Howlin' T-Wolf

Our very own Kevin Love was featured on ESPN’s Sport Science, where he showed off his skills in boxing out under the hoop.

Chicago Bulls (8-2) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (3-6)

Last game: Minnesota: L, 97-87 vs Toronto, Chicago: W, 92-68 vs Detroit

The Timberwolves could not seem to find the range from anywhere last night, missing layups, threes, mid-range jumpers, and free throws with abandon. They also couldn’t stop Andrea Bargnani (ugh), who went off for a season high 31 points. Minnesota fell to the Raptors by 10, leaving fans wondering what might have happened if just a couple more shots had fallen.

The Bulls ripped into Detroit the same way they have been ripping into every other team this year. Chicago’s starters got a lot of rest (thanks a lot, Detroit) as they stretched their record to 8-2, second best in the Eastern Conference.

Injury report

Bulls: Richard Hamilton (questionable) groin, CJ Watson (out) dislocated elbow

Minnesota: Malcolm Lee (out) torn meniscus

The Key Questions

#1. What happened to Kevin Love yesterday?

3-16 from the field and 5-10 from the line are not Kevin Love numbers. Those are Michael Beasley in a Kevin Love suit numbers. (That joke hurt to write, so I hope you enjoyed it.) Love will matched up with Carlos Boozer today, who by rights SHOULD be more difficult than Amir Johnson. But Boozer is a mediocre rebounder, meaning Love might be able to body his way into the paint and get some easy put backs on offense. Boozer also might struggle trying to get out and guard Love from behind the arc. OPTIMISM!

#2. How many minutes will JJ Barea play?

Barea’s minutes had to be limited under doctor’s orders, right? Because he was literally the only player on the court for Minnesota who could create his own shot against Toronto. The Wolves will desperately need him tonight, especially if Bulls’ shooting guard Rip Hamilton is out.

#3. Will returning home help the Wolves shooting percentage?

You’ve heard the grisly numbers from the Toronto game, but even against Washington, some Wolves’ players struggled from the field. Love was under 50%, Rubio was 5-14, and Williams was 5-12. Wes Johnson did Wes Johnson-y things, going 2-8. Perhaps playing at home will help restore Minnesota’s confidence.

The Key Matchups

The Bulls are an absolute matchup nightmare for Minnesota.

Will the Wolves score more than 60 tonight? Because the offense has seriously struggled against every team not named Washington, and the Bulls give up the second fewest points per 100 possessions in the league. This could get really ugly, especially if Minnesota runs Luke Ridnour at the point for extended minutes. Ridnour has a lot of good qualities, but moving the ball against a good defense will be a struggle for him.

We covered Kevin Love/Carlos Boozer above, but Love might have to take some Joakim Noah duty as well when the Wolves go with their small ball lineup. Noah doesn’t score a ton( 7.3 ppg so far this season) but on defense, he will give Love fits.

Wes Johnson’s defense last night was solid, but tonight he’ll be matched up against a much more physical Luol Deng. Poor Wes. His confidence in his jumper seems to be completely gone, and it’s hard to blame him…that thing hasn’t been falling at all.

And I haven’t even mentioned Derrick Rose yet. Again, Ridnour will get killed by Rose. Ricky Rubio has shown he can really move his feet well against faster point guards, but he hasn’t faced an athletic point guard as skilled as Rose yet, which will be an interesting test.

The Outlook

Trying…desperately…to…say…something…positive…

Hey guys, teams on the third night of a back to back to back are undefeated so far this season! And the Bulls played last night! MORE OPTIMISM!

Maybe someone else feels better about this game than I do, but the best case scenario I can realistically predict is another moral victory of 8 points or less. And even in that case, it feels like everything would have to go right for the Wolves.

Tell your children to avert their eyes.

Toronto Raptors (3-5) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (3-5)

Last game: Minnesota: W, 93-72 vs Washington, Toronto: L, 97-62 vs Philadelphia

All eyes are on these three guys as the Wolves clash internationally this evening.

The Wolves won an easy game against a bad team yesterday afternoon against Washington, blowing out the Wizards. Minnesota (aided and abetted by Washington’s terrible offense) allowed just 72 points to the Wiz, who remained winless on the season, and exited the court to boos from the hometown fans.

