At 5-0, Mitchell has his former team's number

By Steve Aschburner, Star Tribune

Last update: December 27, 2006 - 8:00 PM

TORONTO - In his first two seasons as an NBA head coach, former Timberwolves forward Sam Mitchell was 56-104 against 28 of the Toronto Raptors' opponents but 4-0 against a 29th.

And if you think that was a mere statistical fluke, well, Kevin Garnett has a bridge he'd like to sell you.

Now, Garnett might have deep enough pockets to actually own a bridge ... but you get the point. That 4-0 mark was against the Wolves, and it improved to 5-0 with the Raptors' victory Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre.

"I'm sure he gets up for Minnesota," Garnett said of Mitchell, his mentor into the NBA when he arrived in 1995. "Something to prove to [Wolves VP of basketball operations Kevin] McHale. He could have brought [Mitchell] in, interviewed him for a coaching [job]. I know that, when he was an assistant in Milwaukee [2002-04], he was trying to get on the staff here, and I think they went in another direction.

"He looks forward to when we play. Just showing that he has the knowledge of being a coach and that he understands the Xs and Os -- which might be different from what they thought he was."

Garnett called it "quiet but subtle competition." Mitchell, though, called it hogwash, at least in front of cameras, microphones and other reporters before Wednesday's game.

"I don't feel any urgency to want to beat this team more than any other team," Mitchell said. "As a coach, you just try to get your team ready to play.

"The guys on this team, they know I played in Minnesota, but they don't have any history against Minnesota. I just think the matchups ... we've played well."

Maybe some background would help: When Mitchell retired after the 2001-02 season, the Wolves did talk with him about a non-coaching job. But some in the organization, including owner Glen Taylor, felt he would have a tough time commanding their players' respect, going from teammate to assistant coach in the same locker room. Mitchell said he joined Terry Porter's staff in Milwaukee to prove his worth to another club. He added: "Kevin McHale never lied to me."

Assassins and everyone else

Guard Randy Foye, who hit the game-winner against Chicago with 1.8 seconds left Tuesday night, feels right at home in those pressure situations, after lots of positive results in college and high school. Not everyone in the NBA can say that, according to the rookie.

"There's probably 100 guys in this league that [don't want the last shot], but you can't tell, because they're so talented through the first 47 minutes," Foye said. "That last minute comes and ... You'll never know [who they are], but you can tell if you really watch."

Just one of 82?

Mike James had the best season of his career in Toronto a year ago, which explains the mob of reporters waiting for him before the game. That he always filled their notebooks and audio tape was part of the reason, too.

While a James points explosion would have made for a natural story line Wednesday, the veteran point guard tried to harness that notion.

"Maybe in the beginning of my career, I might have done something like that," said James, who scored 20 points Wednesday. "Or when I was in college, I used to think that way. But now, y'know, you get past that. This is about winning. We're just trying to keep our winning streak going and get a game from them."

Of his breakout 2005-06 season, James said: "You can reflect, but you can't ever focus on what you did."

Grounded in middle

Center Rasho Nesterovic, another former Wolf, was averaging 5.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks entering Wednesday night. But in his past six games, the 7-foot Slovenian had hiked those numbers to 11.2 points, 5.8 boards and 1.7 blocks, while making 54.4 percent of his shots. It's his first season in Toronto. He scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds Wednesday.

"He gives us a presence in the middle, and he gives us some experience, especially when you have a young team," Mitchell said. "He understands positioning and where he's supposed to be on the court ... A lot of things he does don't necessarily show up on a stats line."

Steve Aschburner • saschburner@startribune.com

Recent Timberwolves stories

Mavs win in dramatic OT with Nowitzki fallaway - December 27, 2006

Mavs win in dramatic OT with Nowitzki fallaway - • DALLAS 115, MILWAUKEE 113 (OT): Dirk Nowitzki hit a fallaway 18-footer as time expired in overtime to give the visiting Mavericks a victory over the Bucks on Monday night. With 3.1 seconds left, Nowitzki caught a pass from Jason Kidd, who finished a point short of a triple-double, and threw it up over Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. The ball rattled off the rim and backboard, dropping through the hoop as the backboard lights came on. The play was reviewed but counted. Nowitzki had 32 points and 11 rebounds. Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. More

Comments are temporarily unavailable

Our reader comments feature is currently undergoing maintenance. Please check back to comment on this story and join the discussion. We apologize for any inconvenience.