Dunking with Wolves - A Minnesota Timberwolves Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Ricky Rubio airs 'em out vs Spurs (Photo by: Marilyn Indahl-US PRESSWIRE)

Ricky Rubio continued his fantasy rookie season Friday night in leading the Timberwolves to a hard-fought victory over the moldy San Antonio Spurs, 87-79.   Rubio tied his career-high with 18 points, and also had 11 assists.  The Spurs’ “Red Rocket” had three 3-pointers, and 1 clumsy running 8-footer.  Tim Duncan had 0 board shots, 2 awkward claps on the bench, and displayed emotion reminiscent of Ben Stein.  Several players commented on their Twitter accounts on Target Center’s energy, more signs the franchise is coming back to life. 

Let’s take a look at the things I loved about the Spurs game and Friday night:

• Timberwolves defense.   Held San Antonio to 41% shooting, and the Spurs never really got into a groove.  The team is starting to buy into this end of the floor a lot more under Adelman.
• Pek!   Timberwolves big man Nikola Pekovic was a whirling-dirvish in the paint, and made Tim Duncan look silly at times.  Pek looked good starting in place of Darko, and I think this is something the Timberwolves should take a serious look at in the future.
• Martell Webster.  He only play 5 minutes, but he hit his only 3-point attempt, and looked great on a drive down the lane for a dunk in traffic that was almost converted.   Let’s hope this is a glimpse of the style of play he’ll provied.   Call me desperate, but I think he’s got a chance to emerge as an offensive threat on this team. 
• Derrick Williams’ aggression.  He is looking very raw in his rookie season, but continues to produce by not shying away from taking it to the paint.  He had a solid 12 points in 18 minutes on Friday night.
• Bernatelo’s Pizza.  Underrated frozen pizza.  Came through in the clutch last night.

The Timberwolves play the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night in Target Center.  If the Timberwolves can come through, win this game, and get back to .500 you might see pure pandemonium at Target Center!

Martell Webster (Photo by Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE)

 The San Antonio Spurs square off against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night at Target Center.  This will already be the second trip off the season to Minneapolis, with the first visit ending up in a win for the Timberwolves.  The Timberwolves are coming off an impressive victory at Dallas on Wednesday night, when the Mavericks received their championship rings from the previous season.  The Timberwolves are creeping back to .500 with an 8-10 record, and have two tough home games this weekend.   The Timberwolves will play the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night.

Let’s take a look at some Deep Thoughts for tonights Spurs game:

• How will the new guys fit in?   The Timberwolves will have two new options for tonight’s game, Martell Webster and Brad Miller.   Both are expected to get limited minutes, but it will be interesting to see if either one looks ready to contribute significantly or otherwise.  Personally, I’m going to be paying more attention to Webster.  The Timberwolves are desperate for offense at the wing, and Wes Johnson looks like poor man’s Corey Brewer right now.   Not good.  Webster’s strength is scoring and provides good size at 6’7.  He’s more of a small forward, but I have faith in him at the 2-guard also.  Especially with the options we have.  He’s only 25, still a chance for at least some type of breakout  from him.  It’s pretty unknown how much, if anything, Brad Miller has left in him.  He seems to be providing value in the locker room with his veteran presence.
• Can the Timberwolves Stop The Red Rocket?   The Spurs team possesses a deadly weapon from the outside, and his name is Matt Bonner.   You can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him.   Blazing speed, blazing jump shot, blazing ‘do.   He had 4 points last game versus the Timberwolves.
• The Timberwolves Starting 5.  All 5 Timberwolves starters last game versus the Spurs scored in double figures.  Can they repeat this again tonight?   Depends on if Darko has woken up from his nap yet.
• Tim Duncan, how many board shots will he hit tonight?   An absolute pure artist of the bank shot (and absolute pure nerd), Tim Duncan represents fundamentals and zero personality.  The most boring superstar in NBA history will go for at least 2-4 bank shots tonight.

The Spurs are old and moldy, and the Timberwolves are playing well against good teams.  I’m predicting a Timberwolves victory in this one, and a close loss to the Lakers on Sunday.  If the Timberwolves win on Sunday, they will be the hottest Minnesota professional sports team in a long time.   This is not saying much! The Wild are horrible, and no intelligent citezen pays attention to hockey anyways.  The Vikings and Twins are coming off horrendous season.  Now is the time to officially win back the fan base, and get back to .500 20 games into the season.

