During the 82 game NBA regular season there are ho-hum dates and yawners.  Then there are a few like tonight’s Lakers-Wolves date at Target Center that deserve preferred anticipation.

The Wolves, who are playing their best basketball in years, will test themselves against a Lakers team that is No. 2 in NBA.com’s power rankings.  Wolves’ assistant coach Jerry Sichting didn’t minimize the game’s importance during an interview with Sports Headliners early in the week.

“That will be a good measuring stick,” he said.  “They’re the cream of our conference.  That’s for sure.  Not only are they good but they’re tall and we’re not the biggest team in the league.  It’s almost a double whammy when we play them.  They’ve got great players and they’re really big.  Al (Jefferson), and (Kevin) Love, they’ll be giving up three and four and five inches to the guys that they’re matched up against. Those guys like to throw over the top and play volleyball on the glass against us.  We’re really going to have to be physical and we’re gonna have to play our best game of the year probably to beat them.”

The Lakers, with the Western Conference’s best record at 35-9, have more length than any team in the league, plus all-world guard Kobe Bryant.  And not just length, but quality players with exceptional basketball skills and athleticism.  Andrew Bynum, only 21, is a 7-footer with long arms who has taken over at center with Pau Gasol, another 7-footer, moving to power forward.  Bynum is averaging 13.9 points and 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.  Gasol’s numbers: 17.3, 9.0 and 0.9.

Bynum probably has as much potential for improvement as any player in the league and he’s already a handful.  He scored a career high 42 points earlier this month against the Clippers. “He’s a monster,” Love said.  “He’s what, only 21? … He’s just scratching the surface right now.”

Off the Lakers bench come two 6-10 players, Lamar Odom and Vladimir Radmanovic.  The versatile Odom can play both power forward and small forward.

The Wolves’ January record is a flashy 10-3, yet all but two of the wins have come against teams with under .500 records.  Sichting, though, said the Wolves have newfound confidence.  Instead of experiencing a bad period of play in a game and thinking all was lost, now the team has proven it can even come from behind and win.

“They’re starting to believe that they can play with good teams,” he said.  “We haven’t beat a lot of teams with winning records. …That’s the next step we have to take.  We’re beating mediocre teams.  We’re beating some teams that aren’t very good. ….”

A win tonight against the Lakers will leave no one doubting the reputation of the team the Wolves defeated.  And if that weren’t enough, the Wolves are at Boston on Sunday to face the defending NBA champions who are 38-9 and have won nine straight.  Can you say Measuring Stick II?

Comments Welcome

The Wolves lost on the road to the Lakers in December, 98-86, the only game between the two teams so far this season.  The Wolves have lost five straight to Los Angeles dating back to the 2006-2007 season.

As of yesterday morning there were about 1,600 tickets remaining for the game.

Wolves’ rookie forward Kevin Love played in Los Angeles for UCLA so his name is well-known in the Southern California market.  He was asked about whether his performance in tonight’s game is more important than usual.  “Yeah, a little bit,” he said. “I want people to hear that I did well against the Lakers, the Clippers or a place like Portland (near his home town).  It is important but in the end it’s just another game.  We just want to get that W.”

Despite having the highest scoring average (22.7) among NBA players averaging a double-double in points and rebounds, Wolves’ center Al Jefferson wasn’t named to the Western Conference All-Star team.  That doesn’t mean, though, that a lot of people don’t think the 24-year-old low post scoring whiz isn’t deserving.  On Tuesday night, hosts Ahmad Rashad, Gary Payton and Chris Webber were advocating Jefferson’s selection.  During an interview on NBA TV they also coaxed him to say, “I am most definitely an all-star.”

The Big Ten Conference will have 22 former players and seven coaches with league connections in Sunday’s Super Bowl, according to a conference news release.  The Big Ten and ACC are tied for the lead among all conferences with 22 players on the two Super Bowl squads, Pittsburgh and Arizona.  The Gophers have more former players on the Pittsburgh roster than any other Big Ten school, strong safety Tyrone Carter, running back Gary Russell and tight end Matt Spaeth.

Stubhub.com listed Super Bowl tickets this week for under $2,000.00 and also a luxury suite for 16 at $127,888.00.

Linebacker James Laurinaitis, the former Wayzata linebacker who played four seasons for Ohio State, earned All-America recognition for the third time during his senior season, becoming only the sixth Big Ten player to ever accomplish that and the first since 1930 .

Local author Ross Bernstein is working on another “code” book, this one on the unwritten rules of football that will be a sequel to his baseball and hockey books.  He’s consulting with a Canadian company, too, on a documentary film that draws on material from his hockey book.

Another book project is with former St. Louis Cardinals offensive lineman Conrad Dobler.  Bernstein said Dobler has a friendship with golfer Phil Mickelson who is paying for the college education of Dobler’s children.  More on Bernstein at www.bernsteinbooks.com

Comments Welcome

Kevin Love told Sports Headliners on Sunday that despite the frustrations of his rookie season he doesn’t regret not staying at UCLA where last season as a freshman he was a first team All-American and led the Bruins to the Final Four.

“Nah, I never second guess myself, no matter what I do,” Love said.  “Even something as simple as whether it’s taking a jump shot, or going to the hole.  No, I feel like I made the right decision. Especially now.”

Love’s welcome to the NBA in early games included frequently having his shot blocked near the basket.  His medium range jump shot seemingly had stayed at UCLA where he also had success with three pointers.  Even free throws were often clank, not swish.  Defending bigger, more experienced players was a challenge, too.

But so far in 2009 his play has improved like a New Year’s resolution.  In games since the first of the year he is averaging 12.1 points and 10.1 rebounds, with several double-double games including 19 points and 15 rebounds on Sunday in a win over Chicago.  Love, who is averaging about 8.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, has helped the Wolves win 10 of 12 games in January.

The 20-year-old forward, who seems generously listed at 6-10, said his comfort in being a pro now versus earlier is much better.  Has he turned a page permanently in the New Year?

“I definitely hope so,” he said. “I felt like I hit the rookie wall a little bit early just trying to figure (out) everything.  One thing I can always do is rebound and play defense. …My confidence is high right now and hopefully I can keep it there.”

Love said his work ethic and desire to improve has been in place.  He’s been coming in to improve his basketball skills and body even on days off.  “I feel like hard work breeds confidence,” he said.

Love wants to finish his rookie season averaging a double-double in points and rebounds.  Talk with him about goals, though, and the conversation goes quickly to the team.  The Wolves have 16 wins after winning just 22 games all of last season.  “By the end of the season I think we can be very good,” he said.  “I am not going to put a number on how many games we’ll win.  By next season we’re gonna have a great group and we’re gonna know what we’re capable of.”

Comments Welcome