All-star stats get only a snub

By JERRY ZGODA, Star Tribune

Last update: February 5, 2008 - 1:33 AM

The NBA announced its All-Star Game reserves on Thursday evening with Timberwolves forward Al Jefferson's name absent.

The fourth-year forward whom former coach Doc Rivers said has All-Star statistics but not an All-Star team made a late push to impress Western Conference coaches, who voted to select the seven reserves that include forwards David West of New Orleans, Amare Stoudemire of Phoenix, Carlos Boozer of Utah and Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas.

Jefferson set a career scoring high with 39 points against Phoenix last week and then topped it by scoring 40 against New Jersey four days later, and two days before coaches' ballots were due. The Wolves started the season 3-21 and now have won four of their past six games, but their 9-36 record trumped Jefferson's 21.2 point and 12.2 rebounds averages.

He and Orlando's Dwight Howard are the only players averaging 20 points and 12 rebounds this season. Eastern reserve Joe Johnson from 18-24 Atlanta is the only reserve selected from a losing team.

"I'm really ready for it to be over," Jefferson said earlier in the day. "I'm keeping my fingers crossed ... If I don't make it this year, I'll make it next year. If I don't make it, that's just extra motivation for me."

NBA slam-dunk champion Gerald Green will be the team's only All-Star Weekend representative. Rookie Corey Brewer and second-year forward Craig Smith were not included in the rookies-sophomores game.

Jefferson still could be added as an injury replacement.

Turnaround

The Wolves' fourth victory in six games tied them on Wednesday with Miami for the league's fewest victories with nine, a dramatic comeback from a month ago when they were getting lapped by the Heat and the NBA's other cellar dwellers.

On Thursday, somebody asked Randy Foye about the team harming its chances for the No. 1 pick in next summer's NBA draft if they continue their winning ways.

Funny what a couple of weeks, and some winning, will do.

"We joke about it," Foye said when asked about catching up in the victory column. "We always say we don't want to finish last. From the front office down to us, we want to play hard and be as competitive as we can."

Guards on the mend

Guard Rashad McCants missed Thursday's practice and Wednesday's game because of the flu and Wittman said Thursday that he didn't know if McCants would be well enough to play tonight against the Clippers at Target Center.

Foye practiced fully on Thursday and then did his own conditioning workout afterward.

"Two practices," said Foye, who followed Tuesday's 18-minute season debut with a 21-minute, seven-point game on Wednesday. "It's coming along. I think [coaches and management] feel good about it and I also feel good about it."

Veteran presence

His coach and teammates credited veteran center Michael Doleac's two second-quarter baskets for lifting the Wolves from an eight-point first quarter to a 16-point victory over Chicago on Wednesday.

"The man hadn't come into a game in five or six games," Jefferson said, forgetting Doleac's two-minute appearance late in Tuesday's game at Chicago. "They call his number and he was ready to do what he had to do to win. You've got to give him credit for getting us going because we couldn't make a shot. Nobody could make a shot. He hit two big-time jumpers, played great defense and rebounded as well.

"That has been a problem for a lot of young guys who don't play. When they get called to play they aren't ready to play because they're mad about not playing."