Dane Mizutani

Web Editorial Associate

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A week together in Mankato and Wolves players are ready to go against someone else.

“It’s going to be my first game … so I’m excited,” Zach LaVine said. “I’m look forward to going against other people now and trying to score on them.”

That feeling seems to resonate across the team.

Minnesota spent the last week and a half 80 miles from the Twin Cities learning the ropes of life under Flip Saunders and his staff. Saunders worked his team to the bone while in Mankato whether it was basic offensive and defensive drills or full-blown scrimmages. He placed an emphasis on communication and competition and that seemed to get the most out of his players.

Those practices are nothing compared to an actual game, though, and Saunders will get to see his team in live action for the first time this week. That will give players — namely the younger guys — a chance to take things they learned in training camp and apply it to a game situation.

“A practice is different than a game,” Ricky Rubio said. “We’re going to see how they adapt in an NBA game, even though it’s preseason. We’re going to have some games to see how they react.”

Saunders said he’d likely sit some of his veteran guys against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night, thus giving some of the young talent a chance to flourish on the big stage. There are multiple position battles between veterans and younger talent on the roster, and the preseason could ultimately determine who starts the first game of the regular season at the end of the month.

That said Saunders said he won’t put much stock into the actual preseason games.

“I’m not going to put too much into the preseason games because sometimes when we play against some of the other teams it’s a little bit misleading,” he said, adding he’ll probably go “10 or 11” deep against the Pacers. “What we want to see is that guys are understanding what we worked on in practice and that they can translate that into games.”

Rubio said the preseason games also gives the team a chance to build chemistry on the court.

“We need a couple games to see how the rotations are going to go and the chemistry and the players we’re going to play with in a game,” he said. “We’ve been switching teams a lot [in training camp]. I’ve probably played with all of them and in a game I only play with five or six different guys.”

A projected starting lineup outside of Rubio, Nikola Pekovic, and most likely Thad Young remains up in the air.

LaVine said he doesn’t know what to expect or where he’ll play this season, but said he’ll be ready during the game against Indiana.

“I don’t know what to expect,” LaVine said. “I just know when I get my opportunity to go in the game I’m going in there and play like I always do. I don’t have an on-off switch. … I only know how to play one way.”

MARTIN INJURED

Kevin Martin sat out of practice Monday, though it doesn’t seem the injury is too serious. Martin sustained the injury in the final days of training camp in Mankato.

Saunders didn’t appear too concerned with the injury, and said the Wolves aren’t going to rush anyone back from injuries during the preseason.

Martin, an assumed starter this season that averaged 19.1 points per game last year, has taken on more of a leadership role on the team this season.

Saunders said he already planned to sit some veterans in the game against Indiana, so the injury doesn’t impact his rotation too much.

“Now he just happens to be one of those players,” Saunders said.

‘NOBODY CAN SING’

Rubio said the week and a half in Mankato helped the team start to jell both on and off the floor. That off the court bonding, however, was aided by several team events in Mankato, most notably Rookie Night.

Saunders rented out a restaurant in Mankato and hosted a night where every rookie on the roster had to sing karaoke. LaVine and Glenn Robinson III sang “U Got It Bad” by Usher and Andrew Wiggins rapped “Dear Mama” by 2Pac.

“It was good,” LaVine said. “I’m not a shy person so I had a fun time with it.”

Rubio said veteran Mo Williams got up and sang — or at least tried to.

“He didn’t do a very good job,” Rubio laughed. “So I’m not going to give him credit. Nobody can really sing on our team.”

LaVine agreed.

“Not one person,” he said. “We can’t sing at all.”

BULKING UP

LaVine said the biggest adjustment has been the physical play of the game. He said he tries to use his quickness to his advantage, though he admitted he got a rude awakening in training camp that he needs to bulk up a little bit.

“These are some big dudes,” he said. “I ran into Pekovic on one screen and my whole body just collapsed. It’s going to come with my maturity and with my body structure, but I feel like I’m pretty good right now.”