Changes in the air?: Wolves at Raptors tonight

The Wolves trying to avoid slipping three games under .500 for first time this season when they square off with the Raptors in Toronto.

January 18, 2014 at 12:03AM
Minnesota Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman, left, argues a call during the second half on an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014, in San Antonio.
Minnesota Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman, left, argues a call during the second half on an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014, in San Antonio. (Associated Press - Ap/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Wolves are about to tip off against the Raptors tonight in Toronto, where they haven't won since 2004.

Rick Adelman has talked a lot -- to his team and the media both -- the last couple days after Wednesday's mostly lifeless home loss to Sacramento and on Thursday he seemed to hint about possible changes in his rotations.

Will he dabble on a night when the Wolves could sink three games below .500 for the first time this season.

"We're always talking about it, we're talking about it all the time," Adelman said before tonight's game. "What can we do to make things? But one of the biggest problems we've had is for six weeks we've had a decent game and then we've had a bad game. It's not like it has been a long losing streak where you just have to do something about it.

"It changes from game to game and you hope that (a long losing streak) doesn't happen. But it's certainly something we talk about all the time. How can we be better than we are today?"

The Raptors are better than when they traded away Rudy Gay earlier this season. They're 13-6 since then and have won their last five at home, a season high. Included is a victory over league-leading Indiana.

"They have a bench," Adelman said, referring to the one of the differences with a team that improved its ball movement by trading away shot-happy Gay and added key reserves Greivis Vasquez, Patrick Patterson and John Salmons in the trade with Sacramento.

Raptors forward Tyler Hansbrough won't play tonight, by the way.

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about the writer

Jerry Zgoda

Reporter

Jerry Zgoda covers Minnesota United FC and Major League Soccer for the Minnesota Star Tribune.

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