Like most backups who appear to have outperformed the starter, Sichting
is probably stirring a little anti-Wittman animus from those who haven
‘t forgotten his rotten performance after taking over the Dwane Casey
last year. Personally, I’m not in the mood for it. Sichting came back
to Minnesota this season specifically, and almost solely, out of
respect and loyalty to Wittman, and he has taken pains to remind
everyone that he is in constant consultation with Witt before, during
and after practices and games. Al Jefferson likewise lobbied for
Wittman by talking about working on the things Witt has harped about,
such as passing out of double teams. "I hope he is proud of me
tonight," Jeff said of Witt after the Phoenix game…
 
 
Asked after the emotional victory over Phoenix whether
he has found a solid rotation, Jerry Sichting said, "Well, for right now.
 
"What’s our record, 3-15? Nothing’s really solid
when you’re 3-15," said Sichting, the assistant coach who’s in charge
while coach Randy Wittman recovers from back surgery. "It (the
rotation) can change. But these guys are playing well together. We’re
getting a lot from all the starters. We have shortened the bench the
last couple games and hung in the ballgames."
 

Sichting said he doesn’t want anyone who’s not playing as much right now to feel discouraged.

 
So he spent much of the offseason in Minneapolis. He dieted and he
worked out. Once Jefferson got here, the two spent hours going at each
other, one-on-one. As training camp approached he was in the best shape
of his life, ready to go. And then, days before the team left for
Turkey, he sprained his ankle. Just as he was nearing 100 percent, he
sprained it again.
 
By the time he came back from the second sprain he had lost a little bit of that condition and a little confidence.
 
"He got off to a slow start, mainly because of that ankle," said Jerry
Sichting, who spent the past three games filling in as head coach while
Randy Wittman had back surgery.
  
 
 
After the Wolves lost badly at Memphis and then at home to the Lakers, acting coach Jerry Sichting said to guard Marko Jaric, "I really didn’t think I’d be saying this, but you’re worth a lot of points to us."
 
Jaric missed those two games because of foot and ankle injuries.
 
"Before those two games we were playing some pretty good basketball,"
Sichting said. "We won at New Orleans, we took Dallas down to the wire
at Dallas, and we were playing some pretty good basketball with Marko
and Sebastian [Telfair] playing together. So Marko’s injury, I think,
hurt us for a couple games, and now it seems we’re competitive once
again."