Game Notes: Brooklyn vs. Timberwolves…still has that new team smell.

Quarter 1

• Maybe it’s the fact that Brooklyn is an mediocre defensive team or that their defensive star Gerald Wallace is out, but I’m feeling a very good Minnesota vibe tonight. Will be fun seeing the NBA’s newest team.
• My run of optimism continues as it is announced that Jose Juan Barea will be playing in this game. He has successfully passed the league’s stringent concussion requirements.
• Looking down the lineups of the two teams the only real significant advantage for the Nets is Deron Williams vs. Luke Ridnour.
• Again turnovers are just killing the Wolves already. Ridnour is the only true ballhandler with any playmaking ability.
• Deron Williams is easily a top 5 point guard. Having to face him and Lowry must be very tough on players like Ridnour and Barea.
• At this rate, Ridnour won’t make it out of the first half with the amount fouls he’s committing.
• Kirilenko might have the best pump fake in the NBA. Every time he does it, people just jump all over his shot leaving him with an open drive.
• Very good quarter offensively for both team. Brook Lopez and Deron Williams are going to be the keys to how the Nets play.
• Stiemsma just picked up his second foul on the same pre-post up move the Lopez used before.
• Derrick Williams has been doing a good job filling in for the void left by Kevin Love. Even his mistakes have been because of him being overaggressive and lack of touch around the basket, both of which are easily fixable.

2nd Quarter

• With Deron Williams and Brooke Lopez out, it will be important for the Wolves to gain ground. But in order to do that, someone has to shut down Andray Blatche, which is a phrase I never thought I’d have to say.
• The Brooklyn bench is absolutely hammering Minnesota’s right now. They’ve stretched a 2 point deficit to 10.
• Adelman immediately puts Pekovic into stem the outburst along with Kirilenko.
• I dont’ think there is anything that Kirilenko can’t do. His perfect pass to Cunningham is prime example of his versatility.
• For some reason our starters and better then their starters and our bench players our worse then theirs. Pretty much the opposite of what every pundit was saying.
• The issue with the Wolves tonight is their defensive pressure is off. Pick and Roll rotations are coming in very slowly and the hedges are very weak. If they want a chance at climbing back, they need a whole lot of momentum while keeping their stars out of foul trouble.

3rd Quarter

• The Wolves again are 1/8 from 3 point range. With Shooters like Roy, Budinger, Shved and Ridnour there should be no way that happens again.
• Pekovic has to get lower positioning for a better chance at getting past Lopez. He got caught around the elbow and the double team was able to reach him far quicker.
• Deron Williams has absolutely destroyed whoever is guarding him. It seems the only competent defender is Kirilenko guarding Joe Johnson.
• My high school coach told me that the best way to come back is by getting through the free throw line. It’ll stop the clock and give you time to recollect. It would definitely be a good strategy for the Wolves.
• Kirilenko is holding the Wolves together right now. If it wasn’t for him, the lead would be by 20 points.
• Brooklyn is going on an absolute tear from the 3 point line. Joe Johnson, C.J. Watson and Deron Williams are just teeing off on these Minnesota defenders.
• Through pure hustle and luck the Wolves have trimmed the lead from 22 points all the way down to 9.

4th Quarter

• The defensive intensity really has to pick up for the Wolves to have any impact. A player like Cunningham will have to step up as this is his M.O.
• Somehow this lead is down to 6 points. Quietly but surely, the Wolves have chipped away at this deficit. Now they have to finish the climb.
• On a completely unrelated note, the Shved has cut his hair. Looks like kind of odd.
• The lead is now 96-94 for the Wolves. First lead of the game created by Cunningham and Pekovic.
• Cunningham is really making a huge difference in this game. He’s grabbing every rebound in sight and finishing around the hoop.
• Shved is really taking over offensively now. He is the primary ball handler and playmaker for the Wolves.
• The refs are really letting the players play. Really good for defense but otherwise it hampers this game.
• And Budinger just put the nail on the Nets’ coffin.  A cold blooded 3 pointer really just finished this game off on a high note. Brooklyn fans have to be just crashed at this point.
• Looks like the new team smell has finally worn off. Now the coaching and administration will start to be questioned. Fortunately for them, the pure talent should win themselves a playoff spot.
• These games are the reasons why I am Timberwolves fan. I will give 2 losing seasons just to see a game like the one we witnessed.