Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 Keys for Survival without Kevin Love

It's been nearly two years since I posted something on this site. Tonight, I unclogged this blog and oiled it one more time for another slide, and I'm starting 2013 with one of my favorite teams, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

When Kevin Love returned early in the season to bolster their line-up, things were looking great for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are looking to enter the playoffs for the first time since Kevin Garnett brought them to the conference finals in 2004. They gained additional muscle when Ricky Rubio reported to the scorer’s table in a win against Dallas, from an ACL injury sustained last March. With their front runners returning from injuries, the Wolves had a clear look on their goal for this year.

Little did they know that the castle they built on the sands would once again crumble down. In a game against Denver, with Rubio out due to back spasms, Love fractured his right hand, his second since injuring the same hand last October 17. MRI reports confirmed the injury and the recovery period is yet to be known.

One thing is sure at this very moment. The Wolves are in a rebuilding process while their main men are breaking down, quite literally.

With Love out indefinitely, the Timberwolves are looking to survive another run without the leader of their wolf pack. How they would do it remains to be the question which I will be answering right at this moment.

1.  Maintain Rebounding Control

The Timberwolves lead the league in rebounding, grabbing a stellar 46.2 boards per game, 13.9 of which are coming off from offensive glass. This means that the Timberwolves are dominant on second chance points which are very vital on the offense. Love leads the team in rebounding, clearing 14 boards per night in 18 games that he played. With him out, the rebounding effort should be spread up to the last string sitting on that bench. This would come in handy now that Nikola Pekovic and Chris Johnson have improved their inside games.

2. Aggression

The Timberwolves have decent perimeter players who can knockdown jumpers anytime. But attacking the middle for a higher percentage shot is way better than pulling up. Derrick Williams has not blown to his full potential this season. With his explosiveness and athleticism, he would be a great uplift to the gang.

3. Improve Free Throw Shooting

With aggression comes hard fouls. With fouls come free throws. With free throws, the Wolves are shooting 73.1 percent. They rank 23^rd in the league in that department which means that the opponent’s defense would rather give a foul rather than an easy two. If the Wolves continue their effort to make their foul shots, it would be a plus offensively.

4. Blast three’s

The Wolves have good shooters in their line-up. Stacked with European talent, they have the ability to make 3’s and to bang it up inside physically. But at this moment, the Wolves are shooting a lowly 29.5 percent from beyond the arc. Should JJ Barea, rookie Alexey Shved, and Luke Ridnour improve their touch from the arc, the Wolves can be unstoppable at every given night.

5. Defense

Cliche as it is, a good defense is the best offense. The Timberwolves are allowing 95.3 points a game, 7^th overall in the league. They rank 19^th and 10^th in stealing and blocking shots with 7.6 and 5.6 respectively. With slight decency in their defensive stats, it’s the intangibles that count in their defense. With every wolf giving their all every night to protect the ball and maintain turnovers below 15, they would have every opportunity to flourish. The Timberwolves improving their defense would bolster their chances of making the playoffs this year.

                

Checking on the Crystal Ball: Kobe and the Lakers

If Kobe Bryant is to sit in his nice, soft couch today, with his daughter on his lap, his legs raised, and the TV on showing his best on the NBA's Greatest Games, I bet he would already have the self- actualization that he deserves.

Kobe's got five championship rings, 2 Finals MVP's and a league MVP plum. He was a thirteen time all-star, a four- time all-star game MVP, and a two- time scoring champion. He was in the first and second all-NBA for numerous times. He was a leading brand endorser, a commercial model, an idol to the youth and to the past generations as well, and a slam dunk champion.  When looking at these achievements, all LA would be so much grateful that all of these wouldn't turn banners. Or else, the Lakers would now be playing home games on an open court.

But reality orates that Kobe isn't sitting on that couch yet and that he still has some powerful diesel left in his tank. He is at the ripe age of 32 with nagging injuries crawling up his heels, literally. We saw how this bothered him in the 2011 offseason against the New Orleans Hornets and the champs, Dallas Mavericks. It is not safe to say, somehow, that it was the reason they got swept by the Mavs because Kobe has impressive numbers in that series. Now, the past has been buried and a new season may still be at the hanger because of the lockout. This moment, Kobe has been capitalizing on returning his injury plagued body into shape.

