Wolves' sagging psyches get vital attention

Bruce Bisping, Star Tribune

Timberwolves coach Kevin McHale looked up at the scoreboard against San Antonio.

A practice aimed at repairing confidence was in order after the agony of losing began to take a visible toll on the Wolves' demeanor.

By BRIAN STENSAAS, Star Tribune

Last update: December 13, 2008 - 11:52 PM

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The Timberwolves have picked the wrong time to let their emotions overrule their talents.

Continuing tonight in Los Angeles, Minnesota is in the midst of a six-game stretch against some of the NBA's best teams featuring the league's most dominant players.

Stars such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and, as Minnesota found out for the second time this season Friday, Tony Parker, will get their points, that is assured. In turn, it is vital that the Wolves keep a strong mindset and stick to their game; do not unravel when an opponent goes on a hot streak.

Yet almost as glaring as the final score Friday night against San Antonio in a 98-86 loss was the Wolves' body language: glum.

It was especially evident against the Spurs when a four-point San Antonio lead with 1 minute, 52 seconds to play in the third quarter ballooned to 15 points just 91 seconds into the fourth.

Poor plays such as failing to set screens and not taking care of the ball led to the Spurs' points, which resulted in a teamwide woe-is-me vibe.

After the game, coach Kevin McHale called such head-hanging "unacceptable."

He couldn't have been too pleased, then, as the sagging and dragging carried over into Saturday morning's practice. But after 20 or so minutes, the team was back to work, and by the time two hours was up McHale said the mood was "spirited."

Missed shots Friday led to the poor attitudes. So to cure both, the team kept things elementary in Saturday's practice.

"We talked about it," McHale said of the team's attitude. "I told the guys if they're missing shots over and over again, we probably need to work on those shots. It may seem simple, but maybe we have to work on driving layups and stuff like that."

Rookie forward Kevin Love took things especially hard Friday. He finished 2-for-8 shooting and also missed the only two free throws he attempted. He also missed seven of nine from the line Wednesday against Utah.

"I'm getting so frustrated missing easy shots," Love said. "Just need to bite down a little bit and just go. It's tough, man. You just have to battle through it."

As a player, McHale had his down nights. He recalled being a lot like the Timberwolves were Friday early on in his career. As the years wore on, his attitude improved. So he has faith in this group of young players.

"I just went like, 'Hey, man. I'm going to run harder, try to get some tip-ins, try to get some layups, try to get something to make me feel better,' " he said.

As the team's heart and soul, forward Al Jefferson knows it's part of his job to lead in all facets of the game. But he too was caught letting frustration get the best of him Friday.

He has vowed to make that a thing of the past.

"We're thinking of plays that happened three plays ago, and we have to put that behind us," he said. "It's about being mature about the game. A lot of guys out here feel like if they don't make shots or do something right, they're going to get snatched right out of the game. It's going to take some time to realize that the game of basketball is full of mistakes, and you have to learn from them."