10 Home Games To Watch in 2009-10
Jonah BallowRelated Images
Friday, October 30 vs. Cleveland @ 7 PM
So thanks schedule makers. The Wolves second game of the season features King James and newly acquired Shaquille O'Neal entering the Target Center with the focus of capturing an NBA championship. Cleveland also added Anthony Parker to spread the floor after double teams collapse on James and Shaq. Minnesota will have little time to prepare for a Cavaliers squad that topped the league in 2008-09 with 66 wins. Cleveland swept the season series last year while LeBron averaged 28.5 points in the two victories.
Wednesday, November 4 vs. Boston @ 7 PM
Five days after hosting the Cavs, Minnesota entertains Kevin Garnett and the new-look Celtics at the Target Center. Unsettled by the Game 7 loss to the Magic in the playoffs last year, Boston signed one of the most versatile big-men in the NBA during the offseason. Rasheed Wallace joins a healthy Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo for another run at the title. The memory of Garnett in a Wolves' uniform is fading but Minnesota fans would not mind sending KG back to Boston with a loss to his former team. Every time the Wolves face the Celtics, there is a little extra incentive for Ryan Gomes and Al Jefferson, who played for Boston two years ago.
Wednesday, November 25 vs. Denver @ 7 PM
The Wolves hope to be giving thanks for a big win over the Nuggets on Thanksgiving Day. Denver is looking to parlay the tremendous finish in 2008-09 and Western Conference Finals appearance into this upcoming season. Last year, Minnesota failed to earn a victory against the offensively potent Nuggets. The Wolves would also enjoy revenge for the 33-point 3rd quarter outburst from Carmelo Anthony last December. Denver made a couple of minor adjustments to the roster by letting Dahntay Jones sign with the Pacers and adding Arron Afflalo as his replacement. The most intriguing aspect to the game is the matchup between Jonny Flynn and Ty Lawson. Two speedy point guards going head-to-head will certainly captivate the Target Center crowd.
Friday, November 27 vs. Phoenix @ 8:30 PM
Two days later, the Wolves host the first nationally televised game of the year against the Shaq-less Suns. Jefferson seems to elevate his level of play when facing Phoenix, including 28 points and 17 boards in the first contest last year. The Suns lost Shaq to Cleveland but resigned Steve Nash along with drafting Earl Clark out of Louisville. Amar'e Stoudemire returns to the roster after suffering from an eye injury for a majority of the 2008-09 season. The Friday night tussle between the two teams should feature an exciting and high-scoring game.
Saturday, December 26 vs. Washington @ 7 PM
Fans, welcome the Ghosts of Timberwolves Past the day after Christmas with a home game against Washington. The storylines are endless, as the Wizards will feature former Wolves' players Randy Foye, Mike Miller and former coaches Flip Saunders and Randy Wittman. Assistant coach Sam Cassell also suited up for Minnesota during its run to the Western Conference Finals. The Wolves acquired Oleksiy Pecherov and Darius Songaila from Washington in the offseason multi-player trade. Again, this matchup presents an added dimension with the amount of players that were swapped and emotional ties from the Wizards coaching staff. Oh and by the way, Washington welcomes back a healthy Gilbert Arenas to the roster this year.
Friday, January 1 vs. Orlando @ 7 PM
There is no better way to enter 2010 than watching the Eastern Conference Champs at the Target Center. Hedo Turkoglu jetted out of Orlando for a free agent deal with the Toronto Raptors. To keep up with the arms race in the East, the Magic singed Vince Carter, Brandon Bass, and Matt Barnes. Dwight Howard is the most athletically gifted NBA player, which should present quite a challenge for the Wolves' frontline. With Vinsanity and Superman on the roster, buckle your seatbelts for a highlight-reel game on New Year's Day.
Friday, January 29 vs. L.A. Clippers @ 7 PM
I know it's the Clippers. Regardless of the negative stigma attached to the OTHER LA franchise, the Clippers offer an intriguing roster in 2009-10. The No. 1 overall pick, Blake Griffin looks to be the real deal after an impressive Summer League performance. Baron Davis takes the reigns at point guard while Al Thornton continues to improve at the forward position. Minnesota fans will also get a chance to watch former Wolves' Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith, and Mark Madsen in Clippers uniforms at the Target Center.