The Raptors, after an encouraging .500 start that included a win against the Knicks, have lost their last two games in discouraging fashion, one to New Jersey (only a slightly better team than the Wizards), and one by 35 to the surprisingly good Sixers.

The Key Questions

#1. So how good is this offense without Michael Beasley?

You may have heard about this: the Wolves moved the ball much better yesterday Kevin Love was asked what was different about Minnesota’s offense after the Washington game. His response? “Mike being out? I’m just kidding.”

I really like Beasley, but as much as it pains me to say it, that isn’t a joke. Minnesota moved the ball so much better with him out of the lineup. Better yet: Derrick Williams got a bunch of minutes he wouldn’t have gotten if Beasley were healthy, and Williams performed really well, shooting 4-7 from three point range.

If Minnesota continues to play well offensively with Beasley out of the lineup, Adelman is going to have to take a long look at the Memphis and Cleveland games and decide just how much more experimentation with Beasley this team can take. No one doubts his potential, just his potential for reaching it.

#2. How will the Wolves react to the second night of a back to back…on the road?

This question is really an excuse to say that Toronto is much better than Washington. Offensively, they are far from amazing, but new head coach Dwane Casey has them playing much better defense. They are allowing 92.9 points per game, which is 10th in the league. Andrea Bargnani will score quite a bit. Jose Calderon is consistent.

In regards to the actual question, it doesn’t seem like fatigue will be too much of an issue for the Wolves. On their second night of a back to back against San Antonio, Minnesota played their best basketball of the season. There are a few more hours for them to rest, since yesterday’s game was at noon. And for all their improvements, Toronto is not San Antonio.

#3. Will JJ Barea be back?

Yes! Finally. Barea is expected to return against the Raptors, which will add some much needed ball handling and slashing offense to the Timberwolves repertoire. He has been sorely missed.

The Key Matchups

Rubio tweeted about being excited to play Toronto yesterday, saying “Take it easy, @josemcalderon8.” Apparently, they are good friends, and have gone out to eat already, with Calderon picking up the tab. I swear I’m not creeping (I’m totally creeping). Anyway, it will be interesting to watch Rubio’s flare vs Calderon’s calmer approach.

Amir Johnson is a solid rebounder and a decent defender, but he is no Kevin Love. Andrea Bargnani is actually a decent one on one post defender, but his help defense is horrible. This might allow for some sneaking post moves which might allow for some alley oops!

People have been clamoring for Rubio and Williams to start, but honestly, both players got 30 minutes against Washington, which was tied for 3rd on the team. We’ll see what happens.

The Outlook

The Timberwolves have plenty of talent to win this game, so if Minnesota shows up focused, there’s no reason they should lose. It’s impossible to predict how ready the Wolves will be to play at this point in the season, but this is a big part of the reason they hired Adelman, a coach who can get a young team mentally prepared for a tough season.

Also, this.

Yessssss. Can’t wait for tonight.

Game starts at 6 on Fox Sports North

A good heckler sitting nearby can make a bad game fun. A bad heckler can make a bad game nearly unbearable. Unfortunately, I had the latter sitting a few seats away from me at the Target Center on Friday.

Actually, this picture sums things up better than I ever could.

“Hey! Hey! Where’s LeBron? Hey Kyrie! Take your talents to South Beach! Hey guys! Where’s LeBron?!”

This continued through three quarters. Antawn Jamison finally turned, looked straight at him and, with an expression of calm disdain, pointed to the scoreboard.

“We’re winning,” he said, simply. And indeed they were. Convincingly.

Honestly, I have NOTHING good to say about the Timberwolves Friday night. All the hustle, enthusiasm, and excitement they played with earlier in the week against Dallas and San Antonio? Utterly absent. To better represent the effort the Wolves put forth, I really should stop all of my sentences half way through. But I’ll do the next best thing: a bullet point recap.

