Howlin' T-Wolf A Fresh Perspective and Completely Biased Blog About Everything Minnesota Timberwolves

Timberwolves: 13-44

Heat: 29-28

The Wolves are storming South Beach, Florida tonight to take on a Wade-less Heat team. Dwayne Wade has sat two games thus far while nursing a strained left calf. Well, this gives the Wolves a good opportunity to start this road trip out right and stop this current six game funk. The Heat still have plenty of talent in the absence of Wade, so the Wolves will still need to fight hard in order to boost their horrocious road record of 4-24. The keys for tonight will be the play of our backcourt against theirs. Flynn had a nice game Sunday but needs to show some consistency, especially in this second half of the season. It’ll be fun to watch Darko Milicic get out there tonight and see what he has to offer in act 2. Again, I’m expecting around only 15 minutes for him but lets see if he can make them count for something. I really want to see if Jefferson can be the Jefferson of old tonight. His play has looked sloppy the past few games and the team struggles with him on the floor. We need to see if he can be our horse that we can ride to the finish line, like we used to do last season. Here are tonight’s matchups:

Match-ups:

Point Guard:

Jonny Flynn vs. Carlos Arroyo

Arroyo has played well starting over Chalmers but may struggle with Flynn tonight. Flynn is both quicker and stronger than Arroyo. Arroyo is a good pass-first point guard who play good defense, but Flynn’s skill set may out match him. We need to see consistency out of Flynn tonight. He played great on Sunday, so I want to see him string together a couple great games. This matchup also has a lot to do with depth — Chalmers for the Heat, Sessions for the Wolves — so, whichever bench plays well may have the advantage.

Advantage: Minnesota

Shooting Guard:

Corey Brewer vs. Quentin Richardson

The former T-Wolf of only a few days will have some trouble with Brewer tonight. Brewer has found his stroke and hits the open freebies he gets from the wing. His play has been solid and his defense has looked good as well.

Advantage: Minnesota

Small Forward:

Ryan Gomes vs. Dorrell Wright

Wright is a bigger 3 who can play a stretch 4, just like Gomes, in a smaller set. He’s not much of a scorer but will demand a little more attention around the basket than what Gomes probably likes to deal with. Gomes’ shot has been off the past few games and, just like Flynn, he needs to find some consistency. I’m giving the Wolves the advantage here though because Damien Wilkins played a terrific game Sunday putting up 18 points and is a lot better than Miami’s reserve, James Jones.

Advantage: Minnesota

Power Forward:

Al Jefferson vs. Michael Beasley

I am a huge Beasley fan, so its hard to watch him struggle to be who he is supposed to become. He was supposed to be a stud for the Heat but instead is just a good power forward on a good team. Sad. Anyways, as I said earlier, we will need to find out if the Wolves can ride Jefferson to the end of the game like we’ve done in the past. He hasn’t been that guy for us and that’s what might need to happen if we want to get out of this losing funk. Kevin Love’s play off the bench has been stupendous and he is what gives the Wolves the advantage here.

Advantage: Minnesota

Center:

Ryan Hollins vs. Jermaine O’Neal

Every Wolves fan is excited to see what Darko will do for his follow up act tonight. Well keep in mind that Hollins actually played a good game as well on Sunday by putting up eight points of his own, so don’t just count him out. But either way, O’Neal is a great player in this league and the Heat have depth in Udonis Haslem and Joel Anthony to help O’Neal out. O’Neal will probably have a good game tonight unless Darko can show some intimidation under the hoop but even then O’Neal will probably go right around him to the rim.

