Wright gets his chance ... and takes it easy http://www.startribune.com/511/story/913831.html As long as little-used Timberwolves guard Bracey Wright has waited for this latest opportunity -- about a season and a third, by NBA standards -- he's in no rush to mess it up. Literally, no rush. "I don't feel that, now that I'm getting a chance, I have to rush to show exactly what I can do," Wright said Wednesday, before the Wolves' game against San Antonio. "That's how young players, when they start getting minutes, get themselves in trouble. One of the things I wanted to do was just relax and play. If I'm open, shoot it. If not, just pass. Play basketball like I know how to do it." Wright has been playing lately because of Marko Jaric's sprained right thumb, an injury that has sidelined Jaric since the second half at New Jersey on Saturday. Wright is a little bigger and stronger than Troy Hudson, so coach Dwane Casey has been calling on the second-year shooting guard. It's a big change. Other than a cameo appearance in the first week, Wright sat out (either inactive or on the bench) 25 of the Wolves' first 26 games. As a rookie, he spent most of the season in the NBA Development League before getting a look in Minnesota's final five games. Wright scored a key basket at Charlotte on Monday, scooting along the baseline for a reverse layup in the fourth quarter. "Basketball to me is the same at every level," he said. "It's only new when you're not comfortable. When you go from high school to college or college to the NBA, there's going to be that period where you're not used to the speed of it. But once you get comfortable, it all slows down for you, and it's just basketball." Maybe next game Jaric had a splint fitted for his thumb and used it in shootaround and warmups Wednesday. But the coaches decided to hold him out against the Spurs for healing and fear of reinjury. He might finally have an MRI exam today. The strife of Riley Both Casey and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich talked before the tipoff about Miami coach Pat Riley, who has taken a leave of absence to deal with hip and knee problems. As basketball lifers, they empathized with the Heat coach's decision to step away during the season. "It's almost impossible. It's got to be killing him," Popovich said. "Because it's the last thing a coach would want to do, leave in the middle of a season unless he had to." The franchise guys Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan are two of only five active players, and 19 all-time, to average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds through their careers. The two All-Star forwards share something else, too, though Garnett gets more attention for it: Supporting casts that frequently have changed. "He's the one constant who allows people to be successful around him," Popovich said. Of the Spurs' three title teams (1999, 2003, 2005), Popovich said the first featured "old heads" such as Sean Elliott, Mario Elie and Avery Johnson. On the second, Duncan's teammates included Stephen Jackson, Steve Kerr and Danny Ferry. In '05, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Robert Horry played key roles. Of course, in winning his first two, Duncan had a sidekick named David Robinson, a Hall of Famer trumping any of Garnett's teammates. Paying his young dues Garnett congratulated Randy Foye on Wednesday for his Western Conference rookie of the month honor, and Foye gave a glimpse into the veteran forward's encouragement. "When we have days off, I still come in to lift and get an hour workout in," Foye said. "Some days [Garnett will] come in just to lift and he'll see me out there sweating, and ask me, 'What are you doing here?' I just tell him, 'I'm working on my game.' "He always says, 'You're going to be special for doing things like this.' " --

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