WEST 148 EAST 143 GAME RECAP | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20
Your browser does not support iframes.
Wolves fans will welcome back their first All-Star since 2007 and hope Love can continue his historic season. The sky is the limit as Love transitions into the next phase of his career with an All-Star appearance under his belt and an experience he will never forget. JUST ONE OF THE GUYS - ALL-STAR PRACTICE | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19
Your browser does not support iframes.
On Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles, Kevin Love practiced with the Western Conference All-Stars and quickly adapted to the raucous atmosphere. Inside the Convention Center, fans packed the stands to watch both squads run through some offensive sets and shooting contests. Love seemed right at home next to the elite players of the NBA, often joking with his good friend Russell Westbrook and dunk specialist Blake Griffin.
Following the “practice” media members raced out to the floor and fought for interviews with the All-Stars. Luckily, timberwolves.com was on the scene to find out what Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Dwight Howard thought about Mr. Love.
“I think he has been phenomenal to say the least. Offensively and defensively, making the right plays and making the right decisions – obviously rebounding is probably his strong suit. He’s a very underrated 3-pointer shooter and I think his all-around game has really flourished this year.” -- Bryant
“He just worked hard. Once a player gets his feet set and understands the demands of the NBA, the next year is always easier and I think that’s been the case with him.”-- Bryant on how Love has changed from this year compared to last season.
“Kevin Love, for a guy who can’t jump over a phone book, he is averaging 15 rebounds, which is amazing for a guy his size. I’m very happy for him and I think he deserves to be in the All-Star game. He should have started this year, he’s been excellent all year, he’s been the most consistent guy on their team, he’s been one of the most consistent guys in the league and I’m happy for him. It’s great to see a guy like him each year get better and I’m happy for his progress and he is going to make Minnesota very proud.” – Dwight Howard
“I think Kevin Love has done a good job not only setting his mark on this league but playing like an All-Star on a consistent basis. It’s not everyday that players can say that. When I watch him on tape, I think the difference is his confidence, the way he plays – he understands who he is, not trying to be someone else and it’s been consistent.” – Kevin Garnett
In case you are wondering, Love picked Griffin to win Saturday night’s Slam Dunk Contest while Wolves rookie Wes Johnson is backing Javale Mcgee. Stay tuned to 612allstar.com/LA2011 tomorrow for complete coverage of Love’s first appearance in the 60th NBA All-Star game at 8 p.m. central on TNT. ROOKIES 148 SOPHOMORES 140 GAME RECAP
Your browser does not support iframes.
It must be the shoes?
Wes Johnson sported bright yellow adidas kicks for the Rookie-Sophomore Game on Friday night and his performance stood out as much as the outlandish shoes. The Wolves No. 4 overall pick led all scorers at halftime with 16 points and scored 25 in the Rookies 148-140 victory over the Sophomores.
“It had to be the shoes. No, no, it was the socks,” Johnson joked. I had a good rhythm going out there but my whole mentality was to win the game, I was saying that a lot but talking to the guys, I really wanted to win.”
Displaying the versatility that made him attractive to the Minnesota front office on Draft night, Johnson threw down a couple of quick dunks in the first 20 minutes along with back-to-back 3-pointers to help the Rookies capture momentum early in the contest.
“It was fun, you see the speed of the guys, everybody with their court vision and passing that they were doing, so it was good for us to get up and down. I can say that it was a lot of fun,” Johnson said.
As the game tightened down the stretch, Johnson found a spot on the floor despite not starting the game. He drilled a key 3-pointer at the 4:25 mark to tie the game at 130-130. Overall, the Minnesota shooting guard was extremely efficient shooting the rock, hitting 10-of-15 field goal attempts, 3-for-5 behind the arc, and 14 in the +/- category. LIGHTS, CAMERA, LOVE | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18
Your browser does not support iframes.
Friday featured a mixed bag of events for Wes Johnson and Kevin Love. Johnson participated in a light practice with the Rookie squad before meeting the media at Jam Session. The Wolves rookie cruised over to the Staples Center around 3 p.m. pacific time to prepare for the Rookie-Sophomore contest.
Love worked the NBAE circuit to begin his morning and taped a special message for NBA Cares, discussing the various community events he’s involved with in Minneapolis. The power forward moved over to a sit down interview similar to Johnson’s yesterday except with a few wrinkles. The NBAE crew asked about his worst fear, one thing he would change in his life, and his "made it in the NBA" moment. Love quipped, "I would change the amount of sweat under my arm pits." The 6-10 rebounding machine also admitted to owning a serious fear of spiders.
