Brook Lopez could be a tough cover for Pek
A few things about the Wolves game tonight against the New Jersey, including the Nets’ star-studded backcourt, active forwards, and a man named Brook. Check it out below the fold.
1. Will the Nets’ backcourt kill the Wolves?
On the Nets side, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson are two of the best in the biz. On the Wolves side, Luke Ridnour is a reserve on a decent team, JJ Barea is concussed, Brandon Roy has done nothing to disabuse suspicions of his injury-related limitations, and Alexey Shved looks like, well, a very foreign rookie getting his very first NBA minutes. Mismatches galore. Advantage: Nets.
2. Who has the most active forward?
Gerald Wallace is listed as questionable with an ankle injury and is unlikely to play tonight. That’s a good thing for the Wolves: Wallace scores, rebounds, and does a little bit of everything else when he’s on the floor. With all due respect to Pek, the Wolves’ best player right now is Andrei Kirilenko, who, like Wallace, also scores a bit, rebounds, and, in an homage to Stop-N-Pop over at Canis Hoopus, “does stuff.” A lot of stuff. Kirilenko was a lone bright spot last night against the Raptors. Look for him to have another strong game against the Nets if the Wolves are to be competitive. Advantage: Wolves.
3. A battle of titans?
The other big matchup here is Nikola Pekovic against Brook Lopez. Pek is all power; Lopez all finesse. Pek has put up 9 and 15 points against SAC and TOR, respectively; Lopez put up 27 in the Nets’ first game. Look for neither player to be able to stop the other tonight. Advantage: Neutral.
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What: Timberwolves at Brooklyn Nets
When: 6:30 PM CST
Where: FSN, 830-AM, NBA League Pass
Punch-Drunk Wolves 