With that said:
My pal Mike and I decided it would be a good idea to buy a 3-pack of Wolfies tickets for games against the Mavs, Suns, and the CELTICS! Being that this is one of the few ways to get the coveted tix to see my all-time favorite Mr. Garnett, Mike and I had no problem shelling out $50 for 3 games.
That Mavericks game was last Sunday. What happened to my favorite sports franchise?! I know "The Franchise" is in Boston now, but c'mon! I did fully expect a blow-out loss at the hands of one of the NBA's finer clubs, but still... WTF? Can we at least try to run a play or two?
Even when the Wolfies sucked in the past, at least they had an identity of being one of the league's few round-the-horn/make-the-extra-pass teams. This team is as clueless as Kevin Munster and his lackeys. Besides one pick and roll play late in the 3rd quarter, Mike and I could only distinguish two plays:
The first play is called, "Give it to Al Jefferson and stand around," (GAJSA). We liked GAJSA a lot since it gave the ball to the lone Timberwolf that can actually produce. Unfortunately, the acute mind of Mav's coach Avery Johnson was quick to adjust to this complicated play and soon sent triple-teams to Al whenever "coach" Whitman ran the GAJSA. Rather than pass the ball out to the inept players around him (I wouldn't either), Big Al tried to bust through the triple-team and either forced up a prayer or turned it over.
The second play is called, "Dribble for a bit and chuck up a prayer," (DB-CUP) and we didn't like this play at all. Don't confuse DB-CUP for DB-TIO, which is really not a separate play but an offshoot of the former. The resulting turn over is merely an ad-libbed variation to Whitman's plan.
The one defensive set I could recognize was called "OLAY," which is not a clever anagram, but the sound of a matador and my bad attempt at a joke.
Oh yeah! It was rookie day too. Apparently this means that the Wolves' rookies get to make funny movies to show during time-outs. Rookie Cory Brewer's line: 16:37 minutes, 1 pt, 1 reb, 1 to. His +/- was -11 (!). Chris Richard's line: 10:36 for 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, and 1 turnover. THE FUTURE IS SOOOO BRIGHT!
End result: Mav's 101, Wolfies 78. Blech.
The main gripe I have with this crew and their coach is not the lack of talent or the lack of wins. I expected a crappy season after KG left. What bothers me is the lack of purpose behind each play (and upwards: it seems there is no purpose in the substitutions, the draft picks, the trades, the free agent signings, the GM, etc). It's one thing to run a play and miss the shot. It's another to walk around the court and fire up a prayer. Yuck.
On a brighter note, I did finally see the "Quick Change" half time show. It exceeded mediocrity.
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