Eight-game, 21-day losing streak ends, 102-96 over Sixers
Posted on November 20th, 2008 – 12:46 AMBy Jerry Zgoda
Well, that didn’t take so long, did it?
Only three weeks.
The Wolves’ eight-game losing streak ended Wednesday when they finally played down the stretch mostly like this team has been built to play: Through Al Jefferson. He scored six consecutive points for the Wolves when it matters. The last two hoops repelled the Sixers after they had chopped a 10-point lead with less than six minutes left down to just one.
When Philly got within a point one last time, Jefferson passed out through the collapsing defense and found Mike Miller open for a three-pointer with 30.4 seconds left that pushed the Sixers away for the final time. It capped an evening from Miller that you’ve probably been waiting for since he was acquired from Memphis last summer: 10 points, 10 rebounds, six assists.
The Wolves won for the first time since their season opener, two days before Halloween.
Contrast this finish– when the Wolves scored when they had to and got just enough defensive stops to win — with Sunday’s collapse at Denver, or Saturday’s collapse against Portland or last week’s collapse at Golden State.
“I think the difference was our (defensive) stops,” said Jefferson, who scored 25. “The stops made the game ours. We made them take tough shots.”
This time, though, the Wolves knew where to go when they needed a basket and they went there: To Jefferson.
“I don’t feel like I have to take every shot at crunch time,” Jefferson said. “But the ball should go through me. If I see a double team, I’ll make the decision to pass it out. If not, I go to work.”
He did both when the Wolves really needed, two nights before Kevin Garnett comes back to play at Target Center for the first time since he was traded away.
Some other things:
Go figure this — Craig Smith brought the Wolves back from early deficits of 12-3 and 19-6 by scoring 13 of his 21 points before halftime but consider this stat line: 21 points, 0 rebounds, 5 assists. You might never see something like that from him again.
Randy Foye made his first start at point guard since the Wolves lost to San Antonio in the season’s fourth game and delivered a 10-point, six assists, three-rebound, two-block and two-turnover game in which he got the ball well enough where it needed to go down the stretch.
Rashad McCants played less than seven minutes after he got hit and had to leave in the second quarter because of back spasms. That might have been the best thing the Wolves had going for them down the stretch; Wittman couldn’t be tempted to put him in there.
Corey Brewer, again, played just 16 minutes.
Sebastian Telfair played just 14 minutes, but had eight assists. That’s pretty good. He had three turnovers, too, though.
35 Responses to "Eight-game, 21-day losing streak ends, 102-96 over Sixers"
Foye moved back into the starting 5 and was…well…solid. But unimpressive. He certainly didn’t inspire much confidence for me. We went down by 13 early and battled back with Bassy running the show. And Foye still locked up at the end, our offense still got really shaky. We just managed to get the ball to Al this time and let him do the playmaking.
I don’t know about this still. Foye improved in that he didn’t turn the ball over a lot (although his two turnovers were really bad). But he still missed a lot of easy plays. He had back to back possessions missing Mike wide open on the arc on one, Gomes wide open on the arc on the next. And he only put in 6 assists in 35 minutes. Telfair dropped 8 in just 14.
Hope you all saw the halftime thing about Bassy and being a point guard. That part early where he talked about how he gets the ball and the whole floor just lights up for him…that’s what I’m talking about (and what I think Jerry is talking about too) when I say he “gets it” and Foye doesn’t. It’s not that Foye is a bad player….he just doesn’t have that instinctive court vision, or the creativity to create offense from nothing.
Moving on though…
Getting Miller shots is still a big problem. He only took 7 total tonight in 40 minutes. He should have taken twice that many. And unlike the Denver game, I didn’t see him pass up any good shot opportunities tonight…he’s just not getting the ball enough. And it’s not like he’d hurt us, I mean he hit 4 of his 7 attempts, including half his threes.
Anyway, I think we saw that Miller is a good defender when the team is playing good team defense as a whole. He’s smart, positions himself well, and has good anticipation.
And at the end, all the big plays were made by Al. He carried us to the win, with his big buckets and then the pass to Miller.
