Minnesota T-Wolves Blog – Page 40 – NBA Blog

Timberwolves bring Shabazz Muhammad back from D-League

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the club has recalled rookie guard/forward Shabazz Muhammad from the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League.

Muhammad appeared in four games for the Energy, leading Iowa to a 3-1 record while averaging 24.5 points, on 57.1% shooting, and 9.8 rebounds per game. He recorded two double-doubles during the stint, including scoring 26 points and hauling in a game-high 12 rebounds vs. Fort Wayne on Jan. 11.

Muhammad was named to the 2014 NBADLeague.com All-Showcase Team after averaging 23.0 points, on 62.5% shooting, and 9.0 rebounds in two games during the D-League Showcase. He made his D-League debut on Jan. 7, tallying 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting and seven rebounds.

Muhammad, originally selected with the 14th overall pick, was acquired by the Wolves in a draft-day trade with the Utah Jazz. He averaged 17.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game last season at UCLA, leading the Bruins to the Pac-12 regular season championship.

Timberwolves assign Shabazz Muhammad to D-League

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the club has assigned rookie guard/forward Shabazz Muhammad to the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League. Muhammad has appeared in 11 games with the Wolves this season, averaging 1.1 points and 0.7 rebounds per game.

Iowa, the D-League affiliate for Minnesota as well as Chicago, Denver, New Orleans and Washington, is 10-5 this season, third place in the Central Division. Led by Othyus Jeffers’ 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, the Energy has a pair of games in the NBA D-League Showcase in Reno, Nev. on Tuesday, Jan. 7 and Thursday, Jan. 9 before traveling to Fort Wayne, Ind. on Saturday, Jan. 11.

Kevin Love calls out Timberwolves bench

Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting on Timberwolves star Kevin Love speaking up to rally his troops:

On Monday, Timberwolves star Kevin Love publicly called out his team’s bench and its five-point performance in that night’s loss to Dallas, calling the reserves’ meager output unacceptable.

Late Wednesday, backup point guard J.J. Barea said he didn’t like Love’s public comments, even though he acknowledges they might have helped inspire 42 points of bench production in a runaway victory over New Orleans.

And on Thursday, Wolves coach Rick Adelman weighed in on the subject.

“I think it’s something they need to talk out,” Adelman said. “I don’t think that anybody can deny that five points isn’t going to do it for us. It’s the way you do it. Like Kevin said, I don’t think it was malicious.

‘‘Sometimes it’s best they talk it out themselves, and that’s what we keep talking about. That’s when the leadership and chemistry come together. I think those guys know what Kevin was talking about. I saw what J.J. said. Things happen during the season.”

Spurs vs Timberwolves game in Mexico City postponed due to smoke in arena

The National Basketball Association game scheduled for tonight between the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves has been postponed due to a generator malfunction which produced smoke inside Mexico City Arena.

The date for the rescheduled game, which will be played at Target Center in Minneapolis, will be announced at a later time.

Here’s a video clip of the smoke problem that prevented the game from happening:

Timberwolves trade Derrick Williams to Kings for Luc Mbah a Moute

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has acquired forward Luc Mbah a Moute (BAH-ah MOO-tay) from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for forward Derrick Williams.

“We are excited to acquire a solid veteran player in Luc Mbah a Moute,” said Flip Saunders, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. “Luc is known as one of the premier defensive players in the league with an ability to guard multiple positions. He adds a lot of energy, grit and a high basketball IQ to our team. We thank Derrick for his contributions to our organization and wish him well in Sacramento.”

“We’re excited to acquire a player with Derrick’s skillset,” said Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro. “He will add size, length and serve as a scoring threat in our frontcourt. We also want to thank Luc for his contributions during the short time he was a King. We wish him the best.”

Mbah a Moute, a 6-8 forward, has averaged 6.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game over parts of six seasons with Milwaukee and most recently Sacramento. After the Bucks matched an offer sheet from the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 13, 2011, Mbah a Moute was traded by Milwaukee to the Kings on July 12, 2013 in exchange for two second-round picks. Today’s trade reunites Mbah a Moute with Kevin Love, as the pair led UCLA to a Final Four run in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

Williams averaged 10.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game over 2+ seasons with the Wolves. The 6-8 forward is averaging 4.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game this season.

Read NBA fan reaction or share your opinion in this basketball forum topic.

