Backup guard sinks Wolves even as their own guards stand out

During their 104-98 victory over the Timberwolves at Target Center, the Washington Wizards brought off the bench a scorer who under other circumstances would be a starter and a sizable collection of veterans who were playing in the NBA and Europe when some of their opponents were 6 or 7 years old.

When Wolves interim head coach Sam Mitchell looked down his bench, he saw, among others, a newcomer just off the plane from the D League, 19-year-old rookie Tyus Jones and a couple of guys at the end wearing finely tailored suits.

After Washington's reserves outscored their counterparts 64-18, somebody pointed out the firepower a team fighting just to make the Eastern Conference playoffs possesses.

"Did they?" he asked. "Do I even need to comment on that?"

Then, of course, he did.

He pointed out the night's leading scorer, Bradley Beal, is an "All-Star caliber player, I don't think I need to say that" and listing by name – Nene, Ramon Sessions, Jared Dudley and Minneapolis' own Alan Anderson – the players Washington coach Randy Wittman has at his call.

Mitchell then mentioned two Wizards veterans who didn't even play — greybeard Drew Gooden and JJ Hickson — on a night Beal paced his team by scoring 26 points, 13 in each half.

"They've got guys sitting on their bench who have played in playoff games, who have 600, 700 games under their belt," Mitchell said. "They know how to play … They've got 12 veteran NBA players on that team. They got experience coming off the bench."

On Wednesday, a Wizards team that is getting healthier by the day won for the seventh time in nine games since the All-Star break even after the Wolves led 21-9 early and after their starting backcourt unexpectedly lapped the scoring of Washington All-Star John Wall and backcourt mate Garrett Temple.

All five Wolves starters finished on the plus side in plus-minus rating, helped along by Ricky Rubio's 22 points and Zach LaVine's 21.

But when Mitchell went to get his starters some rest, Beal and Sessions, a former Wolves guard who scored 18 points, provided the Wizards some distance.

Beal is coming off the bench while the Wizards measure his minutes to manage chronic foot stress reactions that have bothered him throughout his pro career. He still is wearing a mask to protect a broken nose he sustained in January.

"Bringing a starter off the bench sometimes is really productive," LaVine said.

On Wednesday, it was.

"When we went to the bench, we just had a drop-off," Mitchell said. "We're going to the bench with young guys and they're going to the bench with veteran guys."

Other than veteran Tayshaun Prince's five minutes played, the oldest player Mitchell used off his bench was also his newest: just-signed D League center Greg Smith, who played almost 10 minutes.

And Mitchell liked the way the new guy –— playing in his 132nd NBA game — got physical with the Wizards' veterans..

"I liked that he was putting his hands on people," Mitchell said. "That's what we're trying to get from our young guys. … We've got to learn to do that"

On Wednesday, the Wizards did most of the handling, leading by as many as 14 points midway through the fourth.