Indeed, Richard’s greatest flaw thus far–a total lack of
offense–would seem best remedied by the boost in confidence some
steady NBA minutes would provide, especially if the coaches urged him
to look for his shot more often.
 
Put it this way: If you are letting Richard languish on the bench
*this* year, it is a fairly loud signal he doesn’t fit into the Wolves’
future plans, given the paucity of alternatives.
 
 
 
 
When Minnesota plays host to Phoenix on Wednesday night, the
Timberwolves will be seeking their first winning streak since they beat
Boston and Denver consecutively last February. According to the Elias
Sports Bureau, only three previous teams in NBA history played a full
season without winning at last two games in a row. They were the
2004-05 Atlanta Hawks (13-69), the 1986-87 L.A. Clippers (12-70) and
the 1947-48 Providence Steamrollers (6-42).
 
 
 
Tim Povtak/Orlando Sentinel on "coaches on the way out":
3. Randy Wittman. Even with a bad team in Minnesota, you have to reach double-digit victories.
 
 
 
Fans showing up at recent Timberwolves games have been greeted by a
bribe: Proceed to section 101, punch a bunch of All-Star ballots for Al
Jefferson, and get two free tickets to a future game.
 
Issues of ethics and pride aside, what does the league office have to
say about this blatant ballot stuffing? "Fans can vote as many times as
they want," says NBA spokesman Mark Broussard.
 
Okay, so the league doesn’t care. But is it working? Let’s put it this
way: The fans get to select two forwards to start for the Western
Conference, and in the latest tally, Big Al hasn’t cracked the top 10.
 
 
 
Monday’s Best
Ryan Gomes, Wolves forward: The KG trade pays off! OK, not
quite. Gomes’ career-high 35 points and 11 rebounds gave Minnesota its
first road win after 16 straight defeats, a 109-108 win at Golden State.