Brauer's Three-Pointer: Suns Set

• Sorry, Dopey, what was that? I was trying to read this through the haze of smoke coming off my bong.

• "We just can't have this thing where we play high for three quarters, and then somehow lose the fourth quarter." -Glen Taylor

• Does anyone relate the wildly inconsistent play of players like RD(eerily similar to J, J.R., Junior Rider...) to the drug use prevelant in the NBA? No? Just me? ok.

• Ricky Davis is not a championship player. You don't win a championship depending on Ricky Davis. If we are serious about trying to get Garnett a ring the organization must get rid of Davis. Sure, most trades will make the Wolves a worse team right now but what future is there with Ricky Davis? Trade him to the Heat for Wayne Simien Dorell Wright and Michael Doleac (contract expires) the money works. Miami needs a scorer. Wolves get two promising young players. Perhaps Miami throws in a second round pick. If we want future cap relief we could also trade Mike James for Jason Williams (signed for fewer years). Just thinking...

• Send the tape of Ricky Davis to the Elgin Baylor of the Clippers and hope we can get Maggette and our first-round draft pick back for him. McCants can take Davis's starting slot, Maggette comes off the bench, and everyone is happy.

• I think one of the most important qualities a player can bring to the table is energy. Obviously the player has to have some limited skill for it to be effective (case in point Mark Madsen). Madsen's constant cheerleading while on the bench feels uplifting to me and it must influence the team in a positive manner. I can't see this having any other effect. Davis's enigmatic character is that he has both positive and negative energy which seem to balance each other out. While Madsen is strictly positive, a limited player who is nevertheless always uplifting, Davis is totally the opposite. He electrifies with his athleticism, his dunking over opponents, his diving on the floor for loose balls, his *&^^ attitude when he's on. Then he completely baffles you by being lazy on defense, making elementary mistakes on offense, playing like he just doesn't give a shit. Managing such a player must be a pain. I think only the great coaches such as Jackson or Popovich are truly qualified to mold this player. I totally agree with those that think that Wittman has his hands full.

• Good to see David Brauer writing. He's been a fan for a long time and is a good writer. Nicely done for a nicely done game. It was amazing to witness and I have to wonder if this team can make Wittmann and McHale look good down the stretch. The West is stacked and moving past Dallas (36-9), Phoenix (36-9), San Antonio (32-14), Utah (29-17), Houston (28-16), L.A. Lakers (27-17), or Denver (22-20) is LOT to ask. I guess we'll see....

• Ricky is an interesting character. As someone earlier suggested, he is a true enigma. He appears to be self-centered and selfish, yet he is the best passer on the team and will often play unselfish basketball. He often doesn't try on defense, but when given a challenge, a la guarding Sam or Nash, he appears to revel in it. And then there is the Sonics game, when after Witt pulled Davis for his second sorry one-handed pass, Davis returns only to throw about a half dozen more one-handed passes as if to prove to Witt that Davis isn't going to be bullied. In the end, I think the upside of Ricky is significantly greater than his downside (although I'm sure I will be raging for Ricky's demotion at some point in the future). I agree with Britt, handling Ricky is not low-hanging fruit.

• AK-- I think we are using the word "priority" in different contexts: you in terms of chronological order, me in terms of importance. I don't mean fixing James is the first thing Wittman needs to do, I am saying it is the most important thing if he is going to meet McHale's exalted expectations for the team, which is something beyond a first-round slaughter in the playoffs. The 7 and 8 seeds play Phoenix and Dallas in some order; the 5 seed will likely play San Antonio. For Minnesota to give an elite Western Conference team a competitive playoff series, they need a substantial upgrade on the current status quo. The two places that could possibly happen are the blossoming of James and the greater consistency of Davis's A-game. I'm not saying either one is easy or likely--that's why the potential upgrade is so significant. I like the pointedness of your post, but would disagree with two statements. First, I don't believe there is a power vacuum; McHale has always shown a willingness to be very involved, sometimes to the team's detriment. I don't think canning Casey at 20-20 with the 8th seed is evidence of an absence of power among the decision-maker(s). Second, if you think getting Ricky Davis to play more consistently by challenging him is low-hanging fruit, I've got a war in Iraq I'd like you to take a look at next.