And as much as I knew, Kobe is a huge block that can't be destroyed anytime. It wouldn't take long for the process to develop. For the last few weeks, Kobe has invaded Asia playing exhibitions in China and the Philippines. His superb performances show that he still got it.

The power to play hasn't left Kobe at all but the power to win a championship may have. I don't have anything against Kobe or the LA Lakers but reality is far from what every fan has been dreaming of. Unless, the Lakers would be able to acquire the likes of Dwight Howard, Kobe may not have his sixth title yet. Next season would be another turning point to the Laker- plagued decade. They have a new coach in Mike Brown who openly brought in a new system into the court. The Lakers is now looking at its new face in the mirror. Next season could change the landscape of the Lakers.

Kobe would still be its face of course. But the dominance of 2009 and 2010 would not be there anymore. As I said, unless they brought in an impact player, their seventeenth title would still have to wait. Kobe is not getting any younger. That is a fact that even change can't change. In any league and any sport, a star always have to lose its brightness. Kobe would still have showtime and buzzer beaters and furious dunks, but in the long run, he would not be able to conceal the weaknesses that they may encounter exploited by stronger teams with young guns.

It is not closed anyway that the Lakers will still win their seventeenth trophy and Kobe may still hug his sixth, that is, again, if the Lakers would be wise enough to weigh their options and play strategy basketball to the best. As of now, Kobe would have to leap off the couch, kiss his daughter and turn the TV off because the gym is waiting for the greatest Laker ever (sorry Magic).  

Yao Retires

2002 marked the birth of Amare Stoudemire, that year's top rookie. But before the Suns big man came up of the ranks, the highly anticipated arrival of that year's draft top pick pulled every attention there is from Houston to China. For the first time, a recognizable Asian stepped his large snickers on the wooden floor. I'm not talking about Wang Zhi Zhi. 7'6 Yao Ming, the stellar center out of Shanghai took his talents from the CBA into the NBA and made the Houston Rockets look like another contender.

In the middle of the past decade, Yao Ming has been the root and the trunk of the entire Houston Rockets team. He carried them, along side with the great Tracy McGrady, to consecutive playoff appearance which all ended crumbling down their knees. Primarily, because of Yao, the Rockets resurfaced for the first time since Clyde Drexler joined Hakeem Olajuwon in delivering a championship to Houston.

Because of consistent frustrations out of the offseason, many consider the Rockets as a young and growing team whose time may come in the latter part of the decade. Along side their promises, McGrady and Yao has carried the team in B+ seasons. Back then, their feet still contend and are still strong enough to carry the heroes carrying their team.

But in 2007, those strong feet came crumbling down. T-Mac missed many games that could save them to the playoffs and Yao often finds himself in a suit cheering for Chuck Hayes to get back on defense. The promise of another Houston championship dusked that day.

In 2009, the worst took its toll. A hairline fracture prevented Yao from playing for the entire season. That pretty much began Yao's end in the league. Last season, the management gave him 24 minute playing time every other night. Their main focus is to keep Yao healthy. But the giant feet may have fought its final battle. Its strength faded away leaving the foundation of the Houston Rockets decide to announce his early exit from the league last July 8. After 9 seasons of becoming an 8 time all star, and 2 time all NBA second team, Yao Ming emphasized that the Great Wall Of China has an endpoint.

In a matter of 9 years, Yao Ming served as an ambassador for the sport in his home country. He connected the US to China and other parts of Asia. In those 9 years, not only did Yao grabbed tremendous amounts of rebounds, he, most especially, grabbed millions of hearts for being so down to earth... at 7'6.

