Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Utah Jazz: 1/21/12

1st Quarter: After a monumental win over the Los Angeles Clippers, the Wolves will hopefully be able to pull one out from the suprisingly good Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. After a day of sensational college basketball, hopefully the pros can replicate their collegiate counterparts' efforts. There are so many things that could go wrong in this game: the Wolves could start out flat, they could revert to being inconsistent, and role players could be a no-shows. The Utah Jazz are a surprisingly good team, even though outside of Millsaps and Jefferson are the only two above average players on the team. Wes and Darko look aggressive to start off the game. Rubio's stroke looks a bit off, but otherwise is playing with fantastic poise and is all over the place. I believe he already has recorded 3 steals in this opening quarter. Outside of Love's foul trouble, the Wolves are off to a solid start.

2nd Quarter: Derrick Favors is on a block attack at the expense of Pekovic, however Rubio is dinking and dunking his way around the Jazz defense. It's still a relatively close game because of CJ Miles going off against the Wolves as usual. Wayne Ellington is off to another good start and has really kept this team going on its dry runs. The Wolves are again having problems keeping teams of the offensive glass as they keep getting multiple shot attempts on several plays. Earl Clark is taking advantage of Luke Ridnour's defense inability and destroying him on the dribble drive.

3rd Quarter: The 3rd quarter continued with much of the same antics from both teams. Big Al Jefferson has a double double and has continued to play tough against the Wolves big men. Rubio is looking relatively solid along with the other players. Wes Johnson is still perfect for the night which has to be considered some sort of minor miracle that it happened. Love is still in danger of not getting his double double streak going as he isn't crashing the boards very well.

4th Quarter: The Wolves are in another close game and competing hard. However, they cannot afford any turnovers or stupid fouls. Derrick Williams looks absolutely lost on defense but atleast he's hustling on the offensive end. Kevin Love is really hindering the team right now with his constant complaining of calls and his inability to defend Paul Millsap. Millsap is just outplaying him right now with his fadeways and hustle plays. The Timberwolves can't buy a point to say their lives right now. Every shot has gotten altered or contested and is rimming out. Love is going to go down with his first game without a double double.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Detroit Pistons: 1/18/12

1st Quarter: Sorry for the lapse in game coverage as I had some previous commitments to do, but I'll hopefully be able to cover the games just like I used to. The mercurial Wolves team will be facing a floundering Pistons team at home. The Wolves are off to a cold shooting start, but at least their being aggressive on both ends of the game. Their defense is challenging every shot that either team is taking and shooting open shots. Wes Johnson is looking to be more aggressive and Love is just unstoppable on the boards. However, the poor shooting of the Wolves have doomed them be down 20-17.

2nd Quarter: The Wolves reserves are in against the Detroit starting lineup which could be a good or bad thing. So far it's looking pretty bad. Wayne Ellington just looks so confident with all of his shots, a godsend for the poor shooting of Minnesota. Everyone seems so content to stay back and shoot jumpers all day. With Wes out and everyone not making anything, the Wolves are just unable to get to the basket. Everyone is off to a poor shooting day except for Wes. Despite being down in double digits for a while, the TWolves have clawed themselves back into it.
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3rd Quarter: The Wolves stumbled again, but Wes and Pekovic are holding the Wolves together. The turnovers and lack of defense is really gonna hurt them. With Rubio finally running the show and Wes hitting his shots, the Wolves went on a pretty solid run to close the gap on the Pistons. The Wolves are finally starting to look aggressive with drives and feeding Pekovic down low. Tayshaun Prince is singlehandedly keeping the Pistons ahead of the surging Wolves. Hopefully the zone that Wolves are running will helpfully put the Wolves hold down the Pistons offense. Derrick Williams has really dropped into a pretty bad funk as of late.

