Defending Wally... ewwww...

I never liked Wally Szczerbiak. Whenever a pass comes his way, he'll either shoot (good) or dribble heads-down into traffic, bouncing the ball off his foot and into his defender's hand (bad). But he won't pass...

Then there's his defense. It's been better as of late, but still--one play is cemented into my memory and I can't shake it: It's the playoffs vs. the Dallas Mavericks. Wolves are down, but making a push. They need one more stop. Maverick ZsuZsu Wang has the ball well beyond the 3-point line. Wally leaves his man, Michael "I-am-so-friggin-clutch-I-can't-miss-a-shot-all-quarter" Finley to double Wang (again... behind the 3-pt. line). Wang makes the pass to the wide-open Finley for a swish 3 pointer. ARRRGGHHH!!! WALLY!!! DON'T LEAVE FINLEY FOR WANG!!!

Plus, his Minneapolis townhouse is infested by Gabberts furniture. Ewww....

Anyway, in case you haven't noticed, the Wolves are in a serious funk right now. They barely squeeked by the Mavericks sans-Nowitzki, they were embarrassed at home by the Sonics, and they lost to the Pacers. Yes, the same Pacers that lost all their star players to the riot suspensions. This funk could possibly be cured if Flip would give (and it pains me to write this) Wally more plays, more minutes, and more shots (ewwwww.....).

Here's my hypothesis:

Wally is a shooter--a great shooter. Problem is, the Wolves also have Spree, Hoiberg, and Hassel, so Flip tends to bench Wally the second he misses a couple shots to see if his other options have a hotter hand. If Flip didn't have such a deep bench, Wally would be given a chance to miss a few more shots to find his spot. As a result of this quick hook, Wally may be shooting with the thought of "I better make this or else I will be benched" instead of purely shooting. Observe how well the team clicked last year when so many players were injured. Flip had no choice but to ride out his shooters.

I suggest that Flip lets Wally shoot... and shoot... and shoot (of course, only when KG is covered). If he misses a few, let him shoot some more.

The Wolves have a deep, deep bench, but it's killing them. Every good basketball team needs to have a well-defined pecking order so players know their roles. Every player needs to know what to expect to play each night, otherwise he'll be playing with one eye on the floor and one eye at the bench--waiting to see if he'll get the hook for a mistake or an airball.

Now, there's the issue of the starting lineup. I think Trenton Hassel is a must-start. His shut-down defense is critical to keep the opponent's go-to guy from getting a hot start. BUT, I also think Wally is a must-start. His presence behind the 3-point line is essential to a good inside-out game with KG. This means that Spree would have to be benched... and I am ALL FOR IT. Spree would be great off the bench, but I know that his ego would be crushed and Flip would never pull him off the starting lineup. Plus, Spree's 6 point games aren't really helping much. Oh well.

Anyhoo, I am tired of my Wolfies and their slump. I watch Troy and Sam shake off an open Wally and throw up a prayer over a double team (due to the lack of confidence in the shooter). I see Flip bench each shooter before they find a rhythm (due to the overly talented options). I see our MVP pass to a wide open shooter only to see the ball rattle off the rim (due to the shooter being cold). I see a shooter pass up a wide open shot (due to knowing that he'll never see the ball again if he misses). Stop the madness now and give Wally his minutes (did I just write that? Ewwww.)

Excuse me now while I bathe.