Losses Weigh On The Fight Of The ‘Wolves

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States (AHN) – The Minnesota Timberwolves are not worried about the playoffs – that dream died well before the New Year.

They are not focused on wins and losses – not that they don’t want to win, but at this point, their record means nothing more than extra lottery balls for June’s NBA Draft.

With 17 games remaining, the Timberwolves (14-51) are only focused on making strides towards finding an identity and building for the future, a task that is becoming more challenging with each defeat.

“Losing really weighs on you. It weighs on everybody. Everybody is frustrated,” said ‘Wolves head coach Kurt Rambis. “This is where you look at peoples character and see what they do. Your options are to roll over or fight.”

Rambis’ team came out swinging Wednesday against one of the teams on a short list of NBA title contenders. The Timberwolves controlled most of the first half against the Nuggets, even leading at halftime.  But in the end, Minnesota was left with the familiar feeling of walking off the floor dejected.

“We have 51 losses, we’ll probably get to 52,” said Kevin Love. “We just have to go out there and keep fighting.”

Minnesota’s fight doesn’t outweigh their inexperience, which was evident against Denver.

The Nuggets are filled with veterans who have made runs deep into the playoffs. They’ve figured out how to unlock the NBA’s door to success, no one more so than guard Chauncey Billups.

Billups, who played a stint with the Timberwolves early in his career, is now the unquestioned leader in Denver. He is an NBA Champion and finals MVP. 

Against his former team, Wednesday, the 13-year-veteran played teacher and taught rookie student Jonny Flynn a brutal lesson.

“Chauncey is one of the top point guards in the league and one of the brightest players the NBA has,” said Rambis. “He understands how to play, he understands how to manipulate situations, and he knows how to take advantage of players weaknesses.”

Billups used his size and strength against Flynn from start to finish.  He scored a game high 25 points while holding the rookie to just 11, two below his season average.

Billups bodied Flynn in the post, drove to the basket, and at one point even knocked down a flat footed shot from the top of the key right over Flynn, which made both players laugh coming back down the floor. 

Rambis isn’t chuckling.

“There’s so many things, experiance and knowledge, that [Flynn] has to gain, that you are just not going to pick it up in three quarters of your first NBA season, it just doesn’t happen that way,” said Rambis.  “It takes years to figure things out.”

The message is true for the entire Timberwolves roster. They are all trying to “figure things out.”

Even though the Nuggets are clearly the better team, they let the ‘Wolves get their jabs in. For the better part of the game, Denver appeared to play disinterested, and it’s hard to blame them.

They were playing the conferences’ worst team, it was the start of a four game road trip, and their head coach was not on the sidelines because he is undergoing treatment in the battle of his life against cancer.

And still, the Nuggets were able to put together a 13-0 run at the end of the third and start of the fourth quarter that buried the Timberwolves hopes of any upset.

The point – the Nuggets, one of the NBA’s elites, know how to find ways to win. For the Timberwolves, winning remains an enigma. “Of course it’s tough losing, but the good thing is, the way I look at it is, we have another game Friday to adjust to what we did tonight. It’s like learning from your mistakes,” said Al Jefferson. “It’s our job. We are supposed to go out and play hard, night in and night out.”

At some point, during the fight that is the NBA season, the Wolves need to turn their jabs into haymakers.

---