4th Quarter: This is where we have to let our very good 4th quarter shut down the Detroit Pistons and come back to take the lead. The veteran JJ Barea is showing why the Wolves needed him so badly with some big shots. Kevin Love needs stop arguing so many calls or else he won't get any of the so called "star calls". Derrick Williams is starting show some of his former aggressiveness and has the Wolves tied 71-71. The Wolves have gotten some dumb fouls as of late, but hopefully it won't affect the outcome of the game. The hustle plays of Tolliver and Wayne Ellington have Target Center rocking. The defense has really locked down as usual in the 4th Quarter. They really pushed the Pistons around in the fourth quarter.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New Orleans Hornets: 1/13/12

1st Quarter: This will go down as the first game that Ricky Rubio started in his young career. The Hornets are also one of the few teams that are actually more injured than the Wolves, so look for the Wolves to take this one. The Wolves are settling for some tough jumpers to start off the game. Dejuan Summers is off to a fast start. Love is off to a cold start and Darko isn't looking too good enough on the offensive end. Wes actually looks more actually looks more comfortable, which might be the first time I've said that all game. The Wolves are getting absolutely run out by the Hornets. No one seems to be interested in taking care of the ball. Darko needs to come out of the game as he's just dragging the team down. The Wolves have to pick it up as they're down 21-16.

2nd Quarter: The Wolves are really sucking it up on the glass, but partially because the Hornets are shooting particularly bad. Absolutely no one is able to get the ball through the hoop in this one. The only reason the Hornets seem to be leading is because of the turnovers they forced. The Wolves are just playing absolutely atrocious. Somehow they are still in the game, as they're down by just 1.

3rd Quarter: Love is on a tear to start off the second half. He went 3-3 and already has 7 points in just a few minutes. Rubio looks like he might have re-aggravated that injured ankle. However, the Wolves can't box the Hornets out at all as Okafor and Kaman are dominating down low. They are just continuing to get second chances. Rubio is just splitting the Hornets repeatedly on the offensive end. If it wasn't for the Hornets abhorrent shooting, the Wolves would be down in this game. A rare Darko dunk was seen, but abruptly cuts his hand.

4th Quarter: Love and Co. look to stretch the lead. Everything looks exactly like the first half. The Wolves are turning the ball over at a preposterous rate and it seems that no one can hit a shot to save their lives. Rubio is turning the ball over and Ridnour is playing absolutely horrendous. Love is having a blast on the line with 13-13 for the game. Love has been extremely clutch for the Wolves who are giving him almost no support. The refs have been pretty bad this game, but a missed call on goaltending really hurt their M.O. The freethrow shooting in this game has really helped out the Wolves. Overall, just an incredibly ugly, boring game but it's still a Timberwolves win, and that's all that matters!

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Chicago Bulls: 1/10/12

1st Quarter: My apologies for missing yesterday's game as I had previous engagements. But I'll be back to cover the Wolves hopefully not get absolutely destroyed by the Chicago Bulls. The Wolves look very sloppy to start out the game and Bulls are taking full advantage of it. The TWolves are extremely sloppy on defense and are not paying attention to their assignments. Barea and Rubio are single-handedly keeping the Wolves in the game right now, but it won't matter because the Bulls are just getting easy, uncontensted shots. The Wolves are quickly down by 16 while the Bulls are shooting 74%.

2nd Quarter: The Wolves have to dig themselves out of a huge hole and it doesn't look to be an easy task as Omer Asik is getting some baskets to go in. Even veterans like JJ Barea are playing poorly on this night. The Wolves are just getting absolutely hammered 48-24. No one seems like they just want to take over and try to pull the Wolves together. Love seems to have found his touch and his legs as he quickly drains some points. The Wolves have come roaring back and quickly cut the lead down to 10. Now they are down 8 with under a minute left. Under the guide of superstar point guard Ricky Rubio, the Timberwolves have accomplished a miracle. They went on a 20-2 run against one of the best teams in the NBA.

3rd Quarter: You can expect the Bulls to come out firing in the 3rd quarter, hopefully the Wolves have enough to continue their monster run. Rubio is starting in the 3rd quarter as is Anthony Tolliver and Anthony Randolph. The Wolves are shooting horribly again, but their defense is very solid this game. Luke Ridnour scored a couple baskets and has the Timberwolves within 3. Loul Deng is single-handedly holding the Wolves back from breaking out while Anthony Randolph is having a great game. Ridnour drills another shot to tie the game at 70-70. Rubio has 11 assists. The Wolves are hanging in down 79-74.

