Minnesota Timberwolves big man Al Jefferson will play in the opener on Wednesday night against New Jersey despite battling an Achilles injury in recent weeks.
Jefferson said Tuesday that he has practiced pain free for the past two days and will definitely be in the lineup against the Nets.
Jonny Flynn and Wayne Ellington both missed practice today for the second straight day because they’re still ill.
Kurt Rambis said both players were feeling better today than yesterday and said if they’re feeling well enough to attend tomorrow morning’s shootaround, “there’s no reason they shouldn’t play” against New Jersey.
But despite this and the recent injuries to Kevin Love and Al Jefferson, there is reason to hope. The triangle, mostly because it requires constant reaction and adjustment from all five players on the floor (as opposed to more conventional offenses in which each player has a scripted responsibility), is notoriously difficult to learn. But it also is capable of producing some of the most beautiful, flowing, not to mention efficient, offensive basketball ever played.
Moor said president of basketball operations David Kahn has absolute authority to build the Wolves.
“We hired an expert to let the expert do what he’s going to do,” Moor said. “My job is to enable him as much as possible; when he needs something, we’ll just go out and see how we can get it done.”
Moor said the Wolves are providing Kahn with the financial resources to be successful.
“In this day and age, we’re trying to run fiscally responsibly,” he said. “But one thing you can say about (owner) Glen Taylor — he’s never been stingy when somebody comes to him and says, ‘We’d like to get this player.’ He’s never held back.”
It’s not every day 100 kids will howl with excitement at the sight of a wolf in their school. Unless, of course, that wolf is Crunch. The Timberwolves mascot made his debut at North End Elementary School in St. Paul on Monday afternoon. Timberwolves broadcaster Jim Petersen and players Ryan Gomes and Ramon Sessions joined Crunch for the FastBreak Foundation Dedication of the newly renovated Reading and Learning Center at the school.