That play, by the way, should happen 10 times a game, not once with 30 second left to play. It’s such an easy formula too. Just put Mike and Al on the same side of the floor, pass to the post. If Al gets doubled, kick it to Mike, if not, let him take the shot himself. Basic, elementary play. I don’t see what the problem is keeping the team from running it.
Also, tonight was a good example about what I’ve been talking about in terms or roster balance…I’ve said that our roster has more talent, but not the right kind, and used the Sixers as an example of a team in a similar situation and we saw that tonight…they went 1-11 from three and most of their field goals were right at the rim. They don’t have any shooters, and they struggle to win because of that, even though they’re more talented this year. It’s not about just having better guys on the roster, it’s about having guys that fit together as a team.
Part of me was secretly hoping we’d lose just to see heads roll. That sucks.
Oh, we’ll see that plenty the next few days. We play the Celtics, then Pistons, then Suns. Very likely three bad losses for us.
Tonight I went to espn.com to start scouting the big men (centers) in next years draft. They have Mullins and Thabeet at the top. I like our starters 1-4 right now (Foye, Miller, Gomes, and AJ). Collins is just taking up space but at least he’s a center. With a true big in there I like our team even more. Draft Thabeet, then another 7 footer in the 2nd round for depth, and sign Collins or some other vet big for one year to coach Thabeet. Then in 2010 we get the dude from Europe and we’re finally a team with our power forwards (AJ, Love, Smith) and centers playing in their true positions.
Great game, everyone on the team was playing with a sense of urgency. I liked that we got to the line 30 times. Were going to have to keep that up if were going to make it in the west. If we stay aggressive and get to the line a lot more consistently, we will win a lot more games. I’m always confident in foye when I see him drive the ball to the basket. It’s the only time I see him playing with a sense of purpose on offense. Thats how he’s going to learn how to get assists. Breaking down the defense and either drawing a foul or find the open man when the defense starts to collapse on you. I feel like he did an excellent job of that his rookie year when Garnett was here. He needs to play with that same style if he wants to be a great player in this league. On a side note, it pisses me off when Jefferson yells at Foye whenever he makes a mistake. You wonder why Foye doesn’t have any confidence this year. Al’s a great player, but he is a terrible teammate. It disgusts me to see him constantly berate Foye for everything he does wrong. Wittman needs to tell him to cut that out.
[…] On the Wolves – […]
Al is just frustrated with all the losing. He’s not just lighting up Foye, it’s everyone. He’s a very smart basketball player and the team has been making very bad mistakes…double dribbles, entry passes at guys’ knees, missing wide open shooters on the wings. There’s just a lot of basic basketball stuff the team doesn’t seem to understand…that’s what upsets Al and that’s why he gets so angry. He should probably at least keep that kind of temper behind closed doors, but ya, he’s not just yelling at Foye. He’s yelling at everyone.
And Thabeet is going to be beastly. He needs to work on his aggression…he drifts sometimes, loses focus on defense and doesn’t assert himself on offense. And he doesn’t have a very good offensive game anyway. But the main thing with him is he’s going to be one of those guys with a really steep learning curve coming into the NBA…I expect him to really struggle with hard contact and picking up a lot of fouls early in his pro career. But his potential is insane…at worst, he looks like the next Dikembe.
This is fantasic!!!!
The few remaining fans can now look forward to a third win sometime in the third week of December.
Godspeed McHale, Taylor, and Whittman.
What a model for the rest of the league to mimic.
zbast, “great game?”
God help us all.
Here is an example of a T-Wolf fan……..
Gump.
“And Thabeet is going to be beastly. He needs to work on his aggression…he drifts sometimes, loses focus on defense and doesn’t assert himself on offense. And he doesn’t have a very good offensive game anyway. But the main thing with him is he’s going to be one of those guys with a really steep learning curve coming into the NBA…I expect him to really struggle with hard contact and picking up a lot of fouls early in his pro career.”
So you’re saying he sucks?