4th Quarter: The Wolves are coming out cold while the lead is stretched into double digits. Derrick Rose is an absolute rocket when he gets going. The Wolves are now down by double digits, but are slowly coming back. Derrick Williams hit a 3 pointer and got fouled to get the Wolves really close again. However, the Bulls keep scoring when they need to and are just trying to hold on their lead. They Wolves have to get some lucky bounces if they want to win. Luke Ridnour is having himself one hell of a game. Derrick Rose and Luol Deng are absolutely cold-blooded. They single-handedly kept the Bulls ahead of the game.

MInnesota Timberwolves vs. Washington Wizards: 1/8/12

1st Quarter: The Timberwolves are going to try and take on the floundering Washington Wizards with Beasley is out. Wayne Ellington will slip into the starting lineup and Wes will move down to the 3 spot. Luke looks especially rusty as does Darko. The Wizards just don't seem cohesive, but neither do the Timberwolves. This is just a stop-and-start game with no real flow, even with Rubio in the game. The Wizards rookie Jan Vesely is an absolute giant for a SF, but just cannot seem to get any form of a shot to counter his post game.

2nd Quarter: Rubio and Love will start on the floor together, hopefully improving the ball movement and spacing. Ellington and Derrick Williams have nailed a couple of quick threes to put them ahead. Rubio has made a tremendous impact with such a small size. The Timberwolves are playing some very tough defense, even though they are absolutely overmatched by the sheer size of the Wizards' inside. Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love are what separates the Wolves from being as bad with the Wizards.

3rd Quarter: The Wolves again trot out the traditional starting lineup with Darko, Love, Wes, Wayne, and Luke Ridnour. Wes looks a tad bit shaken up when he tried driving to the hoop. The Timberwolves look as lethargic as the last game, but fortunately the Wizards are worse than the Cavaliers. John Wall doesn't look like a true point guard, instead he just seems to try and take it to the hoop every time. Derrick Williams has gone on an absolute tear from the 3 point line with 4 3-pointers. Love is having a down game, but still is managing to score and rebound at a crazy rate. Wayne Ellington is having himself a pretty good game so far at the 2 guard position. Overall, a very good 3rd quarter for the Timberwolves today.

4th Quarter: The Timberwolves have really put their foot on the Wizard's throats. They are just so inept on offense and don't have any semblance of an organized offense. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are just blasting them on defense. One concern is that coach Rick Adelman is continuing to play the Timberwolves' main players even though they are up by 20 points. You have to wonder what is going on through his head even though they are playing a back-to-back-to-back.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: 1/6/12

1st Quarter: This will be the first time in a while when the Timberwolves are the favored team. While the Cavs may come in with the better record (3-3) the number 1 and 4 pick in the draft (Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson), but the Wolves are still the stronger and powerful team. One of the keys of the game will be to force Kyrie Irving into attempting shots that aren't good for the team. The game starts of with a Wes/Darko screen that turned into the beginning of a monster game for Darko. However, the 3 point defense has been absolutely atrocious so far, almost reminiscent of last year. Beasley is still struggling to find a role with this team.

2nd Quarter: Love seems too timid with the ball depsite hitting a three point shot so far. Fortunately, the Wolves reserves have been playing outstanding so far, particularly Derrick Williams. This might be the only game that DWill can play with a chip on his shoulder, as the Cavaliers were the only team that passed on him. Unfortunately, Wayne Ellington is having a really hard time playing on both ends of the floor. Fortunately, Williams is carrying the team for the moment. Ricky Rubio is definitely engaged in a battle with Kyrie Irving. However, the Timberwolves just can't make a shot to save their lives. The Timberwolvs pick and roll offense has definitely been downgraded.

3rd Quarter: The Wolves just seem down on the energy that usual. Michael Beasley is really active on the boards so far, which is very unlike him. He also creating for Darko Milicic who continues his tear tonight. Wes Johnson finally knocked down his first bucket in over 6 quarters and Michael Beasley is starting become more of an aggressive slasher that Adelman wants him to be. Both Beasley and Rubio now have 4 fouls and are going to be on the bench for a while longer. It just seems that they can't stop Antawn Jamison.

