In Thursday’s NBA player draft the Timberwolves will be wise if they emulate the values of the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs who emphasize players with character, defensive skills and willingness to pass the basketball. 

The Wolves will host a free draft party for fans beginning at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Target Center.  TV broadcasters Tom Hanneman and Jim Petersen will host the party. Craig Smith,Wolves 2006 second-round draft choice, will provide draft analysis and sign autographs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. There will be prize giveaways, contests and games.  The Wolves have the seventh and 41st overall picks in the draft. 

The Sporting News ranks the Vikings guards and centers second best in the NFC.  Among the top five guards and centers, the Vikings’ Steve Hutchinson ranks first and Matt Birk is third. 

Including positions such as quality control/offense-defense, and strength and conditioning, Vikings’ head coach Brad Childress has 26 assistants.  I believe Bud Grant coached with six assistants in 1976, the last season the Vikings qualified for the Super Bowl.   During Grant’s tenure as Viking coach from 1967-1983 he had a total of 14 different men who worked as assistants.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated said the following about former Gopher running back Laurence Maroney who soon begins his second season with the New England Patriots:  “There is no question that if he stays healthy, Laurence Maroney is going to be one of the 10 biggest offensive forces in the NFL this year.” 

Toronto won its seventh straight game against the Twins last night.  Pitcher Kevin Slowey, who started the game, is 2-0, with a 5.91 ERA in his last three starts. He has given up nine home runs in five starts this season including seven in his last three starts.

The Detroit Tigers come to Minneapolis for a three-game mid-week series July 17-19 that will impact the Central Division race.  As of Monday, pre-sales of tickets were about 18,000 for each of the first two games and 26,000 for the third, according to Patrick Klinger, the team’s vice president of marketing.

The Big Ten Conference and the Big Ten Network announced that the University of Minnesota’s first two home football games, against Bowling Green on September 1 at 7 p.m.  and Miami (Ohio) on September 8 at 11 a.m., will be televised by the Big Ten Network.

Bill Fitch, who coached five NBA teams over three decades and is one of the league’s winningest coaches ever, gave a thumbs up to the Timberwolves recent acquisition of 34-year-old Juwan Howard.  Fitch, 73, told Sports Headliners on Monday that trading guard Mike James and forward Justin Reed to Houston for the 6-foot-9 Howard adds much needed leadership to the Wolves.  Fitch, who lives part of the year about one hour away from Houston near Montgomery, Texas, watched about 75 percent of the Rockets games last season on TV and said Howard is “a missing link in your chemistry and your locker room.”  

Howard’s presence will help Kevin Garnett with team leadership. “He’s great in the locker room,” Fitch said about Howard. “He’s a great aide to a coach. His attitude is exemplary.  He’s a winner all the way around.  … I saw Minnesota play a lot last year and I thought they needed another leader out there, and he’s certainly that.” 

Wolves vice president Kevin McHale was quoted about Howard’s value after the trade last week.  “Juwan is a veteran low-post player who is a proven scorer and rebounder,” said McHale. “He will add needed depth to our front court, and with this move we are balancing out our roster. Juwan also provides a solid locker room presence. …”

Howard averaged 9.7 points (.465 field goal percentage, .824 free throw percentage), 5.9 rebounds and 26.5 minutes per game in 80 games (38 started) last season with Houston. He increased those averages to 13.6 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game during the 32 games that Rockets’ center Yao Ming missed due to injury. Howard finished the season with nine double-doubles and recorded 10 or more rebounds in 11 games. 

Fitch said Howard didn’t play much early in the season but when Yao was out Howard became a starter and “carried” the team.  “I know Howard was worth every penny that Houston gave him last year,” Fitch said.  “They wouldn’t have been in the playoffs without him.” 

Fitch described Howard as a “scoring machine” when he was a younger player. Drafted fifth overall by Washington in 1994, Howard averaged 22.1 points per game during the 1995-96 season and made third team all-NBA. He has career averages of 16.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. 

 “He can still shoot the basketball and he can go to the foul line with the pressure on and make free throws,” Fitch said.  “He can guard big people.  He can take the center (spot). If you got somebody in foul trouble he can guard the power forwards and the centers.  …He’s a utility player now instead of being the go-to guy.  But if you’re bringing him off the bench at Minnesota, he could be like (Robert) Horry was to the Spurs.” 

Fitch said Howard is capable of playing minutes at center, power forward and small forward.  Howard might be used most effectively off the bench, where needed in game situations, Fitch added.

June was a special month for Twins left fielder Jason Kubel last season.  He had an eight game hitting streak where he was 14-36, a .389 batting average.  He hit .333 for the month with five home runs and 16 RBI.  With the Twins’ lack of hitting among the most popular sports topics in this town, it’s been difficult to see Kubel struggle of late, with three hits in his last 22 at-bats.  For the season Kubel is hitting .235, with five home runs and 22 RBI.

Kubel’s 2007 June problems include a minor injury to his right knee that caused him to miss a few days.  Talk about the 25-year-old’s career often includes the full year he missed in 2005 recovering from surgery on his left knee.  He also had a less serious right knee surgery following the 2006 season. 

Kubel told Sports Headliners his knees are okay and earlier this week he had an outstanding catch in the field, diving for a ball near the foul line, against the New York Mets.  Kubel said he stretches to minimize further knee problems.   

Kubel came into this season determined to be a success at the plate.  “Everything felt good so I was expecting a lot more,” he said. 

Admired for his ability and potential in the minors, Kubel hit .321 in 2002 and .298 in 2003.  In 60 at-bats with the Twins in 2004 he batted .300, and at two minor league stops that year compiled averages of .377 and .343.  Last season playing for the Twins, he had a .241 average, with eight home runs and 26 RBI.  

Manager Ron Gardenhire suggested last month that Kubel needs to hit with more confidence.  “Yeah, that’s all I need to get is confidence and then I will feel a lot better…,” Kubel said. 

Can he become a .300 hitter in the major leagues?  “Eventually, next year,” he said.  “It’d be kind of tough this year to do it now.” 

What about home runs?  “I hit 24 a couple of years ago, so hopefully (I’ll) get back to around there,” he answered.   (In 2004 he hit eight home runs in the minors and 16 with the Twins).