Summer League Practice Report

Jonah Ballow
Wolves Editor/Writer
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The Wolves Summer League squad hit the practice floor on Tuesday afternoon to correct some of the mistakes that led to two consecutive losses.

After falling to Houston and the NBA D-League Select team, Minnesota will have three days before the next contest against Washington on Friday night. The intensity at the practice facility was certainly not lacking during the two-hour session.

Some thoughts while watching the spirited workout:

--Oleksly Pecherov presents an interesting skill set for this Wolves team in 2009-10. On Monday afternoon, Pecherov showed a nice touch from the 3-point line and was aggressive on the glass with 10 rebounds. The Wolves could greatly benefit from a seven-footer who can play from the high post while Al Jefferson dominates in the paint. Pecherov might be a hidden gem from the Randy Foye-Mike Miller trade with the Wizards.

--Wayne Ellington seemed to relax in the second contest against the NBA D-League Select on his way to 22 points. The most impressive aspect to Ellington’s performance on Monday and practice session the following day was his success rate in reaching the basket. Ellington was heralded for his ability to drain the deep ball in college but the all-around game could make him the steal of the 09’ draft. Minnesota will rely heavily on his scoring productivity to replace Foye and Miller this upcoming season.

President of basketball operations David Kahn addressed a number of issues on Tuesday including the coaching search, Ricky Rubio, and free agency for the Wolves.
Jonah Ballow with David Kahn

Albert Lea native Ben Woodside discussed his thought process during the four days in Las Vegas. Woodside is attempting to earn a spot for an NBA team and trying to take a day-to-day approach to the process.
Jonah Ballow with Ben Woodside

Next up for Minnesota is a matchup against the Washington Wizards on Friday at 7 PM Central time. Jonah Ballow and Chris Lewis will broadcast play by play live from the Cox Pavilion on timberwolves.com.

Get all your Summer League news, results and information at Timberwolves Summer League Central.