Advantage: Miami

Timberwolves: 13-42

Bulls: 27-26

Bulls will travel to wolf territory tonight to take on a not-so vicious Wolves team. The Wolves seem like they have been struggling to find any intensity whatsoever on the court. Maybe it was the looming trade deadline that got into their heads, but with that long gone, the Wolves will need to focus ahead on a newer looking Bulls squad. The Bulls were busy during the rumor crazy week, sending John Salmons to Milwaukee and Tyrus Thomas to Charlotte. The Bulls really were setting themselves up for this summer’s hot commodities in free agency and they may have sacrificed some of this season’s success to do so. Bulls’ center Joakim Noah will be on the bench tonight nursing a left foot injury. With the potentially gaping hole in the paint, the Wolves will need to get Al Jefferson going and get him going early. Also, the play from point guard Jonny Flynn will be crucial tonight, as he’s struggled in the past few games.

Match-ups

Point Guard:

Jonny Flynn vs. Derrick Rose

Rose is one of the most stunning players to watch in the NBA today, and, well, Flynn is not. His shooting has been very inconsistent as of late — 16-46, a whopping 35% to be exact (Actually that is rounded up)– but it’s not just his shooting that’s been off either. He’s only averaging 3.6 assists a game for the past five games. That’s not acceptable from our so-called future point guard.

Advantage: Bulls

Shooting Guard:

Corey Brewer vs. Kirk Hinrich

Brewer has continued his hot streak and his 3-point streak dating back to January 6th is still intact. Hinrich won’t pose a threat to him defensively, considering Brewer has about 4-5 inches on him in height. Hinrich is still a good guard though and helps Rose run things from the top of the key. The Wolves will need to be sure they don’t leave him open on the perimeter when they have to collapse down on Rose when he drives the lane.

Advantage: Minnesota

Small Forward:

Ryan Gomes vs. Taj Gibson

This match-up is a wash. I have not been impressed by Gomes lately, although he did have a good night in Washington. I think my expectations are a little high for him and since I don’t see it yet, so I’ve grown unhappy with him. Gibson is a good player but was exploited in the Rookie challenge, proving he needs to bulk up and work on his game before he becomes anything special in this league. But based on depth and a good game from Gomes on Wednesday, Minnesota has the advantage here.

Advantage: Minnesota

Power Forward

Al Jefferson vs. Luol Deng

Deng will be playing out of position tonight but this could pose a threat for Jefferson. Depending on who warms up first, they will have the advantage. Jefferson will have trouble guarding a stretch 4 who can post up and stretch his range. While Deng will have problems defending Jefferson on the block. I’m giving the advantage to the Wolves though based on the lack of depth upfront for Chicago. Even if newly acquired Hakim Warrick plays, either forward will have trouble defending Love and Jefferson.

Advantage: Minnesota

Center:

Ryan Hollins vs. Brad Miller

Again, I have nothing good to say about Ryan Hollins and my momma said that when I have nothing good to say about someone, don’t say it at all.

Advantage: Chicago

Timberwolves: 13-40

Pistons: 18-33

Wolves finally get back to basketball as the start of the second half of the season is here but unfortunately it starts with a familiar streak — a losing one. It also doesn’t help that the Wolves have lost 10 of their last 11 games on the road. But we can’t fret. The Pistons have struggled at home this year including a recent streak of six out of their last seven in the Palace. Both teams are very different in their approach to the game. The Pistons slow down the game whereas the young Wolves enjoy getting out and running the court into the ground. The key for the Wolves tonight will be: A) Running this Pistons team into the ground, B) Let the big fellas work their magic underneath against a lame frontcourt that the Pistons have (Minus “Big Ben” Wallace), C) Guard Rodney Stuckey and not allow him to take over. If he does, it could spell havoc for the Wolves and notch another “L” into their losing streak. He is they key to their offense, so Flynn and Sessions can’t let him get into a groove, especially early in the game. I’m interested to see what Brewer will look like, coming out of the All-Star break. Before the break, he has been tearing it up and has it a trey in every game dating back to January 6th. Hopefully he will continue his hot streak and not grow rusty from the break. We will need him down the stretch, if we don’t want to lose as many games as we did in the first half.

