Stuff You Can't Make Up

I've been enjoying the Wolves victories against lower division rivals as much as anyone. Beaten down as this fan base is, the path to 30 victories is as exciting and dramatic as any championship run in recent basketball history, or so it would seem. There are moments though, where you simply have to stop, scratch your head (or other parts of the anatomy), and wonder what reality are people embracing at that moment.

Case in point: Sid's StarTribune column of today, Monday, January 12, and a few of quotes attributed to one Al Jefferson:

"Yeah, it was one of those games that we just had to grind it out," Jefferson said. "Even earlier this year, we would have given up and put our heads down, but we kept fighting. I fouled out, and my teammates stepped up and we got the win.

Okay, no real argument there.

"It's just being dedicated. We knew we had to play defense, and we knew we lost a lot of games that we should have won. I think guys just made up their minds to be dedicated and just go out and play hard and leave it all on the floor and play together, not give up. I think that's what turned it around."

I think delusion is starting to set in. Defense? Is that what you call defense? And more, commenting about "Fourth Quarter Foye":

"[Foye's] defense has been good, and he's been playing like an All-Star right now. His last 10 games, I think he's been averaging like 25 points a game," Jefferson said. "When he's playing the way he's playing, he really takes a lot of pressure off of everybody."

Randy's offense has been decidedly better, but as a defender, there's miles to go before he sleeps, or becomes close to an All-Star. I hear Milwaukee's Michael Redd is petitioning the league to play the majority of his games against Randy.

I wish the Magic/Spurs game played on Sunday would have been on national television, because if one wanted to see how perimeter defense should be played to close out a game, the Magic went to the head of the class. With under 20 seconds left and down by five, 103-98, the Spurs spread the court, in order to free up either Wolves killer Manu Ginobili or Michael Finley for a three ball. The ball was whipping around the perimeter, in order to find an open shot. The Magic contested every touch, and the Spurs ended up shooting two air balls and fouling Jameer Nelson to close out the game, the Magic winning 105-98.

Of course, with Dwight Howard in the middle patrolling the paint, it's easier to extend out to the perimeter, because it's not as necessary to double team an opposing front court stud. This is again why having both Kevin Love and Jefferson playing major minutes together will not be a recipe for playoff success, unless one or both decide to get serious at the defensive end. Sure, they might get to 40 or 45 wins eventually, but another big is going to have to get into the mix, and then the other players will have to hustle to guard the perimeter, much like the Magic did last night, if they want to be considered "contenders".

The first step however, is to not get too delusional about your current success, Mr. Jefferson. You folks have a long way to go.