“But his potential is insane…at worst, he looks like the next Dikembe.”
But the worst case scenario is he ends up in the hall of fame?
Make up your mind.
The real difference between this win and all the losses really didn’t have that much to do with the Wolves. The main difference was that Philly didn’t have a go to guy that could break down the Wolves defense. They got back within a basket a couple of times and then gave the ball to Iguodala who took some horrible shots. I didn’t see much of a killer intinct from the Wolves it was more that Philly just fell apart. When you are up by 9 points with 6 minutes left you need to finish them off not let them back in the game.
I’m with skramber in that I was kind of disappointed that they won. I figured a couple more losses in a row and something was going to have to be done. (i.e. firings and/or trades.)
Jama - Boooooooooo ! I’ll never ever root for them to lose ! Boooooo ! I think you should be punished by having to run around whatever building you’re in 10 times. Get to it !
They found a way to survive, which is good. There were some good signs, but the fundamental issues that plagued have plagued this team are still largely there. The defense was better last night, in part because they matched people up correctly. It was easier for Miller to look like a decent defender because he didn’t match up on Iguodala much.
“Jama - Boooooooooo ! I’ll never ever root for them to lose ! Boooooo ! I think you should be punished by having to run around whatever building you’re in 10 times. Get to it !”
When do the training wheels come off your kiddie bike?
Booing is all you have as a fan to voice your displeasure. Cheering only insures that McHale and Taylor continue their unholy marriage. Booing is exactly what this team needs.
You’re not one of those guys I laugh at from the First Ave upstairs bar waiting for autographs outside the players parking garage are you? Geezus christ….
When the Wolves beat a team with a winning record I will start cheering for them to win. Until then I say keep losing to force McHale or Taylor’s hand.
Time to start the Ricky Rubio countdown clock.
Pointless - If I go to the games I’m an O’Donovan’s guy. Who goes to first ave for a drink ?!
I curse players / coaches during the games if they are stinking. But I can honestly say I’ve never rooted for them to lose. I can’t do it.
Can Ricky Rubio play D ?
Of course, if the Wolves are in position to get Rubio this year, we can pretty much assume that he’ll choose not to declare for the draft. He does have another year on his European contract after this year, so he might wait until there’s no buyout and he could assure himself of being the #1 pick.
It is the Wolves, after all.
I was actually hoping they would lose it down the stretch too. I just wanted them to lose so the wolves would hopefully inch closer to a coaching/GM change.
I agree with jama. The Wolves didnt win this game in the end, the sixers just didn’t have that stud to beat us at the end of the game( ex: Brandon Roy,Tony Parker,Carmelo) Elton Brand is a really good player, but not a guy that will win you a game by himself in the end.
I checked the 2009 mock draft for the first time and we draft #2 and get B.J Mullens….7′1″ center from the Ohio state….Thabeet is projected to go #10…and Ricky Rubio #3… Blake Griffin goes #1 to OKL
Rubio’s D is one of the stronger points of his game. His anticipation and length are both exceptional. The one thing he does lack is top-notch quickness so he could struggle with quicker PG’s. His knowledge of the game also makes him a good help defender.
I agree with Sean. If the Wolves end up with a chance to take him I could see him either staying in Europe or pulling a Danilo Gallinari and demanding to go to a big market team.
Rubio’s D is one of the stronger points of his game. His anticipation and length are both exceptional. The one thing he does lack is top-notch quickness so he could struggle with quicker PG’s. His knowledge of the game also makes him a good help defender.
I agree with Sean. If the Wolves end up with a chance to take him I could see him either staying in Europe or pulling a Danilo Gallinari and demanding to go to a big market team.
Good. I’d like to get a defending PG ala DJ or Payton.
The Wolves radio broadcast is boring.
Here’s a bold prediction….the Wolves take Boston tomorrow. I don’t even want any points. I truly believe that. Am I alone? Probably so.
Pointless:
I’m saying that Thabeet will be very good, but it will take time. He won’t step in and make a huge impact immediately, thus the “potential” part, as in “could be in the future”.