Kevin Love hits game-winner versus the Clippers

Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star forward Kevin Love has agreed to sign a max 4-year contract extension that he will sign in Dallas tomorrow.   The contract will reportedly be for a total of approximately $62 million over 4 years.  General Manager David Kahn has pulled off another “genius” move, and the Timberwolves avoided disaster by signing Love before Wednesday’s deadline.  If the Timberwolves did not sign Love by Wednesday, he would have become a restricted free agent. 

Apparently Kahn slicked back his hair, then blow dried it before meeting Head Coach Rick Adelman who trimmed his goatee on the way to the meeting.  The two of them agreed that offering a lifetime supply Norelco beard trimmers would surely win Love over.   Not true, but I don’t doubt for a minute they didn’t think about it!

The Timberwolves need legitimate NBA stars, guys who can lead a team and set the tone for how to play.  Love is defintely a guy who fits the bill, as he’s already on his way to his 2nd All-Star appearance, and has a great shot at making the 2012 Olympic team.  Love has only been in the NBA for 4 years, and is just 23 years old.  With the addition of Ricky Rubio, the Timberwolves have the two clear-cut building blocks to build the team on.  If just one more player emerges (Derrick Williams?), the Timberwolves are a borderline playoff team.   Add one more player on top of that, preferrably a shooting guard, and the team could be on a fast rise in the Western Conference.  One guy I’m not counting on to emerge is Michael Beasley.  Prove me wrong, Mike, prove me wrong.  The next great move by Kahn would be to get something, anything, out of a Beasley trade.  Oh Kahn, you slick, sly, genius you!

Kevin Love poses after his game-winner (Yahoo!)

I’m sure you’ve heard that Kevin Love stole the show on Friday night with his dramatic 28 ft 3-pointer as time expired to win the game against the Clippers.   Love is putting up statistics that have not been seen in the NBA in several decades, but now that he’s hitting game-winning shots it’s time to give him the superstar status that he deserves.   Along with his ”superstar-in-the-making” sidekick Ricky Rubio, the Timberwolves completed an unprobably comeback that has rarely been seen by this franchise.  Or at least not seen in the last 8 years.  Ricky overcame an atrocious start (starting 0-10 from the field) to hit the game-tying 3-pointer, and finish with a solid stat line of 9 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals.  

Let’s get right down to the nitty-gritty and discuss the most important things to take away from Friday’s nights exhilerating victory:

• ESPN sideline reporter Ric Bucher’s hair is shiny and golden like this planet has never seen since Dennis The Menace!
• It was getting DARKO! in Los Angeles!   Darko had a career game with 22 points and 7 rebounds.  He even played some solid “d” on Blake Griffin at times.   Thank you for the one game output Darko, now will you please think about waking up from your nap the rest of the season?   Good job Darko, I’m happy for you. 
• Wayne Ellington is proving he might be reliable as a shooter off the bench.  He’s had several games this year where he’s been very solid.  I don’t see him as a full-time player by any means, but he has value as a contributer off the bench.
• Derrick Williams.  He still can’t seem to find his rhythm in the NBA, but still shows his potential here and there.  Friday night he struggle throughout, but put together a nice 4th quarter and was on the floor for most of the comeback.   
• The Battle of the Cro-Magnon Man:   Blake Griffin vs ”Pek”.  Notice any similarities?   The two belong in a Flintstones cartoon.   Compliments to Blake’s bicepes, and Pek’s neck.
• Timberwolves resiliency.   Last year they would have crumbled being down to such a good team so late in the game.  But the team has new leadership and it’s a new era.   Thank you for your time, Kurt Rambis.

The Timberwolves will try to build on their great victory as they face another tough opponent in the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.  No word yet on if Kevin Love and Al Jefferson will meet up for a pre-game footlong meatball sandwich at Subway.  We do know this:  Jeff Hornecek and Luke Ridnour will potentially be meeting to have a skim milk to discuss aloe skin gel, LA Looks hair gel, and how their jump shots remind them of a goose neck.  Hornecek will undoubtably being trying to convince Luke out of his facial hair.  (so not true!) Should be an exciting match-up!

Kevin Love drives vs Detroit (Yahoo!)

