Luck of the Irish

To tamper enthusiasm as usual, the Nets are not a very good team. They just traded away their best player (Vince Carter) after missing the playoffs. They've been projected to finish last in the Eastern Conference. The Wolves won their opener last year against a similarly bad team, and then lost their next eight games. All of that said, Jonny Freakin' Flynn!

The Wolves are a terrible shooting team, so this is the kind of effort they'll need to succeed. For almost the entire game they could not buy a basket. What changed was their defensive strategy. They took more gambles, forced more turnovers, which lead to some fast breaks, which allowed them to get next to the basket, where shooting issues become easily hidden.

Even when they weren't playing the press, the Wolves seemed to move well, though the ball stayed put more often than it should. They're obviously still learning the Triangle Offense, or whatever parts of it Kurt Rambis uses, but from watching this team play it seemed obvious that they had a plan. They had a system both on offense and on defense. Especially on defense.

The difference between Ryan Hollins and Al Jefferson on defense is remarkable. Hollins lacks strength, but the length and height of his body makes a profound impact altering and blocking shots. His energy also stands out, while Big Al seems very indifferent. Al was the Nets sole defensive focus, so he won't have such an offensively offensive game every night. He'll also get back his conditioning to keep up with the fast guards on the Wolves roster. In other words, don't panic that the Wolves' franchise player looked lethargic. He'll get his shot back, he'll get his wind back, and he'll resume his role in the low post, where there won't be double and triple teams every night.

Already the Wolves' new guards have looked much better defensively, and the help defense and rotations have been quick. Corey Brewer is a big part of that, but I also believe new, more disciplined coaching has instilled a better team effort. That's the most impressive thing at all. The Wolves' shooting is likely to struggle all year, but with a consistent defensive effort and getting to the line like they did in this opening win, they'll be able to compete with most teams in the NBA.

Did I mention that Jonny Flynn's game fits perfectly with that model? He's awesome, though definitely not Irish. He doesn't need any luck.