Nikola

Pekovic

He’s hit double figures in rebounds in just one of his last five games and hasn’t blocked a shot in three straight. He’s averaging 12 points and eight boards over his last five, but that is lackluster compared to what he was doing previously. He’s still locked and loaded as the Wolves’ starting center, and the numbers should swing back the other way soon.

Pekovic’s ankle has been bothering him for more than a week now, but it’s still not considered serious. Since the Wolves are on a back-to-back, they didn’t have a shootaround Monday morning. We won’t know Pekovic’s status until roughly 9:30 p.m. ET.

Pekovic benefited from the extended halftime due to Chris Mullin’s jersey retirement, which also included the side benefit of owner Joe Lacob getting booed into a teary-eyed tizzy fit. Had the break not been a full hour, who knows if Pek would have come back?

Pek ultimately logged 11 minutes, finishing with six points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block in a friendly per-minute line. We’ll call him questionable heading into Wednesday’s game against the Spurs.

Pekovic has been dealing with ankle problems since February. He’s averaging 16.1 points and 7.9 rebounds since the All-Star break, so his performance hasn’t been impacted by his injuries. We’re calling him questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Spurs, but owners should keep in mind the fact that he’s not 100 percent.

Zgoda has a pretty good beat on the team and owners should feel good about their chances. Pekovic should absolutely destroy the Warriors on the inside whether he is at 100 percent or 50 percent, while Beasley could be worth a look for those seeking spot-starters on a quiet six-game Monday night.

Given his role and inconsistency, this should be all owners need to hear to take a pass, here. So far we haven’t heard anything about Nikola Pekovic (ankle) that would change our earlier impression that he was going to play.

“Just go and play,” said Pekovic to a beat writer, which if you’re David Lee might have a rough translation of, ‘I will break you.’ Pek should be in all lineups despite the slight risk of an early night or off-night because he is at less than 100 percent.

Owners should hope for some good news for Sunday’s game, or at a minimum before lineup deadlines for next week. In that department, the fact that Pekovic is traveling is a pretty good sign.

There’s been constant chatter about shutting him down and the Wolves only have two games left after this one. And given that they’re spread out between Sunday and Thursday, maybe he’ll finish this thing up.