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Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Goldwire or Highwire
On Monday, prior to the game against the Nuggets, the Timberwolves were forced to decide whether to sign Anthony Goldwire for the remainder of the season or to let the backup point guard go as his second ten-day contract expired.
They decided to let him go.
On Wednesday, early in the fourth quarter in Oakland, Troy Hudson apparently reinjured his ankle injury that kept him out of the lineup for all but a handful of the Wolves first 40 games.
In a year when the Wolves have made their own luck through hard work and a true commitment to defense, the injury luck continues to flow away from Target Center.
Suddenly, Anthony Goldwire is a very valuable commodity, if only for his 13.2 minutes per game in the five with the Wolves.
So, whatever do the Wolves do? In late stretches last night, Sam Cassell suffered foul trouble and the point guard position seemed to alternate between Latrell Sprewell, Fred Hoiberg, and even Kevin Garnett. Then, when Cassell's absence triggered a Warriors run that gave them the lead, Flip was left with no choice but to roll the dice with Sam - who fouled out with 94 seconds remaining.
I have no idea what veteran point guards remain available, especially after the recent Rockets' signing of veteran Mark Jackson. But what I do know is that the Wolves need to figure out how to deal with the potential for long stretches of time without both Hudson and Cassell. Even if this particular injury doesn't rule Hudson out, ankles are touchy. As for Sam, he is 34 years old and there are some basketball pundits who would actually prefer that an aging player get some regular season time off to preserve postseason freshness. Now, in Sam's case, it's been five years since an injury has cost him significant time, but it's certainly no guarantee.
Anthony Goldwire inspired no one in his time on the floor for the Wolves. But he did play over a quarter of the game and that time translated to the ability to rest the big-play guards for the stretch run. It's a legitimate question as to whether Troy Hudson is a true backup point guard, but it's an even bigger concern if he's injured and the backup point falls either to Latrell or Fred Hoiberg. That simply won't do, and if Kevin McHale wants to preserve the Executive of the Year award he seems to have locked up at the season's midpoint, he'll need to understand as much.
After last night, it shouldn't be difficult.
On Monday, prior to the game against the Nuggets, the Timberwolves were forced to decide whether to sign Anthony Goldwire for the remainder of the season or to let the backup point guard go as his second ten-day contract expired.
They decided to let him go.
On Wednesday, early in the fourth quarter in Oakland, Troy Hudson apparently reinjured his ankle injury that kept him out of the lineup for all but a handful of the Wolves first 40 games.
In a year when the Wolves have made their own luck through hard work and a true commitment to defense, the injury luck continues to flow away from Target Center.
Suddenly, Anthony Goldwire is a very valuable commodity, if only for his 13.2 minutes per game in the five with the Wolves.
So, whatever do the Wolves do? In late stretches last night, Sam Cassell suffered foul trouble and the point guard position seemed to alternate between Latrell Sprewell, Fred Hoiberg, and even Kevin Garnett. Then, when Cassell's absence triggered a Warriors run that gave them the lead, Flip was left with no choice but to roll the dice with Sam - who fouled out with 94 seconds remaining.
I have no idea what veteran point guards remain available, especially after the recent Rockets' signing of veteran Mark Jackson. But what I do know is that the Wolves need to figure out how to deal with the potential for long stretches of time without both Hudson and Cassell. Even if this particular injury doesn't rule Hudson out, ankles are touchy. As for Sam, he is 34 years old and there are some basketball pundits who would actually prefer that an aging player get some regular season time off to preserve postseason freshness. Now, in Sam's case, it's been five years since an injury has cost him significant time, but it's certainly no guarantee.
Anthony Goldwire inspired no one in his time on the floor for the Wolves. But he did play over a quarter of the game and that time translated to the ability to rest the big-play guards for the stretch run. It's a legitimate question as to whether Troy Hudson is a true backup point guard, but it's an even bigger concern if he's injured and the backup point falls either to Latrell or Fred Hoiberg. That simply won't do, and if Kevin McHale wants to preserve the Executive of the Year award he seems to have locked up at the season's midpoint, he'll need to understand as much.
After last night, it shouldn't be difficult.
Monday, January 26, 2004
Doing What Great Teams Do
(This Time, On Cue)
And you thought I was kidding in labeling the Timberwolves as the best fourth quarter team in the NBA.
Before I get into a brief analysis of what might be the most impressive fourth quarter win of this incredible run, overcoming a eight point deficit with 5:16 remaining to beat a more than capable Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center, let's take a quick moment to give credit where credit is due.
Philip "Flip" Saunders will coach the Western Conference All-Stars on February 15 in Los Angeles.
That honor, given to the coach of the team with the best record on an arbitrary date -- this year it's January 27 -- belongs to our own Coach Saunders. It goes without saying that it's a first in franchise history and a well-deserved tribute to a fine coach.
Now for a brief look at the dirty details of tonight's game which, to be honest, I don't feel the Wolves deserved (but you'd better believe I'll take it).
The hustle board? 63-60 Nuggets, including a 49-45 rebounding edge.
Field goal shooting? 45.6% - 41.9% Nuggets
Points in the paint? 56-34 Nuggets
Fast break points? 35-12 Nuggets
There you go. If you cannot tell, I had all those stats in focus while preparing to write an "uh-oh, I jinxed them" column. But I needed to heed some of my own advice and trust that the Wolves would cast aside a nine-point fourth quarter deficit and "just win."
A couple of late loose balls go the right way. Latrell has two consecutive defensive stops and hits an offensive board put back layup with sixteen seconds left. Garnett has a huge rebound and put back off of one of Cassell's six misses in the fourth to tie the game in the final minute. Hoiberg breaks a month long slide with two threes in the final quarter. Trent has two huge offensive boards and two bigger free throws in the game's closing moments.
The Nuggets "won" this game with hustle, with speed, with effort. Reserve Chris Andersen had a double-double off of the bench. Reserve guard Earl Boynkins energized his squad and the crowd with eighteen electrifying points and memorable moments on both sides, including a block on a late Cassell layup attempt. Andre Miller had a triple double to go with four steals. The Nuggets came out and beat the Wolves, controlling the tempo and, until very late, the offensive glass (their 16 offensive rebounds must not be overlooked).
The Timberwolves won the game.
It's a lesson in this: Don't expect stats to tell you everything. Every once in awhile their predictive value is nil and the Wolves follow a simple, beautifully aesthetic formula. Kevin (31 points and 13 boards) holds court and his minions do the little things to get a win.
