Why are the Wolves 10-2 for the first time in franchise history and atop the Midwest Division, entering tonight's game at Seattle?

"Defense,'' Wolves coach Flip Saunders said.

He couldn't help but smile at that one, too.

Saunders' so-called "hyperbolic paraboloid transitional floating zone defense" has worked well as a change-up through the first 12 games. It packs players into the lane, slows pick-and-roll offenses and forces players to shoot from the outside but with a defensive hand still in their faces. The Wolves switch to zone more than any other team in the league. They use it about 35-40 percent of the time, and even though teams are starting to catch on to what they're doing, guard Wally Szczerbiak said, the skills have helped their man-to-man defense, too.