After answering the myriad of questions, Love spoke to ESPN Radio and NBATV’s Marc Fein and Steve Smith. While moving through the stations, the third-year star received some props from well known NBA greats, such as Kevin Garnett (past meets present?), Dirk Nowitzki, and Pau Gasol. The All-Stars gathered inside a conference room for media availability with each player taking a seat at a roundtable while media members bombarded them with questions. For obvious reasons, Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant garnered the most attention but Love was a popular figure in his first All-Star appearance.
Of course, timberwolves.com was on sight to ask the West All-Stars their thoughts on Love's spectacular 2010-11 campaign.
"It's another monster in this league - every night a double-double.You look up and he's got 15-15 and it could be the second quarter. He just has a knack for going after the basketball and he's added so much
to his offensive game - step out and hit threes now, he's just a complete player." -- Deron Williams, Jazz point guard
"He's been unbelievable, he's been great - I don't know how many wins they have, but that is the best, whatever, 15...16 win team out there right now. They play tough, they played us four great games when we played them and he's been unbelievable to play against, to watch his stats. I think he's just having a great year." -- Tim Duncan, Spurs forward
"It's incredible he had a 30-30 game, he's getting 20 rebounds left and right, and if you look at him he's not that tall, even that big, he's just got a great nose for the ball, great hands and he's really got a low center of gravity. I really actually think he's the most underrated player in the league." -- Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks forward
"I knew it was coming - he's been putting on shows since I've been meeting him. He's a great guy and he's getting better." -- Russell Westbrook, Thunder point guard
"It's crazy...it's crazy me, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and D-Will were just talking about it. You know, I don't know, he's got 51...52 straight double-doubles. It's crazy - teams know is going into the game too and me and D-Will were talking about it - he looked up at the clock at halftime and he had eight and six and they thought they might stop his double-double streak, but the end of the third quarter he had 18 and 13. I don't know...it's unreal." -- Chris Paul, Hornets point guard
"Love has done a great job this year and I think his rebounding has been off the charts and his dedication and consistency has been incredible. I take my hat off because it has been really impressive." -- Pau Gasol, Lakers forward
Late in the afternoon, Love traveled to Virgil Middle School in Los Angeles to lend a helping hand. The former UCLA big man enjoyed an opportunity to contribute in the area where he played college ball. Ironically, Love was designated to a Bruins painting assignment next to a young man attempting to color the UCLA logo. THE ARRIVAL | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17
Your browser does not support iframes.
Wolves rookie Wes Johnson has faced the bright lights and big stage many times throughout his heralded high school and college career. On Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles, Johnson took the next step with a little taste of the All-Star life.
The Minnesota shooting guard arrived at the players’ hotel next to Staples Center at 3 p.m. local time for an NBAE circuit, which involved a couple of photo shoots, a special spotlight interview, and a unique roundtable discussion with fellow rookies Blake Griffin, John Wall, and Landry Fields.
“That’s the hardest one, when you are sitting in the director’s chair and the people seem like they are moving back further and further because of the lights. But, I feel like I’m a natural,” Johnson explained after stepping in front of the NBA cameras.
Sporting a dress shirt and jeans, Johnson smoothly moved from one station to the next while enjoying a brief moment to share some laughs. The most entertaining portion of Thursday’s afternoon events was the roundtable feature. The rookies were asked a variety of questions, including if they hit the rookie wall, player most excited to play against, the challenges of traveling in the NBA, and when each rookie knew they made it. Johnson felt he shined on December 27 against New Orleans, where the former Syracuse star drilled 6-of-8 long bombs for a career-high 24 points at the Target Center.
Following the roundtable, timberwolves.com caught up with Wall and Johnson prior to their first Rookie Team meeting. Wall is excited to join forces the Wolves high flyer , “Oh, there are going to be a lot of alley oops. That’s what I like to have somebody on the wing; I can throw it up too, so we’re just going to have fun but take it a little serious and try to win. You have to win for the Rookies but we are just going to enjoy the great environment. It’s great to be in LA, great city to be in, and a great opportunity to for us to reach our dreams even more.”
The Rookies and Sophomores will practice and meet the media tomorrow morning before suiting up for the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam at 8 p.m. central.
Kevin Love landed in Los Angeles today and will participate in the All-Star media circuit tomorrow. Check back to 612allstar.com/LA2011 for comprehensive game coverage and exclusive behind the scenes action.
For more news and notes on the team follow the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jonah on Twitter. Visit the Wolves official Facebook Page here.