After hot start, Timberwolves cool off

Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune with an update on the Timberwolves:

After a 5-2 start that provided their long-suffering hope for the playoffs and perhaps even a 50-victory season, the Timberwolves now are 8-7 and headed to Indianapolis on Monday to play a Pacers team that shares the NBA’s best record.

They have lost three of their past four games and five of their last seven. They are 6-2 at home but are 2-5 away from Target Center and have lost their last four on the road.

A challenging November schedule in which they will play a franchise-record 18 games by month’s end hasn’t helped. Neither have injuries to key reserves Chase Budinger and Ronny Turiaf that have exposed weaknesses in the team’s depth.

Is it time to worry?

“We’re fine,” Wolves veteran guard Kevin Martin said after Saturday’s 112-101 loss at Houston. “We’re a solid team right now. We’ve got some work to do. It’s a long season. Things will start to work in our favor. Everybody goes through tough stretches. We just have to weather the storm.”

Kevin Garnett has good things to say about the Timberwolves

The Brooklyn Nets are in Minnesota, where they will play the Timberwolves tonight. Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune blog:

Kevin Garnett says good things about Timberwolves

Garnett had nice things to say about the Wolves, calling Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love one of the best 1-2 punches in the league. He called the Wolves “electrifying.’’

“They play with a real fast pace,” Garnett said. “Kevin Love is in an unbelievable groove…. They’re playing with a lot of confidence. And trying to slow any of these guys down is going to be a task for all of us tonight.’’

But Garnett deflected any questions about where he is at in his career. When asked if he has contemplated retirement after this season, he said, “Next question.” A question about whether he could see a scenario in which he finished his career in a Wolves uniform got the same response.

Indeed, Garnett said, he is not thinking much about the past or the future. He’s worried about the present. Namely, trying to get the Nets back on track. “You deal with reality,” he said. “You deal with the current (situation). I don’t think outside of whatever I’m doing at the time. And the focus needs to be (there). ‘’

Chase Budinger still working to return for Timberwolves

Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune blog on Chase Budinger, who is still out injured:

Chase Budinger was back on the Target Center court Monday, taking shots.

But, at this point, that’s about all he’s doing, at least as far as basketball is concerned. Budinger, the Timberwolves forward, is still working his way back from Sept. 30 surgery on the same right knee he had work done on a season ago.

The good news is that this second procedure was not as extensive, and he should be back more quickly than he was last year. Budinger originally injured the meniscus in the knee on Nov. 10, 2012 in Chicago, and didn’t return to action until March 21, 2013. He hopes to be back more quickly this time, but no timetable has been set for his return.

Kevin Love piling up historic NBA numbers

Kevin Love is playing like an upper-level NBA All-Star this season. A player worthy of league MVP consideration. It’s great to watch. Here’s the St. Paul Pioneer Press on some numbers:

After breaking his hand twice and missing 64 games last season, Kevin Love has come back with a vengeance.

The Timberwolves power forward registered six assists, eight rebounds and 33 points to pace a 124-95 pasting of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night and became the first player in NBA history with 240 points, 125 rebounds and 45 assists over his team’s first nine games.

Love’s play has elicited comparisons to that of Moses Malone and a few other former stars.

“To be honest, I try not to pay attention to all that,” Love said after practice Thursday. “It’s definitely flattering to hear those names — guys I grew up either watching or studying tape of, or just trying to emulate in my back yard. But more than anything, I’m just excited about winning.”

Timberwolves lose close game to Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers are considered one of the best teams in the Western conference, and the Minnesota Timberwolves probably deserve to be in that conversation as well. So this was an early-season matchup worth watching. Here’s how it went down, as per the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

In January 2012, the Timberwolves danced off the Staples Center floor while star Kevin Love raised his arms out in defiance after his long three-point shot beat the Los Angeles Clippers at the final buzzer before a national ESPN audience.

On Monday, he held his head with both hands in anguish after his tying putback layup at the rim came up short and bounced back to him to end a 109-107 loss to the Clippers at another final buzzer.

The night before inside the very same arena, the Wolves celebrated a rout of the once-mighty Lakers that ended a six-year, 22-game losing streak to the 16-time NBA champions.

This time, the Wolves rallied twice in the final five minutes against the new glamour NBA team in town only to watch their chance to force overtime disappear not once, but twice in the final two seconds when putback attempts by both Love and Nikola Pekovic wouldn’t go.