Long minutes, tall tasks are OK with Buckner

One of the more unheralded newcomers in the Wolves' offseason has become one of their most durable and versatile contributors.

By Jerry Zgoda, Star Tribune

Last update: November 9, 2007 - 11:36 PM

LOS ANGELES Almost an afterthought when he was acquired from Dallas the night before training camp opened, Timberwolves guard Greg Buckner on Friday night at Staples Center started his second consecutive game, three nights after playing 39 minutes in a home loss to Orlando.

The Wolves dealt starting forward Trenton Hassell for Buckner in September in a trade designed to provide the team some salary-cap relief and perhaps some veteran leadership on a team dripping with youth.

Instead, it has delivered the Wolves something of an iron man, at the old age of 31.

"Basketball is easy to me," Buckner said Friday morning. "I can play 48 minutes. Age is just a number."

Age might be just a number, but it also probably is the reason Wolves promising young forward Al Jefferson refers to his older teammates playfully as "Uncle Buck," a nickname borrowed from the 1989 movie in which the late John Candy played a slovenly uncle.

"That's what Al calls me, a lot of people call me that, even back home," Buckner said. "Al definitely gives me a lot of respect. He listens to me. That's just part of him being around other veterans. Some kids, some guys in this day and age don't give older guys any respect, but he does."

So, too, does Wolves coach Randy Wittman, who has asked Buckner to play extended minutes while defending the opponent's best offensive players. Against Orlando, it was an assignment to shut down Hedo Turkoglu, who entered the game as the Magic's leader scorer and left with 14 points after a 4-for-15 night.

On Friday night in Los Angeles, he was told to chase Kobe Bryant around the Staples Center court in a new starting backcourt that also featured Marko Jaric for Sebastian Telfair at point guard.

"I can't ask for Buck to give me any more than what he has given me," Wittman said. "I'm probably stretching him going 39 minutes, but I had to have him on the floor against Orlando."

Wittman has asked and he has received leadership, defense and, perhaps unexpectedly, a 13.7 point scoring average in the Wolves' first three games, all losses.

Buckner has made two three-pointers in each of those first three games.

"People don't ever say Buckner is a shooter," Wittman said. "But in Dallas, he kind of played that way. You don't think about that, then all of a sudden he's knocking a couple of shots down and you're thinking, 'Geez.'

"It's a matter of opportunity. If you play two, three minutes, it'd hard to actually know if you're a shooter or not."

New look

Wittman started Jaric at point guard on Friday in place of Telfair, who had started the team's first three games there.

Wittman said he wanted to see how Telfair's "energy" might boost a second unit that has partly let big, early leads slip away. Jaric's play in Tuesday's game against Orlando -- 10 points, 10 assists, one turnover -- also played a factor in the decision, Wittman said.

One more day

Starting guard Rashad McCants did not practice with the team on Friday morning and sat out Friday night's game because of a sprained ankle suffered in the Orlando game.

He said he "should be back" for tonight's game at Sacramento. "If not then, when we get back home," he said, referring to Wednesday's home rematch with the Kings.

Theo Ratliff returned to the starting lineup Friday night; he fell ill before Tuesday's game.

Jerry Zgoda • jzgoda@startribune.com

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