When 31-year-old NBA veteran Brian Cardinal sits on the Timberwolves bench, he doesn’t complain about playing time. "It's crazy: Some days, you play. Some days, you don't. Sometimes, your number is called. Sometimes, it's not. You just have to be ready at all times.” Cardinal says.
"The last game, he had three steals, and he took three charges," [Coach] Kevin McHale said. "That's six possessions he gave us. That's huge."
Cardinal is one of those rare NBA role players who, understands his role and is happy to be playing. Cardinal is first to acknowledge that he's "heavy on will and seemingly light on skill."
"I'm not the greatest of athletes, the greatest of jumpers," he said. "The list of things I'm not very good at goes on and on. I try to make up for that with hard work and just knowing the game. I try to make people somewhat uncomfortable [defensively]. Anytime you're in your comfort zone, you're at your best. So I try to make the other guy uncomfortable."
He’s not an offensive threat by any means, but he more than makes up for it with his defense and his work ethic. He understands what his team needs from him and he’s happy to deliver.
4:13
No comments:
Post a Comment