Myles Brown/SLAM Online talked to some of the players about the presidential election.
SLAM: What is the personal significance of America electing its first Black President?
Mark Madsen: I think it’s just a great statement about where we are as a country, that we can say ‘Who is the best candidate?’ and that any concerns-or what might have been concerns forty years ago-aren’t an issue today. And that’s the way it should be.
Sebastian Telfair: I’m pretty young, but I know a bit of my history and everything that we went through and all the obstacles we had to overcome. But to see that day, for me to be alive and know that my time saw the first black President, my Grandmother probably wouldn’t have even thought of that. She passed away last year, she didn’t get an opportunity to see this, but I know she’s smiling for everything that she went through.
I’m still not sold on a Jefferson-Love front line being large enough to adquately defend many teams in the NBA paint, and it is also plain that Love has minimal hops and a physique that looks susceptible to calorie absorption–chiselled he ain’t. But the little instinctual strengths he possesses aren’t likely to diminish over time, setting him up to be a trustworthy contributor sooner and more effectively than most 20-year old rookie power forwards just 6 feet, 8 inches tall. Tonight Witt started him over Gomes to begin the second half, another incremental rung up the totem pole. I’d still prefer a legit center next to Big Al most of the time. But even on his “off games’ such as the Oklahoma City contest, this rook does enough things right to already merit steady rotations–especially if we regard this as another rebuilding year.
Randy Wittman said he felt the team’s pulse changed instantly when he subbed Love and Telfair into the game midway through the first quarter. Seeking better starts to games and second halves, Wittman sent Love out there for Ryan Gomes with the starters to begin the second half and for the first time Love became a crunch-time player, playing down the stretch in regulation time, most of the first overtime and much of the second while demonstrating hustle and energy if not always efficiency (4 for 13 shooting).
They obviously can’t guard point guards to save anyone’s life, but just about everyone on the Minnesota Timberwolves looks good right now. Al Jefferson missed 15 shots, but he also made 12 in Tim Duncan’s face, and finished with 30 points and 14 rebounds. Just one turnover in 47 minutes. Tremendous.
Kevin Love played big minutes (37) and made an impact, finishing with 14 and nine with three blocks and a couple of assists. He’s learning to make it work on the low block opposite Jefferson, even if Love did only shoot 4-13.
Update:
Wolves coach Randy Wittman said he’s seriously looking at making some changes to his starting five for Friday night’s game at Sacramento.
That could mean a start for rookie forward Kevin Love and/or backup point guard Sebastian Telfair, who combined to provide a big spark off the bench in Wednesday night’s 129-125 double-overtime loss to San Antonio.
Wittman, asked about possible lineup changes after today’s practice, said: “I’ve got to look at it. It’s early. I don’t want to look at that, but I’m seriously looking at different things.”
