<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Making the Griffin assumption, this is the current depth chart: Center: Michael Olowokandi, Griffin, Mark Madsen, rookie Dwayne Jones. Big forward: Kevin Garnett, Tskitishvili (plus Madsen, Griffin). Small forward: Wally Szczerbiak, Trenton Hassell. Point guard: Troy Hudson, Jaric, rookie Bracey Wright. Off guard: Jaric, McCants (plus Hassell). <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Rumor has it, the man around whom any return to the playoffs will be built -- Garnett -- was not pleased when he heard the Cassell deal was coming. That had to be based on Garnett's personal fondness for the often lovable, perpetually wacky Cassell. KG has to realize his team could not again function with Sam waving goodbye to any opponent who wanted to get inside the Wolves defense.</div> Jaric's advantage in size and in youthful legs (he'll be 27 to Cassell's 36 this season) is obvious. According to Casey, the most important advantage might be in Jaric's determination on both ends of the floor. "Marko's a tough cookie; he has an edge to him," the coach said. "He takes a lot of pride in his game. He caught my attention as the point guard on the Yugoslavian team that beat the U.S. in Indianapolis [2002] and wound up winning the gold medal." The nation is now called Serbia-Montenegro. Jaric was headed back home Saturday to start practicing with the national team for the European Championships. He will be gone for a month. The Wolves have asked the rest of the roster to be in Las Vegas next week for a non-compulsory minicamp -- to meet and practice with the new coach. By then, Casey will have watched tapes of another dozen games from last season, and hope McHale and Stack have signed another guard to help fix that lousy perimeter defense. </div> Source
Everybody keeps talking about some miracle change that is going to happen....honestly I dont see how?...the thing that killed the Wolves most last year, was the fact they cant guard pick & rolls. But its not only the guards duty on pick & roll, but the bigs are also responeible for showing etc...to help keep penetrators from turning the corner...the Wolves bigs never did that imo. So I dont see how adding Jaric makes then much better defensively...He is a decent defender at times...but nothing special. And if the entire team doesnt make the commitment to change then they will still be just as bad defensively as they were last year. They still have Hudson, Wally who cant guard...so Mchale is trying to get people to buy this miracles defensive change? But from where....
Well we could also add injuries to the mix, and their perimeter defense as a whole was weak. Sprewell forgot how to defend for half the year, Hudson who played a lot at PG is a terrible defender, and Szczerbiak, well Wally and defense aren't friends.
