A New Era: All Eyes On The Rise

[Jumpman14]

[Game Links: Timberwolves Boxscore | Lakers Boxscore | Team Comparison | Highlights]
Timberwoles hand Lakers their 4th straight loss
By: Timberwolves.com
Posted November 28, 2014

HOT: Andrew Wiggins. The 19 year old was matched up against the NBA's 3rd all time leading scorer Kobe Bryant, and the rookie held his own against the Mamba. Wiggins led the Timberwoves with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the fied in the win over the Lakers. Wiggins also finished with 7 rebounds, 2 assist, and a season high 3 blocked shots in 35 minutes of action.

NOT: Nick Young. Minnesota was able to really pull away late in the 4th thanks to the questionable shots taken by Nick Young. Swaggy P went 0-of-8 from the floor in the final five minutes as they Wolves were able to turn his bricks into fast break points to give them a comfortable lead. The Lakers depend on Young to carry the scoring oad when Bryant is resting but tonight he failed to do so when it mattered.

Quotable: "I see myself when I see that young buck (Wiggins) out on the court. He's got all the tools of a great talent." Lakers SG Kobe Bryant

X-Factor: Kevin Martin. K-Mart has grown into his 6th man role as of late because Flip Saunders has given him the green light to shoot at will with the 2nd unit. Martin finished with 16 points and 3 assist in just 18 minutes off the bench. His shooting was impressive going 6-of-10 from the floor, 1-of-1 from three, and 3-of-3 from the free throw line.

Rookie Watch: Julius Randle and Zach LaVine. Randle finished with 4 points and 3 rebounds in 20 minutes off the pine for the Lakers. LaVine was the Timberwolves 3rd leading scorer with 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assist in 32 minutes.

On Tap: Portland Trail Blazers



Top Performers --

(24|20|23|36|103)

Andrew Wiggins: 20 Points - 7 Rebounds - 3 Blocks - 8/13 FG
Kevin Martin: 16 Points - 3 Assists - 6/10 FG
Zach LaVine: 13 Points - 4 Rebounds - 4 Assist - 4/8 FG
Mo Williams: 13 Points - 4 Rebounds - 8 Assists - 5/11 FG - 3/5 3PT


(15|25|26|28|94)

Kobe Bryant: 25 Points - 5 Rebounds - 5 Assist - 10/18 FG
Jordan Hill: 18 Points - 6 Rebounds - 6/11 FG - 6/8 FT
Nick Young: 13 Points - 4 Rebounds - 5/15 FG - 2-7 3PT
Xavier Henry: 8 Points - 2 Steals - 2/2 FG - 3/5 3PT

[Jumpman14]

[Game Links: Timberwolves Boxscore | Trail Blazers Boxscore | Team Comparison | Highlights]
Lillard drops 40 as Blazers top Timberwolves 113-112
By: Timberwolves.com
Posted November 30, 2014

HOT: Damian Lillard. Lillard had a field day against the Timberwolves finishing with a season high 40 points in the nail-bitting win. Lillard went 12-of-22 from the floor including 12-of-13 from the free throw line. Not only was he scoring the rock, he was dishing it out as he finished with a team high 9 assist. Portland rode the 3rd year point guard all game as he played a game high 42 minutes.

NOT: Minnesota's point guard's defense. As stated above, Lillard dropped 40 points on the Timberwolves point guards as they had no answers for him. Zach LaVine and Mo Williams had good games on the offensive end, but they played no defense as Lillard attacked the paint at will constantly blowing past them with ease all night long.

Quotable: "I feel he's one of the best point guards in the league but you guys keep under rating him." Blazers SG Wes Matthews

X-Factor: LaMarcus Aldridge. LMA didn't have any eye popping numbers, but he did fill the stat sheet up while Lillard out on a scoring show. Aldridge finished with 19 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assist, and 3 steals in 36 minutes. This was a night where LMA could take a back seat and enjoy the show.

Rookie Watch: Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine. Minnesota's rookie duo combined for 43 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assist in the losing effort. Wiggins finished with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assist while LaVine finished with 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assist.

