Wiggins says Kobe, not LeBron, toughest for him to guard

Timberwolves rookie Andrew Wiggins draws the other team's most dangerous perimeter scorer every night, whether it's New York's Carmelo Anthony, Houston's James Harden, the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant or, as was the case in Tuesday's 125-104 loss at Cleveland, even LeBron James.

On Friday, when the Wolves play the Nuggets for the first time this season, Wiggins will likely watch Arron Afflalo, Wilson Chandler or maybe even speedy point guard Ty Lawson a little.

James presented a combination of speed and strength that Wiggins hadn't encountered before, but the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft gave another name when asked if James was his most difficult assignment yet.

"For me as a defender, I'd say Kobe [Bryant] probably is the toughest matchup for me," Wiggins said.

Wolves center Gorgui Dieng is coming off a 20-point, 11-rebound game against the Cavaliers, but coach Flip Saunders still is looking for a more complete performance from his second-year player who has been asked to do everything with starter Nikola Pekovic still out.

"I wish he had been a little more active defensively," Saunders said Tuesday. "Sometimes when he scores a lot, he rests on defense. We need him to have more of an impact defensively. But you can't fault the guy. He goes out and gets 20 and 11 in this game."

Point guard Ricky Rubio and Pekovic, both out because of ankle injuries, flew with the team to Denver on Thursday for this three-game trip that will take the Wolves to Golden State and Utah as well.

Fellow injured starter Kevin Martin (wrist surgery) will meet the team in Denver after going home to Zanesville, Ohio, following Tuesday's game in Cleveland. Rubio and Pekovic did not go to Cleveland for that one-game trip.