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Jerry Zgoda missed the entire Kevin Garnett era, but he's back covering the Timberwolves after working the beat for their first four seasons two decades ago. In between, he covered a bit of everything: Gopher men's and women's basketball and NCAA athletics, golf, outdoor recreation, sports media and a little Vikings and Twins.
Posts about Wolves players
Wolves at Denver tonight: What will it be?
Posted by: Jerry Zgoda Updated: January 3, 2013 - 7:37 PM
Rick Adelman calls tonight's game at Denver a test of his team's resolve, just 24 hours after it played probably its worst game of the season in a 106-84 loss at Utah.
"We played bad," he said. "I don't know how else to put it."
Last time the Wolves played that bad -- a loss at Toronto in the season's second game -- they came back the next night and trailed by double digits at Brooklyn before pulling off a spirited comeback that sparked a three-game winning streak.
"In an 82-game season you're going to have games like that and we haven't had one for a while," Adelman said. "The key is not to keep going in that direction. We have to respond tonight."
They will do so against a Nuggets team that is getting point guard Ty Lawson back in the lineup after missing Monday's victory that stopped the Clippers' 17-game win streak at Pepsi Center.
Lawson says he will play despite an Achilles tendon strain.
The Wolves' lineup stays the same, although you might see a bit more of newly signed Lazar Hayward tonight because is the second game of back-to-back games. Hayward played the final six minutes in last night's blowout loss, his first action since being signed on Monday.
Wolves bring back Lazar Hayward
Posted by: Jerry Zgoda Updated: December 31, 2012 - 11:50 AMThe Wolves this morning have signed former Wolf Lazar Hayward to replace Josh Howard on the roster.
The Wolves selected Hayward very late in the 2010 first round, then traded him to Oklahoma City right before last season.
The Thunder traded him to Houston in the James Harden deal in October and the Rockets quickly waived him.
A 6-6 swingman, he addresses the Wolves need for a defender to back up Andrei Kirilenko at small forward.
They waived Howard earlier this month after he tore his ACL in a game at New Orleans.
The Wolves also worked out James Anderson and Joey Graham last week in auditions for the roster spot.
They still could be signing Hayward for the short term and still pursue a player such as European small forward Mickael Gelabale, who has an NBA out in his Spanish contract until Jan. 30.
Wolves sign Lazar Hayward
Posted by: Chris Miller Updated: December 31, 2012 - 11:48 AMThe Timberwolves are bringing back Lazar Hayward to fill the roster spot caused by Josh Howard's injury.
They signed Hayward, a free-agent forward today, with terms of the deal not announced. He had been released by Houston earlier this season.
Here is the Wolves' release:
The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed free-agent forward Lazar Hayward. Per team policy, terms of the contract will not be disclosed.
Hayward, drafted by the Washington Wizards in the first round (30th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, was originally acquired by Minnesota in a draft night trade on June 24, 2010. In 2010-11, he appeared in 42 games as a rookie with the Wolves and finished with averages of 3.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg and 10.9 mpg. The 6-6 forward was traded to Oklahoma City on Dec. 13, 2011 for two future second-round draft picks. After spending one season with the Thunder, Hayward was traded to Houston on Oct. 27, 2012 and was released by the Rockets prior to the start of the 2012-13 NBA season. Hayward has appeared in 69 NBA regular-season games with Minnesota (2010-11) and Oklahoma City (2011-12), posting averages of 2.9 points and 1.3 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per game.
Hayward played collegiately at Marquette University where he started 118 of 138 games, and averaged 13.5 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from behind the arc. The second all-time leading scorer in Marquette history with 1,859 career points, Hayward played in a school-record 138 games and earned Second Team All-Big East and Honorable Mention AP All-American honors as a senior.
Roy to explore "additional treatment options'' on knee; Rubio out tonight
Posted by: Kent Youngblood Updated: December 29, 2012 - 7:01 PMThe Wolves just gave us this release from Brandon Roy:
"Last week while practicing, I suffered a setback in my recovery," Roy said in the statement. "I've felt better since the recent surgery (on his right knee Nov. 19). The past two days I have been weighing all of my options as I try to continue my basketball career. I have decided to explore additional treatment options and an extensive rehabilitation plan. My goal has been, and continues to be, to return to the basketball court as healthy as possible in order to help our team."