• I said this when they fired Flip (and again when Casey was canned): I have yet to see a coach use the players on this team with any sort of savy. I noticed watching last year that Casey made a few intellegent matchup choices, but seemed overall as clueless as Flip was about rotation. I know I'm not the only one who has stared agape at the TV while a hot hand gets put on the bench to be replaced by a struggling teammate. Or how about the numerous times last season when, down by a point or two, the wolves falied to even put up a shot in the final posession. Does anyone remember the wolves complete mental meltdowns under Flip whenever faced with a big tough team? Remember Garnett's mandatory sitdown at the end of the thrid/beginning of the fourth? That strategy, rigorously adhered to by Saunders, often put the Ticket in the "save-your-team" mode, resulting in rushed shots, bad defensive chance-taking, and often KG bringing the ball up the court! I still am yet to see a coach win the wolves a game. I would have seen or listened to one by now under (should've been hired in the first place) Whitmann. BUT - I cant tune in KBOB so I've got no access other than Hanny (the best sleeping pill on TV) and Jim (anyone need a GM?) Peterson. (please forgive this non-contextual rip on the broadcast situation at Target Center - but seriously, KBOB? Hannemanamenemen? Awful.) I hope its a trend and not a mirage. There is talent on this team, as there is on most NBA rosters, and nobody has a Shaq and Kobe-type combo right now, so talent and moxie might get a plucky team a little further along then usually expected. All that said, I haven't staked out my parade spot yet. We'll have to wait and see... er read about in the morning. z

• Britt I disagree with your rank order of Wittman's priorities. As I said in my post this morning, there has been a power vacuum at 600 1st Ave and his first priority is to fill it. The rest at this stage of the season is player triage and ego tweaking. I think James is way down the list not because he isn't underperforming - he is, and not because his self confidence is low - it is as well. Wittman's job right now is to save the season. To do so requires putting his focus on fixing the easy stuff that makes an immediate difference. Going after the low-hanging fruit if you will. Challenge Davis personally and professionally to get more good games out of him. Pressure KG in a way no one has in a good long time. Find a way to use Marko to turn his frown upside down. Give Hassell some breathing room at the offensive end by lightening his D load a bit. If his list is 10 items long, he needs to cross off the easy ones first. That's what he's doing. To get James turned around will take a lot more time and energy - both in short supply 44 games into a season. I'm not saying "write off James", but I am saying "write off James for now".

• A couple of thoughts: I've been critical of Witt (especially his defensive substitutions or lack thereof in the Blazer and Sonics defeats), but he was brilliant last night. Good defensive gameplan (keep Suns out of the paint as much as possible and hope they cool from beyond the arc) and substitutions (the run with Maddog was a huge key). I also thought the Wolves offensive gameplan (slow it down and feed KG, taking the break only when wide open) was very successful. The Wolves performance in the second half, when they outscored Suns 61-44, was magnificent, and, in my view, a window into why Phoenix will not beat Dallas in the playoffs. If you can keep the Suns out of the paint, Suns are beatable, especially if you have a big man like KG or Dirk or perhaps even Duncan that can score. I am glad Brauer mentioned the Fox cutaways. Man do they annoy me. If am getting sick of missing baskets, turnovers, fouls because Fox is showing me the picture of someone on the sideline or a belated replay.

• Just a quick comment, as I haven't had time to catch up on the posts and post-game euphoria. Anyone with half a hoops IQ realizes what a great game it was, and wonders what could be. But as great as it was, you need only recall Atlanta. Portland. Seattle. Not trying to be a nay-sayer, but any team can get up for Phoenix, with their style of play. The true test is playing with the same level of intensity, but a different kind of guts and energy, against the mediocre teams. (Wait, we ARE a mediocre team.) As for Davis, he is who is is. His motor runs wild and needs continual fine-tuning. As for James, it's over. He'll have his occasional moments, but he's enough of a veteran to have figured it out by now, even on this team. On the plus side, KG, of course, played big and more importantly, kept his own motor under control with great focus. Hassell continues to be quietly effective. Nice to see Madsen get minutes and mix it up. Jaric will need a coach who knows how to use him, and I think Wittman knows. Again, the true test will be against a mediocre team on an off-night. And there'll be plenty of those.

