Wolves are swimming in guards http://www.startribune.com/511/story/725560.html MANKATO - Buckingham Palace, Fort Knox and San Quentin must be a little shorthanded these days, considering all the guards reporting for work daily at Bresnan Arena, site of the Timberwolves' training camp.You want guards, the Wolves can give you guards: point guards, shooting guards, combo guards, swingmen. Tall guards, smallish guards, young guards, older guards. Guards who run, guards who pass, guards who shoot, guards who post up. Guards who were hurt but are healthy (Troy Hudson), guards who were healthy but are hurt (Rashad McCants). Guards who will end up getting minutes at forward, guards who, like it or not, might not play very much at all "As long as I'm on the court, I don't mind," newcomer Mike James said. "I can play power forward." Nine of the 17 players in camp are guards and, with McCants rehabbing his knee for the foreseeable future, eight of them are competing for spots on the roster, in the rotation and, this week, on the practice court. Getting them all sufficient repetitions in drills and scrimmages has been a little trickier than usual. "It may take a little longer because of the numbers," coach Dwane Casey said. "But with guys who can play multiple positions ... they can get enough repetitions. As exhibition season goes on, that will help, too, as we cut the roster down some and get the numbers down." The roster is lopsided enough that one of two remedies seems inevitable: 1. Trade. 2. Going small. The former never is easy, but the Wolves aren't the only team in need of better balance. Denver is loaded with forwards but is hurting at shooting guard. "We've talked. I don't know if there's the basis for a deal there. But we'll see," Wolves General Manager Jim Stack said. "You're always checking to see who other teams have brought in and who, maybe, the odd man out will be, and whether he'd fit in your situation. Not to say we're looking, but if the right guy became available, you always will consider it." The alternative is to play multiple guards at assorted spots in various combinations. Fortunately for the Wolves, a number of teams are expected to do that this season. Another incentive: Rule interpretations that prohibit the slightest contact with ballhandlers on the perimeter. Quickness and ball skills are rewarded nowadays. "It makes sense to try to get out and run," said Fred Hoiberg, Wolves assistant general manager. "You can try to grind it out in the half-court, but No. 1, it's not very much fun to watch. And No. 2, it's easier to guard." Ricky Davis, Trenton Hassell and Marko Jaric figure to be used often at forward, and the others are capable of playing point or shooting guard. Most of the team's big men can run, too. "I think it's something that we can really try," Hudson said. Putting some pace into a game is like doubling the length of Rover's leash. Playing "like Phoenix," however, means releasing the hounds altogether. Don't expect that degree of chaos at Target Center. "With us, it's an interpretation of the Phoenix style," Casey said. "We're not going to be a run-and-gun team, because then you don't take advantage of Kevin Garnett. We want to run and flow into it, and if we get easy baskets, we'll take them. But we're not going to be throwing the ball all over the gym." Tickets on sale Saturday Single-game tickets for the Wolves' regular season go on sale at 11 a.m. Saturday. They can be purchased at the Target Center box office and through all Ticketmaster outlets, or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX. Seats are available in price ranges from $10 to $200. Full and partial season-ticket packages also are available. --

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