Match-ups:

Point Guard:

Jonny Flynn vs. Rodney Stucky

Flynn put forth a good performance in the Rookie Challenge and won bragging rights over Kevin Love in the process. I hope Jonny comes in with a cool and relaxed head on his shoulders, which will allow him to do his thing and make plays against Stuckey. Stuckey is what makes this Pistons offense work and they are better off when he scores and scores a lot. Flynn will need to shut him down and I think he will be able to do that tonight.

Advantage: Minnesota

Shooting Guard:

Corey Brewer vs. Richard “Rip” Hamilton

This will be a key match up tonight. Brewer is playing at the top of his game right now and Hamilton has been one of the best Pistons in the past decade. He helped lead them to an NBA Championship in 2004. Rip’s numbers have declined slightly this season, probably due to his older age. But don’t let him fool you. The man still has the tools to lead the Pistons to a win any night, any game. On the other hand, Brewer has the tools to stop Rip from going off and I think he will also play well on the offensive end of the court.

Advantage: Minnesota

Small Forward:

Ryan Gomes vs. Tayshaun Prince

Gomes has been a bit inconsistent this season and the same goes for Prince. Prince was a part of that title team in 2004 and still proves to be a solid aspect to this Pistons lineup. His last outing had a line like this: 23 points on 11-15 shooting, five rebounds, and an assist and a block. Not too bad by my measures. The depth behind Gomes, Wilkins and Pavlovic, doesn’t help the matter of inconsistency either so I think Prince may have a good night. But we’ll see for sure.

Advantage: Detroit

Power Forward:

Al Jefferson vs. Jonas Jerekbo

Listen, Jerekbo is a great rookie on a bad team. I truly do like him and I think he could develop into a good forward in this league. But to think he even has a shot against Jefferson’s strength down in the post is preposterous.

Advantage: Minnesota

Center:

Ryan Hollins vs. Ben Wallace

Coach Rambis may switch up the lineup tonight and if he does, this will be the first match-up to change. Hollins has played utterly crappy in the past few games and its really too bad, especially after that great boost he gave the starters when he first jumped in the starting lineup. Wallace will be too strong for him to do anything underneath on offense and defense. Wallace won’t be a game-changer due to his lack of ability on offense but his defense will pose as a threat to what we can do on offense in the paint. Not to mention, Wallace will be stealing rebounds from Jefferson and Love all game long.

Advantage: Detroit

Timberwolves: 13-39

Bobcats: 25-25

The Wolves return home tonight with no five game win streak to speak of but rather a familiar streak we’ve grown accustomed to this year, a losing one. On the contrary, the Bobcats are coming to Minneapolis having snapped a three game skid they fell into until defeating the Wizards last night 94-92. The Bobcats play a gamestyle that is completely opposite that of the Wolves — they run a slow paced offense with good efficiency and have one of the league’s top defenses. The Bobcats rank 5th in the league in defensive efficiency and that doesn’t bode well for the Wolves. Seeing that these two teams play a game of basketball completely different, the Wolves will need to tempt the Bobcats into playing an up-tempo style. We should make them run with us by forcing turnovers and using pressure to not allow them to set up a half-court offense. I’d rather see us running the entire game as opposed to trying to beat them with our own half-court sets, which probably won’t work. I’d like to see Ellington get some good time tonight — maybe a Flynn-Ellington-Brewer back court at times? Ellington is producing right now and getting him good experience against a good team will only better his already improving game. Throw him onto Stephen Jackson and let’s see what he can do!

Match-ups:

Point Guard:

Jonny Flynn vs. Raymond Felton

Felton has developed into a solid PG for the Bobcats. He plays hard defensively and will slowly sneak points out from underneath your nose if you’re not careful. Flynn had five turnovers yesterday and only shot 4-10 from the field. He will need to improve his performance if he plans on out-playing Felton tonight. Right now, I’m not so convinced he will, but we’ll see.

