Update:
Craig Smith will not play tonight for Minnesota. Coach Kevin McHale said Smith has bruised ribs from last night’s game – which Smith exited late in the first quarter. McHale did not give a timetable for Smith’s return. In Smith’s place, rookie Kevin Love will get the nod at power forward. It will be Love’s sixth start of the season, but first under McHale. Love last started Dec. 5 against the Nets – Randy Wittman’s second-to-last game before being fired.
Jonah Ballow/Timberwolves site posts a scouting report on tonight’s game against the Hawks.
Stephen Litel/MinnesotaSCORE will be updating his site with notes throughout the game.
All-star guard Joe Johnson did not accompany the Atlanta Hawks to Minnesota because of a possible viral infection…
The Wolves could be without starting power forward Craig Smith, who sat out the final three quarters of Tuesday night’s 116-111 win at Indiana after suffering bruised ribs.
Alex Raskin/Hoopsworld gives Kevin McHale an honorable mention in the coach of the year race.
6-4 in their last 10, Minnesota is starting to show signs of what the future might hold. And that future might definitely include McHale on the bench. The former Golden Gopher just picked up a Coach of the Month award and several of his young players – most notably Kevin Love – are starting to pay big dividends. Most NBA fans know about Al Jefferson, but few realize how good he and Love have looked together at times. Maybe they’re not McHale and Robert Parrish, but they might not be far off either.
From Eric Adelman/Bleacher Report: The Minnesota Timberwolves’ January Resurgence
Another factor hurting the dying breed argument: Of those 46 white American players, 14 have played three or fewer years in the NBA. That group includes rookies Kevin Love and Joe Alexander, which suggests there are more players in the pipeline.