HoopsHype posts video of Kevin Love talking about playing under Kevin McHale (Via MNSportsFans)
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Mike Miller was at the gym by 9:30 Thursday morning, running, shooting and hoping that his sprained right ankle would respond well. By his estimation, it did. Asked if he thinks he’ll be back on the court for tonight’s game against San Antonio, Miller said, “I would say so, yeah.”
Minnesota’s best long-range shooter has been out for the past four games with a right ankle sprain, and on Wednesday in Denver it was clear how much the team misses his presence when Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony got hot and Wolves forward Ryan Gomes got into foul trouble in the third quarter. Timberwolves coach Kevin McHale had trouble, sans Miller, Gomes and the injured Corey Brewer, finding a body to match up with Anthony, and the result was Anthony’s record-tying 33-point third quarter.
After a light practice on Thursday, McHale said he was more disappointed in his team’s defense before he saw the game tape and realized how many of Denver’s shots were contested and still made.
McHale has used Craig Smith as the starting power forward — his only two starts of the season — since taking over as head coach for the fired Randy Wittman on Monday.
McHale, the team’s vice president of basketball operations until then, apparently has had his eye on Smith as a go-to player for some time.
Asked if Smith’s newfound starting role was the result of McHale liking what he saw out of the 6-7, 250-pound Smith, he replied, “I saw great things out of him at Boston College, so yeah.”