Advantage: Charlotte

Shooting Guard:

Corey Brewer vs. Stephen Jackson

Jackson has scored 20+ points in four straight games and is averaging 20.7 on the season. The guy was an absolute steal for the Bobcats and they should be lucky to have him. Brewer matches up well against Jackson but Jackson does have the ability to post up if needed and his advantage in strength over Brewer helps his chances. Brewer has played great for the past month, so I don’t think he will do poorly tonight but Jackson may be a little too much to handle on defense.

Advantage: Charlotte

Small Forward:

Ryan Gomes vs. Boris Diaw

Diaw had a great game last night against Washington. Gomes had an okay game last night against Philadelphia. This is a very even match-up in my opinion but given that Diaw is more involved in the Bobcat’s offense and plays way more minutes, he owns a very slight edge over Gomes.

Advantage: Charlotte

Power Forward:

Al Jefferson vs. Gerald Wallace

A terrific match-up if they actually guard each other, Wallace will be stealing rebounds from Jefferson and Love all game long. All three of these players are atop the league in rebounding and know how to play under the hoop. Wallace has the advantage over Jefferson because he can stretch his range beyond the three point line but Love can do the same with Wallace. This match-up is back and forth so let’s consider them on defense. Ok, maybe we shouldn’t, especially after seeing Elton Brand go for 21 last night against our porous post-defense. Not to mention, Wallace is one of 11 players this season averaging a double-double (19.1/10.9).

Advantage: Charlotte

Center:

Ryan Hollins vs. Nazr Mohammed

I’m not sure what happened to Hollins’ play but in two games it sort of disappeared. Magic? Perhaps, but an aura of inconsistency seems to be lingering. Sure, having him in the lineup may give up an advantage down low with Jefferson but when facing a team with a solid front court at both positions, it doesn’t do much. Mohammed is a solid true center in the NBA only averaging 8.3 points a game with 5 boards but he plays good defense and does what he can on the offensive side. We’ll see which “Hollins” comes out to play but until I see it, Mohammed gets the nod.

Advantage: Charlotte

Sad, a clean sweep. Should I re-do this or just become a Bobcats fan? Geez! Sorry Wolves.

Timberwolves : 13-38

76ers: 19-31

The last time these two teams got together, the 76ers would be embarrassed to remember the fact, the Wolves were down by as many as 20 but stormed all the way back to take the victory in extra minutes. It left the 76ers with a sour taste in their mouth indeed. And that game happened before the Wolves caught fire with their four game winning streak, which will make it tough for any sort of revenge for the 76ers. But the 76ers have their own four game win streak on the line, so one team will have to budge. Rebounding will be a key tonight, as the Wolves continue to be near the top of the league in that category (76ers rank 16th; Wolves are ranked 3rd). The second chance opportunities will give our shooters, especially Corey Brewer, enough time to find an open spot on the floor for a shot. Another key will be he bench play. It has been nothing short of fantastic and we will need that again tonight. The 76ers have a good bench as well with guys like Thaddeus Young and Rodney Carney. We will need to outplay their bench if we want to come out with a victory in this one. Overall, this should be a good, even match-up between two teams who are churning to push their team’s winning streaks to five games.

Match-ups:

Point Guard:

Jonny Flynn vs. Jrue Holiday

Flynn’s play has been terrific throughout this winning streak. He’s averaging 12 points, 6.2 assists and only 2.4 turnovers a game (he had eight against New York; the rest were all under two a game) in the past five contests. Jrue Holiday is still a player looking for his way in the NBA. It’ll take a little bit longer for him to put it together, therefore Flynn has the advantage tonight.

Advantage: Minnesota

Shooting Guard:

Corey Brewer vs. Willie Green

Green has supplied nice numbers after filling in for the missing Allen Iverson but Corey Brewer is still showing the league what he can do. He had 17 against Memphis on Saturday and has nailed a trey in 15 straight games. Brewer might be a little too much for Green to handle tonight.