On Tap: Los Angeles Clippers (13-3)



Top Performers --

8-7 (22|30|22|38|112)

Shabazz Muhammad: 23 Points - 6 Rebounds - 2 Steals - 9/17 FG - 2-4 3PT
Andrew Wiggins: 22 Points - 9 Rebounds - 6 Assists - 6/14 FG - 9/10 FT
Zach LaVine: 21 Points - 4 Rebounds - 7 Assist - 7/11 FG
Kevin Martin: 16 Points - 2 Steals - 6/12 FG - 4/6 3PT


8-9 (37|26|19|31|113)

Damian Lillard: 40 Points - 3 Rebounds - 9 Assist - 12/22 FG - 12/13 FT
LaMarcus Aldridge: 19 Points - 9 Rebounds - 3 Steals - 9/17 FG
Wes Matthews: 18 Points - 5 Assist - 3 Steals - 6/11 FG - 3-7 3PT
Nicolas Batum: 10 Points - 6 Rebounds - 3 Assist - 4/8 FG

[Jumpman14]

November Recap

Minnesota Timberwolves Stats - Nov-14
Player	GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TPG	FG%
Andrew Wiggins	15	33.9	18.9	6.5	3.9	0.5	0.5	2.4	.512
Zach LaVine	15	26.2	14.3	3.9	4.3	0.6	0.6	2.5	.548
Thad Young	15	30.3	13.7	7.3	0.6	1.3	0.7	1.8	.480
Kevin Martin	15	22.5	12.6	3.0	2.2	0.6	0.2	1.6	.468
Shabazz Muhammad	15	23.0	10.3	3.3	1.6	0.5	0.1	1.5	.512
Anthony Bennett	15	18.5	9.5	4.1	0.5	0.3	0.5	0.7	.412
Mo Wiliams	15	20.2	9.4	1.2	3.7	1.0	0.2	1.5	.421
Corey Brewer	3	20.3	9.3	2.3	0.3	0.7	0.7	0.0	.500
Nikola Pekovic	15	29.9	8.6	10.9	0.4	0.5	1.5	1.8	.480
Ricky Rubio	5	30.8	7.2	2.0	11.8	1.2	0.4	3.2	.565
Gogui Dieng	15	19.8	4.2	6.4	0.8	0.2	1.0	1.1	.619
Chase Budinger	12	8.3	2.9	1.6	0.5	0.2	0.3	0.7	.478
Glen Robinson III	3	6.7	0.7	1.0	0.3	0.7	0.0	0.0	.000
Robbie Hummel	2	5.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	.000
Ronnie Turiaf	3	6.7	0.0	0.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	.000

NBA Standings - Updated: Nov 31, 2014
ATLANTIC	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
Toronto Raptors	9	8	--	1-1	6-5
New York Knicks	8	10	1.5	1-1	7-5
Boston Celtics	6	8	1.5	2-1	4-3
Philadelphia 76ers	6	10	2.5	0-4	3-6
Brooklyn Nets	5	10	3.0	3-0	4-4
CENTRAL	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
Cleveland Cavaliers	10	5	--	1-1	5-4
Chicago Bulls	9	8	2.0	202	7--4
Milwaukee Bucks	8	10	3.5	2-3	6-8
Indiana Pacers	7	10	4.0	2-1	6-5
Detroit Pistons	5	12	6.0	2-2	4-5
SOUTHEAST	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
Miami Heat	10	6	--	4-1	8-3
Charlotte Hornets	11	7	--	2-3	5-3
Atlanta Hawks	9	6	0.5	3-1	8-3
Washington Wizards	7	8	2.5	2-2	5-8
Orlando Magic	2	17	9.5	0-4	1-13
NORTHWEST	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
Oklahoma City Thunder	14	3	--	5-0	8-2
Denver Nuggets	9	7	4.5	0-4	5-5
Minnesota Timberwolves	8	7	5.0	3-5	4-4
Portland Trail Blazers	8	9	6.0	3-1	5-5
Utah Jazz	6	11	8.0	0-2	3-7
PACIFIC	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
Los Angeles Clippers	13	3	--	3-1	8-3
Golden State Warriors	9	7	4.0	3-2	5-5
Phoenix Suns	9	9	5.0	4-1	4-6
Los Angeles Lakers	5	12	8.5	1-4	4-10
Sacramento Kings	1	16	12.5	0-3	1-15
SOUTHWEST	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
Dallas Maverick	14	4	--	2-1	7-2
San Antonio Spurs	12	4	1.0	2-1	8-2
Memphis Grizzlies	11	6	2.5	1-1	9-2
Houston Rockets	10	7	3.5	1-2	5-6
New Oreans Pelicans	7	8	5.5	1-2	5-5