4th Quarter: The Wolves just cannot convert the points that they need in order to make this competitive.  Their movements just seem to be too lethargic and they just don't seem much into the game. Kevin Love seems to be working just as hard as ever, but isn't getting any calls in his favor. The free throw shooting is going to be the end of this team someday, even Luke Ridnour is shooting only 75%. Overall, just a step back in the development of this young team.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Memphis Grizzlies: 1/4/12

1st Quarter: Minnesota will take on a depleted, yet still dangerous Grizzlies team that is without star Zach Randolph. The Wolves hope to continue their undefeated 2012 campaign with another victory. The Wolves look a bit sloppy against a very aggressive and talented as they went up ahead 9-2 quickly. The Wolves look very sloppy and lethargic against this very aggressive team. The Timberwolves are now down 20-7. The Grizzlies are fortunately not putting out any offensive fireworks and have clawed back 20-12. The Timberwolves rookies are playing some great ball, and managed to pull the Timberwolves back to 20-14 at the end of the first quarter.

2nd Quarter: Anthony Randolph finally sees some playing time and the Timberwolves are looking to stretch the floor with Ricky running point. Rubio again is proving why the league is absolutely fawning over him with brillliant plays over and over again. However, the passing is again sloppy when Rubio is not running the offense and dropped down 35-23. Out of the Wolves timeout however, they came roaring back 37-31. But, the Timberwolves reverted back to their old ways and let the Grizzlies go on a mini-run to end the game.

3rd Quarter: The Wolves take the lead, through tough rebounding and good defense, something you would never have thought the Timberwolves would be able to do. However, the Grizzlies as mentioned above, use their tenacious defense and post game to get back into the game. Fortunately, Rubio came back into the game just in time as the Grizzlies were waking up from their slumber.

4th Quarter: The Wolves look to take this one back as they come into the fourth quarter far closer than they did when they started the game. Rubio and the Wolves are jacking up to many deep shots that are unnecessary. The Grizzlies are just going inside and getting quick and easy jumpers that are chipping away at the lead. Ridnour committed a flagrant foul and the Wolves are now down 72-68. Minnesota has now gone absolutely stone cold and hasn't made a shot in over 4 minutes. Ridnour finally breaks through with a 3 pointer to make 76-71. The Grizzlies are just absolutely locking down on the free throw line late in the game, and that is what is saving them right now. The Wolves gave it their all in the end, but they just couldn't pull it out this time.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. San Antonio Spurs: 1/2/12

1st Quarter: The Wolves will face a tough draw in the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs immediately jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but the Timberwolves quickly came back to 13-11 lead. The Spurs are a very dangerous shooting team and don't make to many mistakes. They will make the Wolves scrap and bang for this game. Duncan is off to a scorching start making 4-4 on FG. Darko just looks really out of it. The Spurs announcers are currently paying their respects to the remarkable progress and future potential that the Wolves have. Kevin Love is just an absolute monster. He's only missed one shot, and it was a deep three.

2nd Quarter: The Spurs are trying to pressure Rubio in order to force the Wolves to get another ballhandler. Kevin Love is continuing his sweet-shooting ways. Wayne Ellington looks very aggressive, but sometimes is taking harder shots than what we could possibly have. This is the team that most fans have dreamed of for years. All the length and athleticism has finally been harnessed by Adelman and given to Rubio. This is about as perfect an offense as you can see the Wolves playing. The Spurs are still staying in the game due the fact that they are shooting nearly as good as the TWolves. Ginobili seems to have injured his hand pretty bad. Wes Johnson is really trying to jumpstart his season with a big game so far. However, the Spurs just keep hanging with them. The Spurs are only down 65-59.

3rd Quarter: The Timberwolves will try to pick up where they left off against one of the best 3rd quarter teams. The passing is still very good. Beasley looks like his hand is hampering him, but is trying to fight through it. The Spurs are still conniving their way into points, with good drives and open 3 pointers. The  Wolves then went on a 7-0 tear and stretched the lead to 85-68. The Wolves starters are all in double figures. The Wolves are playing a little sloppy right now and the lead is down to 13.  The Timberwolves are just absolutely shellacking the Spurs.