President of basketball operations David Kahn will be talking shortly. I will update this blog when I have more information.
Meanwhile, the team just announced Ricky Rubio will miss tonight's game with back spasms.
Roy contemplating retirement?
Posted by: Kent Youngblood Updated: December 29, 2012 - 2:11 PMIt appears the Wolves and Brandon Roy are at or near a decision about Roy’s immediate future, and whether the NBA will be a part of that future.
Roy was not part of the Wolves’ morning shootaround Saturday. This a day after he missed Friday’s practice for what the team called personal reasons.Also Saturday came a report that Roy had suffered setbacks from his return from right knee surgery.
On Thursday Roy, who had the surgery Nov. 19, took part in a vigorous practice, and said how he recovered from such a hard workout would give him a good idea of when he could return to action. Indeed, Roy even hinted that a strong Friday practice might prompt him to lobby coach Rick Adelman to play Saturday.
He has not practiced since then.
President of basketball operations David Kahn, who was at Target Center Saturday morning, declined comment. But it appears clear a decision has to be made concerning Roy, whether it be further rehab, getting a second opinion on the knee or ending his NBA comeback by retiring again.
Knee issues forced Roy into retirement, and he missed all of last season. After undergoing platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, Roy felt good enough to attempt a return to the NBA. He went through training camp and most of the preseason before bumping knees in a game late in the preseason. He appeared in the team’s first five games before pain in the knee eventually forced Roy to undergo an arthroscopic surgery, his seventh such procedure.
Saturday morning Yahoo! Sports reported Roy has had setbacks in his recovery from that surgery that has delayed his return to action.
Love getting better
Wolves forward Kevin Love said this morning that his body has felt as good as it has all season over the past couple days and he’s looking forward to rebounding from his difficult game against Houston Wednesday.
“It’s fun to actually have my body feel good out there,” he said. “And it has the last couple days.”
Love has been plagued with injuries much of the season, starting with the two broken bones in his right hand sustained before the start of the season while doing knuckle pushups at his home. He has also battled the flu, some back pain and a painful poke in the eye. All, he said, have made it difficult both to get his conditioning to where it needs to be and to find a rhythm with his shot.
“But I have to look at it like 2013 is right around the corner,” Love said. “And every game is a new day, a new time to improve the team, improve myself, and keep pushing through this.”
Love said his hand still sometimes feels stiff and his shot sometimes feels strange coming off his hand. He admitted that his conditioning has not yet been where it needs to be.
But both, he said, are coming along.
“I was just getting back really to myself as far as conditioning goes, and then I got poked in the eye, and I couldn’t do anything for five days,” he said. “That was definitely tough, and coming back on the 26th was no exception, having just had a shootaround and no workouts. You know, I just hope to stay healthy for the rest of this year, 2013 and beyond. There’s still a lot of games left, and I’m looking forward to it.”
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recent posts
- Postgame: Say what? Wolves rally, win without Love
- What will it be tonight for Wolves?
- Homecoming: Kirilenko returns to Utah
- Rubio not expected to make two-game trip West
- Wolves bring back Lazar Hayward
- Wolves sign Lazar Hayward
- Postgame: Wolves heating up in December
- Roy to explore "additional treatment options'' on knee; Rubio out tonight
- Roy contemplating retirement?
- Roy misses practice for personal reasons
- B-Roy eyes Saturday return, Pek back at practice
- Postgame: Wolves lose another lead in Houston loss
- Love will play vs. Rockets, more Ricky likely, too
- Without Love, Wolves go small today in New York
- Eye injury will keep Love out of the lineup Sunday
- Postgame: Wolves stop that streak at 12, beat OKC
- Wolves waive injured Howard, Lee could be lost for season as well
- Postgame: Wolves double up Heat on boards, still lose by 11
- Pekovic, Love will play tonight at Miami, Rubio won't
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