Emotions likely to rise at ex-Rocket's reunion

Kirk Snyder called Houston's Toyota Center home for less than half of his short NBA career, but he still expects the memories and feelings to wash over him when he returns tonight to the arena and the city for the first time since the Timberwolves traded Gerald Green for him, a 2010 second-round draft pick and cash at last month's trading deadline.

Green fairly skipped from Target Center when the Wolves traded him back home that day, but he survived there barely two weeks before the Rockets waived him.

Snyder, in a twist that is telling about the state of both franchises, arrived primarily as an expiring contract who made the deal work and has become the Wolves' starting small forward for the past 11 games.

While he has found his way with his fourth team in four NBA seasons, the Rockets continued a winning streak they started when he was still a fixture on their inactive list and stretched it to 22 games -- the second-longest such streak in league history -- before it ended against Boston while Snyder watched wistfully from afar.

"It's going to be really emotional for me," Snyder said before the Wolves flew to Houston on Tuesday afternoon. "That's where I did a lot of growing, as a basketball player and as a man. I just don't know exactly how I'll feel. It's one of those things. That was my adopted family and now this is my real family. That's how you have to look at it."

At least for the season's remaining 13 games.

Snyder stepped forth when Corey Brewer's uneven rookie season was further slowed by a bruised thigh and moved into the starting lineup -- assuming, in the process, some of Brewer's playing time. A college star who carried Nevada-Reno to the NCAA tournament's Sweet Sixteen four years ago, Snyder, a 6-6 small forward, has demonstrated enough physical toughness on defense and both offensive decisiveness and restraint for the Wolves to consider re-signing him when his contract expires. Snyder is free to sign with any team come July, but the Wolves have the right to match any offer.

"He's got my confidence, in a short period of time," Wolves coach Randy Wittman said. "He's playing within himself, not trying to do too much. That's why he's getting time and why he's playing well ...He has caught our eye. What do we have left, 13 games? It's important that he continues to do that."

Snyder's time in Houston -- 39 games played last season, nine this season -- convinced him he has matured enough to play in the NBA, if he received an opportunity on a team not as rich with talent as the Rockets.

"As much preparation and hard work I did in Houston, all I needed was to be in another situation," Snyder said. "The team I played for is top five in the NBA right now. The basketball IQ that goes unnoticed there is going to be seen and as soon as I got here, Coach Wittman, he knew what he was seeing."

Snyder said Wittman asked him to provide everything that doesn't show up in a boxscore.

"Do the unseen things," Snyder said. "When you go in and tip a ball to a teammate and he gets the rebound, little stuff like that."

His teammates have noticed, both his play and his wardrobe. Earlier this month, he returned to the team's Target Center locker room after some pre-game shooting and found the outfit he wore to the game -- a white parka, baggy jeans with orange stitching, furry boots -- prominently displayed.

He called it a prank intended to make the new guy feel welcome.

"They did a good job telling me I shouldn't have worn that," he said laughing. "They're trying to make me feel comfortable ... I'd definitely like to be here. Nice place. I just have to get used to the cold because it's snowing here and there. I look outside like, 'OK, it's going to be Christmas every day,' but we play inside anyway."