11-14-2012, 03:12 PM
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#1 (permalink)
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Legen-wait for it-dary! Legendary!
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Commitment to defensive philosophy keeps Wolves afloat despite injuries
Quote:
Fate seems to be chipping away at the feet, ankles, knees and hands of the Timberwolves.
First fell Ricky Rubio, the soul of the Wolves’ renaissance, downed by a torn ACL. Then went Kevin Love, taking his MVP-caliber production with him on a months-long recovery from a broken hand. Microwave-like guard J.J. Barea soon followed, the victim of a freak foot sprain. Brandon Roy, too, was pulled off the court, not long before Chase Budinger tore his meniscus and required season-altering surgery. Even Nikola Pekovic turned his ankle and exited Minnesota’s most recent game.
There are unlucky teams, and then there are the 2012-13 Timberwolves — early victims of misfortune piled on misfortune, and the improbable owners of one of the Western Conference’s best records.
“We just keep losing guys,” forward Andrei Kirilenko said. “It’s like in the old ancient times. … There was that one king who was always winning the battle but losing so [many] people during the battle. So we’re like that king — winning battles but losing guys. What can we do? We just keep playing hard and try not to lose.”
And, remarkably, those efforts are paying off. Minnesota has gradually been stripped of four starters and two critical reserves, and yet Kirilenko and his few healthy teammates have managed to win five of their first seven games by banking on a seemingly impossible level of continuity. It’s early in the season and Minnesota’s lineup has been marred to the point of being unrecognizable, but the Wolves have quickly established an identity and the resolve to play by its directives. In the absence of a superstar, an offensive rudder and any semblance of good health, the Wolves have established themselves as a smart and hard-working defensive team.
“Our defense has been terrific night after night,” coach Rick Adelman said. “We had one bad game together in Toronto where they shot the three really well. We also had a game against Brooklyn where they shot the three for three quarters really well. But other than those six quarters, we’ve been very consistent, night-in and night-out, guarding people. I think with the injuries and everything you have to have that to give yourself a chance to win in the fourth quarter. Our guys have really bought into that and we’ve been defending very well.”
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http://nba.si.com/2012/11/14/minneso...sct=nba_t11_a0
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