Wolves players arrived at the practice facility Sunday afternoon expecting yet another practice in preparation for the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. Flip Saunders had something else in mind, though, and instead of practicing, the team loaded onto a bus and drove a couple miles up the road to watch the Vikings game at TCF Bank Stadium.
It wasn’t the greatest game as the Detroit Lions worked the Vikings en route to an easy 17-3 win. Minnesota was anemic on offense, and for the most part, the game itself was pretty boring. That said Saunders intentions were good.
“I’ve always done things where I’ve taken guys for bonding type situations,” Saunders said. “We thought it was a good opportunity and we might not have another opportunity where it’s going to be above 60 degrees. It was a good time. … It was kind of a reward for them.”
It was just another installment in Saunders attempting to build team unity off the court. So far he’s brought a magician to a practice at Training Camp, hosted a Rookie Night where different players sang karaoke, and now he’s taken his NBA team to watch an NFL game, among other activities.
That idea of team unity is especially important this season with a roster is filled with young guys. Though there are a handful of veterans on the current roster, a bulk of the team is still relatively new to the NBA.
“I’m sure [the veterans] bought into [the team building] thing yesterday because they didn’t have to practice,” Saunders joked Monday. “I’m sure the only guy that was upset we didn’t practice is Zach LaVine. He wants to be in the gym 12 hours per day if he can.”
Thad Young said he was surprised when he got to practice Sunday and the team headed for TCF Bank Stadium. Young was a veteran on a young Philadelphia 76ers squad last season, and said he thinks team building is important for younger guys.
“We always did that kind of stuff because we had so many young guys and we were just trying to show them how we roll as a family,” Young said of last season with the 76ers. “This year we have some veterans and a great mixture of young guys. It’s always a good thing for me.”
Nikola Pekovic, a veteran entering his fifth year in the NBA, appears to have bought into the team building activities. He seems up for pretty much any team activity and said he enjoyed the Vikings game on Sunday.
“It’s way more fun than baseball. That's for sure,” Pekovic said. “I’m still more of a soccer fan.”
‘GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS’
Corey Brewer has started the last couple preseason games at shooting guard with Kevin Martin on the shelf with a minor injury. That means Brewer has shared the court with the likes of Ricky Rubio, Andrew Wiggins, Young, and Pekovic to create an athletic group that is aggressive on the defensive end of the floor.
“We’re like a gambling group so I think coach said something about Gamblers Anonymous for us,” Young joked. “It could be fun watching that group out there on the court together just going out there and going at it. We’re always in the passing lanes. We’re long and athletic.”
Young said it’s going to be “a little difficult” stay disciplined in halfcourt sets, and cut back on the gambling on defense.
“As a unit we know we have to play it calm and cool sometimes especially against good teams that will kill us backdoor,” he said. “We know what teams we can do it on and what teams we can’t.”
Martin’s return could throw a wrench into the current lineup, though Saunders wouldn’t expound on his plans with the starting lineup moving forward.
OTHER NOTES
- Minnesota ended practice Monday with wind sprints. Saunders instructed his players to sprint up and down the floor, and when the sprints were finished, a player stepped up and needed to nail a free throw. Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, and Pekovic all hit the shot from the charity stripe and the sprints stopped.
- Kevin Martin and Shabazz Muhammad were both limited in practice Monday. Martin is recovering from a strained adductor and Muhammad is working through a sore Achilles. Saunders wouldn’t confirm either player’s status for Friday against the Bucks.
- Saunders gave Ricky Rubio and Gorgui Dieng the day off Saturday. He said he wanted to rest the two players because they competed in the 2014 FIBA World Championships in the offseason.