Wolves pack up for long, tough road trip

Give Wolves coach Flip Saunders credit. He's not complaining, at least not much. He is talking about the need to take advantage of an opportunity rather than wondering how many suitcases to pack.

The Wolves boarded a plane for Brooklyn on Tuesday afternoon. The team won't set foot back on Minnesota soil until the wee hours of Nov. 16. In between will be six games. That includes two back-to-backs with a trip to Mexico City to play the Houston Rockets in-between.

Among those six games are four against 2014 playoff teams and a game against up-and-coming New Orleans.

"We have a good challenge," Saunders said. "Our thing is, if we go out and play like we played in our first three games, we play hard, we'll give ourselves a chance. That's all we can ask."

Well, actually, there are a couple other things the Wolves could have asked for. Like not having the team play a back-to-back after leaving Mexico City before returning home.

That is the only thing that bothers Saunders, something he talked to the league about when the Wolves were asked to return to Mexico City, where last year's scheduled game with San Antonio was postponed because of smoke in the arena.

But you can't have everything. As a result, the Wolves have got to pack almost everything.

"Better safe than sorry," he said. "So I brought a lot of stuff."

Both consulted with veterans who have been through this before. Like Mo Williams, who took a two-week trip when he was with the Clippers when the Staples Center was being set up for the Grammys.

"You bring a few pairs of pants, make sure to mix and match with the shirts," he said. "You pack as light as you can."

But if the trip is full of obstacles, the Wolves are determined to find a silver lining. And, for this young team, the trip might offer a chance to bond.

"Absolutely," Williams said. "When you're on a long trip you're together a lot, you go out to eat together a lot. It's a bonding process."

The Wolves play at Brooklyn on Wednesday. Then they go to Florida where they play in Orlando on Friday and at Miami on Saturday. From there they go to Mexico City where, as the designated home team, they will be there for a few days before Wednesday's game with the Rockets. Then it's off to New Orleans and Dallas, for back-to-back games on Nov. 14 and 15.

The Wolves don't play at home again until Nov. 19 vs. the New York Knicks.

"I think it's going to be great for us," veteran guard Kevin Martin said. "It's the first time we're going to be out on the road for an extended period.

"Sometimes you don't get trips like that until January or February. But we get one right away. It's a big test for us, but it's a time we can all come together."

• For a second day Thaddeus Young practiced full-go. Saunders said nobody was held back from practice Tuesday.