Flynn, Sessions are not a match

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Kurt Rambis doesn't seem to have any intentions on playing the two guards at the same time.

By JERRY ZGODA, Star Tribune

Last update: October 15, 2009 - 2:35 AM

When he drafted Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn with the fifth and sixth picks in the June draft, new Timberwolves boss David Kahn promised both point guards could -- and would -- play together some in the same backcourt.

When Rubio refused the Wolves' buyout agreement with his Spanish club team and chose to stay in Barcelona for at least the next two years, Kahn quickly signed restricted free-agent point guard Ramon Sessions and said Sessions and Flynn, too, could play together some.

More than two weeks into preseason, Sessions and Flynn have played together only in bits of training camp scrimmages, and they haven't played together in any of the team's three preseason games. There's a simple reason for that, new coach Kurt Rambis said: He doesn't like what he's seen so far.

"Right now, I'm not big on it," Rambis said. "That may change in the future, but I'm not big on it. We looked at it a little in practice. I didn't go, 'Oooohhhhhh.' I went, 'Ehhhhhhhhh.'"

Minutes mounting

Rambis increased Al Jefferson's playing time to 26 minutes -- 12 points on 5-for-14 shooting, six rebounds -- but said his star player still is struggling with his conditioning after he's on the floor for six consecutive minutes.

"I'm feeling better and better as we go," said Jefferson, who had season-ending knee surgery in February. "I felt like I could have gone a little longer, but better safe than sorry. We've got a long way to go."

Corey Brewer also played 26 minutes and Rambis said he is showing no effect from his season-ending knee surgery last December.

Another time

Flynn missed his first chance to face Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, the reigning Rookie of the Year. Rose on Wednesday missed his fifth consecutive game because of a sprained ankle.

"It would have been a great test like that early in my career," Flynn said. "You always want to play against the best people at your position. It'd be great to gauge myself against him, but that's what we've got 82 games for. We'll see him in the regular season."

By the numbers

The Timberwolves won't trim their current 16-man roster until after Saturday's game at Milwaukee, Rambis said. The team carried a maximum 15-man roster the past two seasons. This season, it might carry as few as 13.

Etc.

• Former Timberwolves forward Chris Richard led everybody with 17 points and 14 rebounds Wednesday night at Target Center after he scored only two points in his first four games with Chicago, where he has been reunited with former Florida teammate Joakim Noah. "Just works out that way, I guess," he said when asked if he only plays on NBA teams with friends from his Gators championship teams.

• Former Timberwolf Mark Madsen, traded to Los Angeles last summer and then waived by the Clippers, attended Wednesday's game.

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