Jonah BallowWolves Editor/Writer
Email / Twitter
Wolves @ Mavericks 7:30 PM - American Airlines Center
WHERE TO LISTEN: KFAN 1130
Scouting Report:
Big Picture:
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is not afraid of jumping into a cold pool. While several general managers and owners tiptoe around potential franchise-altering trades, Cuban will pull the trigger at any cost to improve his ballclub. Prior to the deadline, he shipped the inconsistent Josh Howard, journeyman Drew Gooden, reserves Quinton Ross and James Singleton to Washington. Dallas received Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, DeShawn Stevenson, which may prove to be the missing pieces to a championship puzzle. Evaluating the early returns, the Mavericks are clearly the winner of the trade deadline sweepstakes with an eight-game winning streak, launching over Denver for the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference. In a season where Big D hosted a record-breaking crowd at the All-Star game, the icing on the cake would be an NBA title. Dallas slid past Charlotte on Monday night for its 20th road victory and will play six of the next eight games at home.
Last Meeting:
Minnesota evened the season series against the Mavericks with one of their best wins away from the Target Center this year. In the fourth quarter, the Wolves finished strong on a 13-2 run to upend Dallas 117-108 on February 5.
Backcourt:
Head coach Rick Carlisle has decided to start Butler at the shooting guard spot and send Jason Terry back to the bench as the sixth man option. Despite missing a couple of games due to a negative reaction to medication, Butler has filled in nicely with his new-look team. Butler is averaging 15.1 points in six games but his true impact will be seen on the defensive side of the floor. At 6-7 and 228 pounds, Butler can play on the wing or small forward, defending a variety of scores in the league. The seven-year veteran will lockdown opponents and provide timely scoring when asked to produce. The man running the show is the ageless wonder, Jason Kidd. Last Friday, Kidd lit up the box score by scoring 19 points, dishing out 17 assists, and grabbing 16 boards in a victory over Atlanta. He jumped into the time machine for a flashback to his Dallas days in the mid 90s and the 36-year old continues to improve. Most scouting reports alert defenders to allow room on the perimeter when defending Kidd; however, he is now shooting 41 percent beyond the arc. Across the floor, Wolves point guard Jonny Flynn hopes to duplicate his performance from the last meeting. Flynn scored a team-high 19 points and seven dimes to help lead Minnesota to a road win. The Wolves backcourt of Flynn and Brewer combined to drill six 3-pointers on 11 attempts as the team shot 54.5 percent from deep range.
Frontcourt:
All the trade talk has overshadowed another incredible season for Dirk Nowitzki. He remains one of the most difficult defensive assignments in the league with his ability to shoot all over the court. The seven-footer owns supreme ball handling skills and attacks the glass to grab 7.8 boards a game. Over the last five contests, Nowitzki has gone off, scoring 30.8 points per game, earning the Western Conference Player of the Week. Defensively, Nowitzki is protected by the newly-acquired Haywood, who might be the most important piece of the trade deal. Haywood mainly focuses on blocking shots, rebounding, and taking advantage of second chance opportunities in the paint. Shawn Marion rounds off a talented starting five at the small forward position. Wolves power forward Kevin Love was another catalyst to the team snatching a victory last month. Love scored 17 points and hauled down 11 rebounds in 30 minutes off the bench. With Al Jefferson serving a two-game suspension, Love is expected to play major minutes while accepting the responsibility as the go-to scorer on the blocks.
What To Look For:
A severely short-handed Minnesota squad will step on to the floor against a top contender for the championship tonight. Head coach Kurt Rambis is leaning towards starting Darko Milicic at the center spot for Jefferson and Love will join the second unit. Wayne Ellington and Nathan Jawai suffered ankle injuries at Monday's practice session; both players will not travel on the two-game road trip. For Dallas, Nowitzki is looking for redemption after showing up late to shootaround at the last meeting against Minnesota and did not start in the game for the first time since 1999.
For more news and notes on the team follow the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jonah on Twitter.
