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Crying wolf

steve kerr

STEVE KERR'S THREE POINTS

1. PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Paul Pierce – The Boston Celtics forward was unstoppable, averaging better than 30 points and getting to the free-throw line 52 times as Boston won three of four games.

2. TEAM OF THE WEEK
Sacramento Kings – The Kings went 4-0 last week, including a victory over Dallas in which the Mavericks were held to 80 points. Sacramento's radically improved defense, along with the clutch shooting of Mike Bibby and Brad Miller, make them a potentially tough first-round playoff opponent for one of the West's top teams.

3. STAT OF THE WEEK
18.1 – That's the number of assists the Dallas Mavericks average, placing them 28th in the NBA. That's strange for an elite team that scores a lot of points, but it's an indication that Dallas runs a lot of isolation plays for Dirk Nowitzki and has screen-and-roll players who look to shoot first rather than pass. It's also a sign of how much this team has changed since the run-and-pass days of Steve Nash.

Following the Minnesota Timberwolves' 110-102 loss in Phoenix on Saturday, a frustrated Kevin Garnett berated several teammates in the locker room for the carefree manner in which they handled the defeat. Apparently, the unidentified Wolves were laughing and joking around shortly after the game ended, infuriating the ultra-competitive Garnett.

"I think losing should hurt," K.G. said.

He's right. Losing should hurt. When it stops hurting, a team begins to accept losing, and that seems to be exactly what the Timberwolves are doing. They are 11 games under .500, have lost 19 of their last 22 road games and have pretty much fallen out of the race in the weak Northwest Division.

Minnesota will likely miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season, and there is plenty of blame to go around. While Garnett is a fabulous player – he's averaging 21.6 points, 12.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game – it has become apparent that he can't dominate a game and carry a team by himself. As good as he is, K.G. is not a physical player on the block and isn't as imposing as Tim Duncan or Shaquille O'Neal. The fact that he spends more time on the perimeter than in the low post shows in his free-throw numbers – he takes just over 6 per game.

Garnett is more of a finesse player – a wonderful passer, a good shooter and a great rebounder, but he can't control games by himself. He needs more help, and that leads to the next issue: Can general manager Kevin McHale put the right pieces around Garnett to get the Wolves on the right track?

This season, McHale hasn't been able to do it. His trade of Sam Cassell for Marko Jaric has backfired. Cassell's take-charge, aggressive offensive game has turned the Los Angeles Clippers around, while the Wolves have desperately missed his swagger. Watching Minnesota this season, it's glaring how much the Wolves miss Cassell down the stretch of close games. His clutch shooting took so much pressure off Garnett, and without Cassell's presence, K.G. has not fared well in fourth quarters with defenses loading up on him.

McHale hoped that acquiring Ricky Davis from Boston in exchange for Wally Szczerbiak would help replace Cassell, but Davis' production hasn't translated into more wins. He has averaged 19 points per game since his arrival, but he and Garnett haven't been able to generate the type of energy together that can elevate a team's play. The Wolves are 26th in the NBA in both scoring (92.0) and rebounding (39.6), and in the end, they are what they are – a less-than-mediocre team that is headed nowhere.

So what will happen in the offseason? Will Garnett be traded? Will Minnesota try to retool around him for the umpteenth time? To his credit, Garnett has handled everything very professionally. He hasn't demanded a trade and he wants to fulfill his commitment to the Timberwolves franchise.

Garnett is a loyal team player and doesn't want to take the easy way out. But at this point, it appears that perhaps the best thing for both K.G. and the Wolves would be to move him, giving both the player and the franchise a fresh start.

  • Speaking of superstar players in need of help: LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have had trouble closing games this season. James' fourth-quarter struggles were very apparent early in the season when he missed a series of late shots in a string of losses.

Most observers feel that James' best attribute is his passing, which is why it was great to see the Cavaliers close out two games last week with James dishing the ball to open teammates. First, he found Ronald Murray for an open three-pointer to beat Chicago. Then he assisted Damon Jones on a game-winning jumper in Toronto.

Cleveland is a young team that is learning and growing along with its young prodigy. The Cavs may be figuring out that the formula to win close games is to allow LeBron to do what he does best: create for his teammates.

  • Quick, who is the second-best center in the NBA? Obviously Shaquille O'Neal is the best, and the name most people put after Shaq is Yao Ming. In fact, Yao has been on fire of late, averaging 32 points and 11 boards over his last five games.

But if you said Chris Kaman, you wouldn't be far off.

Kaman is having a breakthrough season and is one of the reasons the Clippers have become one of the better teams in the NBA. The 7-footer from Central Michigan is averaging 11.7 points and 9.4 boards but had a huge night in L.A.'s victory over Minnesota on Monday, going for 24 points and 23 rebounds. It was another in a long line of outstanding performances for the young center.

He is a traditional back-to-the-basket big man with great hands, a soft touch with either hand around the hoop and quicker feet than you'd think. He's always in good position defensively, clogging the lane and helping teammates, and he has anchored a defense that has been among the league leaders in opposing field-goal percentage all season. His presence has also opened up the game for Elton Brand, who is enjoying an MVP-type year.

In short, Kaman has become a top-five center in the league and may have elevated himself to the top two or three.