Lovegood, Willbad

     The Wolves game versus the Nuggies last Wednesday night took on extra electricity when Kevin Love made his first appearance of the season ahead of schedule, yet the game went south for the Wolves when they reversed course and played worse in the second half instead of vice versa and lost 101-94.
     Love looked energetic and even feisty out there, but his presence in the line-up bogged down the flow for the other players. As RCoach Adelman said to Ray Richardson of the Pi-Press, "We didn't do a good job of cutting when we did give [Love] the ball. We stood and watched. When guys come back, we have to figure out how we're going to do things. That might take a little time."
     At first glance, the 34 points and 14 boards put up would suggest that Love was all the way back from the knuckle push-up (cough, cough) injury that broke the third and fourth metacarpal bones in his right--or main punching--hand. But a closer examination of his shooting form (maybe better termed as "flinging" in his first game back) and resulting stats--2-for9 from three-point land and 8-for-14 from the charity stripe--lead me to believe that the mending phalanges have a ways to go. However, as Love said at halftime, his dad told him to let it fly, and that seemed to be Love's modus operandi, which was fun to watch. That free-firing attitude probably led to Love's throwdown of Kosta Koufas in the third quarter, too, which was a pleasure to watch. I mean, what's Koufas expect when he attacks Love's very weakness (broken hand) on a breakaway? That's right, you get thrown into the row of camera guys. That situation, methinks, has some historical rankling going back to the time where Koufas busted his butt when he was a member of the T-Wolves in many a practice only to see Love get the playing time, and limelight, in games.
     Speaking of playing time, where was Derrick Williams's? Zero minutes and zero seconds? The only guy to get a DNP-CD in the box score? What has Williams done to Adelman to deserve this? The rift between the two must be worse than it appears. I found myself feeling for Williams as he sat...and sat...and sat as the likes of Josh Howard, Greg Steimsma, and Louis Amundson passed his by on the bench on their way to the scorer's table. I've been there a couple times (thanks Gary Thomas, thanks Perry Ford), and it's a situation that screwdrivers your competitive heart. I think Derrick Williams has serious game. I hope he can find it with the Wolves.
     P.S.: Bummer about Brandon Roy's scope surgery on his knee. Hope he can come back and give Minnesota something yet this season (and next, which the Wolves signed him for, too).... Also hoping, maybe, Rubio will beat the rehab timetable like Love did. Obviously very different injuries--incomparable, even--but don't you feel like team attitude goes a long way in rehab duration sometimes? I do.