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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 pre-game
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.
Homecoming: Kirilenko returns to Utah
Posted by: Jerry Zgoda Updated: January 2, 2013 - 2:23 PMThe Timberwolves have come and gone from morning shootaround at EnergySolutions Arena here in Salt Lake City and Andrei Kirilenko avoided stepping foot in the visitor's locker room in his first visit back after playing 10 years for the Jazz.
"I haven't been in there, I'm afraid to go in," he said. "I didn't even know where the guest locker room is. And now I know."
The Jazz drafted him 24th overall in 1999 and developed a relatively unknown Russian into an All Star and then massively paid him like one with an $86 million contract once upon a time.
"I mean, I had a great 10 years here," he said. "I feel like I know every fan for the first 10 rows. It's going to be fun. It's doing to be a very strange feeling, but I guess that's the basketball life...I feel special when I step in EnergySolutions Arena and see all the staff that worked here for 10 years and I know them by name, every one of them. They're happy to see you and I've very happen to see them. That's special.
"I grew up here as an NBA player, coming into the league 19, 20 years old, become an All Star and get the majority of my career here. There are tons of great moments here. There is no one moment. It's part of my life here.
"I was thinking, `How many games I play here? 500, 400 games here? That's a lot and every game is special.. You really feel special when you play for 10 years for the same team. It's a great feeling."
He said likely will be both cheered and booed by Utah fans when he is introduced tonight.
"I've always been a fan of remembers as a good person rather than just a good player," Kirilenko said. "I think if the people remember you as a good personality, I think it goes a long way rather than just a good player but being a jackass or whatever."
He still has a house in Salt Lake City and his wife, Masha, will be here tonight.
"It looks like a little bit lonely, but it's life," he said about visiting his house on Tuesday. "We're always trying to do the best thing for your family, for yourself, so..."
One other thing:
* Newly signed Lazar Hayward said his two practices with the team have prepared him to play as much as Rick Adelman needs him tonight, what with Ricky Rubio home in Minnesota because of those back spasms and the Wolves down to just three healthy guards again.
Adelman likes to scrimmage a lot in his practice, and Hayward called that approach just right these last two days.
"That's exactly what I need for these guys to get comfortable with me and see how I play a little bit," Hayward said. "I'm definitely ready. I'm just waiting, hoping Coach gives me a good opportunity to give what the team needs."
Adelman says he'll play Hayward some at shooting guard out of necessity, and Hayward says he is willing and able.
"I played it a little bit in Oklahoma City when I got in the game, so I'm familiar with it," he said. "It's not anything I can't do. It's just guarding it, that's all, just guarding smaller guys. Defense, rebounding, hitting open shots, whatever the team needs, I'll be that."
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.”
Love will play vs. Rockets, more Ricky likely, too
Posted by: Jerry Zgoda Updated: December 26, 2012 - 1:07 PMKevin Love worked long and hard after shootaround today at Target Center and afterward declared himself fit and ready to go tonight against pal Kevin McHale and a surging Houston Rockets team that has won four straight, six of its last seven and has scored 120 or more in each of its last three games.
Included were victories over Memphis and the defensive-minded Bulls.
Love missed Sunday's game at New York because of an injured eye -- blood in the eye after he got poked in it during Thursday's victory over Oklahoma City -- that didn't allow him to fly.
"Eye feels good," he said. "I'm all good to go."
Then he offered a real gem of a quote -- one of the best so far this season -- when someone asked if flying prevented him from playing in a 94-91 loss to the Knicks on Sunday:
"I guess so," he said. "They said there was something wrong with my eye. It didn't feel like there was, other than my vision being impaired."
Oh, is that all?
He said he's willing to wear glasses or goggles if he must.
"Should I?" he asked. "Make a fashion statement? I don't think I have to."
He said he got re-checked on Monday, the blood is all gone and he's ready to play.
"Back tonight and hopefully in 2013 and heading forward there will be no more flu-like symptoms or nagging injuries for me and the rest of the team," he said, referring to an injury- and illness-filled season so far.
A couple other things:
* Expect Ricky Rubio's minutes to be increased, starting tonight.
Rick Adelman said on Sunday that everybody would meet before the Rockets game and talk about taking the next step of increasing Rubio's playing time from that 18-minute mark he has been held at so far.
Rubio said after shootaround only that it will happen "soon."
"I don't know when, but it has been a good three, four games of 18 minutes," he said. "I feel nothing at all in my knee. That's a good test and we can move forward."
It's the rest of his body that's still sore, adjusting to the demands of playing after missing the last nine months, including a chance to get his body accustomed to the grind of an NBA season with a training camp.
Somebody asked him today how he feels.
"I feel good," he said. "It is Christmas time, so I'm happy."
Without Love, Wolves go small today in New York
Posted by: Jerry Zgoda Updated: December 23, 2012 - 3:55 PMThe Wolves are all out of Love again, this time in New York City for a 4 p.m. game against the Knicks, the main event to this afternoon's Vikings-Texans prelim.
That means the Wolves will counter the Knicks' small starting lineup with one of their own.
Rick Adelman will start point guards Luke Ridnour and J.J. Barea in his backcourt and move Alexey Shved to a forward spot of sorts against a Knicks team that also starts point guards Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton and puts guard Ronnie Brewer beside faux-power forward Carmelo Anthony inthe frontcourt.
Adelman contemplated starting Dante Cunningham at Love's power-forward spot, but opted for the three-guard lineup instead.
Love did not travel to New York on Saturday because of an eye injury sustained when he got poked in it late during Thursday's victory over Oklahoma City.
A couple other things about today's game:
* Adelman said Ricky Rubio's minutes won't be increased for his fourth game back, which also is his first visit to Madison Square Garden where it was once assumed he wanted to play.
He said Rubio's minutes will stay right around the 18-minute mark, and then everybody will discuss before Wednesday's game against Houston about whether to increase them.
* How injury prone are the Wolves?
Even their GM is out injured.
President of basketball operations David Kahn couldn't travel, as he often does, to today's game after undergoing hernia surgery last week.
* Kirilenko draws his third tough defensive assignment in as many games today.
On Tuesday, he defended LeBron James. On Thursday, it was Kevin Durant.
And today it's Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, who is playing well enough to be considered an early contender for MVP.
I asked AK before the game if he's going to ask for a raise on that $10 million salary.
"Why?" he asked. "I get paid enough. I'm not greedy."
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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
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