Friday, March 12 vs. San Antonio @ 7 PM
The Spurs never seem to go away. Following a 4-1 series loss to Dallas in the Western Conference Quarterfinals, San Antonio went back to the drawing board to take advantage of a couple more title runs with Tim Duncan in his prime. In the first big move of the summer, the Spurs traded for Richard Jefferson, which immediately added an athletic scoring and defensive threat to the lineup. San Antonio also snagged veteran forward Antonio McDyess and rookie forward DeJuan Blair. Manu Ginobili is expected to fully recover from his injury-plagued season to give the Spurs one of the most dangerous one-on-one players in the league. Minnesota can't wait to face Tony Parker after the super-quick Frenchmen posted 55 points at the Target Center last year. The Flynn-Parker matchup is another bonus to an already hyped contest in March.
Friday, April 9 vs. L.A. Lakers @ 7PM
The rich got richer this offseason and that includes the World Champs. Los Angeles basically swapped Trevor Ariza for Ron Artest while retaining Lamar Odom. So, the Lakers now present a six-man rotation of Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Artest, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Odom. Minnesota battled Los Angeles in several close contests last year but it will take an out of this world effort this season to steal a victory from a team favored to win back-to-back championships. Wolves' fans better snatch these tickets ASAP because the Lake Show will only be in town for one game on April 9.
Wednesday, April 14 vs. Detroit @ 7 PM
The perception around the league is the Pistons are one of the teams that can make a run at one of the top free agents in 2010. Detroit started the retooling process this offseason by signing Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon. In the June Draft, the Pistons selected Austin Daye and DaJuan Summers to give the frontcourt a boost after the team lost Rasheed Wallace to Boston. Detroit's roster is a far cry from the 04' Championship squad but the Pistons hope to compete for a playoff spot this upcoming year. This game also marks the season finale for Minnesota at the Target Center.
For more news and notes on the team follow the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jonah on Twitter.
So thanks schedule makers. The Wolves second game of the season features King James and newly acquired Shaquille O'Neal entering the Target Center with the focus of capturing an NBA championship. Cleveland also added Anthony Parker to spread the floor after double teams collapse on James and Shaq. Minnesota will have little time to prepare for a Cavaliers squad that topped the league in 2008-09 with 66 wins. Cleveland swept the season series last year while LeBron averaged 28.5 points in the two victories.
Wednesday, November 4 vs. Boston @ 7 PM
Five days after hosting the Cavs, Minnesota entertains Kevin Garnett and the new-look Celtics at the Target Center. Unsettled by the Game 7 loss to the Magic in the playoffs last year, Boston signed one of the most versatile big-men in the NBA during the offseason. Rasheed Wallace joins a healthy Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo for another run at the title. The memory of Garnett in a Wolves' uniform is fading but Minnesota fans would not mind sending KG back to Boston with a loss to his former team. Every time the Wolves face the Celtics, there is a little extra incentive for Ryan Gomes and Al Jefferson, who played for Boston two years ago.
Wednesday, November 25 vs. Denver @ 7 PM
The Wolves hope to be giving thanks for a big win over the Nuggets on Thanksgiving Day. Denver is looking to parlay the tremendous finish in 2008-09 and Western Conference Finals appearance into this upcoming season. Last year, Minnesota failed to earn a victory against the offensively potent Nuggets. The Wolves would also enjoy revenge for the 33-point 3rd quarter outburst from Carmelo Anthony last December. Denver made a couple of minor adjustments to the roster by letting Dahntay Jones sign with the Pacers and adding Arron Afflalo as his replacement. The most intriguing aspect to the game is the matchup between Jonny Flynn and Ty Lawson. Two speedy point guards going head-to-head will certainly captivate the Target Center crowd.