• Kevin Love may look like the lone bright spot for Minnesota, going off for 29 points and 14 rebounds, but honestly SOMEBODY had to score. The depressing thing is that Love has been the only player who can create a shot. He had a couple really nice post moves today and hit a few threes.
• For the second straight night, the Wolves simply could not score the ball. In the last nine quarters, the Wolves have topped 25 just once: the 4th against Memphis. Somewhere along the line, Minnesota seems to have forgotten how to shoot. The Wolves were 4-20 from behind the arc Friday night.
• One tell tale sign that the game was going badly was the way Adelman shuffled through his lineups in an attempt to find a group that would work together. Up until Friday night, Adelman allowed lineups to play together quite a bit in an attempt to work out their own kinks, but after a disastrous third quarter that saw a 7 point lead stretch to 14 with mostly the same lineup the whole way through, Adelman threw consistency to the winds and started shuffling players like a magician with a deck of cards.
• I’ve taken my fair share of cheap shots at Kyrie Irving from the safety of Twitter but he looked really good tonight. Sure, he turned the ball over some, but he played with confidence, shot well, directed the team, and didn’t seem much like a rookie. His attitude on the bench was good as well, standing and cheering for his teammates and handing out towels when players sat down. Just seems to be a good rookie who knows his role and is keen to play it.
• At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Anthony Tolliver took a three that missed badly but must appeared to go in to the PA announcer, who roared “ANTHONY TOLLIVER FOR THREEEEEEE!” The crowd around me cheered, but a confused official crew halted play.
  “COME ON! I’M PAYING FOR THIS! GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!” screamed the incredibly clever heckler, who was apparently desperate to continue witnessing a rather awful basketball game.
  The officials went to the replay monitors and checked to see what had happened.
  “It’s because the Cavs didn’t take the ball out of bounds after Tolliver hit the three,” said the heckler, wisely.
• Beasley missed badly on a long two in the first half (BAD BEAS!) but he ran back down the court cursing himself and didn’t take another truly bad shot all game. He seemed a little more self aware. On one hand, this is a problem because he isn’t a good passer, so when he drives and looks to pass he often turns it over. He should just try to take the ball to the basket and draw a foul. But it’s encouraging to see him recognizing his mistakes and taking steps to correct them. After some early poor shooting, he cut down on his shot attempts, only putting up 12 for the game. Unfortunately, any future progression may take a rather serious pause: a sprained foot suffered late in the 4th may sideline him for a while, according to Jerry Zgoda’s tweets post game.
• Speaking of Beasley, does anybody else cringe a little every time a player hits a contested long two? When Derrick Williams hit a very difficult shot in the first half, getting fouled and still draining a 20-footer, I was honestly worried he was just going to start gunning from that area. I think it’s Beas who has conditioned me to think that way.
• The Cavaliers have a really strange generational gap. They have lots of veterans and a few young guys, but very few players in between. It will be interesting to see if the veterans influence the rookies positively or if a gap develops between the two through a long season.
• Barea would have REALLY helped tonight. Minnesota desperately needed his ability to split the defense and get to the rim. The offense broke down time and time again because the entire team was made up of shooters who couldn’t get to the hoop against Cleveland’s bruising front line. Having Barea’s driving ability would have opened up the floor considerably.
• If you told me two weeks ago that the Wolves would come out of their first seven games 2-5, I wouldn’t have been surprised, but I would have assumed that the wins would have been against Milwaukee and Cleveland. If you told me that the Wolves were going to beat Dallas and San Antonio, I would have been really encouraged. But somehow after seeing Minnesota’s performance tonight, I’m not encouraged at all. A bad effort. A bad outing. Let’s sincerely hope it’s an anomaly.

Cleveland Cavaliers (3-3) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (2-4)

Last games: Minnesota: L 92-88 vs Memphis, Cleveland: L 92-77 vs Toronto

Good Beas could have a big game tonight

The Timberwolves lost a disappointing game to the Grizzlies on Wednesday. The Grizzlies were without Zach Randolph, and the Wolves defended well, but struggled to score, shooting just 40% from the field and 33% from behind the arc. The Wolves, despite being 2-4, have outscored their opponents this season 588-575.

Cleveland was beaten badly in the second night of a back to back by a Toronto team with a much improved defense. The number 1 pick last year’s draft, Kyrie Irving, struggled mightily from the field, shooting just 3-13 for 12 points. The Cavaliers have had a feather pillow soft schedule so far compared to Minnesota, with their three wins coming against Charlotte, New Jersey, and Detroit.

The Key Questions

#1. What happened to Minnesota’s offense?

In the aftermath of Monday’s win over San Antonio, everybody was a little giddy from the win (including myself), and justifiably so. It was a big win against a tough opponent. But what most people ignored was the fact that, despite beating the Spurs by 10, Minnesota scored just 12 points in the fourth quarter.

