Remember... DESIGN A T-SHIRT FOR RUFUS ON FIRE: WIN A PRIZE!
Pump Up Music: The Replacements -- "Hey Good Lookin'"
The Big Picture: One of my co-workers told me he's going to this game at the Cable Box. And no, he's not particularly looking forward to watching this mess of a Timberwolves team (14 wins!). They should have a solid young core, with Al Jefferson and Kevin Love on the blocks, but, of course, Kurt Rambis wants to run the triangle offense, which is perfect for Love, not so much for Jefferson, and they still funnel quite a bit of the offense to Jefferson.
Amazingly, those are their only two above-average offensive players, by PER. You've gotta love a team that's 29th in per-possession offense and then runs down the floor and plays 28th-best per-possession defense. Perhaps the only bright spot, other than the possibility that Brian Cardinal (improbably re-signed after being traded to the Knicks and waived) will go off for 40 points, is that Ryan Hollins will make a triumphant return to one of the teams that saw something in him, but still dumped him.
Key to Victory: Don't play down to their level. Seriously, guys. We've got the bodies to throw at Jefferson, and our collection of PFs should be able to stretch Love defensively -- Tyrus Thomas can do battle on the boards with him. All in all, I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for an easy win.
Detail That May Interest .08% of You: The Official Roommate of Rufus on Fire is attending the Mexico-Iceland friendly at BofA Stadium tonight. He's half-Trinidadian and half-Ukrainian Jew, so he has no stake in the game. He just wants to see compelling soccer.