We've passed the halfway point, leading up to next weekend's all-star break, and the Midwest Division remains a logjam. There are four teams trailing division leader Utah by 5 1/2 games or less, and all five teams have a winning percentage above .500. Two teams that have adjusted the balance of power are the streaking Minnesota Timberwolves and the young, running and gunning Dallas Mavericks.
Only a game and a half out of first in the Midwest Division, Minnesota barely staved off their last opponent, the Toronto Raptors, by a single tick of the clock on Saturday, as Tracy Murray's game-tying three pointer came after time had expired. It made for a moment of drama in the midst of Minnesota's franchise record ten-game win streak.
Winning with great team play, stepping up on offense and stifling opponents on defense, the T-Wolves recent victims have included the Utah Jazz, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Portland Trail-Blazers, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Minnesota has had key players assert themselves in starring roles, and timely performances from the supporting cast off the bench.
Terrell Brandon's leadership and smooth point guard play has also taken this team up a notch. Brandon, once subject to numerous trade rumors, had at least five steals in six consecutive road games and scored 20 or more in six of the last eight games. His 27 points and six steals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, last week, both equaled season bests. Brandon's name has since disappeared from the trading block.
Superstar forward Kevin Garnett is a consistent force, who has come a long way to better involve his teammates while maintaining an inside presence. In this recent streak of wins, Garnett has posted double-doubles in every game, averaging 10.9 rebounds per contest this season. This is in addition to his team leading 22.4 points per game.
Small forward Wally Szczerbiak has also been a contributor. He's shooting 56.1 percent in his last 20 games, including 59.8 percent in the last ten at home. He ranks sixth in the league with a 50.6 field-goal percentage. His presence has been even more important on the other end, as he has grown noticeably more comfortable with the T-Wolves' team defense.
While play has been inconsistent at the shooting guard and center positions, the bench has stepped up to become a factor. The reserves have scored at least 30 points in 16 of the past 28 games, averaging 30.5. Through the first 20 games the bench averaged 20.8. It's another clear sign of how this team has come together.
This Minnesota team has come a long way since the beginning of the season, when controversy swept the team into a corner. Former Minnesota forward Joe Smith agreed to a contract which violated NBA salary cap. Eventually the illegal agreement brought severe sanctions from the league, making an example out of the budding franchise. The penalty included forfeiture of five first round draft picks in the next five years as well as the loss of Smith, who had been a significant contributor the previous season.
After an average November and December, the T-Wolves came to play in January, finishing 12-4 for the month, and so far have continued their winning ways in February. Perhaps more than any one player, the team's perseverance can be attributed to coach Flip Saunders. Saunders has returned this team to competitive basketball, preaching the team concept and promoting chemistry. Saunders has managed this in spite of significant dissention between superstar Kevin Garnett and second year small forward Wally Szczerbiak.
The Wolves great team basketball has been obvious through this winning streak, but they showed Thursday at Cleveland that they can win even when they don't play very well. Shooting just 40 percent with 19 turnovers and 21 assists, the T-Wolves won ugly, as their defense remained solid. The Cavaliers shot just 38.2 percent, the kind of number Minnesota's opponents have been putting up regularly. The win was even more impressive considering that it came on the second night of a back-to-back, after the Wolves won at home against the Lakers on Wednesday.
Daniel Does Dallas
Down in Dallas, the basketball club has encountered some turbulence of late due to the loss of point guard Steve Nash, but standing only 1.5 games out of first and with a deep bench, the Mavs may be the most intriguing team in the division.
The once-woeful Mavs reached the 30-victory mark on Feb. 3, the earliest date in team history, with a 101-95 win over Golden State. Two nights later Dallas won for the seventh time in nine games, rallying from a 14-point halftime deficit for a 91-81 victory at Atlanta. That pushed the Mavericks to 16-5 against the Eastern Conference, their best start against the East in club history.
All-star selection Michael Finley has been electrifying at times, with acrobatic dunks and clutch shots, but more importantly, he finally has talent around him.
Dirk Nowitzki, who leads the team with 21.3 points per game and 9.3 rebounds, is an anomaly for opposing teams to defend. He's accurate from outside (46.3% from the field, 37.1% from three point range), he's capable of slashing to the basket, and at 6'11", with long arms, he can be too big an assignment for most anyone. This is another deserving player slighted from all-star ballot approval, but with a lingering injury to Shaquille O'Neal on the Western Conference roster, Nowitzki may replace him.
Beyond the front-line accolades to Finley and Nowitzki, the glue to this club has been Nash. His stat-line includes 16.6 points per game and 7.4 assists while shooting 50.2% from the field (unusually high for a point guard, and indicative of a very good shot selection, as well as accuracy). Nash also shoots 41.7% from three, and will compete against his teammate, Nowitzki, in the All Star three-point shoot-out.
Both Nash and the T-Wolves' Brandon are capable floor generals who can guide their teams through the crowded Midwest Division, and past daunting Pacific Division foes. When the streaks are over and the playoffs arrive, the fate of both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks will ride on the shoulders of their respective point guards. So far, so good.
