The Minnesota Timberwolves have dealt with a range of injures this season, but still have managed to get off to a good start.
The team is 4-2 on the year, including 3-0 at home, but have yet to have starting point guard Ricky Rubio or power forward Kevin Love in the lineup. Rubio was lost last year after tearing his ACL and Love broke his hand during the preseason, keeping him out for up to two months.
"The other guys have to step up," Minnesota coach Rick Adelman said, according to the Associated Press. "The league's not going to give us a reprieve. We're not going to get those guys back (right away), so we've got to just keep playing."
Love signed a four-year contract extension worth $62 million in January and is one of the most important pieces to the franchise. For the past three seasons he has averaged a double-double in points and rebounds and last year he posted his career-best stats, averaging 26 points and 13.3 rebounds per game.
The Timberwolves have relied on a group of veterans to make up for the losses, including Andrei Kirilenko and Brandon Roy. Kirilenko has been valuable for the Timberwolves without Love, leading the team in rebounds with seven per game.
But the injuries keep piling up for the Timberwolves. Roy missed his first game on Saturday with a knee injury, J.J. Barea has missed the past two games and reserve Chase Budinger also hurt his knee in Saturday's game against the Bulls.
"We just have to keep working and trying to get better," Adelman said. "We have a group that's going to keep playing hard."
The Dallas Mavericks also have a new look this year after bringing in players like O.J. Mayo and Elton Brand. Mayo has been stellar for the team this season, averaging a team-leading 21.9 points per game.
The team, has struggled protecting the ball lately, committing over 35 turnovers in the past two games.
"This team has a lot to learn about winning," Carlisle told the NBA's official website. "This is a very painful lesson."
The Mavericks have played much better at home than on the road this season, winning all three games at the American Airlines Center. The team has averaged 116 points in the three wins and is also shooting over 55 percent at home.
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