Bye, bye Mankato
Posted on October 4th, 2008 – 10:35 PMBy Jerry Zgoda
The Wolves broke training camp Saturday night and headed home from Mankato limping and sore after five long days. Here’s this, that and the other from a 62-62 tie between the “White” and the “Black” teams in a camp-ending public scrimmage at Bresnan Arena.
The White team: Rodney Carney, Ryan Gomes, Al Jefferson, Mike Miller, Randy Foye, Kevin Love, Kevin Ollie, Chris Richard.
The Black team: Corey Brewer, Craig Smith, Mark Madsen, Rashad McCants, Sebastian Telfair, Blake Ahearn, Rafael Araujo.
Brian Cardinal didn’t play because of a calf injury. Mike Miller didn’t finish because of a sore hamstring that he called no big deal afterward.
Al Jefferson started and showed he is several days ahead of his expected recovery from that sprained knee ligament suffered in a preseason workout at Target Center last month. Expect him to play some when the Wolves play their first preseason game at Milwaukee on Monday.
“I know me, I know my body,” he said. “I heal so fast.”
Kevin Love showed the effects of his first NBA training camp. Afterward, he lamented all his missed shots in a 2-for-8 night, including a missed tip with his left hand of a Kevin Olllie miss that would have won the game for the White team, which came back from 51-41 behind to claim the tie.
Said Randy Wittman: “Typical rookie stuff. He has reached that point where he doesn’t know which way he’s going. His body hurts. His head hurts. He has reached the rookie wall in training camp.”
After Saturday’s morning practice, Wittman praised Sebastian Telfair for the poise and command he showed in camp from the point-guard spot, then Telfair had a 1-for-9 shooting night and got burned by Randy Foye in a seven-minute final quarter, when Foye scored all of his 14 points.
Foye said he was just doing what his coaches told him to: Get others involved in the offense early. “When they tell me to go, I’ll go and do what I did the last seven minutes,” he said.
Rashad McCants was the most assertive offensive player on the floor. He led everybody with 19 points on 6 for 14 and afterward Wittman praised him for his “effort,” which presumably included his work on the defensive end.
Veteran Calvin Booth didn’t do anything more than ride the exercise bike and walk around the upper concourse during training camp because of back spasms. Wittman called the lack of good health and production from his big men the most disappointing aspect of training camp.
Foye called the five days the most “point on,” “heady” training camp he has ever participated in, college or pro. “I don’t think I’ve ever been through a camp like that,” he said.
The Wolves’ two-a-days are over. Sunday is the last days that by league rules they could do so, but Wittman will have his guys practice just once, this afternoon, before they fly to Milwaukee Monday to play the Bucks that night.
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