• It was only inevitable that a a red-hot Sun team would eventually lose a game but who would have thought that our Minnesota Timberwolves would be the team to end their streak ? Reeling hemselves after a crushing road trip that saw them lost 4 of 5 and their coach Dwane Casey along the way, no one could have imagined it. I certainly did not think they could. I thought KG played one of his best games of his career. He scored in the 40's for only the fourth time and he took over the game in a calculating, cold-blooded manner that the likes of Kobe Bryant, AI, and most recently Gilbert Arernas would be proud of. Although it is hard for me to criticize KG for his lack of raw scoring since he is such a complete player, that has been the knock on him from the national press for years now. But in this one game KG played his heart out and led the Timberwolves to what is easily their best win of the past two years. Mark Madsen also played a huge role. The much maligned center, who has been called nothing but a "cheerleader", energized the team in the fourth quarter with some bruising defense and entertaining enthusiasm and even scored a couple of buckets. His high five of a teammate after one sequence was one of the most enjoyable moments of the game for me. Jim Peterson made a comment that Mark is the only guy on the team that will knock somebody down. It's been said in this blog that this team lacks a tough interior player to protect the paint. Madsen proved that he can fulfill that role quite well. Maybe the fact that he hadn't done this proves that he wasn't used effectively by Casey. Finally, Wittman himself showed a pulse on the sideline, something that Casey just didn't seem to show to me. I always heaved criticism on Casey because he didn't demonstrate enough moxy from the bench in working the officials. On the play where Madsen and KG blocked Barbosa that was eventually called a foul, you saw Wittman on the sidelines, animated, questioning the official's judgement. Not out of control, but not completely in control, as Casey usually was. More importantly though, and this comes from purely watching on TV, Wittman seems to much more in command of this team than Casey ever was. Let's not forget that Minnesota has a ways to go still, especially with establishing consistency. But in beating a Clipper team on a 5-6 roll and the "en fuego" Suns, this team may finally gave us fans something on which to hinge hope on as the season gets closer to the All-Star break.

• Midlife, I also thought it showed Witman's feel when he pulled Davis, and put Hassell on Nash, when Davis was gassed. Nice combo, and good coaching. Hopefully for Twin City sports fans, RD will not be Ron Davis, but live up to his promise. For last night, BRAVO. Does anyone here wish Marcus Banks was bank? Smirk.

• Though I realize it's too early to early to make any sweeping assumptions about Whitman's coaching style/plans, I like what I see so far ... especially concerning KG. At this point in Garnett's career, it seems to make a lot of sense to get him enough rest early in the game so he can play most, if not all, of the final quarter. It also seems sensible to encourage KG to take a lot of shots. Yes, he's the team's best all-around player, but he's also the most consistent scorer and has great jumpshooting range. So why not rely more on role players to do role-player things like setting picks, grabbing rebounds and playing hard, rotating defense? As KG continues to age, it's going to be more difficult for him to do all the little things we've come to take for granted. But maybe now is a good time to transition his game to be more scoring-centric.

• Putting Ricky Davis on Nash was a thing of beauty last night. It reminded me of putting Rodman on Magic back in the pistons heyday. And not just in the disruptive impact of the longer arms. It gives a real challenge to a known head case, and somehow focuses their energy where it needs to be. It would be really exciting if we not only have to put the D back in Davis (as Britt has already done), but also needed to silence all the "head case" comments from people like me.

• For local teams in HD, on Fox and all other local and national channels, go to HDTV Twin Cites.com

