[外電] Change at top doesn't halt march toward the bottom
http://www.startribune.com/511/story/1091964.html
There is no way to sugar-coat the numbers: The Timberwolves already have lost
more often in 32 games with Randy Wittman (22 losses) as head coach than they
did under fired Dwane Casey in 40 (20).
Or to put it another way: Casey directed the Wolves to twice as many
victories (20) in the team's first 36 outings -- they were 20-16, then lost
four in a row -- as Wittman (10) has in 32 tries.
Owner Glen Taylor and Vice President of Basketball Operations Kevin McHale
have said several times that Wittman will return as head coach next fall, and
there's no hint that anyone at Target Center is interested in another
offseason coaching search. But that doesn't mean Wittman is fine with these
results.
"It's not gone the way we thought," he said before Friday night's 92-77 loss
to Miami. "We all thought ... I mean, change is hard. You don't always get
out of it right away the things you're looking for. It's hard to change a lot
of things that we talked about when it happened."
Wittman took over on Jan. 23 for Casey, who was dumped with a 20-20 record
and the Wolves sitting in eighth place -- playoff position -- in the Western
Conference standings. They went 2-6 right after the change, had a 3-1 spurt,
then went 3-11, including 1-4 on a home stand right after the All-Star break.
"We ran into a tough stretch at [the time of the switch] -- I think we were
playing nine out of 12 on the road when that happened," Wittman said. "A lot
of things happened.
"I'm disappointed, yeah. We were in a situation for a long time, even through
some of the ups and downs, of still establishing ourselves for the playoffs."
Minnesota is in 12th place in the West, 4 ? games out of the final playoff
spot and trailing four other teams eager to claim it.
Obviously, it wasn't what the coach, the players or management intended. "You
don't ever envision that," Wittman said. "You've got to have the belief every
night that you're going to win."
Wittman's free lock!
Since neither he nor any of his players or assistants has an alma mater
active in the NCAA men's Final Four this weekend, Wittman felt safe enough to
pick some winners.
"I'm going Georgetown and Florida," he said.
Asked his choice to win the championship Monday, Wittman said: "Florida."
Pressed for a score, he gave one: 73-68.
Diesel in charge
Since Kevin Garnett entered the league in 1995, he has had a friendly
relationship with Miami center Shaquille O'Neal, saying Friday that the big
man took Garnett "under his wing as his little brother." The two have shared
experiences and laughs at All-Star Games for a decade, and Garnett has
watched O'Neal win four rings, while longing for one himself.
So he knows O'Neal is a competitor of the highest order and would respond
when sidekick Dwyane Wade suffered a dislocated left shoulder on Feb. 21,
halving the Heat's star power.
"Shaq's been carrying teams since he's been in this league," Garnett said.
"The fact that Wade went down, he had to look at himself in the mirror and
know that everybody was going to be looking to him to throw them on his back,
and he's done that."
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