Roy to miss a month; Adelman optimistic

Timberwolves guard Brandon Roy was back among his teammates Tuesday, clattering down a Target Center hallway on crutches one day after undergoing exploratory arthroscopic surgery that cleaned and smoothed the joint in his right knee.

The team says he will miss a month. Coach Rick Adelman on Tuesday said he expects the surgery will be only a detour in Roy's comeback road, not the end of it.

"I think it may sound funny but I think in some ways it's good that they found some things because he was complaining about that, that he felt something wasn't quite right," Adelman said. "So hopefully if he can clean that up and he can get back on the floor, he'll feel better than when he decided to do this. I think it can be a positive. I think we'll know a lot more where he's going two, three weeks down the road.

"I think he feels good. He knew something wasn't quite right and apparently it wasn't."

On the road backBackup point guard J.J. Barea practiced Tuesday for the first time since spraining his foot Nov. 7 against Orlando and said he expects to play Wednesday against Denver.

"I feel great, a lot better," said Barea, who was able to sprint and cut on that foot Tuesday. "Every day it gets a lot better. I'm moving better today. I'm going to feel some soreness, but I don't think it'll get worse unless I run into the scorer's table again.

"If I'm able to move [during Wednesday's warm-ups] like I did today, I'm going to give it a go."

"He says he feels good, as long as nothing happens between now and tomorrow," Adelman said Tuesday. "I hope he doesn't go bowling."

Philadelphia center Andrew Bynum recently went bowling and re-injured a knee that has kept him out all season.

"We have outlawed knuckle pushups," Adelman said, referring to how Kevin Love said he broke his hand, "but bowling could be the next step."

Every bit helpsBarea's presence would help relieve some of the team's many injury problems.

When asked if Barea looks healthy, Adelman said, "Some guys are really different. Like that first [season-opening] game against Sacramento, he wasn't doing very much up to that point. Then the lights came on and he played great. He might be one of those guys that you just have to see him when he gets on the court. I know he won't be able to go long minutes, but anything he can give us helps our depth."