Banks remains a Wolves starter http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/basketball/14071586.htm SEATTLE — Timberwolves coach Dwane Casey remains committed to developing Marcus Banks, which means keeping him in the starting lineup. Casey said he's pleased that Banks is playing well offensively and that there's room for former starter Marko Jaric in the rotation as well. Jaric headed into Friday night's game against the Seattle SuperSonics with momentum. He was coming off his best game in more than a month with 20 points, four rebounds and four steals in 32 minutes during a 96-93 loss Wednesday to the Utah Jazz. Minnesota outscored the Jazz by 10 points with Jaric in the game. It was his fifth 20-point scoring performance of what has been a disappointing season for Jaric. Before the Utah game, he had totaled just 18 points in his past eight games. But he also played well March 1 in a 100-90 win over New Jersey, with the Wolves outscoring the Nets by 21 points in Jaric's 25 minutes. Jaric was demoted after Minnesota's worst loss of the season, a 32-point defeat at Golden State. Knee tendinitis kept him out of three games after that. Banks has played well offensively, averaging 13.6 points and 4.2 points in the past five games to begin Friday. He has struggled running the offense, but the Wolves believe he needs experience to improve his playmaking skills. "Right now, Marcus is our point guard," Wolves coach Dwane Casey said. "Marko continues to work. I think that competition makes your team better. Right now, Marcus is doing a good job and has done nothing wrong to lose his position." Jaric will have the opportunity to improve in his reserve role. "There's a place for a guy like Marko coming off the bench behind Marcus," Casey said. Carter pleads not guilty: Wolves point guard Anthony Carter on Friday pleaded not guilty to a fourth-degree charge of drunken driving. Carter waived his appearance and had his attorney, Emanuel Serstock, enter the plea on his behalf at a court appearance. Carter was in Seattle with the team for Friday's game. A pretrial hearing is set for April 27, after the Wolves' last regular-season game, April 19. If the case is not settled at pretrial, a trial is set for May 3. Carter, 30, was arrested in Minneapolis at 12:20 a.m. March 3 after failing two field sobriety tests and another such test later, police said. Carter's breath test showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.17 percent, according to the charge, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08. Clouded future: The long-term fate of the Sonics remains unclear as the team continues to seek financing to improve KeyArena. There's a possibility the Sonics could leave Seattle. They sought $220 million for renovation of the arena but were turned down, with the governor encouraging the team to make another proposal in January. NBA Commissioner David Stern has called the team's lease agreement the least competitive in the league. "They're having issues with the arena and the lease agreement," said Casey, who spent 11 years as a Sonics assistant. "I think it's just part of the business of the NBA. I know the fans here are great fans. They deserve a nice venue. I know the Sonics have done a lot for this city as far as humanitarian things, building houses, community relations, the stuff they do in schools, because I've been a part of it. It's not just about basketball." Briefly: Banks was expected to play Friday night despite a sore right big toe. ‧ From a logistical standpoint, this might be the toughest set of back-to-back games the Wolves will play this season. They were scheduled to take a 2?-hour flight to Phoenix after Friday night's game. --

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