Post your ideas about the game tonight. This will be Casey's first road test tonight against a pretty good Sonics team. I can't wait to see it on T.V. Minny has to be careful on the perimeter, because they have 2 great 3point shooters in Allen and Vlad. That will probly be the key to who wins and loses.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Dwane Casey says tonight's game will be emotional. Casey is making the trip back to Seattle to play the SuperSonics about five months after he left the organization and accepted the Timberwolves' head coaching position. Tonight's game is the second of the season, and Casey already is returning to the city where he logged 11 years as an assistant coach. He developed young Sonics such as Luke Ridnour, Rashard Lewis and Reggie Evans. Now, those players are scheduled to start against Casey's Wolves. Casey watched Ridnour grow as a player. He remembers spending weeks at a time working with Lewis in Houston after Lewis entered the NBA draft out of high school. He said he fought for Evans to make the Sonics' roster even though Evans was not drafted. "All those things will come into play," Casey said Thursday. "But again, when we throw it up, it's going to be our team against Seattle. There won't be any mixed emotions from that standpoint because I want to win." He said the trip to Seattle is purely business. He traveled back there several times this summer after he accepted the Wolves' job in June, but this will be the first time he has coached against the Sonics. He said he didn't have any plans for any social functions or get-togethers with friends. It's all business. "I'm more into basketball," Casey said. "Friends, I'll see them in the summertime." It's the same approach Casey used when he coached against longtime friend and ex-Sonics guard Nate McMillan in Wednesday's season opener. Minnesota defeated McMillan's Portland Trail Blazers 90-86 at Target Center. Casey was an assistant under McMillan in Seattle for five years.</div> Source The TWolves do not match up well with the Sonics defensively. Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis are the primary scoring options, and the TWolves don't really have the lockdown defenders to guard either. Casey knows the Sonics inside and out, but he's going to have to find a way to stop those two players. The TWolves barely got past the Blazers, and they Sonics backcourt won't make the same mistakes the Blazers did down the stretch. Ideally you would like to put KG on Shard, but that leaves Wally having to guard Ray Allen or Reggie Evans. The Sonics would take advantage of either matchup. I think Casey needs to mix it up tonight. Maybe have Eddie Griffin start and defend Shard, and let Wally come off the bench when Wilkins comes in the game. He might also want to consider starting Hudson at PG, and sliding Jaric to SG to defend Allen. Ridnour struggled against Cassell, and Hudson can put the same type of pressure on Ridnour. Hudson would also give the TWolves another shooter on the court with Wally on the bench. Hudson - Ridnour Jaric - Allen Griffin - Shard KG - Evans Kandi - Petro I like these matchups better for the TWolves to start the game. KG has to score at least 25 points tonight for the TWolves. He'll see a lot of different looks from Seattle, but KG has the edge in every match up.
KG having a normal monster game. 8 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists. Not too bad. We're allmost done with the first half. Jaric also has 8 for the wolves and Allen leads the Sonics. With 8.
OT baby, what a great game to watch, KG was so clutch with that save to Wally for the dunk. Amazing, then Allen throws up a weak shot after he holds it for half a day. -I hope somebody teaches a 7foot Olowokandi how to make a open layup, or maybe a damn dunk. He should run that drill 5,675 times. It was a good game, and we showed we can play with the "favorite" to win the division.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting GarnettKG21:</div><div class="quote_post">-I hope somebody teaches a 7foot Olowokandi how to make a open layup, or maybe a damn dunk. He should run that drill 5,675 times. It was a good game, and we showed we can play with the "favorite" to win the division.</div> This is one game I wouldn't put the blame on Olowokandi - yea the missed layup (he wanted to dunk) was big but he kept the Wolves in it with probably 3+ offensive rebounds. I think the Wolves had a lot of mental errors and issues to look at - but were still in the game.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting GarnettKG21:</div><div class="quote_post">It was a good game, and we showed we can play with the "favorite" to win the division.</div> When did you play Denver? Anyway, very big win for the Supes. We played sloppy basketball and shot the ball appallingly, but to grind away and come up trumps in the fourth quarter/OT after what happened against the Clippers is very satisfying. Six game road trip now, so to drop our opening two games at home would have been suicide. I think the Nuggets will win the division and get a top three seed, but both these clubs should be right in the mix for the last five seeds.
Althought I can ramble on for a paragraph or two on why McCants should get more than 4 minutes a game I choose not to. The TWolves are playing good basketball even with this loss. To hang in there with a team that won 50+ games isn't something to hang your head on. Kandi looks like he wants a new deal, KG is playing possibly the best basketball of his career, and Jaric looks like the perimeter defender the Wolves needed. They can surprise some people this year.
Last night was a perfect example of why the TWolves are going to miss Sammy. They led the entire game, but folded in the 4th quarter. The TWolves have to find a closer for this team with Sammy gone. They took a lot of shots out of their comfort spots, especially Wally. He kept shooting 3point shots, but he's much better from 18 in. Also a bad decision with the matchup they had on Ray Allen late in the game and in OT. He lives for those moments to hit the dagger, but instead of having Dupree or Hassell on him, Frahm was checking him. Solid showing by the TWolves on the road though, I think Casey is still learning what his players can do.
Actually, my feeling was that it was a pretty good game but we missed too many open shots. We missed freakin' lay-ups and wide open jumpers. The Sonics just hit shots when they needed to. Kandi (please do something with your hair) actually didn't do too bad a job. He did get a number of rebounds and scored a little. Both teams struggled in their strengths (jump shooting) last night. This actually shows me that we need a powerful post player, just for the times when the shots aren't dropping. Trent was more respectable in that aspect than people were giving him credit for. I like the fact that Jaric is a "steal waiting to happen". Griffin <font size=""4""><u>STILL</u></font> needs to work on his post game. He's ok, but people know, when he's out there, he's just going to spread the floor since he wants to shoot deep. Kandi needs to add the pump to his arsenal, and KG needs to play better post "D" and not bite on every pump fake thrown at him.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Sabretooth:</div><div class="quote_post"> Griffin <font size=""4""><u>STILL</u></font> needs to work on his post game.</div> Honestly, do you think he can get better down in the block? or better question do you think he wants to get better down in the paint? I dont know, he isnt that old, so there may still be alot of growth let in his game..but it seems to me that he is a guy comfortable with his role in this league..which is a big body, who can stretch the defense by making the 23 footer..I dont know if he is putting in the time during the summer to add the basket to the basket game into his play. He should tho, cause he missed a few shots around the basket last night in the 4th quarter vs the Clippers that could have been the difference in stealing that game away from the Clippers. Anyway, I like Griff...but honestly I dont see him becoming much more than he already is..
