Brewer searches for his jumper

LOS ANGELES – With a freshly shaved head and a relatively new change in his diet, Timberwolves forward Corey Brewer has turned something of a proverbial page on his season and maybe his career.

Now if he can just find his old jump shot.

With Kevin Martin and Ricky Rubio out injured indefinitely and Mo Williams and Andrew Wiggins either out ill or just feeling sick this past week, Brewer has moved back into a starter's role at shooting guard and into a new job as playmaker.

Forced to be an emergency backup point guard Wednesday, Brewer had a seven-turnover game against Milwaukee. Moved off the ball and back to wing in Los Angeles the next game, he had eight assists against the Lakers on Friday.

Through it all, he has struggled to find his shot after he looked like an improved shooter through preseason and beyond. In seven games as a starter this season, he is shooting 41.7 percent. Coming off the bench, he's shooting 50.8 percent.

"I haven't made a jump shot in six weeks," Brewer said, shaking his head before Monday's game against the Clippers.

He shaved his head the other day as, he said, a concession to Father Time and a receding hairline. He changed his diet in recent weeks, forgoing fried food often eaten at his locker an hour before game time for a plentiful salad Monday night.

He said he changed his diet so he'll feel better and have even more energy. He was asked if he's also doing it to lose weight.

"If I lose any weight, I'll be gone," said one of the league's skinniest players.

Wiggins declared himself much improved Monday from the ill player who needed fluids administered intravenously Sunday afternoon in Portland and vomited through part of halftime that night against the Trail Blazers.

"A lot better, thank you," said Wiggins, who felt well enough to eat again Monday.

He played 18 minutes Sunday — only 3:39 in the second half — because Wolves coach Flip Saunders saw how fatigued he became and didn't want Wiggins to get dehydrated with another game coming in 24 hours. Saunders said he didn't know how much Wiggins could play Monday, but was impressed Wiggins "didn't shut it out" and decide not to play in order to protect his statistical averages.

Until Friday, Wolves rookie Zach LaVine — a lifelong Lakers fan — had been to Staples Center twice but only for two Clippers playoff games against Golden State. That's because he's buddies with Clippers sixth man Jamal Crawford, a mentor of his who is also from the Seattle area. The two talked by phone late Sunday night after LaVine followed a 28-point game Friday by going scoreless in Portland. They visited before Monday's game as well.

"I was up there," LaVine said, describing his seat location last spring. "I wasn't in the bleeders, but I was a couple rows up. It was a good game, though."

Monday's game reunited longtime friends Saunders and Clippers coach Doc Rivers, who isn't the least bit surprised Saunders is back coaching.