The trend became more disturbing against Memphis as Minnesota continued to struggle from the floor. A glance at the shot chart shows a positive progression for the Wolves, who shot a ton of mid range jumpers in the first quarter and virtually nothing in the paint, but shot less from mid range and more in the paint as the game went on.

Obviously, the Wolves won’t need to shoot 70% from the floor like they did for the first three quarters against San Antonio, but they will need to take better shots to win.

In other offensive news, the Wolves are averaging a league-leading 19 turnovers per game. We knew that the Wolves would probably turn it over quite a bit this year. After all, they led the league in turnovers last year and their biggest offseason addition was Rubio, advertised as a fancy player who occasionally has problems with (say it with me) turning the ball over.

But those 19 turnovers mean 19 possessions in which the Wolves couldn’t even allow Michael Beasley to take a long two pointer. And, as an offense, why would you want to rob Beasley of his long two pointers?!

#2. Wait, HOW CAN CLEVELAND HAVE A BETTER RECORD THAN US?!

Relax, understandably upset Timberwolves fan. The Cavs, thus far, have played Toronto twice (they lost both times), Charlotte, New Jersey, Indiana, and Detroit. That is a feather pillow soft schedule. The only team with a winning record out of that bunch is Indiana.

Minnesota, on the other hand, has faced Miami, OKC…you know the drill because we’ve covered the difficult opening schedule roughly 450,000,000 times here at HowlinTwolf. Just know that the same karmic intervention that gave Cleveland the 1st and 4th picks in the draft (which, for my money, they kind of squandered) is continuing to love on the Cavs and hate on the Wolves as the season begins.

#3. So the schedule gets easier after this?

Oh man, does it ever. The Timberwolves have their back-to-back-to-back starting on Sunday, but the first two games are against Washington and Toronto. The third is against Chicago, so don’t be surprised if Minnesota loses that one by 30. But the rest of the month of January features ten teams currently under .500 including Dallas, who Minnesota already beat, as well as the Spurs, again at the Target Center.

If Minnesota can come out of its first 7 games 3-4, considering the competition they faced, I’d say that’s incredibly encouraging.

The Key Matchups

Rubio appears to be feeling the heat to improve.

“We’re young, and we are going to improve, but we have to do it right now,” he told the Timberwolves official website.

One way to improve would be to get rookie Derrick Williams some big minutes tonight, which will probably happen if the Wolves can get up a comfortable lead on the Cavs. If that happens, expect a slightly entertaining, if meaningless, battle of the #1 and #2 picks of the draft.

The Cavaliers’ high scorer is Antawn Jamison, who is so washed up you can put him up to your ear and hear the ocean. He was never a good defender and old age hasn’t been treating him well. Jamison? Meet Kevin Love. Enjoy.

Beasley seems to play better against better competition. Omri Casspi is a passable small forward, but Beasley will have HUGE mismatch potential. In my game notes, I keep track of Good Beas/Bad Beas. Every time Beasley shoots a jumper, I tally “Bad Beas” even if it goes in. Every time he starts a play with his back to the basket or when he slashes to the hoop, I tally “Good Beas” even if it misses. Let’s hope for a lot of Good Beas tonight.

JJ Barea remains questionable and while it would be nice to see him back, it would probably be ok if Minnesota decided to give him one more recovery day before the back to back to back starts.

The Outcome

ESPN’s oddsmakers say that the Timberwolves are a 77% favorite in this game. While that feels generous, frankly, the Cavs kind of suck. Memphis was a winnable game. This is a must-win.

Game starts at 7 PM on Fox Sports North

Memphis Grizzlies (2-3) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (2-3)

Minnesota squares off with yet another tough Western Conference foe tonight

Last games: Minnesota W 106-96 vs. San Antonio on Monday; Memphis W 113-96 vs Sacramento last night

Minnesota is coming off their first two game winning streak since last March after soundly defeating two old Texas dynasties, the venerable Spurs and Mavericks. The Wolves appear to be operating at their highest level in years and sincerely seem to be enjoying playing together.

The Grizzlies bounced back from one of the worst losses in franchise history, a 104-64 loss to Chicago Saturday, by easily defeating a dysfunctional Sacramento team last night. Zach Randolph sat out with a sprained knee, and will miss tonight’s game against Minnesota as well.

The Key Questions

#1. Can the Timberwolves put it all together?

On Monday, Minnesota’s offense went off for 94 points through three quarters, before just scoring 12 in the 4th. However, the defense shut down San Antonio in the 4th, holding the Spurs to just 16 points.

