Jaric thinking forward http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/basketball/15721014.htm With eight healthy guards on the roster, the Timberwolves can tinker with all sorts of lineups. During Monday's practice, former starting point guard Marko Jaric played small forward next to a backcourt combination of rookie Randy Foye and training-camp invitee Tyrone Ellis. Foye and Ellis shared point guard duties, leaving Jaric without the ball most of the time. It's a different situation for Jaric, who is 6 feet 7 and has the size to play small forward. But he also will see some time at point guard and shooting guard. "As long as I'm out there, it doesn't matter," Jaric said. "I'll play 1, 2 or 3. I worked a lot in the offseason on my shooting game and on the (shooting guard and small forward positions). I'm ready. Just put me out there, I don't care." At one point, Jaric cut to the basket, caught a pass and hit a reverse layup as he was fouled. His knack for moving without the ball will serve him well in whatever position he plays, coach Dwane Casey said. "We want to emphasize cutting and moving without the ball," Casey said. "Marko's got a great basketball IQ just from the fact that he's played a lot of basketball in his life. And we want to utilize that from the multiple positions — his basketball IQ." Casey wants all of his players to excel at cutting without the ball because he believes that will help them create scoring opportunities as teams focus on all-star Kevin Garnett. Happy, happy: Casey's list of pleasant surprises during the first week of practice: ‧ Trenton Hassell's improved outside shooting. ‧ Troy Hudson's focus and determination coming off a right ankle injury. ‧ Mike James' sharp defense on opposing guards with the ball. Briefly: Vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale recently joked that injured guard Rashad McCants looks like Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, the result of extensive weight training. But McCants, who looks noticeably bigger, said he has gained only seven pounds and now weighs 215. ‧ Jaric said the players' spirits have lifted now that they've returned to the Twin Cities following a week of training camp in Mankato, Minn. "We're all a little bit more happy now," Jaric said. "Definitely a day off was very important for us (Sunday). We rested. I think we did a great job in training camp. We're getting our confidence back. We're getting our chemistry together. We're looking forward to see how we all work together in our first preseason game (Wednesday night against Milwaukee)." ‧ Foye hasn't played with quite the natural feel that he showed at Villanova. But that's just natural, Casey said. "He's learning," the coach said. "A lot of the nuances of the NBA are still new to him. He's been an excellent student. He's getting a lot of information thrown at him. I'm sure his head is probably about to spin off. Right now it's like any rookie: it's kind of paralysis through analysis just because of the information." ‧ The players were scheduled to tape segments Monday for programming such as promotional spots and lighthearted clips shown on television and the Target Center video scoreboard. --

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