At 16-7 on the road, 31-12 overall, winners of 22 of their last 26 and six straight in games decided by five or less, it's almost becoming habit. Or so one can only hope.
(This Time, On Cue)
And you thought I was kidding in labeling the Timberwolves as the best fourth quarter team in the NBA.
Before I get into a brief analysis of what might be the most impressive fourth quarter win of this incredible run, overcoming a eight point deficit with 5:16 remaining to beat a more than capable Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center, let's take a quick moment to give credit where credit is due.
Philip "Flip" Saunders will coach the Western Conference All-Stars on February 15 in Los Angeles.
That honor, given to the coach of the team with the best record on an arbitrary date -- this year it's January 27 -- belongs to our own Coach Saunders. It goes without saying that it's a first in franchise history and a well-deserved tribute to a fine coach.
Now for a brief look at the dirty details of tonight's game which, to be honest, I don't feel the Wolves deserved (but you'd better believe I'll take it).
The hustle board? 63-60 Nuggets, including a 49-45 rebounding edge.
Field goal shooting? 45.6% - 41.9% Nuggets
Points in the paint? 56-34 Nuggets
Fast break points? 35-12 Nuggets
There you go. If you cannot tell, I had all those stats in focus while preparing to write an "uh-oh, I jinxed them" column. But I needed to heed some of my own advice and trust that the Wolves would cast aside a nine-point fourth quarter deficit and "just win."
A couple of late loose balls go the right way. Latrell has two consecutive defensive stops and hits an offensive board put back layup with sixteen seconds left. Garnett has a huge rebound and put back off of one of Cassell's six misses in the fourth to tie the game in the final minute. Hoiberg breaks a month long slide with two threes in the final quarter. Trent has two huge offensive boards and two bigger free throws in the game's closing moments.
The Nuggets "won" this game with hustle, with speed, with effort. Reserve Chris Andersen had a double-double off of the bench. Reserve guard Earl Boynkins energized his squad and the crowd with eighteen electrifying points and memorable moments on both sides, including a block on a late Cassell layup attempt. Andre Miller had a triple double to go with four steals. The Nuggets came out and beat the Wolves, controlling the tempo and, until very late, the offensive glass (their 16 offensive rebounds must not be overlooked).
The Timberwolves won the game.
It's a lesson in this: Don't expect stats to tell you everything. Every once in awhile their predictive value is nil and the Wolves follow a simple, beautifully aesthetic formula. Kevin (31 points and 13 boards) holds court and his minions do the little things to get a win.
At 16-7 on the road, 31-12 overall, winners of 22 of their last 26 and six straight in games decided by five or less, it's almost becoming habit. Or so one can only hope.
Sunday, January 25, 2004
On Top of the World
Wolves fans, take a deep breath.
For the first time in franchise history, the Timberwolves have the best record in the Western Conference after the season's midpoint. The Wolves are 30-12, which is not their best ever winning percentage in the season's second half (they were 31-12 before a precipitous fall just two years ago), but they are doing it this season in a division that, for much of the season, has featured all seven teams over the .500 mark. They are doing it with a team that features only one returning starter from last season, only four total returning players (two of whom have played a total of five games and, oh, by the way, they were last year's number two and three scorers). They are doing it despite starting 9-8 and only 4-5 at home.
So much is new about this Timberwolves' team, but one particular new feature stands out among all the rest.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are the best team in the NBA in the fourth quarter. They are nearly impossible to beat in close games. They don't give up and they don't get down. Trust me, this is an absolutely NEW feature of the Minnesota Timberwolves -- the team that used to only have one, at best two, options down the stretch -- and their ability to maintain this quality will define them as we head into spring and, dare I say, summer.
Two defining games stand out in the Wolves' evolution into the fourth quarter monster that they have become.
The first was an utterly nonchalant, unremarkable, and, frankly embarrassing performance against Golden State on December 9th. You see, the Wolves had lost an even more embarrassing game against the New York Knicks at home just 13 days before. The Knicks loss had dropped the Wolves to .500 at home and, as the second game of a back to back that also included a rout at the hands of Indiana at Market Square Arena, it had taken a little spurt that got the Wolves to 8-5 and reeled them back to a more pedestrian 8-7.
The Wolves had responded after the Knicks loss and went on a ten day, five game road trip that shocked even the most optimistic Wolves supporters. Wins at Memphis, Phoenix, the Clippers and Sacramento (an NBA "game of the first half" nominee awaiting your vote on nba.com) and a close loss at Dallas had improved the squad to 12-8 and impressed the pundits.
Then they returned home and laid an egg. They led going into the fourth, which is more than they could have said about their two most recent wins, where they erased a six point deficit in the last thirty seconds to hand Sacramento their first home loss and in Los Angeles where they turned the tables on a Clippers team that led by five heading into the final stanza.
They lost the fourth quarter to the Golden State Warriors and they lost it due to a lack of effort. According to local news reports, it was a sour, solemn home team clubhouse that saw three players who had played as individuals in large stretches of the young season come together and talk things through.
That was the last time the Wolves have taken a lead into the fourth quarter and lost the game. Sure, you say, the Wolves are 18-3 since that game, so they haven't lost many games at all. Then again, I think that is, in fact, the point.
The Wolves went on a tear following that shocking loss. They went on to win the next six games into the Christmas holiday by an average of 15 points a game -- read: they started to exert their will on the opponents and win the games with attitude. Especially when you consider that they won three of those six games against teams who had recently defeated the Wolves: Indiana (by 22), Dallas (by five), and New York on the road (by six) in a game that featured the emotional display by a Latrell Sprewell who's season had been subdued to that point.
Following that most recent Wolves win in New York, and following a brief Christmas holiday, things returned to normal for the Wolves. They stubbed their toe in Portland and Dallas, bookending wins versus Seattle, Atlanta, and Chicago, the last of which was far too close of a win considering the gulf in talent. It looked as if the recent six game win streak was a thing of the past and that the Wolves' blistering start on the road was a mere statistical blip boosted by games against those semi-pro teams in the Eastern Conference.
Yours truly was so subdued about the Wolves after that loss in Dallas where they forgot to play defense (a real issue for teams with championship aspirations), that I chose to go ice skating at the Depot with some friends rather than check out the Shaq-less Lakers just a few blocks down the road.