Admittedly, the Spurs struggled to score in part because they missed shots in the final period that they were making throughout the rest of the game, but Minnesota’s defense also picked up quite a bit. If the Wolves can show anything resembling the offensive efficiency of the first three quarters with the defensive tenacity of the last one, Minnesota could pull off another double digit win.

#2. How big of an impact will Randolph’s absence have on the game?

During last year’s playoffs, Randolph was as unstoppable, efficient, and clutch for Memphis as any star for any team. His post game, which at first glance appears to be slow and lumbering, is actually quite fluid. His jumpers have range (and tons of arc) and he shoots them from so high above his head that even long, athletic defenders like Serge Ibaka were unable to block them. So yes, Randolph’s absence will be very noticeable.

But that doesn’t mean the Grizz are toothless without him. Marc Gasol is arguably the third best center in the league, behind Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum. Rudy Gay is back from his season ending shoulder injury last year. Point guard Mike Conley is back from an injury as well. Add a talented bench to the equation, and Memphis is still a dangerous team.

#3. Can the Wolves POSSIBLY win three in a row and (gasp) get back to .500?

With their next game on Friday at home against the Cavaliers? My head hurts…

The Key Matchups

Poor Michael Beasley. In two of the first four games this season, he faced Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Against the Spurs, he was matched against an inferior athlete in Richard Jefferson, but he was hampered by a hand injury. Now he faces Rudy Gay, a long, athletic scorer who can also defend. Gay plays like a poor man’s Durant…a good slasher and shooter, but also a bit of a ball stopper. Expect Beasley to have his hands full tonight.

Dante Cunningham started in place of Randolph last night, but Sam Young will probably get the lion’s share of the minutes at the 4, after dropping 20 last night on the Kings. Young is a very serviceable role player, another power forward with decent range, but he isn’t as skilled as Kevin Love, and very well might struggle to defend Love’s pick and pop game with Ricky Rubio.

Speaking of Rubio, this game will be another fun test for him. Conley is skilled and consistent, but not an especially exciting player. If Rubio gambles excessively, Conley may punish him, as Conley is a good jump shooter, but as long as Rubio plays safe defense, he certainly should find that guarding Conley is easier than guarding, say, Russell Westbrook.

Again, Memphis has a very deep bench, so don’t expect their game last night to affect them excessively. For the Grizzlies, Young, OJ Mayo, Jeremy Pargo, Quincy Pondexter, and Josh Selby have all proved effective this year as part of the second unit.

The Outlook

When writing the preview for Dallas, I was really hesitant to say “this is a winnable game.” It was just difficult to see the Wolves beating a team most people believed to be better. Sure, it was easy to see them keeping up with the Mavericks. It was easy to see them losing by five or six and collecting another “moral” victory. But to actually pull through, hit big shots, and win a game? It didn’t feel right.

Then the Wolves beat Dallas. And San Antonio. And in doing so, they seemed to change their own culture ever so slightly. Actually winning a basketball game no longer seems like an unattainable goal. Winnable games are actually winnable games, not just games that might stay close until the end.

So yes, tonight is a very winnable game for the Wolves. And the best part? We no longer have to expect the Wolves to lose winnable games. Sure, they might lose to a talented Memphis team. But if they win, it shouldn’t be a surprise. And THAT is a good feeling.

The very talented Sebastian Pruiti writes about basketball but a lot better than either me or Tom; he breaks down the systematic X’s and O’s and shows you how players/plays are so good and effective.

Check out his first impression of our very own Ricky Rubio.

Minnesota Timberwolves (0-3) vs Dallas Mavericks (1-3)

Last game: Timberwolves: L, 103-101 vs Miami; Dallas: L, 104-102 vs OKC

Will Barea be healthy enough to help Minnesota try to knock off the defending champs?

Based off Minnesota’s play so far this year, it feels a little unfair to be staring at that “0-3″ after their name. But after dropping yet another close game to yet another title contender, the nicest thing that can be said about Minnesota’s season so far is this: Minnesota’s three losses were by a combined nine points.

Dallas is also coming into tonight’s game off of a painful loss, and they can probably claim anguished bragging rights. Playing rival Oklahoma City on the road, Dallas took the lead with just over a second left in the game when Vince Carter drained a go-ahead three. But Kevin Durant spotted up from several feet behind the three point line and buried the game winning dagger deep in the Mavericks’ collective chest.

