This article appears on www.derok.net/wolves. I think it brings some perspective on the first half of the season with some interesting statistics.
After watching the Timberwolves squander a five point lead with a minute to go last night and lose their sixth consecutive game in a row, one thing was painfully clear: The Wolves need some serious mental conditioning.
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Craig Smith does the little things his teammates need to do [image2]
I’m not talking about the “Ron Artest” brand of mental rehabilitation, but I am alluding to the Timberwolves need for some increased perspective and focus. Too many times last night the Timberwolves allowed the Sonics to waltz into the lane uncontested and score some easy points. Too many times the Wolves were forced to put up a bad look because the shot clock was about to go off, or worse for no apparent reason at all. It’s true that when you lose a game by one point, or in the Timberwolves case, set the NBA record for most overtime games in one month, it’s human nature to look back at all the little things that could have swung a loss in your favor. But when the margin between victory and defeat, the playoffs and the lottery are so close, maybe it’s not such a bad idea to take a moment and figure out if there’s some little thing to tip the scales in your favor.