                                  

"Resurrection" or "Innovation": What's To Be Done with the Dunk Contest

Eight years ago, Michael Jordan played his last all star game. Eight years ago, the Heat big three were drafted. Eight years ago, Jason Kidd contended for the New Jersey Nets who were contenders that time. Eight years ago, the San Antonio Spurs grabbed their second championship and proved that the contenders in New Jersey needs more fuel for the run. Aside from these memorable events, the closure for a legend, the birth of the new bad blood, the hype of careers, and the quest for championships, in 2003 this happened:

 
The All Star Saturday of 2003 capped a wild night in Atlanta which saw the jaw breaking slam dunk slug fest, one of the best there was in the post- Vince Carter era. As you can see, no superman capes, no double boards, no cupcakes, no cars, and yet it made the Philips Arena add more roofs the following day. What is found in the event was plain entertainment, plain action that blew off the Atlanta Hawks' stadium.

The Slam Dunk contest was reborn that year and innovation made its way. By the late 2000's, the use of props in the slam dunk contest somehow made it more entertaining. That is a sure fact. But the use of props, to some people, especially to high flying and body twisting dunkers, is an easy way out to get a 50.

For a long period of time, the 2003 Slam dunk contest was the only slug fest to feature a prop-less and assist- less contest. Only the dunkers and the ball. While many people think that props made it more entertaining, some consider the overshadowing of pure talent. Both sides have points but time controls everything. The innovation and creativity of men who fly are boundless. And we can really never tell what will happen next in the dunk contest. Or maybe, Demar DeRozan, who I honestly think was robbed from this year's contest, needs to join again next year, in the midst of cars, stuffed toys, and triple balls, and cement his legacy by bringing back the talent packed contest that was revolutionized by the league's pillars.   

Dirk Nowitzki's Birthday Special

It's June 19 on the other side of the world, a day remembered because the most dominating Dallas Maverick was born on this day. He's tall, he's white, and most of all he's a champion- no not Brian Cardinal men! For most of us who knows better, it's Dirk Nowitzki's birthday! And it calls for more celebration... I'm taking you to one of his most memorable moments in the league

1998- drafted ninth by the Milwaukee Bucks, he was traded to Dallas where he and Canadian star Steve Nash began the rebuilding of the Texas based troop

2001-2004- The Mavs created their very own big three with Nowitzki, Nash, and Michael Finley. The stage was set for the team to dominate as they showered the post season with power. Ending roughly that they never reached the finals, several moves were set. In 2004, Nowitzki parted ways with best pal Nash who went to Phoenix. Nowitzki then carried the team filled with young guns.

2002-2011- Nowitzki made the All Star team for 10 consecutive years.

2009 West team

2006- Dirk Nowitzki nailed 18 points in the NBA All Star 3 point shootout finals to grab the three point shooting title

2006- The Mavs reached their first NBA finals stint against the Miami heat and had the most frustrating final series loss. They took control of the series at 2-0 but failed to show up for the next four games which the Heat took to win the championship.

2007- Leading his Mavs to a 67-15 regular season record, Dirk won his first NBA Most Valuable Player award, which he received in a press room as a result of a shocking upset from the Golden State Warriors who dump them out of the first round in six games

2011- After 5 years of being haunted by the ghost of 2006, Dirk Nowitzki led a Cinderella run by the Mavs, beating defending champion LA Lakers via sweep in the second round of the playoffs, showing strength by comebacks against the OKC Thunder in the West Finals and ultimately putting an end to the Miami Heat's swagger in the NBA Finals. Dirk was named finals MVP.

With all of these accomplishments by the big German, he may not want anything more for his birthday... But maybe this is something......

but maybe, just maybe... it will never happen

Your TRUE MVP: Happy Fathers Day!

It's Sunday...
Not an ordinary Sunday for waking up at 9am and spending a whole afternoon on TV, Youtube, social networks, and everything that a busy person don't seem to have.

Besides being the Lord's day, this Sunday is for all the fathers out there who works hard for their families fixing cars, baking bread, serving dinner, signing contracts, driving cabs, and even dribbling basketballs. Whatever jobs they do, fathers remain one of the greatest (the other one are moms) super heroes ever!

 

Why the Heatles went out of Tune

the 4th guy... did not have any minutes...