Friday, February 23, 2007

Team Chemistry

Steve Aschburner/Star Tribune says the team's chemistry is "an obvious deficiency."
"From what I see, everybody's thinking, 'It's not me,' " guard Marko Jaric said. "We're always blaming somebody else. Maybe nobody feels this is 'my team,' besides maybe KG. Or everybody's like, 'If I don't play good, the heck with it, somebody else is going to do it.' "


Mike James compares the bond among the Pistons with whom he played to that of the Wolves:
"I think the biggest thing that's the difference (compared with Minnesota) is we were all friends," James said. "We all hung out with one another. We were not just close off the basketball court, but we were close on the basketball court. We cheered for one another. Our families got together and hung out. Our kids knew each other. That goes a long way. When you really enjoy being around one another, it's easier to cheer for one another. Then when someone makes a mistake, it's easier to lift them up because you really do care.''

About the Wolves chemistry:
"I think there can be more," James said. "I think that's how you build a championship team, when you accept one another for just who they are, and just deal with it and just value what you have."


Tom Powers/Pioneer Press writes that while "making no moves wasn't a terrible alternative," he'd wanted the team's "chemistry issue" to be addressed.