Freezing Temperatures Fail to Stop Wolves' Bleeding

So which is worse -- a team with expectations like the Bulls have a losing season, or watching a team with seemingly no expectations like the Wolves drop like a rock to 5 and 40? (sorry, rounding up in light of upcoming games...)

I sympathize with Bulls fans. They had a rough stretch after the Jordan years, and just thought they were back in the middle of things. Not so fast! They stumbled hard out of the gate this year, and even now that they've evened it out a little, they remain well under .500.

But -- a little perspective. Try sitting and watching 10 Wolves home games...then through the miracle of DVR watching most of the rest. Sad like one of those religious fanatics who flog themselves thinking they'll get closer to God. Maybe I should've enjoyed my first year of cable TV when the Wolves were still good.

Ironwood, you were right to call us out, but there's your answer to the lack of posts. You and the Green have winning teams to enjoy, Flip, KG, Chauncey. You really want to hear about the Wolves' problems? OK. I haven't posted much about the Wolves since I saw hope in the opening game (which featured a healthy Theo Ratliff, and the expectation of Randy Foye coming back relatively soon. Me and the Shooters are still waiting on that one.)

Not much has changed since then. The Wolves have had bright spots and growing pains...and enough of the latter in enough games to tip the balance WAAAAY into the loss category. Most of the losses are like that first game -- not blowouts, but close enough that you'd think they could pull it out at least a little more often, which adds to the frustration. Al Jefferson has been better than I expected at least, but the team has been worse. Thank God for Britt Robson, for saying what needs saying and telling it in a way that makes for great reading anyway.

The best Wolves game I saw was when they beat Phoenix. I'll confess, I almost posted to this blog how lopsided it was going to be in favor of the Suns, but ran out of time and had to get to the game. Then, when I looked out and saw how every single Phoenix player was better than the Wolves player at the same position. Scary! But great games by Jaric, and foul trouble for Amare, and some lucky missed 3s by Steve Nash, and suddenly I had to blink...the Wolves didn't give up their lead? (That's been one of the most consistent of their inconsistencies.) Wow! I will say that when a team like the Wolves beats a team as good as the Suns, the win is pretty sweet.

The last victory against Miami showed me how much trouble the Heat are in, and the Wolves SHOULD be beating teams like that. But the Wolves' wealth of experience at giving games away almost killed them. They frittered away a big lead by trying to let the shot clock win the game for them -- it seemed like McCants (who had shot 10-13 in the first half) took every shot off one foot, from 8 feet behind the line feeling like he had done his job by wasting 23 seconds. Great. Inspiring. But thanks to some clutch plays by Ryan Gomes, the Wolves persevered.

So -- if the Bulls are so bad...lets see how they do against the Wolves next week. They have back to backs, one in Chicago and one in Minneapolis. If they split, I will say that yes the Bulls are in trouble. If the Bulls win 'em both -- quit whining about your team! At least they win games, and are 2 games closer to .500.

Other tidbits from Target Center:

• Scuttlebutt is that Corey Brewer asked for a trade. Seriously! They sure do learn 'em young these days. Why don't you learn to shoot first, kid! Or at least show a little fire, like former teammate Joakim.
  
• A feel good story -- the guy who directs the videoboards and dancers and music, Chadwick, was once an upper-deck chump like most of us. But he would e-mail the team his suggestions about how the entertainment aspects should go, and about how the howdy-doodie announcer should do stuff like chant DE-FENSE, DE-FENSE when the pups need a big stop. So they gave him a job! Now he sits courtside and runs the show -- (in Wolves purgatory, granted. But...Nice! Go Chadwick!)
  

And where is KG in the sorry state of the Wolves? He always said he'd bleed blue and green. Well -- is this painful for him, or is he just glad to be gone? Is he still in touch with people from the organization? How closely is he watching? And what will he wear to the Hall of Fame?

I'm sure we'll hear more about it as the February matchup between Wolves and Celtics approaches. Thankfully I will be far away in the rainforests of Corcovado then, where even the Yahoo Swiss can't find me. I'm sure that if we're really quiet that night, and the mosquitoes stop buzzing, Michelle and I will hear the opening ovation of Target Center fans who now realize that KG was all that stood between us and this.