Perhaps Kevin Garnett put it best after the Timberwolves lost their sixth consecutive game Friday night: "The effort's there. We're just not making smart basketball decisions."

On the court ? or on the sideline.

The Wolves, who play the also-foundering Utah Jazz today at Target Center, have been struggling, not just with their offensive movements, but with their offensive rotations.

Who is the backup point guard, Will Avery or Felipe Lopez? Where, and when, does newest addition Marc Jackson fit? And what has happened to Joe Smith, who was demoted to a reserve two games ago and has scored a total of 10 points on a total of five shots since?

"When you're not playing well, you're putting people out there to try to get something going," coach Flip Saunders said. "When you've got five points with 50 seconds to go in the third quarter (as they did Friday against Indiana) I'm looking in the stands to see who maybe has a jersey on. You're trying different combinations, and I think the thing you have to do is keep on trying."