NBA League Leaders - Updated: Nov 31, 2014
Points		PPG	Rebounds		RPG
	1. Kobe Bryant	29.4		1. DeAndre Jordan	15.1
	2. Russell Westbrook	28.7		2. Kevin Love	12.7
	3. Carmelo Anthony	27.8		3. Dwight Howard	11.9
	4. James Harden	27.8		4. Andre Drummond	11.9
	5. LeBron James	23.7		5. Nikola Vucevic	11.4
Assist		APG	Steals		SPG
	1. Rajon Rondo	9.1		1. Russell Westbrook	2.8
	2. Chris Paul	8.9		2. Kyle Lowry	2.3
	3. John Wall	8.8		3. Mike Conley	2.3
	4. Devin Harris	7.8		4. Chris Pual	2.1
	5. Mike Coney	7.6		5. Draymond Green	2.0
Blocks		BPG	Turnovers		TOPG
	1. DeAndre Jordan	2.8		1. Stephen Curry	3.5
	2. Larry Sanders	2.4		2. Michael Carter-Williams	3.3
	3. Dwight Howard	2.0		3. Deron Williams	3.3
	4. Al Jefferson	1.8		4. Ricky Rubio	3.2
	5. Brandan Wright	1.8		5. Chris Paul	3.1
Field Goal %		FG%	Three Point %		3PT%
	1. Al-Farouq Aminu	.583		1. Matt Bonner	.585
	2. Brandan Wright	.568		2. Nate Robinson	.542
	3. Andre Drummond	.555		3. Bojan Bogdanovic	.535
	4. Jure Holiday	.548		4. Kyle Korver	.534
	5. Zach LaVine	.548		5. Andrew Wiggins	.512

NBA League Leaders - Updated: Nov 31, 2014
Points		PPG	Rebounds		RPG
	1. Andrew Wiggins	18.9		1. Nerlens Noel	6.9
	2. Jabari Parker	16.4		2. Jabari Parker	6.6
	3. Zach LaVine	14.3		3. Andrew Wiggins	6.5
	4. K.J. McDaniels	13.6		4. K.J. McDaniels	5.2
	5. Dante Exum	11.7		5. Aaron Gordon	5.0
Assist		APG	Steals		SPG
	1. Elfrid Payton	6.1		1. Nerlens Noel	1.1
	2. Zach LaVine	4.3		2. Jabari Parker	1.1
	3. Dante Exum	3.9		3. Marcus Smart	1.1
	4. Andrew Wiggins	3.9		4. Elfrid Paytom	1.1
	5. Jordan Clarkson	3.4		5. Jusuf Nurkic	1.0
Blocks		BPG	Turnovers		TOPG
	1. Nerlens Noel	0.9		1. K.J. McDaniels	2.7
	2. Elfrid Payton	0.9		2. Aaron Gordon	2.5
	3. K.J. McDaniels	0.8		3. Zach LaVine	2.5
	4. Aaron Gordon	0.7		4. Andrew Wiggins	2.4
	5. Adreian Payne	0.6		5. Elfrid Payton	2.1
Field Goal %		FG%	Three Point %		3PT%
	1. James Ennis	.552		1. Julius Randle	1.0000
	2. Zach LaVine	.548		2. Cory Jefferson	.750
	3. Gary Harris	.538		3. Bojan Bogdanovic	.535
	4. Bogan Bogdanovic	.519		4. Andrew Wiggins	.512
	5. Andrew Wiggins	.512		5. Gary Harris	.500

Players of the Month | November 2014

Eastern Conference	Western Conference
J. Wall Points: 22.3 Reb: 5.8 Ast: 9.0 Stl: 1.9 Blk: 1.2	R. Westbrook Points: 29.1 Reb: 5.2 Ast: 6.4 Stl: 2.7 Blk: 0.3

Rookies of the Month | November 2014

Eastern Conference	Western Conference
J. Parker Points: 16.4 Reb: 6.9 Ast: 1.5 Stl: 1.2 Blk: 0.0	A. Wiggins Points: 18.9 Reb: 6.8 Ast: 3.8 Stl: 0.6 Blk: 0.6

[Jumpman14]

[Game Links: Timberwolves Boxscore | Clippers Boxscore | Team Comparison | Highlights]
Griffin's game winner lifts Clippers over Timberwolves
By: Timberwolves.com
Posted December 1, 2014

HOT: Blake Griffin. With the red hot Clippers in a drag out battle with the Wolves, Blake Griffin stepped up late in the 4th with running mate Chris Paul struggling. Griffin scored 7 straight points as the two team matched point after point. But Griffin;s biggest shot came off a jump-ball with 3.4 seconds left. The tip came to him at the top of the key and Griffin hoisted up a three with time running out and naiing it to give the Clippers the win. Griffin finished with 28 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 assist.