The Minnesota Timberwolves overcame a slow start to defeat the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night in Target Center.  The final score was 93-85.   Kevin Love once again led the way with 20 points and 17 rebounds.  Ricky Rubio did not shoot well, but did hit his free throws down the stretch.  He played an excellent floor game, finishing with 9 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, and 6 steals.   The real boost might have come from the bench, as the Timberwolves had 5 players from their bench score at least 7 points. 

Kevin Love’s extension:  Word is Love is about to get a max contract extension offer.  It will be either be for four years and about $61 million or five years for roughly $90 million.   Expect Love to sign the extension.  I believe he likes it here, and we’ve made the right moves to entice him to stay.  Drafting the bearded Ricky Rubio, and hiring the mustache’d Rick Adelman.  And we all know men like to talk about their facial hair together.

Other notes:

• The Target Center brat does not receive a perfect score by any means.  But the mustard and ketchup dispensers provide a smooth transition into enjoying your Target Center treat.   We needed to be “saved” as starvation had kicked in by the time we sampled the brats.   The Target Center brat received a C- overall, but an A- when you’re starving.
• Darko Milicic flopped once again.  Why are we still starting him?   His jump hook barely grazes the front rim everytime!  On top of that, he’s wearing grey socks.  Are they grey, or does he just have a laundry detergent problem?   I’m going with the latter.   Several old men heckled Darko in disgust over his fashion blunder.  His “Frankenstein”-like counterpart back-up center, Nikola Pekovic, is starting to play well when he actually gets playing time.   ”Pek” contributed with 11 points against the Pistons, and his moves actually resemble some anti-Darko-like coordination!   Expect a future blog post featuring “Pek” in the near future.
• Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball coach, Tubby Smith, was hugged and slapped on the back several times by a local AAU coach as he was watching the game just outside of Hubert’s.   No word yet on if he was fine with it.
• The Timberwolves offensive struggles continued on Wednesday.  They shot only 40% for the game, and managed only 14 assists as a team (with 15 turnovers).   I’m not sure if Michael Beasley will help or not when he returns, but the team could really use some scoring from the wing.  Beasley has been tough to play with for most of his career due to his lack of ball-movement and shot-selection skills.   Maybe he’s learned a few things by watching for a few weeks.

The Timberwolves play the Los Angeles Clippers in LA on Friday night.  The game will be televised on ESPN.  What’ the over-under on Darko getting a rebound in this game?   The Clippers have high-flying big men Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.  This could be a match-up problem for the team unless “Pek” steps up and stops wearing deodorant.  Perhaps his the smell could clear out some room in the lane?

Timberwolves Ridnour drives as Rubio admires (Yahoo!)

The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Sacramento Kings on Monday night, bringing the team’s record to 5-5 in their last 10 games.  The Timberwolves have grown to count on Kevin Love for his usual 20 point and 10 rebound games, but one new factor has emerged in the games since Michael Beasley went down with an injury.  Ricky Rubio and Luke Ridnour might just be the perfect compliment to one another in Timberwolves backcourt.   Ridnour is having one of the best seasons of his career, and Rubio is possibly on his way to superstar status all the while looking to pick up the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.  It has been long written about the Timberwolves need for a play-making shooting guard and center with a pulse (sorry Darko).   But maybe the Timberwolves should pause before making a trade for rumored shooting guard targets like O.J. Mayo, Monta Ellis, Kevin Martin, and the blond-mulleted Craig Ehlo (rumored to be making a comeback).   The reason would be the on-court chemistryof Rubio and Ridnour.

Let’s examine some notes on the duo:

• Monday night against the Kings was one of Ridnour’s best of the season.  He went for 25 points and 9 assists.  Rubio didn’t have his best shooting night, but still almost had a triple-double with 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists.  This is proof of Rubio’s value, as he doesn’t have to score to make a big impact.  In fact, several of Ridnour’s three-pointers came when Rubio made the smart pass to find him across the court.
• Ridnour, as any Milkman would, is shooting a career-best 53% from the field, and much of this is due to Rubio taking the pressure off him to make plays for others.  Ridnour can simply find his open spots and wait for Rubio to hit him (as he always will).
• Ridnour and Rubio have read “Idiot’s Guide to the Perfect Facial Hair” together on road trips.

The bottom line is the classic shooter and passer combo is thriving in Minnesota.  With J.J. Barea set to return on Wednesday, we can only hope the unselfish play pays off for the guard rotation.  Barea is second on the team in forced shot attempts and he’s hopefully been paying attention to the playing style of the R & R brothers.