Advantage: Minnesota

Small Forward:

Ryan Gomes vs. Andre Iguodala

Gomes had a strong night on Saturday with 25 points and led us to victory over a good Memphis squad. Igoudala has been shaky as of late and has struggled to find a consistent shooting stroke. He’s shooting nearly 46% from the field and only 27% from the charity stripe. Now the Wolves know who to put on the line when the game is on the line. Despite Igoudala’s shaky shooting, he’s still a top player in this league and can’t doubt his ability.

Advantage: Philadelphia

Power Forward:

Al Jefferson vs. Elton Brand

Brand has never lived up to that contract he signed with the 76ers and this year is no different. He’s scoring five points below his career average this season and has shown signs of wear and tear on his body. Jefferson is quite the contrare. He is slowly starting to establish his dominance in the middle once again and will have fun going against Brand’s lack of defensive abilities. Watch out for Dalembert coming from the other side though.

Advantage: Minnesota

Center:

Ryan Hollins vs. Samuel Dalembert

Hollins’ fairy tale run came to an end Saturday but still made an impact. He only had four points but still showed that he is in the right spot in the starting lineup by posing a problem for opposing frontcourts. Dalembert is a solid starting NBA center; a true center if I might add. He will pose a problem for the Hollins’ weakness, as the 76ers could attack him in the post all game long.

Advantage: Philadelphia

Timberwolves: 12-38

Grizzlies: 26-23

The Wolves showed up to play last night in Dallas and came out with another win under our belts. Tonight, the Wolves are heading back home for a match-up with the Memphis Grizzlies. The Last time we played the Grizzlies, they were white-hot shooting an astounding 58% putting up 135 on the board. The Wolves’ defense has greatly improved since then and Rudy Gay has slowed his production. The new starting lineup of the Wolves will be a better fit against this Grizzlies team. Our team is taller and will match their strong frontcourt nicely. Despite the Grizzlies strong frontcourt, the key tonight will be stopping Rudy Gay and to not allow him to heat up at any point in the game. As I said, he’s had some bad scoring games lately (9, 10 and 11 in three of the past five games) so it can be done. The Wolves’ offense has looked great as of late, so that won’t be a problem tonight. The Grizzlies are athletic on defense but aren’t the best in the league in that category either. Our deep bench will be another key tonight. Even with Kevin Love aside, they put up 25 points last night and look like they are starting to gel quite nicely with each other. Having a solid rotation has given this team a foundation to rely on and ultimately get wins out of the deal as well.

Match-ups:

Point Guard:

Jonny Flynn vs. Mike Conley

Conley blew up in the last meeting putting up 18 points and 8 assists. I can safely say that won’t happen again. Flynn’s defense is more stifling as of late, so Conley will have trouble putting up that kind of line again. Flynn’s lines have been solid and consistent — he only had one turnover last night.

Advantage: Minnesota

Shooting Guard:

Corey Brewer vs. O.J. Mayo

Brewer is on fire right now. He is arguably the Wolves’ best player on the floor and will be a handful for Mayo. He’s hitting open shots and showing that his game is full of raw potential. He’s finally starting to prove to this team and its fans that he’s something special.

Advantage: Minnesota

Small Forward:

Ryan Gomes vs. Rudy Gay

Gay lit the Wolves up last game but his production has slowed down as of late. Gomes has been a solid player lately scoring in double digits for five straight games. Still, you can’t deny the talent and ability of Gay, as he has the chance to take over any game at any given time.

Advantage: Memphis

Power Forward:

Al Jefferson vs. Zach Randolph

Jefferson still hasn’t returned to that dominant play we’ve been used to seeing but it has improved since his lackluster play a few weeks ago. Nonetheless, Randolph is an All-Star and is arguably having his best season of his career. Love off the bench, once again, will pose as an issue for the Grizzlies but I think Randolph will be too much to handle.