NOT: Nikola Pekovic. With a majority of Minnesota's players having sucess, Nikola Pekovic struggled going up against DeAndre Jordan. In 32 minutes, Pekovic finished 3-of-12 fom the field for 6 points and a season low 3 rebounds. Another number that stands out is pek had the same amout of turnovers has he did rebounds with three.

Quotable: "I told J.J. to try his best to tip it me and I would try to do something with it. Didn't expect to be wide opened like that though." Clippers PF Blake Griffin

X-Factor: J.J. Reddick. Reddick stepped up with CP3 having a horrible game shooting the ball. Reddick finished with 28 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals in 37 minutes for the Clippers. Reddick went 11-of-18 from the field and knocked down four of his 8 three point attempts in the victory.

Rookie Watch: Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine. Wiggins had a quiet night scoring the ball (11) but he did pull down a career high 13 rebounds and pitched in with 4 assist and 3 steals in 35 minutes. LaVine was locked in on defense against Paul holding the future hall of famer to 3-of-16 shooting from the field.

On Tap: Philadelphia 76ers (6-10)



Top Performers --

8-8 (30|18|23|35|106)

Shabazz Muhammad: 21 Points - 9 Rebounds - 4 Assist - 8/14 FG - 3-3 3PT
Thad Young: 19 Points - 7 Rebounds - 3 Steals - 3 Blocks - 7/13 FG
Mo Williams: 16 Points - 5 Assist - 6/11 FG
Andrew Wiggins: 11 Points - 13 Rebounds - 4 Assist - 3 Blocks - 5/9 FG


14-3 (32|19|24|34|109)

J.J. Reddick: 28 Points - 4 Rebounds - 3 Steals - 11/18 FG - 4/8 3PT
Blake Griffin: 28 Points - 4 Rebounds - 2 Blocks - 11/19 FG
Spencer Hawes: 14 Points - 8 Rebounds - 6/9 FG - 2-3 3PT
Chris Paul: 12 Points - 5 Rebounds - 13 Assist - 3/16 FG

[Jumpman14]

LaVine Out With Strained Achilles



MINNEAPOLIS (AP) � Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine has a strained right Achilles and could be sidelined one to two weeks, coach Flip Saunders said Tuesday.

LaVine has played in sixteen games this season, averaging 14.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 26.2 minutes. He only played five minutes against the Clippers on Monday night.

With LaVine now hurt, the Timberwolves are down to one healty point guard in Mo Wiliams. Ricky Rubio isn't expected back until mid-January at the earliest.

[Jumpman14]

[Game Links: 76ers Boxscore | Timberwolves Boxscore | Team Comparison | Highlights]
T-Wolves Embarrass 76ers 140-99
By: Timberwolves.com
Posted December 3, 2014

HOT: Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins continued the hot start to his rookie campaign in the blowout win over the 76ers. Wiggins led the way for Minnesota with 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field including going 4-of-8 from behind the arc. The 19 year od two guard also finished with 7 rebounds and 5 assist in 33 minutes of game action.

NOT: Michael Carter-Williams. Last year's rookie of the year couldn't take advantage of the one point guard Timberwolves. Instead of having a dominate outing against Mo Williams, Carter-Williams finished with 17 points on 7-of-18 shooting. He did have a team high 6 assist but he also had a game high 8 turnovers in the process. The former Syracuse product was a -15 in the 26 minutes he played.

Quotable: "No comment man." 76ers PG Michael Carter-Williams

X-Factor: Nikola Pekovic. Big Pek had his best game of the season. The 6'11 center finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds in 29 minutes. Pekovic went a very efficient 5-of-8 from the floor and took a game high 12 free throw attempts, making 9 of them. Pek also made ife hard for Nerlens Noel, holding him to 7 points on nine shot attempts.

Rookie Watch: K.J. McDaniels. The 76ers 2nd round pick played 23 minutes scoring 10 points while grabbing 5 rebounds and dishing out 4 assist in the losing effort. McDaniels has been the lone bright spot for the 76ers 2014 draft class whose missing Joel Embiid and Dario Saric.

