Change at top doesn't halt march toward the bottom

By Steve Aschburner, Star Tribune

Last update: March 31, 2007 - 12:12 AM

There is no way to sugar-coat the numbers: The Timberwolves already have lost more often in 32 games with Randy Wittman (22 losses) as head coach than they did under fired Dwane Casey in 40 (20).

Or to put it another way: Casey directed the Wolves to twice as many victories (20) in the team's first 36 outings -- they were 20-16, then lost four in a row -- as Wittman (10) has in 32 tries.

Owner Glen Taylor and Vice President of Basketball Operations Kevin McHale have said several times that Wittman will return as head coach next fall, and there's no hint that anyone at Target Center is interested in another offseason coaching search. But that doesn't mean Wittman is fine with these results.

"It's not gone the way we thought," he said before Friday night's 92-77 loss to Miami. "We all thought ... I mean, change is hard. You don't always get out of it right away the things you're looking for. It's hard to change a lot of things that we talked about when it happened."

Wittman took over on Jan. 23 for Casey, who was dumped with a 20-20 record and the Wolves sitting in eighth place -- playoff position -- in the Western Conference standings. They went 2-6 right after the change, had a 3-1 spurt, then went 3-11, including 1-4 on a home stand right after the All-Star break.

"We ran into a tough stretch at [the time of the switch] -- I think we were playing nine out of 12 on the road when that happened," Wittman said. "A lot of things happened.

"I'm disappointed, yeah. We were in a situation for a long time, even through some of the ups and downs, of still establishing ourselves for the playoffs."

Minnesota is in 12th place in the West, 4 ½ games out of the final playoff spot and trailing four other teams eager to claim it.

Obviously, it wasn't what the coach, the players or management intended. "You don't ever envision that," Wittman said. "You've got to have the belief every night that you're going to win."

Wittman's free lock!

Since neither he nor any of his players or assistants has an alma mater active in the NCAA men's Final Four this weekend, Wittman felt safe enough to pick some winners.

"I'm going Georgetown and Florida," he said.

Asked his choice to win the championship Monday, Wittman said: "Florida." Pressed for a score, he gave one: 73-68.

Diesel in charge

Since Kevin Garnett entered the league in 1995, he has had a friendly relationship with Miami center Shaquille O'Neal, saying Friday that the big man took Garnett "under his wing as his little brother." The two have shared experiences and laughs at All-Star Games for a decade, and Garnett has watched O'Neal win four rings, while longing for one himself.

So he knows O'Neal is a competitor of the highest order and would respond when sidekick Dwyane Wade suffered a dislocated left shoulder on Feb. 21, halving the Heat's star power.

"Shaq's been carrying teams since he's been in this league," Garnett said. "The fact that Wade went down, he had to look at himself in the mirror and know that everybody was going to be looking to him to throw them on his back, and he's done that."

Steve Aschburner • saschburner@startribune.com

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