Center David Harrison, signed as a free agent two weeks ago, hasn’t participated in a full practice yet because of an injured calf and he’s not expected to play in either of the final two preseason games. The Wolves need to reduce their roster from the current 18 to at least 15 by 5 p.m. Monday. The most likely options: Veteran center Calvin Booth, who hasn’t played yet in the preseason, will be bought out of his one-year, $1.14 million contract, and one of the two candidates for the third point guard spot (Blake Ahearn or Kevin Ollie) will be released. That still leaves at least one more decision. Harrison’s one-year contract is not guaranteed, but he does have some big-man potential.
Dates with some of the Twin Cities top singles will be auctioned off at the second “Date for Life” event Wednesday. The event raises money for Children’s Cancer Research Fund.
Hosted by WCCO-TV’s Jeanette Trompeter and Mark Rosen, Date for Life bachelors and bachelorettes will include Mark Madsen of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ryan Hoag of Minnesota Vikings fame and ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” John Hansen of 5 Eyewitness News and Alexis Walsko of FM107.
The Timberwolves’ Mark Madsen will conduct a basketball clinic at 3:30 p.m. today at St. Paul’s West Minnehaha Rec Center, which has a renovated court thanks to a $10,000 donation by the Wolves’ FastBreak Foundation.
Corporate arena naming-rights sponsor Target is buying a bunch of tickets for the Timberwolves’ regular-season home opener against Sacramento on Oct. 29.
It wasn’t a great night for rookie forward Kevin Love, whose stat line showed five points, one rebound and six fouls in 11 minutes.
“He got a couple rookie calls,” Wittman said. “We had a veteran crew last night and he got some whistles that his eyebrows were raised up on. It’s another growing experience.”
Guard Rashad McCants practiced Monday after sitting out Sunday night.
“He tweaked his back a little bit in warm-ups about 45 minutes out before the game,” Wittman said. “He said he could go, but it just didn’t make any sense in the preseason.”
Randy Foye and Sebastian Telfair got a good talking-to after Thursday’s game at Toronto, where Blake Ahearn was the best Wolves point guard on the floor, and Foye responded with a 15-assist, 2-turnover game. Foye acknowledged that it sure does help the stats when you throw the ball to Mike Miller and he shoots the ball.
KXMB.com on Sunday’s game and Blake Ahearn’s return to Bismarck.
Ryan Gomes doesn’t figure to start 74 games again this season, but the versatile Timberwolves forward is making a strong case for some serious playing time.
Three days after scoring a team-high 17 points off the bench at Toronto, Gomes put up 20 in a starting role Sunday night to lead the Wolves to a 111-107 exhibition victory over Denver in Bismarck, N.D…
It will take more than that to unseat Corey Brewer as the starting small forward, but coach Randy Wittman said Gomes is playing as well as the numbers suggest.
We like Randy Foye and Corey Brewer a lot, and we don’t see why Al Jefferson couldn’t become the next Elton Brand – a brawny, consistent 20-10 guy. There just isn’t enough around them to form a competitive team on a nightly basis. In the most optimistic of cases, we’re thinking 35 victories.
Minnesota’s biggest problems will be on the defensive end. Jefferson is a great scorer and rebounder, but can’t defend to save his life. Love is a rookie with questionable size and quicks. Foye hasn’t established himself as a stopper. Overall, they have a lot of young and somewhat mismatched parts that will make it tough to stop the ball, something they absolutely did not do last season. But despite issues defending the goal, Minnesota should be an improved team this year. Not playoff good, but better. It’s worth remembering they splatted out of the gate in 2007 with a 6-34 record over their first 40 games, and improved from there.
The addition of Love should also give Jefferson more room. Love is still a work in progress but the team has been impressed with his ability to battle inside and play the high post.
Al Jefferson: “I always call him the white Al Jefferson because he`s got some great post moves, he can shoot it, he`s smart, he knows how to pass, he`s an all around player and were real lucky to have him.”
