Pups Whip Spurs...To End Painful Season

D-Will, Finishing Things in San Antone. AP Photo.

  A 2012-13 Minnesota Timberwolves season that started with great expectations ended April 17, 2013, with a meaningless 108-95 ass-whuppin' of the San Antonio Spurs, second-best team in the Western Conference. Not since 2004 had the T-Wolves won in San Antonio, a streak that lasted 16 games over eight seasons--and apparently meant nothing to the championship-contending Spurs who rested stars Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker the entire fourth quarter.
  The Wolves were led by second-year forward Derrick Williams who finished the game with a team-high 21 tallies and the season with strong statement that he--not prima donna, knuckle-busting, lip-flapping, glory-hounding Kevin Love--could be the premier T-Wolves forward of the future.
  While the Wolves head to the lottery for the ninth straight season, their 31-51 final regular season record marks the first time they've topped 30 victories in a season since 2006-07--yet another utterly pathetic statistic. The Spurs, meanwhile, will visit the playoffs for the 16th straight season, this year as a strong contender once again.
  Stay tuned for a season-ending special from LeBounce, coming this weekend.

Warriors Blast Wolves, Love Scopes Knee

Andrei, having trouble.

  The Wolves played an absolutely terrible third quarter last night versus the Warriors, letting a close game completely slip away which led to a 105-89 loss. Sure, it shouldn't really matter since the Wolves are out of the playoffs and Adelman's 1000th win is secured and the Warriors were playing to clinch their first playoff appearance in a number of years. But, really, it just crystallized this season for me. I've never had such personal excitement for the Wolves turn into such stomach pain.

THE UGLINESS
  This team's hard to watch, Ricky Rubio's hustle plays and occasional slick passing aside. Ricky, in partic, has had his faulty jumper absolutely exposed the last two games, going 1-for-13 against Detroit and then 0-for-10 against the Warriors from the field. Those types of games usually happen maybe once or twice a season to accomplished players, not in back to back games. And not as many times as Ricky has had these shooting disaster nights happen to him. I LOVE Ricky's floor game, desire, and defense, but his perimeter shot is a gaping weakness at this point. It can be fixed up, but until it is, Ricky's gonna have problems helping the Wolves win.
  Kirilenko and Shved, the Russian help, have really faded as the season's gone on. I understand how winning tends to help everything, and when the Wolves started the season well, these two guys were two of the biggest factors. But Kirilenko's not getting any younger, and injuries have been a definite problem with him, and Shved's streakiness, shooting-wise, can be as appalling as his inability to get any calls or slump-shouldered-ness when he doesn't. These problems have cut into this pair's helpful contributions of hustle, D, court sense, and winning attitude.
  JJ Barea and Luke Ridnour are both so undersized it hurts sometimes, and the Wolves' injuries have forced Adelman to play the both of them much more than a winning team should. It hurts that they're kind of redundant, position-wise, too. At least they ain't quitters, I guess.
  Greg Stiemsma is a fine banger, but the least attractive Wolves offensive possession these days ends with him clanking his flat-footed, slingshot, no-arch, mud-balled jumper from 15 feet or beyond. Why he even attempts these--ever--befuddles me at best, makes me wince and leave the room at worst. Know yer role, Greg. Shot blocks, rebounds, picks, forearm shivers.

Love, riding pine.

  Kevin Love. Boy, great news that you decided on knee surgery just as your hand is healing up, Kev. That's straight up bullshit. Why not get it scoped back in February? Why the charade about wanting to play this year? Why, again, were you complaining about the Wolves not giving you an extra year on your contract, when you wasted the shit out of this year--an important-as-hell year that was integral in capitalizing on genuine fan interest for the first time in ages? Bad move, Kevin. Bad moves. If he wants to regain any true love from the fans, he better come back absatively better than ever. I still hope we trade him.


THE HOPE

Pek, kicking butt.

  The level of hurt Ricky seems to be going through with each mounting loss should drive him to fix up that J.

  Derrick Williams has come to the gym with his sneakers tied tight recently. Another year or two and he could be a beast if he keeps steadily improving. Defense is a glaring shortcoming, but with his athletic ability, good defense is just a ratcheted-up attitude away.

  Shved has potential, and he got way more playing time than he should've this season, which hopefully translates into a quicker ascension to usefulness.

  Coach Adelman comes back. More specifically, his wife's health improves. Here's hoping.

  The Wolves do what the Gophers couldn't and acquire the services of Flip Saunders to take over as GM for the expiring Kahn, and, eventually, the soon-retiring Adelman on the bench. 

  The Wolves chances of retaining Nikola Pekovic seem high. Just recently chosen as Western Conference Player of the Week, Pek has shown a dominant game as of late. I think he's still improving, too. I love his ruggedness, and I like that he seems to enjoy being in Minnesota, unlike another faux-rugged 6-foot-10'er on the team.

Nice Life: 1000 Wins and a Dear Wife

Coach A and his wife, Mary Kay.

  Coach Rick Adelman has been beleaguered like the rest of his Timberwolves team this unfortunate basketball season of 2012-13, missing time early in 2013 while attending to his wife Mary Kay, who has been having medical problems, namely mysterious seizures. I have a brother, Tony, who has been dealing with a similar issue with random seizures for a number of years now, and let me say it's been no picnic--not for my brother, most of all, but not for his family, either.
  So it was gratifying to see the Wolves pull out a hard-fought 107-101 win on April 6, 2013, against the plucky (on this night, anyway) Detroit Pistons to give Coach Adelman his 1,000th career win, a milestone that puts him in rarified air with only seven other coaches at this point in NBA history. I've long been a fan of Adelman's court savvy, team management, and consistently level-headed approach to dealing with NBA seasons and players and fans. He's no-nonsense, but he seems to have levity, too.
  Another thing about him I like is the way he seems to cherish his wife. Lots of sports dorks like to pretend they're infallible, that nothing or no one can get in the way of that quest for the championship. But when Mary Kay went down with her health problems earlier in the season, Coach A was obviously stricken. He took time off from coaching right in the middle of the season, he and spent the time he and she needed and more to be with the person that matters most to him, to a person who's been loyal to him through the rigors and crazy travels and schedules of countless NBA seasons. And then, when it seemed she was well enough, he came back to coach this lost team in this lost season. I respect him for that, too.
  I'd be remiss if I didn't pay homage to my own lovely wife here at the end of a seemingly impossibly long and cold winter. Nicole's a person I simply love to be with, love to talk to, can't do without. To her from me, a thousand kisses.