Timberwolves guard Marko Jaric, for the moment, is saying the right things.
"Definitely, I don't see it as a compliment," said Jaric, who started the first 46 games for the Wolves at point guard, then dropped out of both the lineup and the rotation Monday night at Phoenix. Anthony Carter started again Wednesday against Cleveland at Target Center.
"All I can do is keep working hard," Jaric said. "I know my time is going to come again, and be ready for that. If this team is winning and I don't play, there's nothing I can complain about. I don't want to think about long-term."
Jaric's facial expressions and body language, however, suggest that he is not handling the move well. Coach Dwane Casey repeatedly has said that dropping Jaric and center Eddie Griffin from the starting five was not meant as "punishment," but at least one of the two appears to be taking it that way. Before sitting out Monday's game entirely, Jaric had averaged 4.9 points and 2.0 assists while shooting 39 percent in his previous eight appearances.
"I'm not down on Marko. It's just productivity right now. I'm looking for that spark," Casey said. "I'm going to treat him just like everyone else. I'm going to try to get him playing time if he earns it.
"He'll have an opportunity to earn it back, get his minutes in, play with passion, have fun, run the team, just relax and play basketball. Right now we're trying to win some games, more so than worry about psyche and that type of thing. I've got to do what's best for the team."