[外電] Teams missing stars trouble Wolves
http://www.startribune.com/511/story/1047734.html
Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman, like Dwane Casey before him and most of
their NBA peers, constantly reminds his players that an opponent missing a
star player often is more dangerous, not less.
That they're so frequently right, at least in the Wolves' case this season,
brings little satisfaction.
When Minnesota lost at Atlanta Saturday 99-93 despite the absence of Joe
Johnson (right calf contusion), the Hawks' leading scorer, it was the ninth
time it had been beaten by a team missing one of its top two or three
players. Twenty-four hours earlier, the shorthanded Miami Heat -- no Dwyane
Wade (dislocated left shoulder) -- handled the Wolves with nary a scare.
That night, guard Jason Williams stepped up to score 20 points, taking
advantage of the Wolves' defensive focus on Shaquille O'Neal. In Atlanta,
Josh Smith stepped into the void left by Johnson, scoring a career-high 32
points, four in the final minute to seal the outcome.
"He stepped up for them with Johnson out," the Wolves' Ricky Davis said.
"They needed big plays from guys like him."
Other Hawks played well, too, in the familiar mode of circling the wagons
tighter. They are 3-0 since Johnson got hurt.
"Sometimes you play your best when you don't have that security blanket
around to protect you," Hawks guard Josh Childress said. "What's frustrating
is that we didn't play that way when Joe was out there with us."
Actually, what's frustrating is not being able to beat star-less teams. The
Wolves have ducked the likes of Grant Hill, Chris Bosh, Rashard Lewis, Yao
Ming and Lamar Odom on various nights this season yet lost. They also have
fallen short against some teams missing third or fourth bananas, such as
Boston without Wally Szczerbiak, Milwaukee without Charlie Villanueva and
Phoenix without Boris Diaw.
Still, the Wolves have won on other nights when these name players have
missed: Odom, Yao, Lewis, the Clippers' Chris Kaman, Washington's Caron
Butler, Denver's Allen Iverson, Detroit's Chauncey Billups, Philadelphia's
Chris Webber, Charlotte's Gerald Wallace and Golden State's Baron Davis and
Jason Richardson.
Then again, when Kevin Garnett and Davis missed their only game this season
at Phoenix on Jan. 21, the Suns pounded Minnesota by 29.
Man vs. monster
Minnesota has run its offense through Garnett in the post forever. But it
doesn't seem to have the same three-alarm effect as when the ball goes down
low to Miami's O'Neal. The Heat is making sure the big man touches the ball
at least 40 times nightly now, a focal point that gets cutters and shooters
open more consistently than when the Wolves play through Garnett.
"We want to throw it in and have teams [double-team] and kick the ball out.
But Shaq's a different monster, in his ability to power to the goal," Wittman
said. "Kevin has more of a finesse game on the low post.
"We don't have a guy like that, where if you don't double him, it's going to
be a layup or a foul. It's not going to be just a turnaround. But Kevin can
definitely dictate play down there with his ability to pass the ball."
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