4th Quarter: I literally think that the Timberwolves could beat the Spurs with 4 players. The Wolves are just getting everything to go in. The Spurs seem to be trying very hard but, nothing is working with them. They are definitely pressuring the ball very well, and forced Adelman to call a timeout. The Timberwolves are getting really unlucky and the Spurs have come within 10 points. The Wolves will have to do their best to hold up the Spurs, especially once Tim Duncan comes back in. The Spurs just can't get a shot to fall, especially TJ Ford and DeJuan Blair. You have to question why Adelman hasn't subbed out Love and some of the other starters. The Wolves closed out well against them.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks: 1/1/12

1st Quarter: Timberwolves look so much more improved against the defending world champions. Wolves are looking to get everyone involved. Darko looks very active on both sides of the ball against Brendan Haywood. Rubio seems to have some sort of influence on this team as everyone (including Beasley) is passing the ball and displaying dynamic court vision.

Halftime: Randolph continues his monster ways with sweet shots and monster blocks. I don't know what Adelman has done with the Wolves, but it is splendid! Everyone is contesting shots and fighting over picks on the defensive end. On the other side of the ball, the movement and shot quality seems to be playoff-quality. There was also some controversy with Dirk Nowitzki throwing Rubio to the floor. There was a no call to the play and the entire Target center seemed ready to rush the court with pitchforks in hand. The Wolves did have a minor cold streak, but Rubio again spurred the Timberwolves to score. Another note, is the defense that the Wolves are playing right now. It's absolutely amazing, especially Kevin Love. I haven't seen the team defend like this since Dwayne Casey was the coach. Timberwolves are up 50 - 41.

3rd Quarter: Nowitzki just looks lethargic, along with Odom. Beasley looks aggressive as every and everything just seems to be clicking with these Timberwolves. This is really a thing of beauty to watch. Then, the Timberwolves somehow managed to wipe out a 13 point lead. Now the Timberwolves just look flat, even with Barea in it. Unfortunately, this coincides with the Mavericks and Nowitzki going absolutely nuts with the ball. Rubio again comes in with Barea and saves the Wolves. Odom hits a last second shot with 

4th Quarter: Rubio is off to an extremely quick start, scoring points left and right. However, the Wolves are just getting dominated on this inside, both rebounding and scoring. We just have to hope that the Timberwolves can stay with it. Nowitzki is really starting to get going. The good thing is that Kevin Love has been doing even better. The Timberwolves went up 92-83 with 3:46. The Timberwolves then proceeded to rip of a 7 point run and put the game away with 2 minutes remaining.

Studs:

1. Kevin Love

2. Ricky Rubio

3. Anthony Tolliver

Duds:

1. Wes Johnson

2. Michael Beasley

3. Anthony Randolph

Minnesota vs. Miami Heat: 12/30/11

1st Quarter: Timberwolves actually ended up with a decent start so far. Love highlighted it with an alley-oop from Ridnour. However, fouls and turnovers eventually took their toll and the TWolves dropped down to a score of 31-20. Many of the issues that struck the Timberwolves

Halftime: Rubio looks a bit antsy as he seems to be making incorrect reads on the Miami defense, but settled down to make some very good passes. I'm really surprised with how good the bench players, especially Anthony Randolph, are playing today. AR isn't forcing anything and is just playing within his means, albeit aggressively. Wayne Ellington has been doing a fantastic on both sides of the floor. The Timberwolves are leading 53-51. You just have to hope that the Timberwolves can stand the barrage that is sure to come.

3rd Quarter: Wolves look sloppy coming out of the first half. Ridnour hit a couple of threes, and Love is his persistent self. The Heat showed their athleticism and just overpowered the Timberwolves with their fast break and outside shooting. Battier, Haslem and Anthony keep forcing the Wolves into dumb mistakes on the offensive end. The Wolves are down 82-75.

Post Game: Rubio was pressed really hard by the Heat, but still managed to find the open man. The shooters of the team are hitting all the open shots, and Randolph's monster block helped the Wolves stay in it. LeBron is having a monster game as usual. Dwayne Wade is absolutely cold blooded as he just seems to make everything in the 4th quarter. Wayne Ellington saw a lot of shots late in the game, and couldn't convert them. Overall, was a fantastic game by the Wolves against a very, very talented team.

