Timberwolves Trimester Grades and New Years' Resolutions

Before I start, I'd like to pimp this out.

Ron Artest Coverage on KFAN

The radio show Sludge and Lake was on the night and time of the Ron Artest fight. The link goes to the radio footage of them relaying what was happening as it was happening. I've listened to it a few times, and it always makes me smile.

And now.....the Timberwolves' trimester grades.

Kevin Garnett: B+
He's had a great year so far, but you'd like to see him be more assertive not only in the fourth quarter, but during the entire game. I'd like to see the offense run through Kevin each and every time, but too often we see Mike James come off a screen and shoot an awkward 20 footer, or Ricky Davis get caught in the air after an ineffective move. He's great as always, but there's definitely room for improvement.

Mark Blount: B
He has been a pleasant surprise for the Wolves. He is virtually unstoppable in the first quarter....it seems like every game, he'll have 10 and 5 in the first quarter alone; however, after that, he seems to go away. Nonetheless, he's been a dependable scorer and a decent rebounder.

Ricky Davis: C+
Inconsistent is the word that best defines Ricky Davis. There are games where he'll have 25 points and 9 or 10 assists, and then he'll have games where he has 8 points and doesn't do anything. His defense is equally as inconsistent, but the Wolves need him primarily for offense, and that's where his inconsistency has really hurt this team.

Trenton Hassell: B-
It's hard to really tell how Trenton is doing, but you can tell he's not as good as years past. His offense is unremarkable; he'll have the occasional good drive, and he can hit an open 15 footer, but he's far from a dependable scorer.

Mike James: C-
The biggest enigma on this team has been Mike James. His inconsistency is rivaled only by Ricky Davis, so you can tell that where they go, the team goes. I'd like to see him try to get to the basket more, mostly because his 3 point shooting has been so mediocre. There have been too many games of <10 points, and far too many games where he goes away for a half.

Wolves' Bench: B
The rookies coming off the bench (Randy Foye and Craig Smith) have been a very pleasant surprise, particularly Craig Smith. You often see those two during crunch time in the 4th quarter, which is both encouraging and discouraging at the same time: encouraging in that you love to see young players with great potential and talent, but discouraging in that the starters aren't dependable enough to be in a position to win the game for you. Marko Jaric has improved over last year, but he seems to lose focus at times. Troy Hudson, Eddie Griffin, and Justin Reed have been non-factors.....very expensive non-factors, in fact. Bench players play well with starters, particularly KG, but when you put KG on the bench, you almost expect the Wolves to break down completely.

Duane Casey: D
I don't think anyone doubts the talent on this team, so I would put the majority of the blame at the feet of Duane Casey. The inconsistency has been baffling: a 3 game winning streak here, a 4 game losing streak there, and on and on and on. It seems as though for each step this team takes forward, they take 2 steps back immediately thereafter. I'd like to see Duane eliminate these vital periods in the 4th quarter where Duane rests KG. I can count 3 or 4 times where the team has completely lost it while Kevin was on the bench in crunch time in the 4th. This falls squarely on the coach. Also, after almost every loss, Duane will say that his team "didn't have the focus or intensity". Isn't it your responsibility, as head coach, to make sure your players have their heads on straight? I know these are professional athletes, and they shouldn't need you to pump them up, but that seems to be the case on a night-to-night basis. I wouldn't be shocked, nor would I be sad, to see Duane Casey dismissed from this team.

Overall Grade: C-
There have been great stretches of basketball where it looks like the Wolves could be a contender in the Western Conference. When they're clicking, they're very hard to beat: great ball movement offensively, great pressure defensively, and an overall intensity that keeps it all together. When they're NOT clicking, they're pretty horrible: guys trying to do it all themselves, defensive breakdowns, tons of turnovers, and a sleepy mindset that makes you scratch your head. I still think this team has the potential to win 40+ games, but I think they need to make a move or two, including getting rid of Duane Casey.

Timberwolves New Years Resolutions

Play All 4 Quarters: It seems as though when the Wolves lose, it's one horrible quarter, usually the 3rd or 4th, that does them in. An overall focus

Run the Ball Through KG: Multiply this times 2 in the 4th quarter. He's too good of a player and decision maker to have him simply setting screens and being a decoy. This guy gets paid more than anyone else in the NBA, he SHOULD have the ball on almost every possession.

Give the Rookies More Playing Time: Multiply this times 3 for Foye. Fans aren't excited about this current team, but they might be if they saw a more significant contribution from Foye and Smith. If you don't wanna start either of the two, fine, but they should be getting 25+ minutes each game.

Find an Identity, and Stick To It: Nobody really knows what the Wolves are, and nobody knows how they're going to win games from night to night. They need to focus on being something: a defensive minded team, a team that wants to run, a team that attacks the basket, something. At least then they'd have some sort of gameplan for how they want to run their team.

I LOVE THIS GAME!