<div align="center"> <font size="3"><font color="DarkGreen">Timberwolves Keys To Success 12/3/04</font></font></div> <font size="1">*As we all know tonight the Wolves take on the high octane Phoenix Suns in their building. This is an important game for the Wolves. They have won 3 straight. And things seem to be starting to fit together after a slow start. But this will be a difficult test, mainly on the Wolves defense, which still doesnt look as sharp as it did last season. This is not an official game preview, simply somethings to look at from a Wolves Prespective. And if they get alot of these things accomplished tonight. I think the Wolves can be successful on the road.</font> <font color="DarkGreen">Transition Defense</font>. The Wolves biggest test will come in the fact of how well, they get back on defense to stop the Suns transition game. The Suns with Steve Nash look to push the ball every single chance they get. And that will be a tuff task for a team like the Wolves, who struggle sometimes getting back after missed long jumpers. Guys like Cassell or Sprewell, sometimes get caught complaining to Refs when they felt they were fouled and forget about getting back on the other end, which lead to easy baskets for their opponents. The Wolves cant have that tonight the main focus has to be getting back on Defense. The Wolves may even need to conceed the fact they wont get alot off offensive rebounds, just so they can have all five guys back on Defense. <font color="DarkGreen">Limiting Half-court Penetration</font>. The Wolves wont be able to continously stop the Suns from penetrating the Basket. But if guys like Cassell, Wally S, Sprewell can give the effort, they can limit the Suns penetration in the half-court. The Suns arent really a half-court team, so if there is on area where the Wolves can get their offense out of sink, it would be in the half-court. The Wolves want to make guys like Shawn Marion, Q-Rich etc fall in love with the long perimeter shots. And keep them from putting pressure on the Wolves defense around the basket, which isnt to strong help wise. The Wolves dont really have a shot blocker(outside of KG & griffen from time to time). So one the Suns get to the hoop it will lead to either a basket or foul almost everytime. So the Wolves got to keep the Suns out of the piant as much as possible in the half-court. <font color="DarkGreen">Controlling Tempo </font> The Wolves must control the tempo of tonight's matchup. They can not get into an up and down scoring match with the Suns, they wont win. The Wolves must not do silly things to help jumpstart the Suns fastbreak. That means limiting the unforced turnovers, the Wolves sometimes get caught up in, trying to do to much. Whether its Wally S. over penetrating to the hoop or Cassell playing with the basketball on the perimeter. And fumbling the ball away. Every Wolves trip down the floor, if not excuted effiecently could be a jumpstart for this Suns offense. Poor shot selection can not be accepted by the Wolves either, Troy Hudson's wild perimeter jumpers are exactly what the Suns want the Wolves to do so they can get out & run. <font color="DarkGreen">Effective Pick & Roll play</font>. The Key to the Wolves productivity on the offensive end falls on the shoulders of the Pick &Roll. Cassell & Garnett must get into the Pick &Roll play quickly & efficently. It will open up the floor for the likes of Wally S. & Sprewell, as Cassell & KG take in most of the attention from the Suns defense. So the Wolves need effective PIck & Roll play. No matter how well the Wolves defense plays, it still may take 95-100 points to win tonight. <font color="DarkGreen">Strong 3rd Quarter</font>. The Wolves have had alot of losses decide by the 3rd quarter. The Wolves in certain games most notably the two Pacers losses & Sonics loss, no focused coming out of half-time. And teams have really jumped on the Wolves and seperated themselves from the Wolves during that period. So close games have turned into 10pt leads for the opponents in the 3rd quarter. The Wolves cant do that tonight because the Suns explosive offense is just waiting for the opportunity to go on a double digit type run. So a strong 3rd Quarter is a Must. <font color="DarkGreen">An X-factor for the game.</font> Even if the Wolves get strong offensive performances from the usual suspects KG, Sam, Wally Spree, it is still may take a strong preformance from an x-factor off the bench for the Wolves to pull out a W. The guy I think the Wolves will look to for such a spark maybe Eddie Griffen. This is the type of game Eddie Griffen can play alot of minutes and be successful. The Suns dont use alot of size on their frontcourt they more or less use a buch of forwards, meaning no real need to play Kandiman or Ervin Johnson alot of minutes. The Wolves will likely look to match the Suns athletism by using KG & E-Griff together along the frontline. So if the Wolves can get one of those 25-30 minute & 15-20pt games off the bench from Griffen it would be huge. Please Discuss....
I gotta agree with your claims if you let the suns starting it's going to be near to impossible stopping them...gotta take the right shots,digg inside all the way in fight out get the elbows in ...hope griffin will keep his great performance and might even add some more...the 3 headed monster gots to be all tied up with good % to get a W out of the suns... IF and i repeat IF minny wouldn't make it to the W at least give a fight meaning staying not more than 5-7 points behind... GO WOLVES GO TAKE THAT ONE!
This was a great Win by the Wolves. Giving the quality of their opponent, I say one of their better wins of the season so far. I think the key was the 2nd quarter. In the 1st quater the Wolves was playing at the Suns tempo and while they were right there exchanging leads all quarter with the Suns. I dont think they could have kept that pace up for 4 quarters. but in the 2nd quarter they slowed the game plan down just a bit and started to get the Suns out of their offensive flow. And they were able to take the 4 point led into the half. They had their normal struggles in the 3rd quarter. Cassell never really got the team into what they wanted to run coming out of half. But they stayed in the game behind some big shots by Sprewell from the perimeter. And then in the 4th quarter Sam just put him on his back early when he checked in with like 10:00 left. Scoring 6 straight points for the Wolves. And then down the stretch the Wolves stretch the lead and Suns fought back but the Wolves closed out at the free throw line. But this was a big win, now we have to see how they respond on a back to back because 3 out of the Wolves 5 loss have come in 2nd games of a back to back. And I think age is a big factor in that...so that Clippers game tommorrow will be a interesting one.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Henacy:</div><div class="quote_post">But this was a big win, now we have to see how they respond on a back to back because 3 out of the Wolves 5 loss have come in 2nd games of a back to back. And I think age is a big factor in that...so that Clippers game tommorrow will be a interesting one.</div> Defense wins championships, and the Wolves really settled into respectability in that area. Great win. But to lose to the Clipsters tomorrow would be as deflating as this win was uplifting. The Wolves usually have problems with teams like the Warriors and Clipsters, but they need to establish their game now.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Sabretooth:</div><div class="quote_post">Defense wins championships, and the Wolves really settled into respectability in that area. Great win. But to lose to the Clipsters tomorrow would be as deflating as this win was uplifting. The Wolves usually have problems with teams like the Warriors and Clipsters, but they need to establish their game now.</div> Of course Defense wins championships, who said it didnt? all we have to do is look at the last two world champions the Pistons and Spurs. Or go back to the 90's Bulls, both era. The bad boy Pistons in the 80's on down the line. So that is without question. But the Wolves can come out strong defensively and still lose tommorrow, because the Clippers are a much better team then they have been in the last few years. And the Wolves have struggled in back to back situation this season. So the Wolves have to come out strong on both ends of the court tommorrow to get that W, and keep their 4 game win streak going.