The Timberwolves host the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night at Target Center.  I will be in attendence with a local AAU coach.  We plan on observing the Luke-Ricky high-five count, Anthony Tolliver’s pencil thin mustache, the quality of brats at Target Center, the quality of Pistons forward Jonas Jerebko’s “frosted tips”, and Timberwolves assistant coach Jack Sikma’s pregame reverse lay-up ritual.

Ridnour (zimbio)

Lukas Robin “Luke” Ridnour:  Pale skin, elbow in, and scruff on the chin.  This all may seem irrelevant, but it adds up to one sure thing – 88.8% from the free throw line.  As a key contributor to the Timberwolves this season, we need to examine the man who appears as if he may belong on a hog farm in Early, Iowa drinking a tall glass of skim milk as opposed to scoring “perfect form” three pointers and throwing back-door lobs to Derrick Williams.  Luke Ridnour reminds me of the original “Milkman”, Jeff Hornacek of the Utah Jazz.  It is well known that “Horny” would celebrate his wins with a tall, crisp glass of skim milk, especially if he went 100% from the free throw line.  When the Jazz first won the Western Conference title in the 1997 playoffs, Hornacek went home and pounded a whole pint of CHOCOLATE milk, catching a wicked buzz, and passing out on the floor only to have his wife wake him up for the NBA Finals against the Chicago Bulls.  Ridnour not only plays like he is under the influence of milk (he may actually be), but he will never fall into the temptation of the chocolate milk like Jeff Hornacek once did.  He is too focused on the success of the Timberwolves.  He’s not flashy, and that’s what separates Luke and the other “Milkmen” of the league. 

Luke Ridnour is having a career year for the Minnesota Timberwolves and his stat line speaks for itself:  12.3 points per game on 53% FG’s (unreal for a guard), 3.3 assists per game, 1.2 steals per game, and 1.3 three pointers made per game.   All of this on relentless guts and determination.

To be a Milkman is no disrespect.   To earn this title, you have earned your respect amongst your NBA peers and fans.   And you certainly have the reputation as a fundamentally sound player, and great shooter.

You may be wondering what characteristics will define a “Milkman.”   To simplify things, here’s a Top 10 list of qualities (but not limited to) that define a Milkman:

1)      Shoot 85% + from the free throw line.

2)      Straight-edge, fundamentally sound player.

3)      “Elbow in” jump shot.

4)      Minimal rebellious acts against authority. (Possibly chugging chocolate milk on occasion).

5)      Tightly laced sneakers.

6)      Hickory Huskers-like appearance.

7)      Maximizes given athletic ability into “milky” results.

8)      A Pumpkin Pie hair cut.

9)      Maximum facial hair growth effort with minimal results.

10)   Wears 501 jeans to night clubs.

I have compiled a list of the top 10 “milkmen” currently playing in the NBA:

Kyle Korver

Stephen Curry

Jimmer Fredette

J.J. Reddick 

Gordon Hayward

Steve Nash

Luke Ridnour

Kirk Hinrich

Chase Buddinger

Steve Blake (minus the shooting form)

Rubio and Rose scramble for the ball (Yahoo!)

The Timberwolves starting line-up failed to provide energy once again on Tuesday night against the Chicago Bulls.  But, most importantly, they failed to keep the game close (let alone start off with a lead for once).   Entering the game, Ricky Rubio had a lot of ground to make up (again).   However, the Bulls had built momentum by that point, and built the lead to 24 points in the 2nd quarter even with Rubio in the game.  But, this young rookie will not say die.   Midway through the second quarter, Rubio displayed heart, competetiveness, and most of all results that continued throughout the game.   Rubio and the upstart Anthony Randolph electrified Target Center in the second quarter and brought the team back to within 6 points by halftime.   Kevin Love also hit three 3-pointers in the quarter, which turned out to be his only highlights in his second straight off game.  Rubio displayed some emotion that we have not seen yet from the rookie, as he motioned for Target Center to get on their feet several times.  The Timberwolves came out in the 3rd quarter with a different line-up for once.  Luke Ridnour sparked the team with a few steals, and several clutch jump shots leading the Timeberwolves to actually tie the game midway through the quarter.  However, the Bulls were just too strong this game.  Reigning MVP Derrick Rose led the way with 31 points and 11 assists.   The final score was 111-100.

