The Timberwolves play a rare 8:30 p.m. home game Friday that had been specifically scheduled for a national television audience.
Instead, the only ones who will see 5,000 fans sporting replicas of those ugly athletic glasses Kurt Rambis once wore are the relative few who attend tonight’s game against the 12-3 Phoenix Suns.
ESPN bumped the game from its Friday night doubleheader schedule and substituted the Milwaukee-Oklahoma City game that features Bucks rookie sensation Brandon Jennings and Thunder budding superstar Kevin Durant instead.
So, he’s been unable to prevent Minnesota from ranking 29th in offensive efficiency and effective field-goal percentage. Rambis, whose NBA coaching bones were made working as (first) and embattled Los Angeles Lakers head coach standing between Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant then assisting Phil Jackson, has been unable to coax much defense.
“Obviously, we’re cognizant of it,” Kurt Rambis said of the epic stretch.
It should be noted, however, that ’94-’95 team and the current Wolves squad are remarkably different. That ’94-’95 team featured an interesting bunch of hooligans and crybabies. Rider was the head wacko. Christian Laettner, another beauty, was the second-leading scorer. Bill Blair was the zookeeper.
Rambis has a bunch of solid citizens: humble, polite, friendly and not particularly talented.