Boy, was that a mistake. You see, the Wolves came out and put the hammer down on the Lakers that cold (VERY cold, -8 if I recall) Tuesday, January 6. Latrell, Sam, and KG dropped 84 points on the Lake Show, absolutely obliterating the defense of Kobe, Gary Payton, and Devean George, respectively. The Big Three put on their best performance of the season, even more impressive when you consider that fellow starters Trenton Hassell and Ervin Johnson played a combined 49 minutes without scoring a SINGLE point.
In my opinion, that was the night that the Wolves learned that they might in fact have the best offense in the NBA. That, when push came to shove, they could outscore anyone at any time. That scoring droughts could be overcome, that active defenses could be schemed against, and that, for the first time in Wolves history, there were three solid options on the court, permitting any one of them to be off their game completely and still win.
How influential was that evening on the Wolves? Take this into account -- since January 6, the Wolves are 8-1. But, far more than that, they've led going into the fourth quarter in only FOUR of those nine games and have been outscored in the fourth only once. These are not just poor performances through three quarters that were bailed out in the fourth, either. The Wolves were trailing going into the final quarter in hard-fought games at New Orleans, at San Antonio, and home again to the Hornets. Tough opponents with the ability to close out the best of NBA foes.
It's not only their ability to turn deficits into leads that is defining their fourth quarter prowess. Consider that since that December 13 loss at home to the Warriors, the Wolves have played ten games decided by seven points or less. Their record in those ten games? 9-1, including 5-0 in games decided by less than five points. The 2004 Timberwolves simply do not believe they are going to lose close games, and, frankly, neither do I. The Wolves trailed in the final two minutes of both of the two games this past weekend. The result? Two wins against two of the most active, aggressive defensive teams in the NBA.
The Wolves transition from one-dimensional in the final quarter to a three headed monster is nearly complete. Each of the Big Three has had his moment to shine and his moment to ask for help. Cassell has been quite plainly the most clutch fourth quarter player in the NBA this season. Don't believe me? Try these stats on for size: 52% from the field and 54%(!) from three point range in the fourth quarter, scoring six points per. Those numbers are absolutely ridiculous in NBA fourth quarters, especially considering the number of close games, and three are improvements on his overall numbers.
But before I gush further about a 6-1 (don't believe his 6-3 listing) point guard jumpshooting his way into the top ten in the NBA in field goal percentage, let's not forget that KG has had big buckets in nearly every close win the team has had and, in a stat that blew me away, is averaging 14.8 rpg in those ten most recent games decided by seven points or less. KG, in leading the NBA by a full rebound per game, is averaging nearly one full rebound over his season average in games where it matters most! Finally, there's Latrell. Playing third fiddle seemingly, for what must be the first time in his life, Spree has quietly averaged 18.2 points per contest. But don't overlook the contribution Latrell has made (and we won't even comment on the terrific ball defense that has turned the tide in games like the win against Detroit on Friday). Consider this, Sprewell has led the team in scoring eight times this season. Seven of those eight games were road games, and the eighth was the aforementioned home game against the Lakers. Road wins at the Kings, Cavaliers, Clippers, Knicks, and Hornets, all quality home teams, and four of which games the Wolves trailed in the fourth? Latrell averaged 30.4 points per. Latrell averaged 55% from the field. He is the Wolves' elixir for hostile road crowds, something he's had to deal with for a long, long time (and you know why). Something he's overcome, thrived on even, in the playoffs, so tuck that away for April.
The Timberwolves are currently leading the Midwest division by two games but, more importantly, four games in the loss column. At this moment, Flip Saunders would be the first Minnesota coach to qualify to coach the Western Conference in the All-Star game. Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassell are guaranteed All-Stars and Latrell Sprewell is only absent because three out of twelve is just too many. The Wolves have the NBA's best road record, the Wolves have won ten straight at home. They lead what many have labeled as the deepest division in NBA history and they lead it with authority. I know it doesn't translate into playoff wins yet, but...
Relish this moment, Wolves fans. A tough three game Western trip starts Monday at Denver (and if you can't stay up to listen to these games, don't worry, I will), but after that, it's back home for 13 out of 18, with eight more against the Eastern Conference. For this moment, they are playing the best basketball in the NBA, one fourth quarter at a time.
Wolves fans, take a deep breath.
For the first time in franchise history, the Timberwolves have the best record in the Western Conference after the season's midpoint. The Wolves are 30-12, which is not their best ever winning percentage in the season's second half (they were 31-12 before a precipitous fall just two years ago), but they are doing it this season in a division that, for much of the season, has featured all seven teams over the .500 mark. They are doing it with a team that features only one returning starter from last season, only four total returning players (two of whom have played a total of five games and, oh, by the way, they were last year's number two and three scorers). They are doing it despite starting 9-8 and only 4-5 at home.
So much is new about this Timberwolves' team, but one particular new feature stands out among all the rest.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are the best team in the NBA in the fourth quarter. They are nearly impossible to beat in close games. They don't give up and they don't get down. Trust me, this is an absolutely NEW feature of the Minnesota Timberwolves -- the team that used to only have one, at best two, options down the stretch -- and their ability to maintain this quality will define them as we head into spring and, dare I say, summer.
Two defining games stand out in the Wolves' evolution into the fourth quarter monster that they have become.
The first was an utterly nonchalant, unremarkable, and, frankly embarrassing performance against Golden State on December 9th. You see, the Wolves had lost an even more embarrassing game against the New York Knicks at home just 13 days before. The Knicks loss had dropped the Wolves to .500 at home and, as the second game of a back to back that also included a rout at the hands of Indiana at Market Square Arena, it had taken a little spurt that got the Wolves to 8-5 and reeled them back to a more pedestrian 8-7.
The Wolves had responded after the Knicks loss and went on a ten day, five game road trip that shocked even the most optimistic Wolves supporters. Wins at Memphis, Phoenix, the Clippers and Sacramento (an NBA "game of the first half" nominee awaiting your vote on nba.com) and a close loss at Dallas had improved the squad to 12-8 and impressed the pundits.
Then they returned home and laid an egg. They led going into the fourth, which is more than they could have said about their two most recent wins, where they erased a six point deficit in the last thirty seconds to hand Sacramento their first home loss and in Los Angeles where they turned the tables on a Clippers team that led by five heading into the final stanza.
They lost the fourth quarter to the Golden State Warriors and they lost it due to a lack of effort. According to local news reports, it was a sour, solemn home team clubhouse that saw three players who had played as individuals in large stretches of the young season come together and talk things through.
That was the last time the Wolves have taken a lead into the fourth quarter and lost the game. Sure, you say, the Wolves are 18-3 since that game, so they haven't lost many games at all. Then again, I think that is, in fact, the point.
