NBA short takes

• Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau's path didn't directly cross with former Bulls GM Jerry Krause during his five years in Chicago. But Thibodeau knows Krause's place in NBA history after he built six NBA championship rosters around Michael Jordan.

Krause died Tuesday at age 77.

"I heard all the stories, which were fascinating, and that run they had was incredible, to win six championships in eight years," Thibodeau said. "He had a great impact on that organization, and he was good to a lot of people there. It's a sad day."

• The first full-time female assistant coach in the NBA these past three seasons, San Antonio's Becky Hammon is the leading candidate for the Florida women's job.

"She's just a very intelligent, creative basketball mind," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "That's one of the reasons I hired her. She has gotten used to the NBA, gaining experience on how things work and how it goes. She has been an integral part of what we do and has been a fantastic coach for us."

• Popovich is a central character in why NBA Commissioner Adam Silver sent out a memo last week urging owners to become involved in decisions to rest healthy players on a given night and promising "significant penalties" to team that don't obey league rules about notifying the NBA and opposing teams when players won't play.

Popovich, though, believers there can be a solution reached between the league, teams, coaches and players.