Highlight of the night:   Rubio to Randolph and Target Center goes nuts!

Let’s take a look at my deep thoughts:

• FINALLY head coach Rick Adelman mixed up his line-up.  He started the 2nd half with Rubio, Ridnour, Tolliver, Love, and Randolph.   We’ve been begging him to do this for weeks!   In my opinion, he waited a few games too long.  Wes Johnson proved long ago that he can’t provide anything to the team.  He’s shooting 34% on the year.   Darko is shooting 45% on the year, just pathetic for a center.   Wayne Ellington…..an embarrassing 33% on the year.    Just play the guys are going to produce!    Ridnour on the other hand is shooting 54%!   As Jim Peterson was saying on the FSN broadcast, I think Randolph has earned himself a spot in the starting line-up.   He simply provides the ability to score that Darko cannot match.  Randolph is not a true center but who cares!   He has the length to hold his own down there, and it’s clear Rubio and Randolph have a good connection going on the offensive end.
• J.J. Barea.  Love the guy, but he could learn to pass a little himself.   He’s only shooting 40% from the field, and many of his shots are forced.  Not good for a guy who looks like he’s about 5’6 out there.  He definitely can create things, but I wish he would distribute a little bit more.  Many it’s because some of these guys are shooting so poorly as well?
• Derrick Williams is really struggling to get off his shots around the rim.  I’m puzzled as to why the guy can’t learn how to pump fake?    How many times must he get rejected before he learns.  Also, does he lead the league in charges? 
• Timberwolve cut back their turnovers.   Only 11 turnovers for the game is a good thing for a team that has been around 20 most games so far this year.

The Timberwolves hung in there once again with a team that is regarded as Top 2 in the NBA right now.  And this coming on the final night of a back-to-back-to-back.  They have had just a brutal schedule so far, so let’s hope these are positive signs for a team that will surely only get better as they figure themselves out.

The Timberwolves are now 3-7, and travel to New Orleans (3-6) on Friday night.   They play at Atlanta (7-3) the following night in the second night of a back-to-back.

Luke Ridnour vs Raptors (Yahoo!)

The Minnesota Timberwolves suffered a disappointed defeat to the Toronto Raptors on Monday night, the final score was 97-87.  The Timberwolves bench players consistently had to come from behind and pick up where the starters had faltered.   We’ve been hitting on this point all season that team simply looks much better with Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams on the floor.  Ideally, you would like your basketball team to start strong, build up a lead, and have your role players hold down the fort while your studs get a breather.   Head coach Rick Adelman definitely knows that, but he might be giving guys such as Wes Johnson and Darko Milicic extra chances to prove how bad they are before reducing their roles significantly.

Game notes:

• J.J. Barea made an impact in his first game back, scoring 16 points while hitting a couple of 3′s
• The run in the 4th quarter when Rubio, Barea, and Williams were on the floor.   It looked like they were going to bring the Timberwolves back from a large defecit in the late 3rd quarter.  The Timberwolve built a big lead, but only to falter down the stretch.  Fatigue a factor?
• Anthony Randolph’s huge dunk.   Speaking of extra minutes, why not get this man some more time?   The man has a pulse, unlike Darko!
• The Timberwolves shot only 33% for the game.
• Wes Johnson recorded another “0-for” night, missing all 5 of his shots.  It’s time coach….it’s time to make a point and sit him down.
• Kevin Love had his first rough game of the season, only shooting 3 for 16. 

The game was tough to watch.  There was once again not a lot of flow to the action.  You can bet this has a lot to do with not a lot of time together as a team.  Rumors are swirling that Adelman may bring Michael Beasley off the bench in a 6th man role.  This might be better suited for Beasley, he can just come in and lead the 2nd unit in scoring.   I personally like this idea.  Assuming Williams gets the nod as starter, let’s hope Ricky is soon to follow as a full-time starter as well. 

A line-up of Rubio, Barea, Williams, Love, and I suppose Darko could get the team going much better than what we’ve seen.   Ridnour and Beasley could come in off the bench and provide some depth, while carrying the scoring load for the 2nd unit.  Johnson needs a different look, what he’s doing now is not even considered NBA-worthy caliber play.   Perhaps playing with the 2nd unit will do the trick?

The Timberwolves host the Chicago Bulls tonight at Target Center.  Back-to-back-to-back games?   Good luck men.