That Durant guy is pretty good.

The Key Questions

#1. Is Dallas back on form?

In the first two games, Dallas looked awful. They looked lazy, complacent and out of shape. Pick a negative adjective, and Dallas probably covered it thoroughly. But the Mavs looked better against Oklahoma City, despite the tough loss.

What’s been different for Dallas thus far? The defense. Dallas has been giving up 102.5 points per game, 27th in the league. This is a team that clearly misses their defensive identity, recently departed center Tyson Chandler. Kevin Love may be able to capitalize on Chandler’s absence inside.

#2. Can Minnesota clean up their turnovers?

Somehow, I doubt this will be the last time this question is asked. After taking care of the ball well in the opener against Oklahoma City, just 12 TOs to go with 22 total assists, the Wolves turned the ball over 25 times against both Milwaukee and Miami. 25 possessions in which the Wolves couldn’t even get a shot off. In games decided by three points or less, that’s a pretty big deal.

Obviously, it’s understood that part of the territory with Rubio is his risky decisions, and that’s what makes him a fun/special player. But being careless with the ball may have cost the Wolves a couple of games, and it needs to be cleaned up a bit.

#3. Will Barea be able to play?

JJ Barea sat out against Miami with a strained hamstring, but he also said that it was feeling much better, so hopefully he will be able to play tonight. It would be great (and a little disconcerting) to see him in action against his old teammates in Dallas.

The Key Matchups

Minnesota’s matchups remain difficult to pinpoint, since everything is currently in flux. When will Rubio start? Will Kevin Love be playing center or power forward? Derrick Williams or Michael Beasley?

Guarding Dirk remains a huge challenge (ANALYSIS!). Love isn’t nearly long enough to challenge Dirk’s trademark shots, and Darko can’t come close to contesting Dirk’s range. Neither Beasley nor Williams is sufficiently…(how can I put this nicely)…good at defense. It might come down to Anthony Tolliver for the second straight game to guard the best opposing player.

Jason Terry is undersized but effective. Wes Johnson is oversized and ineffective. Life is unfair sometimes.

With both teams, the individual matchups themselves aren’t going to be what decide this game. For Minnesota, taking care of the basketball, making clutch shots (especially free throws), and playing solid defense will be key. Dallas needs to move the ball quickly around the perimeter the way they did last season to be effective.

The Outlook

Honestly, this is a winnable game. While Dallas is still the defending champs, they are also aging quickly, and they seem complacent this year. While both teams will be rested, Minnesota will have the benefit of a rejuvenated home crowd and the energy of a young team hungry for a win.

Of course, it would also be ignorant to write off this Dallas team based on four games. While Minnesota is younger, more athletic, and playing at home, most of Dallas’ core has played together for years.

Best case scenario: the Mavericks come out flat and the Wolves come out guns blazing. Minnesota takes it to the defending champions, getting a much needed confidence booster against a good Western Conference team.

Worst case scenario: the Mavericks rediscover their spark against Minnesota and send the young Wolves to a discouraging 0-4 start, with more tough games on the way (San Antonio visits the Target Center Monday, Memphis on Wednesday).

One last downer of a thought. There is only one other team in the NBA who hasn’t won a game yet: Washington. Admittedly, Washington has lost to Atlanta, New Jersey and Milwaukee, whereas the Timberwolves have lost to Miami, OKC and, well, Milwaukee, but the Wizards aren’t exactly good company to be keeping.

Dwyane Wade: Purveyor of heartbreaking jumpers and post game warm fuzzies.

Remember your first day of high school, junior year? When you overheard that cute girl you hadn’t seen all summer telling her friend that you looked better, and you would be really attractive if you stopped using such ridiculous, convoluted metaphors? And even though you knew you never had a chance with her, it was just nice to hear from somebody hot that you looked good?

Yeah, that never happened to me either. But it happened to the Timberwolves after they played Miami Friday night!

Take it away, Dwyane Wade. (Hat tip to A Wolf Among Wolves)

This is a different team and obviously a better team than last year…I’m glad we played them early in the year, because I think later in the season they’re going to be a very good team…It can be frustrating losing games, but they can’t get away from what they do. They’ve got a very bright future ahead of them and that Rubio kid is everything as advertised. He’s a risk taker…He’s going to make the risky pass and sometimes a teammate will be ready for it and sometimes they won’t. I think as they continue to play with him, they’ll get more comfortable with him and know he’s going to make those kind of passes. So I just look at him as a risk taker, but that’s what makes him special.