The Wolves went on a tear following that shocking loss. They went on to win the next six games into the Christmas holiday by an average of 15 points a game -- read: they started to exert their will on the opponents and win the games with attitude. Especially when you consider that they won three of those six games against teams who had recently defeated the Wolves: Indiana (by 22), Dallas (by five), and New York on the road (by six) in a game that featured the emotional display by a Latrell Sprewell who's season had been subdued to that point.
Following that most recent Wolves win in New York, and following a brief Christmas holiday, things returned to normal for the Wolves. They stubbed their toe in Portland and Dallas, bookending wins versus Seattle, Atlanta, and Chicago, the last of which was far too close of a win considering the gulf in talent. It looked as if the recent six game win streak was a thing of the past and that the Wolves' blistering start on the road was a mere statistical blip boosted by games against those semi-pro teams in the Eastern Conference.
Yours truly was so subdued about the Wolves after that loss in Dallas where they forgot to play defense (a real issue for teams with championship aspirations), that I chose to go ice skating at the Depot with some friends rather than check out the Shaq-less Lakers just a few blocks down the road.
Boy, was that a mistake. You see, the Wolves came out and put the hammer down on the Lakers that cold (VERY cold, -8 if I recall) Tuesday, January 6. Latrell, Sam, and KG dropped 84 points on the Lake Show, absolutely obliterating the defense of Kobe, Gary Payton, and Devean George, respectively. The Big Three put on their best performance of the season, even more impressive when you consider that fellow starters Trenton Hassell and Ervin Johnson played a combined 49 minutes without scoring a SINGLE point.
In my opinion, that was the night that the Wolves learned that they might in fact have the best offense in the NBA. That, when push came to shove, they could outscore anyone at any time. That scoring droughts could be overcome, that active defenses could be schemed against, and that, for the first time in Wolves history, there were three solid options on the court, permitting any one of them to be off their game completely and still win.
How influential was that evening on the Wolves? Take this into account -- since January 6, the Wolves are 8-1. But, far more than that, they've led going into the fourth quarter in only FOUR of those nine games and have been outscored in the fourth only once. These are not just poor performances through three quarters that were bailed out in the fourth, either. The Wolves were trailing going into the final quarter in hard-fought games at New Orleans, at San Antonio, and home again to the Hornets. Tough opponents with the ability to close out the best of NBA foes.
It's not only their ability to turn deficits into leads that is defining their fourth quarter prowess. Consider that since that December 13 loss at home to the Warriors, the Wolves have played ten games decided by seven points or less. Their record in those ten games? 9-1, including 5-0 in games decided by less than five points. The 2004 Timberwolves simply do not believe they are going to lose close games, and, frankly, neither do I. The Wolves trailed in the final two minutes of both of the two games this past weekend. The result? Two wins against two of the most active, aggressive defensive teams in the NBA.
The Wolves transition from one-dimensional in the final quarter to a three headed monster is nearly complete. Each of the Big Three has had his moment to shine and his moment to ask for help. Cassell has been quite plainly the most clutch fourth quarter player in the NBA this season. Don't believe me? Try these stats on for size: 52% from the field and 54%(!) from three point range in the fourth quarter, scoring six points per. Those numbers are absolutely ridiculous in NBA fourth quarters, especially considering the number of close games, and three are improvements on his overall numbers.
But before I gush further about a 6-1 (don't believe his 6-3 listing) point guard jumpshooting his way into the top ten in the NBA in field goal percentage, let's not forget that KG has had big buckets in nearly every close win the team has had and, in a stat that blew me away, is averaging 14.8 rpg in those ten most recent games decided by seven points or less. KG, in leading the NBA by a full rebound per game, is averaging nearly one full rebound over his season average in games where it matters most! Finally, there's Latrell. Playing third fiddle seemingly, for what must be the first time in his life, Spree has quietly averaged 18.2 points per contest. But don't overlook the contribution Latrell has made (and we won't even comment on the terrific ball defense that has turned the tide in games like the win against Detroit on Friday). Consider this, Sprewell has led the team in scoring eight times this season. Seven of those eight games were road games, and the eighth was the aforementioned home game against the Lakers. Road wins at the Kings, Cavaliers, Clippers, Knicks, and Hornets, all quality home teams, and four of which games the Wolves trailed in the fourth? Latrell averaged 30.4 points per. Latrell averaged 55% from the field. He is the Wolves' elixir for hostile road crowds, something he's had to deal with for a long, long time (and you know why). Something he's overcome, thrived on even, in the playoffs, so tuck that away for April.
The Timberwolves are currently leading the Midwest division by two games but, more importantly, four games in the loss column. At this moment, Flip Saunders would be the first Minnesota coach to qualify to coach the Western Conference in the All-Star game. Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassell are guaranteed All-Stars and Latrell Sprewell is only absent because three out of twelve is just too many. The Wolves have the NBA's best road record, the Wolves have won ten straight at home. They lead what many have labeled as the deepest division in NBA history and they lead it with authority. I know it doesn't translate into playoff wins yet, but...
Relish this moment, Wolves fans. A tough three game Western trip starts Monday at Denver (and if you can't stay up to listen to these games, don't worry, I will), but after that, it's back home for 13 out of 18, with eight more against the Eastern Conference. For this moment, they are playing the best basketball in the NBA, one fourth quarter at a time.
Thursday, January 22, 2004
PistonsGeek
For those of you who have followed WolvesGeek over the past year-plus, you know that a cornerstone of the column has been game previews of Timberwolves games played at Target Center. In the past, I have encouraged those of you attending the game to print out the column and take it with you as a sort of reference point.
I'd like to rekindle that tradition, only take it a bit more lighthearted and maybe a touch more stats obsessed. You know the Wolves. You seem them and read about them and think about them and, frankly, if you're reading WolvesGeek you probably know as much about them as yours truly. The goal of these "game previews" needs to be to tell you about the opponent and give you the inside track on the game that we all hope you have the ability to watch.
So, without further adieu, let's take a look at the hottest team in the NBA (sorry Wolves fans), the Detroit Pistons.
29-14 in the Eastern Conference may not raise any eyebrows, but considering the Pistons started this season at 16-13, a simple bit of math will tell you that the holidays and the new year have been kind to the Detroit Pistons. I was in my car listening to sports radio following the Wolves loss to Houston and I caught the tail end of an NBA talk program. As the Wolves had been cooled, the attention of the talking heads had shifted to the Pistons and their incredible 13-game run. Since that time, the Pacers had reestablished their Central division dominance in a game at Market Square Arena, but there can be no doubt that the Pistons remain one of the hottest teams in the NBA.