Game Review: Minnesota vs. Milwaukee Bucks 12/27/11

Halftime: That was the ugliest first half I have seen in a while. Every aspect of it was hideous. Even the referee's ought to be fired. The Wolves seemingly reverted back to last year's form and relied on Kevin Love to do everything. While the Milwaukee Bucks are a respectable team, the TWolves just seem lost without Adelman today.

Post- 3rd Quarter: If you thought the 1st half was bad, you should have seen the first few minutes of the 3rd quarter. It was arguably the most pitiful basketball I've ever seen being played at an NBA level. On a good note, Kevin Love and Luke Ridnour are going absolutely nuts on the Bucks.

Studs:


1.) Kevin Love: The rebounding champion went on an absolute tear last game, seemingly the only Timberwolves player who could remotely fundamentally play basketball at points. He set a franchise record in free throws attempted and also poured in 31 points and 20 rebounds, 9 of which were offensive. Grade: A


2.) JJ Barea: Despite getting injured late in the game, the minute guard's efforts did not go unnoticed. His slashing drives to the basket helped to pave the way for other Wolves to come in and get easy points.


3.) Luke Ridnour: The savvy veteran played with poise and helped pull the Timberwolves out of a 20 point deficit in the 3rd quarter. It was his 2-for-1 that helped jump start the Timberwolves late run. While he may be taking a lot of heat for holding back Rubio's growth, his calm, wily presence helped this young team alot. Grade: B+


Duds:


1.)Wes Johnson: Wes is quickly running out of time to justify his standing as both a starter and as a lottery draft pick. Johnson might be in Adelman's doghouse pretty soon, if he doesn't step his game and his intensity up. Grade: D


2.)Michael Beasley: Another high usage, low-efficiency gamfe for Beasley. This is exactly what most Timberwolves fans had hoped that he would grow out of and mature into an efficient, lights-out scorer that he was brought into becoming. Grade: C-


3.)Derrick Williams: Derrick maybe just a rookie, but that doesn't give him license to keep barging into opponents like their bowling pins and drawing offensive fouls. He also needs to recognize that an open 3 in the NBA is a very rare opportunity to score easy points. These easy shots must be taken advantage of. Grade: B-

Game Review: Minnesota vs. OKC

     Looks like Minnesota was definitely starving for some good basketball. With the Gophers playing a cupcake schedule and the Lynx season done, the Timberwolves were able to play in front of a sellout crowd, their first since 2007. Despite falling 104-100 to the Thunder, there was definitely an optimistic outlook for the rest of the season.

     The offense definitely looked capable of scoring at a far more efficient rate than last year. Even against a team loaded with defensive stoppers (Sefalosha, Harden, Ibaka and Perkins) the TWolves managed to pile up a 100 points. However, there are some points of concern, primarily the outside shooting of the team (3-22). This will certainly look to go up as the year progresses as the Timberwolves were among the league leaders in 3-PT percentage. It also seemed to stall whenever Ridnour was running the point. There wasn't too many forced shots during the game but they always seemed to occur with Luke running the point. It seems that it is just a matter of time before Rubio takes over from the steady veteran.

     The defense obviously still needs plenty of work, but Coach Adelman's coaching has obviously shown through. Love actually rotated on help defense and took a charge, a very rare occurrence. We happened to be playing against the likes of Durant, Westbrook and Harden who absolutely destroyed the Timberwolves. On a good note, Beasley looked like he was working his butt off trying to stay in front Durant, no matter how futile that might be.

Barea: 14 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 27:06


     Barea picked up where he left off last year. He penetrated at nearly at will and had one of the plays of the game with a sky-high finger roll that just kissed the net. He also was able to pester Harden and Westbrook into committing fouls, even though they both got away with a couple of no calls. Grade: B+


Beasley: 27 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist in 36:27


     B-Easy had a game typical of last year: High-volume, low-efficiency. However, this game was particularly inefficient, with Beasley only getting to the free throw line 3 times on 11-27 shooting. He was definitely taking some bad shots and ill-advised drives but I believe this will help in his maturation towards (hopefully) becoming the Alpha Wolf. His hard work on the defensive end versus Durant will eventually pay off, just not against the reigning scoring champ. Grade: C+


