Wolves vs. Wizards

Jonah Ballow
Wolves Editor/Writer
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For the third straight day, the Wolves Summer League team hit the practice floor in Las Vegas. The loss to the NBA D-League Select squad on Monday seems to be a distant memory at this point and the Wizards are in the crosshairs for Minnesota on Friday night.

Thoughts from the practice facility:
--The knock on Paul Harris heading into the draft was his inconsistent perimeter shooting. The draft gurus described Harris’ jumper as tentative and in need of work to earn a spot on an NBA team. However, Harris looks extremely confident on the practice floor while curling off screens for outside shots in one fluid motion. His strong physique is beneficial when defenders try to push Harris outside of his projected range. At 6-4, Harris is an incredible athlete and can finish high above the rim. Harris can also have an impact on the glass as seen last year at Syracuse where he averaged 8.1 rebounds per game. In college, Harris suited up at the small forward spot but his value may increase in the league if he adjusts to the shooting guard position.

--The Wolves coaching staff split the players on separate teams to work on defense. One of the major issues last year for Minnesota was the inability to hunker down on the defensive side of the floor. President of basketball operations David Kahn spoke very highly of Jonny Flynn’s on-the-ball defense and Kahn was right. Flynn is quick to jump above or around screens while creating havoc for the opposing ball handler. With the return of defensive-specialist Corey Brewer and the addition of Flynn, Minnesota will have a chance to become a much-improved defensive team.

Assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff:
On the new-look Wolves:
“They have been great. Jonny is a take charge kind of guy with a great personality and great leadership qualities. He has the ability to command attention when he comes into the room and steps on the floor, people kind of gravitate to him. Being a point guard that is something you can’t teach, that is just one of those things that people are blessed with.”

“Wayne has been great as well. He has a skill set on this team that we don’t have. If you were to teach your kid what a two-guard should be, Wayne is what a two-guard should be. He can put the ball in the hole, he can create his own shot, he can handle the ball.

On utilizing practice time:
“The games are fun but we are here to improve from an individual standpoint and as a team. To come out here and practice has been good for us because we have seen improvement as a staff from the beginning of camp until now. That’s what is more important; the games are more like the icing on top of it. The practices are really where you go and get stuff done.”
Jonah Ballow with JB Bickerstaff

Minnesota vs. Washington 7 PM Central
There are several connections between the Wizards and Wolves. Washington head coach Flip Saunders and assistant coach Randy Wittman both coached in Minnesota. The Wolves also dealt Randy Foye and Mike Miller to the Wizards for Oleksiy Pecherov, Etan Thomas, and the 5th overall pick this offseason.

Washington owns a 1-1 record in Summer League action and most recently fell to the Nuggets 77-70 on Wednesday. Second-year man Nick Young is off to a tremendous start by averaging 26.5 points per game. Young is a dynamic scorer out of USC and can play the guar and forward positions. After his 36-point outburst against Cleveland, Young is the second leading scorer behind Anthony Randolph. Washington must be ecstatic to also witness the development of Andray Blatche through the first two games. Blatche is averaging 24 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.

Jonah Ballow and Chris Lewis will broadcast play by play live from the Cox Pavilion on timberwolves.com at 7 PM Central.

Get all your Summer League news, results and information at Timberwolves Summer League Central.
For more news and notes on the team follow the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jonah on Twitter.