As far as how they are doing it -- it's a combination of inside thump and outside thwap that many would associate with the Western Conference. The guards on this team are familiar to most hoops fans. The combination of former Wolves guard Chauncey Billups and a (finally) settled Rip Hamilton are the only backcourt in the league to both be in the top 25 in the NBA in scoring. As Wolves fans know, Chauncey is a streaky shooter who can literally go off at any moment. Hamilton is a more prototypical two guard, able to slash despite being slightly undersized and confident this season because drawing a doubleteam means being able to kick it back to the dangerous Billups.
On the inside, this team literally pivots on the axle that is Ben Wallace. Generally believed to be the best defensive player in the NBA, "Big Ben" is a force, especially in the Eastern Conference where his lack of offensive prowess doesn't cost the Pistons. Western Conference teams have given the Pistons trouble in the past and I believe it's because teams like the Timberwolves, Kings, Lakers, and Mavericks can run and both take Wallace out of the game (he's far weaker in transition) and force the Pistons to play uptempo where having an offensive liability or three (Tayshaun Prince and Mehmet Okur are hardly Nowitzki and Finley, Webber and Divac, or Shaq and anyone) eventually costs them. In fact, it might be interesting to note that the one Western Conference powerhouse the Pistons have had some success against is the Spurs, the one team of the top five that doesn't run and gun.
So, against the Wolves? The Pistons have had trouble getting off against the Timberwolves and, in the Wallace era, it's often been a matter of hanging around long enough to go on that run that the Pistons cannot match (with a noticeable exception two years ago when the since-departed Jerry Stackhouse went nuts and took the game over). I look for a similar game here, and one that the Wolves can control the tempo on because only Kevin Garnett can consistently outrebound Wallace, permitting the Wolves to run when they so desire.
The Three Stats
1) Last season, Ben Wallace won the head to head rebounding battle in every season series except one -- Wallace and KG each had 29 in the two game series. The result? When KG outrebounded Wallace 16-12 in Minneapolis, the Wolves ran and ran well to the tune of 103 points.
2) Chauncey Billups and Sam Cassell are both having career years in terms of shooting the ball from beyond the arc. Billups? Six percentage points higher than his career average of 37% represents a 16% improvement that's nearly inexplicable, but it pales in comparison to the 30% improvement Cassell has made over his career 33%, raising his three point marksmanship this season to 42%. This could be a shootout back there, especially considering both teams have defensive beef down low and both of these guys can get caught up in the smack and the one-on-one games that occur so often in the NBA. The winner of this battle wins the game in my book, but the question is, would you rather have 20 and eight assists or 30 and three?
3) The Pistons have lost six straight at Target Center and the Wolves have won nine straight at home. Something has got to give. Hehe. More accurately, the rolling stone need not gather any moss. These sorts of hoodoos matter in the NBA, or at least more than you think they should. These guys have long memories and the Pistons should have a long plane flight home.
Prediction
The Pistons have impressed of late, and, to some, they've been doing it with mirrors. Or maybe they've been doing it by playing in an Eastern Conference that should have a few teams relegated European-soccer style to the NBDL or CBA. It's inaccurate to say the Pistons are not a well-tooled basketball club with some real scoring talent in the backcourt and a frontcourt that can be as impassible as the Great Wall of China. But it is accurate to say that those backcourt guns have got to be firing on all cylinders to not only match the offensive output of Spree and Sam I Am, but also provide the buffer that will be needed to overcome the deficient Ben Wallace against the MVP.
I see the Wolves trailing as late as the start of the fourth, but eventually running past a thinner, less proficient (at least on offense) Pistons club, winning going away 101-92.
For those of you who have followed WolvesGeek over the past year-plus, you know that a cornerstone of the column has been game previews of Timberwolves games played at Target Center. In the past, I have encouraged those of you attending the game to print out the column and take it with you as a sort of reference point.
I'd like to rekindle that tradition, only take it a bit more lighthearted and maybe a touch more stats obsessed. You know the Wolves. You seem them and read about them and think about them and, frankly, if you're reading WolvesGeek you probably know as much about them as yours truly. The goal of these "game previews" needs to be to tell you about the opponent and give you the inside track on the game that we all hope you have the ability to watch.
So, without further adieu, let's take a look at the hottest team in the NBA (sorry Wolves fans), the Detroit Pistons.
29-14 in the Eastern Conference may not raise any eyebrows, but considering the Pistons started this season at 16-13, a simple bit of math will tell you that the holidays and the new year have been kind to the Detroit Pistons. I was in my car listening to sports radio following the Wolves loss to Houston and I caught the tail end of an NBA talk program. As the Wolves had been cooled, the attention of the talking heads had shifted to the Pistons and their incredible 13-game run. Since that time, the Pacers had reestablished their Central division dominance in a game at Market Square Arena, but there can be no doubt that the Pistons remain one of the hottest teams in the NBA.
As far as how they are doing it -- it's a combination of inside thump and outside thwap that many would associate with the Western Conference. The guards on this team are familiar to most hoops fans. The combination of former Wolves guard Chauncey Billups and a (finally) settled Rip Hamilton are the only backcourt in the league to both be in the top 25 in the NBA in scoring. As Wolves fans know, Chauncey is a streaky shooter who can literally go off at any moment. Hamilton is a more prototypical two guard, able to slash despite being slightly undersized and confident this season because drawing a doubleteam means being able to kick it back to the dangerous Billups.
On the inside, this team literally pivots on the axle that is Ben Wallace. Generally believed to be the best defensive player in the NBA, "Big Ben" is a force, especially in the Eastern Conference where his lack of offensive prowess doesn't cost the Pistons. Western Conference teams have given the Pistons trouble in the past and I believe it's because teams like the Timberwolves, Kings, Lakers, and Mavericks can run and both take Wallace out of the game (he's far weaker in transition) and force the Pistons to play uptempo where having an offensive liability or three (Tayshaun Prince and Mehmet Okur are hardly Nowitzki and Finley, Webber and Divac, or Shaq and anyone) eventually costs them. In fact, it might be interesting to note that the one Western Conference powerhouse the Pistons have had some success against is the Spurs, the one team of the top five that doesn't run and gun.