• Actually, Jackson, Brauer said a few of the things already that were dominant impressions of mine watching the second half. Anybody watching this game has to begin with Garnett, who was off the charts, 18-29 FG while the rest of his teammates were 31-64 against a Phoenix D that generally gives you at least one good look in transition. What struck me is the ratio: 29 shots, 2 assists. As someone who has always loved the way KG gets others involved, I am realizing that he needs to venture selfishly first, then purvey the floor for dimes. It so happens that Phoenix has no one who can match up with him--it was reminiscent of Sacramento a few years back, talented bigs who don't quite possess the same combination of size (Marion, Diaw) or speed (Stoudemire)--and it will be interesting to see how the "go for yours" strategy fares when the defenses are better equipped and more hell-bent to stop him. But when the turnaround 15-footers are there for the taking, it is almost like vintage Peja or normal Ray Allen, a FG percentage that should be good enough to give you a leg up on victory. The second star would be a three-way split between Wittman, Davis, and Madsen. I have a marvelously-timed take on the Casey firing that will appear in the paper edition of CP tomorrow, written after the Clips game but before last night, entitled "McHale's Last Gasp," that I'll try and post here sometime today. I'm being sarcastic about the marvelous timing, as the thrust of the piece is that McHale has run out of scapegoats and is hastening his day of reckoning; that, despite two very good drafts in a row, he has assembled a team that can't meet his exalted expectations, regardless of who is coaching. And in some ways I'm glad that it is coming out amid Wolves-Suns euphoria, because casual fans will be more likely to read it, and it is an argument that will rise or fall on the next 90 days, not one game. That said, given the choice of looking smart or having to eat crow while covering three months of inspired, quality basketball, I'll take the latter any time. And Randy Wittman's coaching job--I thought Brauer nailed most of the shrewd moves, and commenters have covered the rest--certainly augurs an improved ballclub. Let's just remember that this club toppled the Spurs and Pistons too, and that McHale's rant was about inconsistency, not the height of the highs. Jobs number one and two for Wittman are Mike James and Ricky Davis, and while I saw enough of James's inability to anticipate and scramble on defense last night to strengthen the impression that he may be a bad investment, Ricky's performance was yet another glorious tease that is going to make me nastier and nastier toward the guy's play when he goes through the motions. I understand how negative I am toward Davis, and it bothers me too. But Jesus, there are games like last night when you realize that this guy could be akin to Sprewell in his prime, a hound on the hunt at both ends of the court, playing beside the most versatile superstar in the game today. Throw in Foye and McCants and you see why McHale licks his lips in anticipation and purses them in frustration. But hey, Davis is old enough, with enough years in the league, to have established who he is, and it ain't pretty. But last night was. It was a Ricky thing of grit and beauty. Madsen will never be beautiful, of course, but few people better understand how to play with Garnett. Maybe it was all that time with Shaq and Kobe, but Maddog operates his game in reaction to what his star teammates require. Nobody is better at clearing space--either with his positional spacing or his bull-china shop-backside--for Garnett to manuver in the low block. Nobody guesses or reacts to how KG flows on defense better among the big men. And nobody provides KG with a more secure sense that physically someone has his back than Madsen. Last night, as Wittman said in his postgame comments, the Wolves players were arguing for a continuation of the zone D even though Phoenix was drawing up 3-pointers coming out of timeouts. Okay, Wittman said, and then looked at Maddog. That means you have to guard the three point shooter along the baseline. And Madsen did, contesting that corner J superbly. Asked about it after the game, Madsen said, well, they got me once. Yup. Once. Not to mention the boards and the putbacks underneath.

• This is a little off the point, but how do you find out in advance which FSN games are to be in HD on Comcast? I have called FSN but they don't refer me to anyone who will give me an answer.

• On the mark regarding the broadcast...Why after EVERY made basket must we see a coach, a headshot of the player who made the basket, or cheerleaders, as the ball is inbounded and the viewer misses a good 3-5 seconds of game action after every made basket? It must have been taught in tv sports broadcasting 101 many years ago, but that doesn't mean it is the right or the best way to direct today's fast paced basketball games. The sad thing is that this issue has be talked about for years (especially for basketball, college & pro) and nothing seems to change....The HD quality was decent but they must only use 2 HD cameras as many of the views would switch from HD to SD and that is always hard to watch... Good win Wolves!

• I'll start with a necessary caveat: My impressions are based on four games and four games only. End of caveat. I LOVE the coaching change. Randy Wittman's assertiveness is exactly what this team needs up and down the line. First, up the line. Glen Taylor, whatever your opinion of him as an owner, good, bad or indifferent, does not assert himself much at all as an owner. He is Minnesota nice to a fault. Kevin McHale, whatever your opinion of him as a GM, bad or indifferent, stays mostly in the background day-to-day. Not assertive. Dwayne Casey as a coach? Same thing. Hard worker, but decidedly not assertive. The Wolves need some managerial ass-kicking and Wittman appears to be delivering in spades. He is taking matters in his hands and generally speaking, making good decisions for his franchise and his players. Down the line, let's start with Ricky Avis. How to handle an ego-needy talent who plays no D? Assign him Steve Nash for more than half the game. Sink or swim, RD. Great counter-intuitive move that had the added bonus of working! On one timeout last night somewhere in the middle of the game, Wittman didn't like what he saw from Ricky. He was standing in the paint in under a second eye-to-eye with Davis and Wittman was doing all the talking. How about Marko? When's the last time you saw him smile when he wasn't seated on a Bellanotte couch surrounded by a bevy of babes? 20+ minutes on the floor with a purpose. Tall, lanky and loves to run just like Nash's 4 amigos. Again, pitch perfect move by conductor Wittman. Next, Kevin Garnett. The last three games he's playing like he means it. Wittman is not looking for him to draw up plays or lead the team other than with his effort and skill. At the end of the day Ticket is neither a great basketball mind nor a great leader of men. He is one of the premier players in this league who has the capacity to motivate through his actions. Wittman is pushing KG to play like it. I could go on - Foye, Madsen, Hassell - all seem to be doing more than conventional wisdom has anticipated. As a player, if you don't have something against which to push, you run the risk of floundering. Wittman has 12 guys to direct and he is working each one. The results thus far signal a fun few months ahead.