Also, if we draft Rubio, I don’t see any problems getting him to play here.
First, draft picks no longer have any say in who drafts them. The league changed the rules on this after the ridiculous holdout from Steve Francis. Gallinari wanted to play in a big market, but the reason New York drafted him isn’t because he asked them to, it’s because his skillset is a great fit for D’Antoni’s system and Mike knows his dad. OJ Mayo wanted a big market too, ended up getting drafted by us then sent to Memphis. Too bad for him, he still has to play there.
Second, Spanish players have never put up a fight about where they play in the NBA. Pau Gasol was drafted by the Grizzlies when they sucked. Jose Calderon was drafted by the Raptors when they sucked. Sergio Rodriguez was drafted by the Blazers when they sucked, and Rudy Fernandez left millions on the table to join him this year. It won’t be a problem.
To go off of your point Bryan, if Rubio declares this year and we have a top 5 pick there is a really good chance we could get him. The other 4 worst teams in the league have either used a top pick on a PG or spent a bunch of money on one (This doesn’t include the Wizards who I think will end up with a decent record after Arenas comes back).
OKC - Russell Westbrook (#4 pick ‘08)
Memphis - Mike Conley Jr (#4 pick ‘07)
LAC - Baron Davis
Charlotte- Raymond Felton (#5 pick ‘05) & DJ Augustin (#9 pick ‘08)
I’m not suggesting that Rubio will declare for the draft and then holdout if the Wolves pick him.
I’m saying there’s no guarantee that Rubio will declare for the draft this year. A lot of folks think that he will wait until his European contract runs out before doing so.
So even if we’re in position this year to get him, it would be typical of Wolves luck that he ends up not declaring for the draft.
Bryan:
I agree with 3 things in your first post-
1. Miller’s not getting the ball enough in a position to shoot.
2. The pass out from Al to Mike should happen several times a game just by putting them on the same side of the floor.
3. Talent is great, but they have to play as a team.
I did think it odd though in your reaction to zbast’s comment on Al’s rough treatment of his teamates that you note one of his frustrations is missing wide open shooters on the wings, when Al is the biggest culprit of this flaw.
Moving on…
I know Brewer is starting for defensive purposes, but if he’s not going to get the ball when he’s open to even be given the chance to shoot, then bench him and let someone else play SF that will actually help the team start the game strong. My thought:
Collins at center so Al can play more comfortably at the PF. Miller at SF, Foye at SG and Telfair at PG. Just because someone starts doesn’t mean they have to see all the minutes. When Collins comes out, move Al to center and insert Love. When Telfair comes out, move Foye to PG and insert McCants. There are lots of better options for rotations than what I’ve seen Wittman use so far that I feel would help the team start and finish stronger. Last night seems to have been a very small move in the right direction in that regard.
Hopefully Witt starts the game off like this:
C- Collins v. Perkins
PF - Big Al vs. the Big Sucket.
SF - Gomes vs. Pierce
SG - Miller vs. Allen
PG - Bassy vs. Rondo
I like Bassy here over Foye because Rondo is a good on the ball defender, and Foye has had problems with those types of players this year.
You have to play Foye over Telfair. For all of Foye’s troubles this year, the Wolves have still been significantly better with him on the floor, particularly defensively.
With Foye on the floor, the Wolves give up points at a 107 points per 48 minute clip. With Telfair on the floor, the Wolves give up 125 points per 48 minutes.
Swan…I agree with you starting line-up tonight….should be a fun game…p.s. keep brewer on the bench for as much as possible….he’s terrible
Hey Jerry can we get a new game day blog cookin ?
Sports Junkie - Might need Brewer for Allen if Miller cannot do the job. Plus we are a bit thin at the 2 if McCants back is still having spasms.
Sean - Refer to the previous paragraph…I think Bassy needs to start here because we might be thin at the 2 spot. Might need Foye to play some 2.
Between Miller and Brewer, they should be able to cover the 2, even if McCants doesn’t play. Even if you do have to have Foye play some at the 2, he should still get most of his minutes at the point.
