Newly acquired Rodney Carney sat out the final session of two-a-day practices Sunday evening because of a sore hamstring that could keep him sidelined for tonight’s Vegas summer-league opener against Dallas. No. 1 draft pick Kevin Love watched the final 30 minutes from a chair after getting kneed in the thigh, but he’s expected to play.

After watching three practices, here’s some thoughts:

Whether Love’s athleticism will transfer to the pro game begins to be answered tonight, but the guy sure can pass in tight spaces. A splendid interior passer who’s old school enough to know how, where and when to throw a bounce pass, he has made Longar Longar and Dan Coleman look like scoring machines at times. If he can do that for them, think what he might do for Big Al Jefferson.

After watching general manager Jim Stack pace with his cell phone stuck in his ear most of Sunday, it feels like the Wolves are closer to signing one or some of their own free agents. Ryan Gomes, the team’s No. 1 target, has been waiting for other teams to sign the bigger name free agents apparently still hoping someone will have the money to give him a full midlevel exception. James Posey’s signing somewhere could expedite Gomes’ signing, but it might not necessarily take that long for Gomes, a restricted free agent, to strike a deal here or elsewhere. If he signs an offer sheet with another team, the Wolves have seven days to match or let him go free.

The Wolves summer-league team lacks scorers and is short after big men Kaniel Dickens, a NBA Developmental All Star, and Blaine’s own Patrick O’Bryant, now an unrestricted free agent after a failed stint with Golden State, declined to play for them. Randy Wittman says he wants his team to win every game, but doesn’t care if it wins every game. Got it? “New York went 5-0 in summer league last year and won 23 games,” Wittman said. “New Orleans went 0-5 and won 60 games.” Actually, the Hornets won 56.

Free agent guard Bryce Taylor from Oregon can shoot it, but he’s streaky.

O.J. Mayo, a Timberwolf for about four hours, sure is smooth. His scoring hasn’t been explosive — Coby Karl did a fine job slowing him down Sunday in Memphis’ game against the Lakers — but he has a feel for and a command of the game and such a pure shooting stroke. Different players, different positions, different games, but the Love-Mayo comparisons unofficially start when Love takes the floor for the first time tonight.

Fans have packed intimate Cox Pavilion daily for summer-league games and on Sunday they were all amused when the arena p.a. announcer declared that Kobe Bryant had just scored when Coby Karl really did.

I actually saw Corey Brewer make five consecutive perimeter jumpers on Sunday. Really, I did.

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