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When it comes to protecting the basket, center Greg Stiemsma and forward Andrei Kirilenko have been leading the way. Each are tied for the team lead in blocked shots at 2.5 per night, and their mentality around the rim has made a difference on a Timberwolves’ squad trying to transform its defensive identity from a year ago. Stiemsma said once you put a defensive mindset with good technique, success will follow. “Even before I signed they wanted someone who can come in and protect the rim,” Stiemsma said. “And that was a role I thought I could fill. Then we bring in guys like D.C. [Dante Cunningham], AK, who can guard anybody. We’ve got a pretty talented group of guys that can do a lot of different things.” That identity is beginning to surface around the NBA, and it’s something the Pacers have on their radar heading into tonight. Pacers guard David West said this is a different Wolves team on that end of the court. “They’ve added some defensive minded players like Kirilenko, Cunningham and Stiemsma, and they’ve changed the identity of the ballclub,” West said. “Obviously [JJ] Barea and his experience up top is something that we’ve got to be prepared for. We’ve just got to be ready to come in here and put a good game together.” Roy Keeps Assists Coming Wolves forward Brandon Roy continues to adjust physically during his comeback, acknowledging that the rigors of the NBA season are part of the process he’ll need to endure. The Wolves are nearing the end of five games in seven days, with practices in between, and Roy is getting acclimated to life back in the league on the fly. But although he admits he feels early-season fatigue, he said there is no pain in his knees so far. “Every time you talk about it to the trainers and coaches, this is what we expected, especially early,” Roy said. “I just need to continue to stay positive and keep moving forward.” As he adjusts, his offense is taking a new direction. The three-time All-Star has always been known for his scoring, but through four games he’s leading the Timberwolves with 5.5 assists per game. He had a game-high nine assists on Wednesday against Orlando. Roy said he continues to get acquainted with where his teammates will be on the floor, and the system the Wolves are running really makes it possible to move the ball and facilitate. “That’s one of the biggest reasons why I do like the offense is there is a lot of opportunities for assists,” Roy said. “I thought coming into this situation, I thought the scoring will come, and I’m not worried about that. But right now I’m noticing where guys want to be at and noticing where Pek [Nikola Pekovic] likes to flash and how Luke [Ridnour] wants to space the floor. So I’m just continuing to pick the offense up and there are a lot of opportunities to get more assists, and I’m just trying to do those things.” Quick Hits
- Wolves guard JJ Barea’s status for tonight’s game is still in question, as he did not speak to the media after this morning’s shootaround. Barea suffered a left mid-foot sprain during the second half of Wednesday’s win while chasing a ball out of bounds and crashing into the scorer’s table.