http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/basketball/16378448.htm Bracey Wright has been on the inactive list almost all season, caught in a numbers game on a Timberwolves team overloaded with guards. But teammates have praised Wright's play in practice. He is finally getting an opportunity to show what he can do while filling in for Marko Jaric, out because of a thumb injury. Coach Dwane Casey said Wright is one of the team's best shooters in practice. Wright, who starred at Indiana University and was a second-round draft pick in 2005, had played in three consecutive games heading into Wednesday night's game against San Antonio. Saturday at New Jersey, Wright had six points and four rebounds in 12 minutes. He made a key reverse layup in the fourth quarter of a closely contested game Monday while playing 10 minutes at Charlotte. "He knows how to play," Casey said. "He knows how to cut without the basketball. He definitely can shoot it. He does everything you need. The problem with Bracey is that he's sort of in between a point guard and a small two (shooting guard) where he's got to guard a guy like (San Antonio's) Brent Barry or Bruce Bowen, bigger twos, or (New Jersey's) Richard Jefferson or Vince Carter. He's undersized. But he brings a lot offensively on the other end of the floor." Casey and the Wolves don't consider Wright a true point guard yet, though Casey said Wright can become that type of player. "I've been said to be undersized since I've been playing," said Wright, who averaged 21.9 points in the NBA Development League last season. "I've been guarding bigger players since I've been playing. I don't have any problem guarding players bigger than me. That's not something I fear when I play." Jaric update: Jaric was fitted for a splint on his sprained right thumb and was on the inactive list for the game. Jaric tested the splint at the morning shootaround, but Casey said he wants to give him another day of rest. Jaric hasn't had a magnetic resonance imaging exam yet to determine if he has ligament damage, but an MRI could be performed if necessary. Briefly: The Spurs have remained near the top of the NBA for years, and Casey admires their consistency and shrewd judgment in building and maintaining a strong team around all-star Tim Duncan. "They're probably the model program in the league as far as making decisions and making do with what they have and building around Duncan," Casey said. "It's not easy to do, believe me. A lot of luck comes into play. If they tell you that they knew (second-round pick Manu Ginobili) was going to be as good as he is, somebody's not being honest. Luck, preparation and hard work all came together for them." ‧ Casey said Miami Heat coach Pat Riley, who announced Wednesday he's taking an indefinite leave of absence to have knee and hip surgeries, was having a difficult time walking around at the NBA coaches' meeting in Chicago this past offseason. "It's tough, I'm sure, to leave your team at this time of year," Casey said. --

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