On Tap: Houston Rockets (11-7)



Top Performers --

6-12 (28|18|31|22|99)

Michael Carter-Williams: 17 Points - 2 Rebounds - 6 Assist - 7/18 FG
Tony Worten: 16 Points - 4 Rebounds - 4 Assist - 8/18 FG
Alexey Shved: 14 Points - 2 Assist - 2 Steals - 5/11 FG - 2/4 3PT
Henry Sims: 11 Points - 11 Rebounds - 2 Assist - 5/10 FG


9-8 (27|44|25|44|140)

Andrew Wiggins: 27 Points - 7 Rebounds - 5 Assist - 9/14 FG - 4/5 3PT
Shabazz Muhammad: 22 Points - 2 Assist - 9/17 FG
Nikola Pekovic: 19 Points - 13 Rebounds - 5/8 FG - 9/12 3PT
Kevin Martin: 19 Points - 3 Rebounds - 3 Assist - 5/11 FG - 3/5 3PT

[Jumpman14]

Thunder/Knicks Complete 4-Player Deal




Associated Press -- In a trade nobody saw coming, the Oklahoma City Thunder have trade point guard Reggie Jackson to the New York Knicks in exchange for shooting guard Iman Shumpert. The Thunder will also send Lance Thomas to the Knicks while Pablo Prigioni is headed to the Thunder with Shumpert.

After not being able to reach an extension with Jackson before the October 31st deadline, the Thunder brass felt that Jackson would bolt this summer for a max contract, So decided to move him while they could get something in return for the 4th year point guard out of Boston College. In 18 games for the Thunder, Jackson averaged 12.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, and 4.7 apg while shooting 43% from the field and 26% from three. The Knicks, whoa are 9-10 and in 6th place out East, will finally have some stability at the point guard spot with Jackson and they hope to make a run for a top seed in the East now.

For the Thunder, they get a defensive minded two guard to pair in the backcourt with Russel Westbrook. Shumpert was off to a slow start with the Knicks averaging 10.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, and 2.6 apg while onyl shooting 40% from the floor and a career low 24% from three.



Incoming

PG Reggie Jackson
SF Lance Thomas





Incoming

SG Iman Shumpert
PG Pablo Prigioni

[Jumpman14]

[Game Links: Rockets Boxscore | Timberwolves Boxscore | Team Comparison | Highlights]
Houston too much for Minnesota in 100-92 victory
By: Timberwolves.com
Posted December 5, 2014

HOT: James Harden. Harden really loves to play against the Timberwolves and it shows after his big performance. After dropping 46 points on them back in November, the Bearded One finished with 36 tonight in the win. Harden went 11-of-22 from the foor and a perfect 11-of-11 from the charity stripe while pitching in 4 rebounds and 5 assist in 36 minutes. The duo of he and Howard was too much for the Timberwolves to overcome.

NOT: Shabazz Muhammad. Muhammad had a nice game on the offensive end of the floor with 13 points and 5 rebounds, but he just decided not to show up at all on the defensive end. Muhammad was the man with the job to guard Harden and he failed as he let Harden go off. The former Bruin was put on him after Wiggins had a tough out the first game between the two team, but Muhammad didn't fare any better this time.

Quotable: "We've got to play better team defense on the elite scorers in this league. Can't do it with just one guy." Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders

X-Factor: Dwight Howard. D12 had his way against Minnesota's bigs all game on his way to a 27 point and 18 rebound performance. Howard finished 12-of-23 from the floor with 2 steals and 2 blocked shots in 36 minutes. Howard showed off an improved post game and didn't have to rely on scoring at the free throw line.

Rookie Watch: Nick Johnson. The Rockets 1st round pick played 15 minutes off the bench and scored 5 points to go along with 2 assist and 2 steals while shooting 20of-3 from the floor in his limited time on the court.

On Tap: San Antonio Spurs (14-5)



Top Performers --

12-7 (19|24|27|30|100)

James Harden: 36 Points - 4 Rebounds - 5 Assist - 11/22 FG - 11/11 FT
Dwight Howard: 27 Points - 18 Rebounds - 2 Steals - 2 Blocks - 12/23 FG
Jason Terry: 12 Points - 3 Rebounds - 2 Steals - 5/11 FG - 2/5 3PT
Isaiah Canaan: 9 Points - 7 Assist - 3/8 FG - 3/5 3PT


9-9 (21|22|15|34|92)

Mo Williams: 20 Points - 5 Rebounds - 3 Assist - 7/16 FG - 3/11 3PT
Kevin Martin: 14 Points - 5 Rebounds - 5 Assist - 5/11 FG
Thad Young: 14 Points - 2 Steals - 4/9 FG - 5/5 FT
Shabazz Muhammad: 13 Points - 5 Rebounds - 6/10 FG