So, against the Wolves? The Pistons have had trouble getting off against the Timberwolves and, in the Wallace era, it's often been a matter of hanging around long enough to go on that run that the Pistons cannot match (with a noticeable exception two years ago when the since-departed Jerry Stackhouse went nuts and took the game over). I look for a similar game here, and one that the Wolves can control the tempo on because only Kevin Garnett can consistently outrebound Wallace, permitting the Wolves to run when they so desire.
The Three Stats
1) Last season, Ben Wallace won the head to head rebounding battle in every season series except one -- Wallace and KG each had 29 in the two game series. The result? When KG outrebounded Wallace 16-12 in Minneapolis, the Wolves ran and ran well to the tune of 103 points.
2) Chauncey Billups and Sam Cassell are both having career years in terms of shooting the ball from beyond the arc. Billups? Six percentage points higher than his career average of 37% represents a 16% improvement that's nearly inexplicable, but it pales in comparison to the 30% improvement Cassell has made over his career 33%, raising his three point marksmanship this season to 42%. This could be a shootout back there, especially considering both teams have defensive beef down low and both of these guys can get caught up in the smack and the one-on-one games that occur so often in the NBA. The winner of this battle wins the game in my book, but the question is, would you rather have 20 and eight assists or 30 and three?
3) The Pistons have lost six straight at Target Center and the Wolves have won nine straight at home. Something has got to give. Hehe. More accurately, the rolling stone need not gather any moss. These sorts of hoodoos matter in the NBA, or at least more than you think they should. These guys have long memories and the Pistons should have a long plane flight home.
Prediction
The Pistons have impressed of late, and, to some, they've been doing it with mirrors. Or maybe they've been doing it by playing in an Eastern Conference that should have a few teams relegated European-soccer style to the NBDL or CBA. It's inaccurate to say the Pistons are not a well-tooled basketball club with some real scoring talent in the backcourt and a frontcourt that can be as impassible as the Great Wall of China. But it is accurate to say that those backcourt guns have got to be firing on all cylinders to not only match the offensive output of Spree and Sam I Am, but also provide the buffer that will be needed to overcome the deficient Ben Wallace against the MVP.
I see the Wolves trailing as late as the start of the fourth, but eventually running past a thinner, less proficient (at least on offense) Pistons club, winning going away 101-92.
Detroit Pistons (29-14) at
Minnesota Timberwolves (28-12)
Friday, January 23, 7pmCT Target Center
Local TV: UPN 29 National TV: NBA League Pass
Sirius Satellite Radio: Stream 142
Minnesota Timberwolves (28-12)
Friday, January 23, 7pmCT Target Center
Local TV: UPN 29 National TV: NBA League Pass
Sirius Satellite Radio: Stream 142
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Man Can Live on Talent Alone
It's entirely possible that, due to the early start, you missed much of the Wolves game against Toronto this evening.
With that kind of luck you should play the lottery.
The Wolves were terrible tonight. As a team, anyway. In allowing the poorest offensive team in the league to amass 49 points in the first half, including 30 in the second quarter, the Wolves apparently left any interest in "doin' the little things" at Canadian customs. It got better in the third quarter -- but then it didn't as the Wolves allowed the Raptors to bookend the 13-0 run in the second with a near match of 14-2 to close down the third quarter, then permitted the normally impotent Raptors to jump shoot their way to an 80-80 tie through defense that can only be described as amateur.
Why the sour face when the Wolves won the game? Because the Wolves won tonight because, and only because they had the three most talented players on the court.
When the Wolves fell behind by three at the start of the second half (after having led by nine in the second until the aforementioned 13 points unanswered), it suddenly became a three man game, all of whom were wearing the road uniforms. In the first nine minutes of the third quarter, Sprewell had 11 points, Garnett eight, and Sam Cassell assisted on seven of the 12 baskets in the stretch. The Wolves had outscored the Raptors 26-9 to open the third and the game was salted, right?
Hardly. On this night, the Wolves were the team that played to the level of their opponent. Against any Eastern Conference team save maybe Indiana, that means Minnesota underachieved.
22-8, including that 14-2 run, and the Wolves were knotted up at 80 with only 7:46 to play. Indifference was the obvious culprit, as the Wolves simply refused to play the lockdown defense that has marked the early part of this campaign.
But, on this night, talent thumped effort. Individually, the fourth quarter belonged again to Sam Cassell, as he poured in 14 in the last six minutes to ice yet another contest. As a team, the Wolves stole the hustle stats, despite seemingly lacking the hustle. Rebounds? 43 to 25, good guys. Blocks? Eight to four, including seven from Big Irv, Big O, and Big Ticket - Toronto center Chris Bosh has talent and lacks fear, on this night it meant more than his share of returned deliveries.
There is a morale to this story, and it comes in two parts. When you have so much more talent on the floor, even forgetting to defend the likes of Milt Palacio (18pts) and Donyell Marshall (22pts) doesn't kill you - something this Wolves team may have to rely upon on occasion during such a long season. On the other side, when your coach teaches you to play scared like Kevin O'Neill often does both through his huddle screaming fits and his frequent overreactions (like calling a full timeout 58 seconds into the half), you cannot expect calm to come to a young squad. Tonight it was fortunate for the Wolves that the Raptors expected to fold themselves and that Flip knew he had the ammunition to respond when it happened.
Notes
Did anyone see the Blazers trade, as they dealt Jeff McInnis and Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje for Darius Miles? What are the Blazers doing -- are they intentionally trying to bring underachieving uberpersonalities to the Rose Garden? Darius Miles has had his chance to leave his mark on the NBA and he has not. I'm willing to let him try and act (he's featuring in the SAT movie hitting theatres tomorrow), but in terms of leading a franchise mired in controversy to the promised land? Not a shot. McInnis, on the other hand, was a calming influence in the stormy seas of Portland and I believe he will prove a worthy backcourt mate to young LeBron. Portland's defections, now McInnis and earlier the wonderfully talented (albeit, considerably more volatile) Wells, make no sense for a team with plenty of athleticism and no sense of purpose. Maybe they'll deal Zach Randolph to the Wolves and complete the idiocy trifecta.
Don't look now, but the Wolves are heading into uncharted territory as road warriors. Their 68.2 win percentage on the road and 14 wins would easily eclipse the club record (23-18, 56.1%) and they remain the only team in the Western Conference more than one game over .500 away from home. While you're chewing on that, consider that they have played four more games on the road than at home while:
Sacramento has played nine more home games than road games;
The Lakers have played six more home games;
The Mavericks and Spurs have played one more home game.
