Players start drifting to the Target Center court a couple of hours before tipoff to fire a few dozen shots. Autograph seekers gather near the north entrance in the hope that a couple of Timberwolves will stop to sign as they commute to or from this pregame ritual.
Colleen Ryan arrived at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday and found a prime position behind the rope that creates the avenue for the players. She is an Iowan and now a junior at the University of St. Thomas.
Ryan was asked the question of the day for all Wolves fan: "Do you support Kevin Love and his anti-management stance that surfaced on Tuesday?"
The collegian contemplated this and said: "I think Love has the right to speak out, if that's what he wants to do. Some of his comments about Ricky Rubio did bother me. Maybe it came out different than he intended."
The whole flap is based on Love's indignation over receiving a four-year, $62 million deal -- rather than the maximum of five years, $80 million -- from owner Glen Taylor and basketball operations president David Kahn last January.
Love's comments in the Yahoo! Sports piece could be interpreted as being dismissive of Rubio's importance to the team. Of the idea the Wolves might be saving the maximum deal for Rubio, Love said: "It was a projection [Rubio] over a sure thing [Love]. There's no question there was an agenda here."
Love talked to reporters after Wednesday's shootaround. He disavowed none of his blasts at management, while adding that he would not begrudge Rubio whatever money he is able to get in his next NBA contract.
"The timing for this wasn't good," Colleen Ryan said. "When this is the week that Ricky's supposed to return, as a fan, you don't like all of this negative attention."