Johnson: 5 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists in 24:43


     Wesley was arguably the worst player of the game. He attempted to make plays that weren't demanded of him, i.e. the drive towards the basket and consequential turnover, and looked lost on offense. Even his defensive technique looked rusty as he seemed to rely too much on his athletic ability rather than fundamentals. Overall a very poor start. Grade: D-


Love: 22 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists in 41:01


     The reigning Most Improved Player didn't have his greatest game, despite what the stats show, but still put together a pretty solid game on paper. He missed a couple of open shots and had Ibaka and Perkins draped over him the entire game. He did manage to go the line 12 times and even played respectable defense in the post. He must feel a bit awkward with other players actually trying to rebound the ball and all. Grade: B


Milicic: 12 points, 3 rebounds and 0 assists in 19:48


     This is the Darko Milicic that the Timberwolves need. He played fantastic defense and set the tone for the game when he knocked down Kendrick Perkins in the game. He didn't force anything that wasn't there and was surprisingly efficient on the offensive side of things. Darko unfortunately didn't play as much as usual due to early foul trouble. Grade: B+


Randolph: 2 points, 1 rebound and 0 assists in 3:20


     Randolph was the lucky recipient of a beautiful Rubio pass... and that was pretty much it. Might be the odd man out if the Timberwolves decide to go with a nine man rotation. Grade: I (Incomplete)


Ridnour: 2 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists in 17:51


     Luke unsurprisingly played the least amount of minutes of the start 5. When he did play, the offense sputtered and stuttered, yet somehow Ridnour managed to somehow put together solid numbers. Ridnour looks like he will drop back into his traditional role as the steady backup veteran point guard once Rubio is ready to take the reins. Grade: C


Rubio: 6 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in 26:18


     Timberwolves fans, meet your future!! Rubio played a near flawless debut with very few mistakes. On offense he wowed the sold-out crowd with his slick passes and court vision. On defense, he appears to have solid potential, but went up against one of the best guards in Russel Westbrook. Rubio may not put up 20 points every night, but that's not his game. He will, and always be a distributor first, second and third. He might be a scorer fourth. Grade: B+


Tolliver: 0 points, 2 reboounds and 0 assists in 19:36


     This game showed how important Tolliver is to the Timberwolves. Despite not scoring 0 points, any reasonable intelligent critic/fan could tell you that Tolliver had a good game. With a major block late in the game, he no doubt established himself as the Timberwolves' glue guy. He takes charges, sets picks, and does whatever is needed to win the game. The only thing hurting him is that he missed all of his shots in the game. Grade: B


Williams: 13 points, 6 rebounds 1 assist in 23:48


     The Timberwolves' number 2 pick turned in an above-average performance yesterday. The recipient of most of Rubio's passes, Williams flashed some solid athleticism. However, he seems to slow down greatly when handling the ball and doesn't have the speed to guard small forwards. There are plenty of places for improvement, but there are also plenty of sources for optimism. Grade: B-

The Weekend Update: December 26, 2011

     The weekend before Christmas, malls are full, families are stressed, children are playing and sports are playing. This is a loaded weekend for sports in general, but particularly scarce on the Minnesota end. The Vikings just came off a 33-26 win over the similarly floundering Washington Redskins, in essence removing themselves from having the first two picks in the NFL draft. I'll put up a game recap of that as soon as I can.

     Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild have cooled down considerably since their hot start, losing their last 6 games. They still maintain an lofty position in the standings thanks to their quick start (Yes, it was that good.) Most of the pundits and experts are attributing this to the loss of 5 forwards and both of their goaltenders being a bit rusty after coming back from injuries. But fans are growing a bit antsy after losing such a comfortable margin in such a short time.

    The Minnesota Timberwolves are coming of an undefeated preseason, a first for the time I believe. Kevin Love looks pretty content to stay in Minnesota and the team seems to be relatively focused. Of course, they have yet to experience a loss and there hasn't been any true pressure on the team yet. Also make sure you take a peek of the NBAXmas event on TV this entire afternoon and evening.

