and Barea are especially hurtful; and the additions they brought in, namely Lamar Odom, have been nothing useless. Although they have been starting to gel a bit lately, there isn’t a better time for the Wolves to step on the Mavs’ throats in this one — metaphorically, not literally, Kevin.

The Key Questions

#1) How ’bout a little rebounding?

Both Minnesota and Dallas rank in the top 10 in the NBA in rebounds per game. Can you guess who ranks better? Could you tell me the right answer after watching Wednesday night’s massacre in Memphis? The Wolves were out-rebounded 59-47 against a Memphis team without their best rebounder, Zach Randolph. You’d think that Kevin Love’s return hides that margin but don’t be too sure. In Love’s absence, we saw both Michael Beasley and Derrick Williams drastically improve on the glass, as well as Nikola Pekovic. Rebounding isn’t just a frontcourt skill; it should be a team goal.

#2) What Ricky will come to play tonight?

Tom noted in his recap for the Grizzlies game that Rajon Rondo fans have sat and seen him have some downright awful games, especially when it comes to shooting. Hell, it’s NBA nature to have a down night unless you’re Lebron. Rubio’s statline in Memphis is forgettable. Looking towards tonight, he’s had success against the Mavs in the last two games (31 points, 19 assists combined). Rubio seems to step his game up against big-named competition, but in order to reach that upper-echelon of point guards, he’s going to need to destroy the Mike Conley’s of the world. They need him big tonight.

#3) How do you contain Dirk?

You gotta admit, the Wolves have done an excellent job on Dirk this year already. Part of that was Anthony Tolliver and his versatile defense; part of that was Darko utilizing his size inside to not allow Dirk any easy buckets. The Wolves have the right personell to handle Dirk, or at least frustrate him; Dirk didn’t care for the double-teams from Rubio either.

Tonight could be a different story, though. Dirk has been on fire the last three games. Tolliver has seen his playing time be cut smaller and smaller as the weeks go on. Darko still isn’t certain to play tonight with his “ankle injury.” That leaves combos of Pek, Love, Williams, Miller and Randolph to contain Dirk. All I can say is, “Good luck with that.”

The Key Matchups

I won’t belabor this much anymore but obviously the key matchup is Dirk vs _______. Whoever fills that underline will have a difficult time with him tonight, my gut tells me.

The other matchup is, of course, Rubio vs Kidd. The two have been compared by analysts all over and they’re head-to-head matchups are really fun to watch. I don’t believe that Rubio is much like Kidd but at least close enough to make things interesting. Not to mention you’re watching the future of pass-first point guards in Rubio vs the old school pass-first chops of Kidd go mono-y-mono. Que da miendo.

The Outlook

It all depends on which of these two teams show up to play. The Mavs have looked ugly this year, and so have the Wolves. But both teams have also had their moments of brilliance. I’m hoping both of the latter show up and give the home crowd, likely a sell out crowd, too, what they want to see. I still feel this one comes down to defense and how the Wolves will be able to contain Dirk, but thinking of it from the Mavs’ perspective, Love is coming off of his suspension and will be looking to blow the roof off. Maybe it comes down to how well they can contain Love.

The game starts at 7 on Fox Sports North