Wolves-Raptors tonight on TNT is one big reunion

PRE-GAME UPDATE, 5:15 p.m. Central time:

Updating the final item below...Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll will play tonight, Toronto coach Dwane Casey said before the game.

That's primarily because Casey will need him to defend the Wolves' wings, namely Andrew Wiggins.

Carroll has not been playing back-to-back games as a precaution while he recovers from a knee injury last season. The Raptors play tomorrow night at Boston.

BTW, I forgetfully left Casey out of the below main item about all the connections in tonight's game.

He, of course, coached the Wolves a decade ago.

The Wolves play their second TNT Thursday game in three weeks tonight in Toronto in a game that has all kinds of connections.

In games here his first two seasons, Wiggins has averaged 20.5 points on 53.6 percent shooting with 2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

That's not the only reunion of sorts tonight.

Others:

* Wolves assistant coach Andy Greer is back in Toronto, where he was an assistant coach last season while Tom Thibodeau was taking a year's sabbatical from coaching. Thibodeau's assistant in Chicago, Greer rejoined his former boss last summer after Thibodeau returned to coaching with the Wolves.

* Former Wolves coach Sam Mitchell will attend the game as a pre- and post-game analyst on Canadian network TSN's game coverage. Mitchell has returned to doing TV and radio work after he was the Wolves' interim coach a year ago.

If you didn't see it, here's a story I did for this morning's paper and the web site revisiting with Harlan his nine years with the franchise from its inaugural 1989-90 season until he left in 1998 for network gigs.

* Wolves assistant Ed Pinckney was one of the original Raptors from their inaugural 1995-96 season and veteran guard John Lucas III and assistant coach Rick Brunson also once played in Toronto as well.

One other thing: Still waiting to hear on whether Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll plays tonight.