The Timberwolves will learn two important things about Rashad McCants in the next 18 months. First, will he fully recovery from the career threatening microfracture surgery on his right knee. Second, can he emerge as a potentially star player?
Assistant coach Randy Wittman told Sports Headliners on Sunday that McCants has had no “set backs” in his recovery. “Hopefully here within a week he can get on the floor and do everything with the team, and then you really have a better understanding of how long it’s going to take him to get ready (to play in games),” Wittman said.
Once McCants is practicing the projection is he will be playing limited minutes in games within a couple of weeks. McCants, 22, looks like the player, along with rookie guard Randy Foye, who can dramatically increase the Timberwolves’ talent level and perhaps push the team toward the top in the Western Conference.
In his rookie season last year McCants closed fast, scoring almost 15 points per game and becoming a starter in the last 12 games. The 6-foot-4 guard showed his advertised athleticism driving to the basket with ease and shooting outside from near and far. He made a franchise record 37.2% of his three point shots.
Wittman, who coached in Orlando last year, is looking forward to coaching McCants. “He’s got talents that this team is missing in terms of he can stretch the floor but he can also create something going to the basket,” Wittman said. “Very good basketball IQ. You can’t have too many of those.”
Although McCants may play small forward and big guard, a future lineup of Foye playing point guard and McCants at big guard is intriguing. “With Randy at the one and he (McCants) at the two, it’s a pretty good combination of two guys that can handle the ball and play inside and out,” Wittman said. “With either one of them, they give us a little bit more options or matchups, and making the other coach think ‘how are we going to guard these guys?’”
McCants, who also can play small forward, will find himself competing for playing time with similar sized players including Ricky Davis, Marko Jaric and Trenton Hassell. Wittman acknowledged “that’s a good question” as to where McCants’ minutes will come from but first the Wolves want to ease him back on the court. Later, in March or April, Wittman said “guys will have to step up and show the coach they are worthy of minutes.”
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Joel Maturi
The search needs to focus on Dungy after the playoffs end for his Indianapolis Colts.
Whoever the Gophers hire this much is clear: with expectations and optimism higher than in the past, a new stadium opening in 2009 and challenges that include stadium funding, buyouts for coaches, and critics in the state legislature, the high schools, media and general public, Bruninks and Maturi have a thunderbolt opportunity. |
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| McCants’ Talent Upgrades Wolves
The Timberwolves will learn two important things about Rashad McCants in the next 18 months. First, will he fully recovery from the career threatening microfracture surgery on his right knee. Second, can he emerge as a potentially star player? Assistant coach Randy Wittman told Sports Headliners on Sunday that McCants has had no “set backs” in his recovery. “Hopefully here within a week he can get on the floor and do everything with the team, and then you really have a better understanding of how long it’s going to take him to get ready (to play in games),” Wittman said. Once McCants is practicing the projection is he will be playing limited minutes in games within a couple of weeks. McCants, 22, looks like the player, along with rookie guard Randy Foye, who can dramatically increase the Timberwolves’ talent level and perhaps push the team toward the top in the Western Conference. In his rookie season last year McCants closed fast, scoring almost 15 points per game and becoming a starter in the last 12 games. The 6-foot-4 guard showed his advertised athleticism driving to the basket with ease and shooting outside from near and far. He made a franchise record 37.2% of his three point shots. Wittman, who coached in Orlando last year, is looking forward to coaching McCants. “He’s got talents that this team is missing in terms of he can stretch the floor but he can also create something going to the basket,” Wittman said. “Very good basketball IQ. You can’t have too many of those.” Although McCants may play small forward and big guard, a future lineup of Foye playing point guard and McCants at big guard is intriguing. “With Randy at the one and he (McCants) at the two, it’s a pretty good combination of two guys that can handle the ball and play inside and out,” Wittman said. “With either one of them, they give us a little bit more options or matchups, and making the other coach think ‘how are we going to guard these guys?’” McCants, who also can play small forward, will find himself competing for playing time with similar sized players including Ricky Davis, Marko Jaric and Trenton Hassell. Wittman acknowledged “that’s a good question” as to where McCants’ minutes will come from but first the Wolves want to ease him back on the court. Later, in March or April, Wittman said “guys will have to step up and show the coach they are worthy of minutes.” |