And has my Christmas present to all the readers....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qSlFu4cy3o

Player Overview: JJ Barea

     Jose Juan Barea: A player who's playoff antics earned him an oversized contract from the Minnesota Timberwolves hopes to improve the team significantly this year. Brought in to both help mentor rookie Ricky Rubio (try saying that ten times fast) and to help distribute the ball throughout the offense. After spending last season as the quintessential spark plug off the bench for the Dallas Mavericks Barea will look to make a bigger on the young Timberwolves. Despite his high usage rate (23.3) and lack of efficiency (ranks 10 spots below last years starter Luke Ridnour) he is arguably one of the NBA's best pick-and-roll guards. He also give new head coach Rick Adelman the option of playing a 2 PG lineup with Rubio at helms and Barea as his wingman.

     However, Barea's small stature (generously listed at 6'0, 175) and lack of defensive awareness make him a liability on the other side of the ball. While he may have outperformed his competition in the playoffs, during the regular season opposing players would average  +0.9 PER over Jose.

    On a veteran loaded team like Mavericks, the 27 year old Barea was still a relative baby. However, the Timberwolves are the NBA's youngest team, not including the three rookies they added this year, making Barea on the elder statesmen on the team. While he may not be the most efficient players and definitely overpaid, Barea will be able to make a definite impact for this young up-and-coming Timberwolves team.

Minnesota Timberwolves Preview Pt. 1

The Minnesota Timberwolves, a team which is so maligned but yet they ooze so much potential and talent that they should be a contender just from the sheer number of high draft picks they have stockpiled over the years. For many, this lockout-shortened season hasn't gotten off to the start that they would have wanted to (Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, LA Lakers), the Timberwolves might actually be able to use this as springboard for greater things to come. With the arrival of Spanish phenom Ricky Rubio and the drafting of Derrick Williams the Timberwolves are poised to finally do something they haven't been able to do since the Kevin Garnett era, contend. Whether for a .500 record or a playoff spot, and (for the kool-aid drinkers), a championship. But all this depends on how well new coach Rick Adelman can get a group of underachieving athletes to work together.

Next up... player overviews

Restarting

After taking a sabbatical from blogging I feel like it's I should start up blogging again about Minnesota sports. A lot has happened in one year, including the Timberwolves somehow becoming even worse, the Vikings getting yet another aging veteran quarterback, the Twins once consistent team crumbling and the Lynx winning the WNBA title. Hopefully this time I'll be far more consistent with my blogging efforts.

September 23, 2010 Update

The Twins have clinched the division with a win over the Cleveland Indians and a little help from the Athletics. Congratulations on being the most consistent team in Minnesota! Except for the Timberwolves, who have an affinity for being horrendous

Minnesota Sports is Back in Full Gear

The Minnesota Vikings are going to begin a new season hoping to forget the heart breaking loss to the New Orleans Saints. With Brett Favre back and most of the starters (with the exception of Sidney Rice) the Vikings appear to be very strong contenders for another divisional title and hopefully a Super Bowl run.
But one of the biggest things that stands in the Viking's way is the insanely difficult schedule.

Minnesota Twins are making the final run into a hopefully long October. The Twins, in their traditionally solid style, have put together a pretty exceptionally season, made even more awesome because they did most of it without the services of former MVP 1B Justin Morneau.

Joe Mauer Finally Inks contract!!

Under constant scrutiny from the local media, the Minnesota Twins organization has inked the franchise catcher, Joe Mauer to an 8-year, 184 million dollar contract. How this will affect the Twins for years to come, who knows? But so far the contract figures to take up about 25% of the total budget.

Eric Decker, Gophers WR

I just can't say enough about that guy. Day in and day out, he always seems ot able to perform. It's mind blowing really, he's been double-covered and triple-covered, and whether it be through his sheer will or the stubborness of quarterback Adam Weber, Decker is among the national leaders in catches and recieving yard.

I mean I'm still trying to get over how this guy can even make be so good. He's got a good wide reciever build (6'3, 215) has solid speed (4.5) and good hands. Yes he's an exceedingly good route runner and has great hands, but no reciever should be able to be this good. Jerry Rice was the only real star that I can think of that could do what Decker did, except Jerry did have exceptional speed. The thing that I think puts Decker apart from all others is how determined he is. Also the fact that your quarterback seemingly depends on you to boost up his stats certainly helps.