<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">PORTLAND, Ore. ? Marko Jaric's hold on the Timberwolves' starting point guard position is weakening. In his strongest comments yet about the situation, coach Dwane Casey said he expects more passion from the organization's top free-agent signing last summer. Jaric struggled this week against Detroit and Boston, shooting 2 of 7 from the field in 36 minutes combined. But Casey said before Friday night's game at Portland that it's not his offensive production or lack thereof that concerns him. "We've got to have his passion, his hustle, his scrap," Casey said. "He didn't have that in the Detroit game. He didn't have that in the Boston game. Whatever the reason, the reasons are not important. We need him to compete and play with passion and to be a leader for our team. That's why we brought him in. "He's our starting point guard until he loses his job. That's the thing about the NBA ? you've got to compete, hold onto it. The main thing is the passion. It's not the points or the shots missed or whatever. It's just playing hard, getting up, challenging shots." Asked if Jaric has to show him something soon, Casey said: "Eventually everybody does. He does also if Marcus (Banks) continues to play well. We still have Troy (Hudson) and Marcus behind him. They're dying for playing time." Casey didn't mention Anthony Carter, which could have meant that Banks is the third (or possibly second) point guard behind Jaric. But Casey clarified his comments, saying Banks isn't the designated third point guard, a spot that had belonged to Carter all season before last week's trade that sent Wally Szczerbiak to Boston. The seven-player swap moved Banks to Minnesota. "We have four point guards who are very capable," Casey said. Jaric entered Friday night's game averaging 9.8 points, five assists and 3.4 rebounds, numbers that are similar to last season when he played for the Los Angeles Clippers. He hasn't lived up to the expectations of a $38 million contract he signed in the offseason.</div> Source
