Author: David Shama

After five games, including four on the road, the Timberwolves have made several impressions.  The usual starting lineup of guards Mike James, Trenton Hassell and Ricky Davis, forward Kevin Garnett, and center Mark Blount, will by season’s end leave the Timberwolves on the outside looking in at the NBA playoffs for a third consecutive season. 

Why is the unproductive Hassell in the lineup? Hassell’s reputation is that of a defensive specialist but his performance on defense hasn’t been noticeable and his offense is worse (6.2 per game average on 39% shooting). Davis has the skills and athleticism but his play frequently lacks passion and focus.  Blount is playing with more consistency than last season and at times blocks shots and always can uphold his profile as one of the league’s better shooting big men.  James has been inconsistent but has shown the competitiveness and shooting range that excited the Wolves when they signed him as a free agent last summer. Garnett remains one of the league’s top 10 players, a superstar not without faults but a superb all around player (seventh in the league in rebounding at 11.2, also averaging 22.4 points per game). 

Among the Wolves’ faults so far (last season, too) is playing without passion and urgency.  A malaise resulting in fewer rebounds and loose balls, and not attacking the basket for lay-ups and close in shots.  When the Wolves scrambled back from a 20 point deficit in the fourth quarter of Tuesday night’s game against the Lakers they finally had players on the floor with a promising blend of talent and attitude.  Rookies Randy Foye and Craig Smith, with James, Garnett and Marko Jaric produced a rally that had the Lakers working to game’s end before winning,  95-88.     

Foye and Smith have to play major minutes in future games, at least 30 minutes or more.  Foye needs to play point guard, a position providing the comfort of having the basketball more than any of his teammates.  He’s accustomed to having the ball and once he has it he will create plays for himself and teammates, providing the Wolves the penetrating point guard they have sought for some time. 

Smith is Mr. High Energy and Mr. Production so far.  Coming off the bench and playing about 16 minutes per game, he is making 62% of his shots and averaging 10.2 points per game.  He has superb court sense allowing him to find loose balls and rebounds.  Combined with his strong, stocky frame and soft shooting touch, the second round draft choice looks like the steal of the 2006 NBA draft.  He has provided the Wolves not only with badly needed rebounds but equally needed inside scoring (hello, wannabe long range bomber Eddie Griffin, the Wolves 6-10 back up forward/center).

Here’s one man’s revised lineup:  Foye, James and Davis at guard,  Garnett at forward, with Blount at center.  Then Smith as the first player off the bench, a sixth man commanding major minutes coming in for Davis or Blount.  And here’s another opinion: playoff team that’s lots of fun to watch.

John L. Smith wore a happy face earlier this week at his news conference but looked tired and stressed.  Who could blame Smith if he were depressed after being told last week by school officials he will not be the Michigan State football coach after this season? 

Smith began the news conference by talking individually about his 16 seniors who play their last game in Spartan Stadium on Saturday against Minnesota.  He smiled when he talked about one player who might be a “doctor some day” and help people in other countries.  He spoke of star quarterback Drew Stanton, already in graduate school, and described him as “someone anyone would be proud to have as a son.” 

What Smith didn’t want was to talk about himself.  “I feel great,” he said.  “Every day is a great day.  Today is the best day of my life and tomorrow is going to be even better.  You better keep smiling and we better keep moving on.” 

How the Spartans, with their 16 seniors, will play Saturday against the Gophers is one of the most intriguing questions of the Big Ten football season.  Michigan State is a team that looked like a national title contender early in the season.  The Spartans knocked Notre Dame all over the field before blowing the game in the fourth quarter.  The Spartans have never recovered, winning one Big Ten game and losing five including 46-21 to Indiana, a team the Gophers destroyed last Saturday, 63-26. 

Smith talks about “love” and “trust” and “grunting around” with his seniors.  He has been trying to help his players understand and get through the trauma of his firing.   Will love, trust and all the other emotions translate into an inspired performance by Michigan State?  Or will the Spartans continue to “sleep walk” through the season?  

And a good question, too, is what Gopher team will show up?  The one that scored the most Minnesota points in a Big Ten game since 1916?  Or the team that totaled 22 points in a three game stretch against Wisconsin, North Dakota State and Ohio State?   

Minnesota-Michigan State is a match up worthy of speculation by amateur and professional head doctors.

Michigan State football coach John L. Smith’s Big Ten Conference career record in his fourth and last season is 12-18.  During the same period Gopher coach Glen Mason’s record is 13-17.   

The Wild play in Los Angeles Saturday night trying for a third win this season against the Kings.  Goalie Manny Fernandez is 2-0 against the Kings with a 1.00 goals against average and has stopped 69 of 71 shots. 

Roy Smalley, Twins TV analyst, said it will be a challenge to find the player but he hopes the team can add a right handed power hitting designated batter for next season.  That need is based on the assumption the team will keep right handed hitting Nick Punto (only one home run last season) at third base, a position where teams often have power hitters.   

KARE 11 sportscaster Randy Shaver, who watches countless hours of high school football video and coaches eighth grade football at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, said Cretin-Derham Hall junior wide receiver Michael Floyd already ranks with the state’s best ever prep players including Joe Mauer.  Benilde-St. Margaret’s high school team is in the state playoffs and Shaver will be covering the team including his son, Ryan, for KARE 11.  In 24 years of reporting on the state playoffs, that’s a first for Randy. 

Rob Leer, former KSTP TV sportscaster, owns Leer Communication and Consultants, an Edina based company offering a variety of marketing and publicity services.  Leer is directing media relations for the “Boxing Is Back” card at Target Center on November 17.  Matt Vanda and Anthony Bonsante will headline bouts as part of the first boxing show since Minnesota reinstated the sport.  

Wally Shaver, Gopher hockey play-by-play announcer on WCCO Radio, said his father Al and mom Shirley, both 79, are in good health and living on Vancouver Island in British Columbia.  Al was the play-by-play radio voice of the Minnesota North Stars for all 26 seasons here.  Wally is in his sixth season covering the Gophers. 

Brian Buchanan, 33, the former Twin who played with the St. Paul Saints last summer, will join the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in the Japanese Pacific League in 2007.  He becomes the first Saints player ever to agree to play in Japan.   He is the 83rd player to move from St. Paul to a major league organization and the first to go to Japan where the major league minimum salary is $300,000 (Buchanan specifics not announced).  His manager will be Sadaharu Oh who hit 868 home runs and batted .301 in a 22-year career in Japan. 

In voting by MIAC coaches, the following schools are pre-season choices to become conference champions:  St. Thomas, men’s basketball, Concordia, women’s basketball, St. Thomas, men’s hockey, and Gustavaus, women’s hockey.