If the Wolves can continue to cook at home (where they have won nine in a row), watch out as 15 of the next 23 are at Target Center. If they even go 16-7 in that stretch, not a ridiculous assumption considering the home games and their prowess on the road... 44-19 on March 7. To gain some perspective, the Spurs would have to go 16-4 (while playing 12 of 20 on the road) in that stretch and the Mavs would have to go 18-3 to get within 1/2 game. Yes, the Wolves are primed to cruise to the top spot in the Midwest Conference heading into the backstretch.
See you Friday after a huge home contest against the Pistons, where the Wolves try and go 17-3 against the clearly overmatched Eastern Conference.
It's entirely possible that, due to the early start, you missed much of the Wolves game against Toronto this evening.
With that kind of luck you should play the lottery.
The Wolves were terrible tonight. As a team, anyway. In allowing the poorest offensive team in the league to amass 49 points in the first half, including 30 in the second quarter, the Wolves apparently left any interest in "doin' the little things" at Canadian customs. It got better in the third quarter -- but then it didn't as the Wolves allowed the Raptors to bookend the 13-0 run in the second with a near match of 14-2 to close down the third quarter, then permitted the normally impotent Raptors to jump shoot their way to an 80-80 tie through defense that can only be described as amateur.
Why the sour face when the Wolves won the game? Because the Wolves won tonight because, and only because they had the three most talented players on the court.
When the Wolves fell behind by three at the start of the second half (after having led by nine in the second until the aforementioned 13 points unanswered), it suddenly became a three man game, all of whom were wearing the road uniforms. In the first nine minutes of the third quarter, Sprewell had 11 points, Garnett eight, and Sam Cassell assisted on seven of the 12 baskets in the stretch. The Wolves had outscored the Raptors 26-9 to open the third and the game was salted, right?
Hardly. On this night, the Wolves were the team that played to the level of their opponent. Against any Eastern Conference team save maybe Indiana, that means Minnesota underachieved.
22-8, including that 14-2 run, and the Wolves were knotted up at 80 with only 7:46 to play. Indifference was the obvious culprit, as the Wolves simply refused to play the lockdown defense that has marked the early part of this campaign.
But, on this night, talent thumped effort. Individually, the fourth quarter belonged again to Sam Cassell, as he poured in 14 in the last six minutes to ice yet another contest. As a team, the Wolves stole the hustle stats, despite seemingly lacking the hustle. Rebounds? 43 to 25, good guys. Blocks? Eight to four, including seven from Big Irv, Big O, and Big Ticket - Toronto center Chris Bosh has talent and lacks fear, on this night it meant more than his share of returned deliveries.
There is a morale to this story, and it comes in two parts. When you have so much more talent on the floor, even forgetting to defend the likes of Milt Palacio (18pts) and Donyell Marshall (22pts) doesn't kill you - something this Wolves team may have to rely upon on occasion during such a long season. On the other side, when your coach teaches you to play scared like Kevin O'Neill often does both through his huddle screaming fits and his frequent overreactions (like calling a full timeout 58 seconds into the half), you cannot expect calm to come to a young squad. Tonight it was fortunate for the Wolves that the Raptors expected to fold themselves and that Flip knew he had the ammunition to respond when it happened.
Notes
Did anyone see the Blazers trade, as they dealt Jeff McInnis and Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje for Darius Miles? What are the Blazers doing -- are they intentionally trying to bring underachieving uberpersonalities to the Rose Garden? Darius Miles has had his chance to leave his mark on the NBA and he has not. I'm willing to let him try and act (he's featuring in the SAT movie hitting theatres tomorrow), but in terms of leading a franchise mired in controversy to the promised land? Not a shot. McInnis, on the other hand, was a calming influence in the stormy seas of Portland and I believe he will prove a worthy backcourt mate to young LeBron. Portland's defections, now McInnis and earlier the wonderfully talented (albeit, considerably more volatile) Wells, make no sense for a team with plenty of athleticism and no sense of purpose. Maybe they'll deal Zach Randolph to the Wolves and complete the idiocy trifecta.
Don't look now, but the Wolves are heading into uncharted territory as road warriors. Their 68.2 win percentage on the road and 14 wins would easily eclipse the club record (23-18, 56.1%) and they remain the only team in the Western Conference more than one game over .500 away from home. While you're chewing on that, consider that they have played four more games on the road than at home while:
Sacramento has played nine more home games than road games;
The Lakers have played six more home games;
The Mavericks and Spurs have played one more home game.
If the Wolves can continue to cook at home (where they have won nine in a row), watch out as 15 of the next 23 are at Target Center. If they even go 16-7 in that stretch, not a ridiculous assumption considering the home games and their prowess on the road... 44-19 on March 7. To gain some perspective, the Spurs would have to go 16-4 (while playing 12 of 20 on the road) in that stretch and the Mavs would have to go 18-3 to get within 1/2 game. Yes, the Wolves are primed to cruise to the top spot in the Midwest Conference heading into the backstretch.
See you Friday after a huge home contest against the Pistons, where the Wolves try and go 17-3 against the clearly overmatched Eastern Conference.
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
He's the MVP... Finally.
It’s January 19, 1998. There’s 2:06 left in the fourth quarter with the Wolves trailing their hypothetical opponent by a point. With their best offensive player sidelined, the opponent turns to its most aggressive slasher who takes the ball directly to the rim, drawing more than just a little physical contact and resulting in the ball clanging off of the back of the iron.
Foul on Kevin Garnett, the opponent goes to the line to shoot a pair.
Finally, with eighteen seconds left, the same Garnett gets the ball on the high post, takes two-plus steps in creating his shot, goes up strong and gets it to go… and one.
1998? Sorry, Kevin. The shot was pretty, but you traveled.
Six all-star games later, Kevin Garnett is finally the MVP of the National Basketball Association.
You know what happened. Hypothetical became reality in 2004 and it resulted in Stacey Augmon’s dunk attempt being challenged and blocked by a physical Kevin Garnett with the rebound falling to Fred Hoiberg. Hypothetical two was a travel. Right in front of Joe Crawford, one of the most audaciously self-assured NBA refs. Assured enough, that is, to know that MVP’s don’t travel when the game clock is under a minute. Period. Count the bucket and put another home win, their ninth in a row, into the Wolves’ win column.
It was a big win. They turned a third quarter deficit against one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference into a win for the second time in a week. They did it without one of their best 48 minute performances. After all, they were one of eleven from three point range. They were outrebounded. They committed fourteen turnovers.
