News, quotes and opinion from the Timberwolves pre-training camp opening news conference:
New coach Rick Adelman impressed with his no nonsense talk. He said last season’s 17-65 team played “horrendous” defense and that must change. As Houston’s coach, he recalled coaching against the Timberwolves in the final game of the 2010-11 season and seeing the league’s most generous defense.
“We (the Rockets) got whatever we wanted in our first option,” he said. “We never even had to go anywhere else.”
The 65-year-old Adelman has played and coached a lot of basketball. He plans to put a stop to the Wolves’ habit of giving up easy baskets including in transition defense.
He described the Wolves as a “pretty good offensive team” but negatives include leading the NBA in turnovers and not producing enough assists. He and his staff will preach changes on both offense and defense during a short training camp and two exhibition games leading up to the season opener at home on December 26 versus Oklahoma City.
“There’s a trust level in the way you play the game at both ends of the court that we’ve gotta ingrain in them (his players),” Adelman said. “We’ve gotta make them understand this is how we’re gonna play.”
Adelman wishes he had more veteran leadership on a team that could have five starters 25 and younger. He’s labeled forward Kevin Love, 23, as a team leader. Adelman said Love will have the ball in his hands more this season. “There’s no way he should average two or three assists per game,” the coach said.
Love said he grew emotionally over the summer, almost crying when recalling conversations with family that he declined to detail. He’s ready for leadership including being a “facilitator” in the offense and utilizing his superb court awareness. He’s also ready to “hopefully get this team going in crunch time.”
Assists will increase, too, with the arrival of point guard and passing whiz Ricky Rubio. Love broke up the press confidence when asked his impression of Rubio after scrimmaging with him: “I think he passed the sh.. out of it.”
Love reduced his weight after a summer in which he deliberately ate better. Gone is the baby fat and flab of the past. He looks like a different person and seems more mature.
While Love is a certain starter, Adelman will encourage competition for playing minutes. There will be no set starting team for early practices.
The Wolves will have 16 fewer games during the strike-shortened upcoming schedule to better last year’s 17 wins total. Take the bet the Wolves will do just that.