Good game. Nice to be back at it. I'm glad the expectations aren't very high - for me atleast - because it makes watching this team a lot more fun. They played well in stretches and poorly in stretched - mostly when Mike James was on the floor, but I'll get to that in a minute. Defensively they looked very good and on offense you can still see it's a work in progress. I liked what I saw out of our boys last night and I hope they can play like that every night, even if it doesn't always result in a win. They'll be competitive if they do.
The Good
Troy Hudson - I was sort of shocked when he got into the game, like I had forgotten that he could even play. He looked a lot like the T-Hud that earned the contract that we're currently paying him. The offense flowed very well when he was in the game and, even though he forced some shots, he played under control.
KG and Hassell - They were quietly dominant. KG did his thing and Hassell was knocking down open jumpers all night.
Marko the SF - This is what I'm excited about the most after watching the game. I've always liked his game, his size, length, and quickness on defense. But he's not a PG. He was disruptive on defense and he helped get the ball up and down the court on offense. If he does what he did last night all season, he could be a candidate for most improved player.
Craig Smith - The kid takes up a TON of space on the floor. He's smart and he plays very hard, sometimes to his detriment - he fouled out. He's a much more skilled version of Mad Dog who, if he matures, could be a very productive player for the Wovles this season.
The Bad
Mike James - I'm going to cut him some slack because he's in a new system with new coaches and new players, but he looked lost last night. The offense was stagnant when he was in, and I'd be willing to bet 2/3 of their turnovers came while he was in the game. It really says something when you feel more comfortable with Troy Hudson in the game. I'm hoping he can pick it up quickly and contribute the way the Wolves envisioned he could when they signed him.
Mark Blount - He hasn't attained Kandi status yet because he atleast looks like he's playing hard, but he was terrible last night. Some of that was Casey's decision to let him shoot so much early, but he was consistanly being beaten to the glass by opposing guards and employing his standard bullfighter defense "OLE!"
The Funny
Mo Taylor - His sad little effort to goad KG into getting another technical showed me exactly why he's been such a failure in the NBA. That and I think he may have wet his pants after seeing Kevin glaring at him.
Kevin being Kevin - As he's leaving the court after his post game interview, he says to Lea B Thompson, "you look good girl."