They won this game with what is quickly becoming a hallmark of the 2004 Timberwolves and something that distinguishes them from past Wolves’ squads. They did it with defense.
Coming into this game, New Orleans was one of the NBA’s elite on the perimeter. They had averaged seven three-pointers a game and, by hoisting up 22 a game, always have the potential to get hot and put a team away in crunch time. In much the same way that Houston keyed on Cassell on Saturday, the Wolves keyed on the perimeter for much of the game Monday. The result? Four of fourteen (and one was a shot the Big Ten Champ Gopher Volleyball team would have been proud of, hoisted up off of Darrell Armstrong’s fingertips as the shot clock expired). Not significant from a percentage standpoint, but significant in that the three was taken away from the Hornets as a primary option, especially down the stretch.
You see, Armstrong’s three gave the Hornets a 90-87 lead, but it was more than just lucky, it was the last open jump shot the Hornets would have. It was one of four consecutive possessions where the shot clock buzzer would sound, meaning that the Wolves defense was wearing down the Davis-less Hornets – a tribute to Hoiberg, Cassell, and Sprewell.
It meant the Hornets had to go down low to PJ Brown, Stacey Augmon, and Jamaal Magloire. Normally a quite dynamic post/slashing presence, but not on this night. You see, KG summarily fouled… erm, rejected Augmon’s dunk attempt. Then PJ Brown battled down low against Mad Dog, only to have Madsen’s guile force him off balance and into a costly turnover (one of nineteen forced on the night, it must be said). Finally, when Magloire was shut down by KG in the post, he kicked it off to Steve Smith who wore Sprewell like a glove, getting off only a hurried shot as the shot clock expired. New Orleans’ offense, admittedly without it’s main cog, sputtered in a fit of desperation and it wasn’t simply because of a lack of post options – on the contrary Brown and Magloire both average double figures on the season. It was because the big men stepped up on “D” and forced the Hornets to the Wolves’ strength, the ball defense of Trenton Hassell and Latrell Sprewell.
Oh, and lest we forget. Sam Cassell was 4-5 from the field in the fourth quarter. Again.
I hope you like L.A., Sam, because you’re on your way.
This team was primed for a letdown. Even after the game Saturday in Houston, there’s something about a Monday afternoon home game against a team you just beat on the road that just breeds overconfidence. Against a team coming in 23-16, that’s dangerous, and New Orleans showed it.
But we brought our MVP and his ever more beautiful supporting cast, Sam Cassell, Latrell Sprewell, Mark Madsen, Trenton Hassell. Oh, and Joe Crawford.
Welcome to the big time, Kid.
It’s January 19, 1998. There’s 2:06 left in the fourth quarter with the Wolves trailing their hypothetical opponent by a point. With their best offensive player sidelined, the opponent turns to its most aggressive slasher who takes the ball directly to the rim, drawing more than just a little physical contact and resulting in the ball clanging off of the back of the iron.
Foul on Kevin Garnett, the opponent goes to the line to shoot a pair.
Finally, with eighteen seconds left, the same Garnett gets the ball on the high post, takes two-plus steps in creating his shot, goes up strong and gets it to go… and one.
1998? Sorry, Kevin. The shot was pretty, but you traveled.
Six all-star games later, Kevin Garnett is finally the MVP of the National Basketball Association.
You know what happened. Hypothetical became reality in 2004 and it resulted in Stacey Augmon’s dunk attempt being challenged and blocked by a physical Kevin Garnett with the rebound falling to Fred Hoiberg. Hypothetical two was a travel. Right in front of Joe Crawford, one of the most audaciously self-assured NBA refs. Assured enough, that is, to know that MVP’s don’t travel when the game clock is under a minute. Period. Count the bucket and put another home win, their ninth in a row, into the Wolves’ win column.
It was a big win. They turned a third quarter deficit against one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference into a win for the second time in a week. They did it without one of their best 48 minute performances. After all, they were one of eleven from three point range. They were outrebounded. They committed fourteen turnovers.
They won this game with what is quickly becoming a hallmark of the 2004 Timberwolves and something that distinguishes them from past Wolves’ squads. They did it with defense.
Coming into this game, New Orleans was one of the NBA’s elite on the perimeter. They had averaged seven three-pointers a game and, by hoisting up 22 a game, always have the potential to get hot and put a team away in crunch time. In much the same way that Houston keyed on Cassell on Saturday, the Wolves keyed on the perimeter for much of the game Monday. The result? Four of fourteen (and one was a shot the Big Ten Champ Gopher Volleyball team would have been proud of, hoisted up off of Darrell Armstrong’s fingertips as the shot clock expired). Not significant from a percentage standpoint, but significant in that the three was taken away from the Hornets as a primary option, especially down the stretch.
You see, Armstrong’s three gave the Hornets a 90-87 lead, but it was more than just lucky, it was the last open jump shot the Hornets would have. It was one of four consecutive possessions where the shot clock buzzer would sound, meaning that the Wolves defense was wearing down the Davis-less Hornets – a tribute to Hoiberg, Cassell, and Sprewell.
It meant the Hornets had to go down low to PJ Brown, Stacey Augmon, and Jamaal Magloire. Normally a quite dynamic post/slashing presence, but not on this night. You see, KG summarily fouled… erm, rejected Augmon’s dunk attempt. Then PJ Brown battled down low against Mad Dog, only to have Madsen’s guile force him off balance and into a costly turnover (one of nineteen forced on the night, it must be said). Finally, when Magloire was shut down by KG in the post, he kicked it off to Steve Smith who wore Sprewell like a glove, getting off only a hurried shot as the shot clock expired. New Orleans’ offense, admittedly without it’s main cog, sputtered in a fit of desperation and it wasn’t simply because of a lack of post options – on the contrary Brown and Magloire both average double figures on the season. It was because the big men stepped up on “D” and forced the Hornets to the Wolves’ strength, the ball defense of Trenton Hassell and Latrell Sprewell.
Oh, and lest we forget. Sam Cassell was 4-5 from the field in the fourth quarter. Again.
I hope you like L.A., Sam, because you’re on your way.
This team was primed for a letdown. Even after the game Saturday in Houston, there’s something about a Monday afternoon home game against a team you just beat on the road that just breeds overconfidence. Against a team coming in 23-16, that’s dangerous, and New Orleans showed it.
But we brought our MVP and his ever more beautiful supporting cast, Sam Cassell, Latrell Sprewell, Mark Madsen, Trenton Hassell. Oh, and Joe Crawford.
Welcome to the big time, Kid.