Advantage: Memphis

Center:

Ryan Hollins vs. Marc Gasol

Gasol hasn’t been talked about too much lately but Hollins is quite the opposite. Hollins has posted great lines and is averaging over 16 points a game since entering the starting lineup and has really boosted this team’s morale giving them three wins in the process.

Advantage: Minnesota

Timberwolves: 11-38

Mavericks: 31-18

The Wolves are coming off a loooong week of practice and I’m guessing that they will be eager to get back into game mode. Will their anxious feelings lead to sloppy play and inefficiency? I sure hope not. The Wolves are on a two game win streak, the second streak this year, but are going up against a strong Mavericks squad. The Mavs are third in the western conference and are very efficient on both ends of the floor. Andre Miller of the Portland Trailblazers dropped 52 on them last Saturday and Rob Mahoney of The Two Man Game has been haunted ever since, writing about Miller’s heroic effort as well as the Mav’s poor effort that day. They even gave up 46 to Monta Ellis in their win against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. The Wolves clearly don’t have someone that will put up 50 in a game but I don’t think we will need it either. Defense has been the focal point of practice this week, so we’ll see if that extra work transfers into the game. We will need to play stifling defense in order to win tonight and compensate for not having that 50-a-game guy. Get in the Mavs’ faces and get them angry and off balanced. It will be our best chance at coming out with a three-game win streak under our belts. The offense has looked good the past few games anyways and Kevin Love’s production off the bench is a major boost. I’m assuming Hollins will start tonight and his play will be crucial as well. Lets attack the basket as Erick Dampier may not be able to play, so the lane will be open.

Match-ups:

Point Guard:

Jonny Flynn vs. Jason Kidd

Kidd is a one of the true pass first points guards with a great shot left in this league. Flynn’s play looked considerably better before the break, so I’m intrigued by this match-up. Kidd’s production is down this year, probably due to his age, but you can’t sleep on him. He is a true competitor and if Flynn’s not careful, he will make Flynn look absolutely silly.

Advantage: Dallas

Shooting Guard:

Corey Brewer vs. Jason Terry

This is a fun match-up. Terry, a.k.a. The Jet, is a streaky shooter who has a tendency to heat up in key situations. Again, his age has gotten in the way this season but he can light up the scoreboard on any given basis. Brewer is finding is shot, finally. But it has truly boosted the Wolves play as a team to have a scorer to somewhat rely on. We could really use another 20 points from him tonight and is defensive ability will pose as an issue to The Jet’s game.

Advantage: Minnesota

Small Forward:

Ryan Gomes vs. Shawn Marion

I’m assuming Gomes will start again tonight and it’s safe to say he will have his hands full with Shawn Marion and Josh Howard. Both can score at will and enjoy slashing to the hoop. Gomes isn’t that quick going side-to-side, so these guys could very well pass by Gomes with ease. I would like to see Gomes keep up his production on the offensive end and continue his double-digits scoring streak to five games. But otherwise, I’m not sure if Gomes will match them both on offense and slow them down on defense.

Advantage: Dallas

Power Forward:

Al Jefferson vs. Eduardo Najera

The frontcourt match-ups might not be exactly on because anything can change. With this lineup, Jefferson is back at his natural position while Hollins will be playing as a true center. Now, if this really is the match-up for tonight, I give it to Jefferson, easily. Also, I don’t like you Najera. He just has something about his game that I don’t like to watch. Quickly, I would like to add that I’m excited to see the difference that Kevin Love makes in this one off the bench. His career high 25 points on Sunday was no fluke, therefore he and Al could pose as serious threats to the Mavs’ winning chances tonight.

Advantage: Minnesota

Center:

Ryan Hollins vs. Dirk Nowitzki

Again, the frontcourt match-ups may be screwy but stick with me here. Dirk will have Hollins pleading for less playing time when Dirk is on the court. Dirk will shoot from everywhere on the court and is what makes this offense run. Hollins’ play has improved yes, but does anyone truly think he can hang with Dirk’s 25.1 points per game? Didn’t think so.

Advantage: Dallas