• That was an amazing game. Wolves fans have to be happy today. The only thing that could make it better would be to hear Britt Robson's thoughts on it. Even though he only saw half the game, maybe he can slip in his thoughts in the comments section? A Wolves win just isn't complete without them. I am curious to know if KG's increased performance is directly attributable to Wittman's methods and techiniques to free him up or if it is just a personal effort on KG's part. Whichever it is I'd like it to continue. But I don't want KG to have a heart attack.

• I concur Andy. You could almost feel the Suns pining for Nash to come back early in the 4th, for that magic to come back. A few possessions after he did, Marko came up with a big intercepted pass at the top of the key, and even though it didn't result in any points, I think it freaked the Suns out. While the FSN crew called Mad Dog's rebound and right-turn 8-foot huck the possession of the game, I think this steal was equally impressive. Going back to your first point, it was nice to see some bodies on the floor at the feet of Mad Dog. I'd imagine he's intimidating to be around, not because of his size (there are certainly bigger and stronger), but his seeming lack of control. It's crazy to be so pumped about our D only giving up 112 points, which speaks volumes about our O. But wasn't consistency the supposed reason they fired Case? At this point in the season, stringing a couple together won't do, it has to be like this until the end of the playoffs.

• For all those folks who were looking ahead at the Suns' schedule, wondering how long their win streak would go, calling "@ Minnesota" an automatic victory....WHAT!? WHAT?! I didn't get to see the game out here in NY, but I can imagine seeing KG put up 29 shots would have me bowing at Wittman's feet. Dude should be putting up at least 20 a night, EVERY night.

• I thought Mark Madsen was huge tonight. He had no fear, and took nothing from Amare Stoudemire. Like Jim Petersen said more than once, Mark is the only player that consistently is willing to give a hard foul, and not appologize or flinch. It seemed like the Sun's don't do as well, when they are confronted, and not treated with deference. The other thing that is inescapable. When Nash is off the floor, the Suns are very ordinary. In the playoffs, I'd send the goon in to rattle Nash, and run at him. He's a great player, but he's human. I think the Sun's are vulnerable in the playoffs.

• What a game! It was a joy to watch KG shoot over the double and triple teams, leaving Phoenix clueless as to how to stop him. It was almost as if the Ticket was channeling The Dream Hakeem. This game was a perfect example of why the Wolves put up with Ricky's occasional mental lapses. When he's amped for a big game, he makes his presence felt. Great game on both ends of the floor. Randy Foye looked like a point guard tonight. Good job of running the offense and picking his spots. I do think he could do a better job of passing off of the pick and roll, but today's not the day to nit pick. Marko was a ball hawk tonight, and hit some big shots. I have to admit I was not on board with Wittman's move to increase Mad-dog's playing time in the first two games, but I was wrong. Mad-dog brings an energy and fire to the team that cannot be encapsulated in the box scores. Its' funny, but even though the pace was at such an energetic level, it still felt like the Wolves were slowing things down and taking good shots. I guess the best way to describe it would be that they played with "controlled energy", rather than letting the pace get frantic. Between them, the three primary ball handlers, Davis, Foye and James, hand only three turnovers. This is one of the few times all season where there was little to complain about and every member played at a high level. More importantly, they Wolves played like a team, each member knowing his role and creating perfect chemistry. Let's hope it continues. I hope we look back on this game as the spark that turned the season around.

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