Whoa. Really? You are glad you played Minnesota early because they will be a very good team…later THIS YEAR? A bright future? Rubio…everything he’s advertised. Dwyaaaaane. Stop it. Ok, no, I was just saying that. Please keep going.

Look, I know this could have been slick post game speak from Wade, but he didn’t have to say it. He could have said “Yeah, we made some mistakes, but we just had to go out there and grind out a victory.” Not only would that have been true, it would have been mildly demoralizing. It would have implied that the Heat viewed this as a throwaway game, just a regular season grind that they needed to push through, and that the only reason it was close was because they weren’t very interested in it.

But instead, he lauded Minnesota, saying that once they gel as a team, they are going to be really good. He confirmed everything that Minnesota fans keep thinking they see. And dammit, it was a very nice thing to hear from a player of Wade’s caliber.

By the way Dwyane, you know what would make Minnesota REALLY good? A new shooting guard. Too much? Yeah. I knew it when I said it.

In the second quarter of his first regular season game as an NBA player, Wesley Johnson banged home an impressive one handed dunk in transition, putting Luther Head of the Sacramento Kings on a poster. The Target Center crowd, completely caught off guard, collectively reacted like a person who missed a step going downstairs in the dark…”whoooOAH!”

From there, the 2010-2011 season went mostly downhill for Wes and the Timberwolves.

Kurt Rambis, was utterly set in his offensive ways. Coming from Phil Jackson’s Lakers, a team for which the Triangle offense has been run effectively to win multiple championships, Rambis brought the same stylings to Minnesota.

Flying in the face of logic, he continued to run the Triangle (built for superstar wings like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan) for Michael Beasley and Johnson, playing Beasley at the small forward and Wes at shooting guard.

It was an understandable idea. Beasley’s size made him a mismatch for most small forwards. And if Wes could have pulled it off, he would have been one of the taller shooting guards in the league, standing somewhere between 6′6 and 6′7. He’s an inch taller than Kobe, and 2-3 inches taller than Dwyane Wade and Ray Allen. With his athleticism, the mismatch potential had to be tempting for Rambis.

Surprisingly enough, however, putting Johnson at a position he had never played in college didn’t work. The Timberwolves were incredibly inefficient last season, and Johnson was one of the main offenders. He shot 39.7% from the field overall. Worse, a rather stunning amount of his shots were jump shots (89% according to 82games.com), while only 7% of his shots came from close to the basket. This was a full 7% higher than fellow shot-happy rookie Jordan Crawford. One of the NBA’s more offensively efficient shooting guards, the recently dealt Eric Gordon, took 26% of his shots close to the basket, while shooting only 70% jumpers.

Obviously, Johnson was settling for too many jumpers and not taking the ball to the basket enough. And the problem for Wes was that when he did go to the basket, he turned the ball over quite a bit, 11.6 times per 100 possessions. While this number doesn’t look awful on its own (in fact, it’s identical to Kobe’s), the difference is the usage rate. While Kobe’s usage rate was very high, at 35.1, Wes was merely 16.8. Basically, Wes turned the ball over exactly as many times as Kobe in half the possessions.

Ignoring the statistical evidence against Minnesota using the Triangle, Rambis continued to run it with  Johnson at shooting guard. He saw more than 80% of his minutes at the 2, and played the rest as a small forward. A player whose skillset had been compared to Shawn Marion coming into the league, Wes looked out of position and uncomfortable for the entire year.

None of this is to say that Wes is a bad player. He actually does have a decent (if over-utilized) jump shot, and when he gets on a hot streak, it can be a game-changer. He’s quite athletic and has the build (long arms, quick feet) to become a very good defender. If the Wolves turned him into a Shane Battier-type defender who could knock down open threes and run the floor in transition, perhaps that would be his calling as an NBA player.

The good news for Wes is that Rick Adelman won’t limit the offense to a single formation the way Kurt Rambis did much of last year, and is much better at juggling rotations and recognizing player strengths.

The bad news remains the same: this team is chalk full of athletic forwards. And unless he has made some very significant improvements over the summer, Wes simply is not an effective shooting guard.