Friday, November 27 vs. Phoenix @ 8:30 PM
Two days later, the Wolves host the first nationally televised game of the year against the Shaq-less Suns. Jefferson seems to elevate his level of play when facing Phoenix, including 28 points and 17 boards in the first contest last year. The Suns lost Shaq to Cleveland but resigned Steve Nash along with drafting Earl Clark out of Louisville. Amar'e Stoudemire returns to the roster after suffering from an eye injury for a majority of the 2008-09 season. The Friday night tussle between the two teams should feature an exciting and high-scoring game.
Saturday, December 26 vs. Washington @ 7 PM
Fans, welcome the Ghosts of Timberwolves Past the day after Christmas with a home game against Washington. The storylines are endless, as the Wizards will feature former Wolves' players Randy Foye, Mike Miller and former coaches Flip Saunders and Randy Wittman. Assistant coach Sam Cassell also suited up for Minnesota during its run to the Western Conference Finals. The Wolves acquired Oleksiy Pecherov and Darius Songaila from Washington in the offseason multi-player trade. Again, this matchup presents an added dimension with the amount of players that were swapped and emotional ties from the Wizards coaching staff. Oh and by the way, Washington welcomes back a healthy Gilbert Arenas to the roster this year.
Friday, January 1 vs. Orlando @ 7 PM There is no better way to enter 2010 than watching the Eastern Conference Champs at the Target Center. Hedo Turkoglu jetted out of Orlando for a free agent deal with the Toronto Raptors. To keep up with the arms race in the East, the Magic singed Vince Carter, Brandon Bass, and Matt Barnes. Dwight Howard is the most athletically gifted NBA player, which should present quite a challenge for the Wolves' frontline. With Vinsanity and Superman on the roster, buckle your seatbelts for a highlight-reel game on New Year's Day.
Friday, January 29 vs. L.A. Clippers @ 7 PM
I know it's the Clippers. Regardless of the negative stigma attached to the OTHER LA franchise, the Clippers offer an intriguing roster in 2009-10. The No. 1 overall pick, Blake Griffin looks to be the real deal after an impressive Summer League performance. Baron Davis takes the reigns at point guard while Al Thornton continues to improve at the forward position. Minnesota fans will also get a chance to watch former Wolves' Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith, and Mark Madsen in Clippers uniforms at the Target Center.
Friday, March 12 vs. San Antonio @ 7 PM
The Spurs never seem to go away. Following a 4-1 series loss to Dallas in the Western Conference Quarterfinals, San Antonio went back to the drawing board to take advantage of a couple more title runs with Tim Duncan in his prime. In the first big move of the summer, the Spurs traded for Richard Jefferson, which immediately added an athletic scoring and defensive threat to the lineup. San Antonio also snagged veteran forward Antonio McDyess and rookie forward DeJuan Blair. Manu Ginobili is expected to fully recover from his injury-plagued season to give the Spurs one of the most dangerous one-on-one players in the league. Minnesota can't wait to face Tony Parker after the super-quick Frenchmen posted 55 points at the Target Center last year. The Flynn-Parker matchup is another bonus to an already hyped contest in March.
Friday, April 9 vs. L.A. Lakers @ 7PM
The rich got richer this offseason and that includes the World Champs. Los Angeles basically swapped Trevor Ariza for Ron Artest while retaining Lamar Odom. So, the Lakers now present a six-man rotation of Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Artest, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Odom. Minnesota battled Los Angeles in several close contests last year but it will take an out of this world effort this season to steal a victory from a team favored to win back-to-back championships. Wolves' fans better snatch these tickets ASAP because the Lake Show will only be in town for one game on April 9.
Wednesday, April 14 vs. Detroit @ 7 PM
The perception around the league is the Pistons are one of the teams that can make a run at one of the top free agents in 2010. Detroit started the retooling process this offseason by signing Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon. In the June Draft, the Pistons selected Austin Daye and DaJuan Summers to give the frontcourt a boost after the team lost Rasheed Wallace to Boston. Detroit's roster is a far cry from the 04' Championship squad but the Pistons hope to compete for a playoff spot this upcoming year. This game also marks the season finale for Minnesota at the Target Center.
For more news and notes on the team follow the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jonah on Twitter.
