MINNEAPOLIS — When Dwane Casey was hired as Minnesota's coach, he didn't know much about Anthony Carter. Actually, he wasn't even sure if he liked his game.

But the former University of Hawai'i star began to catch Casey's eye, and now the journeyman who went undrafted and spent his first professional season in the CBA will probably be the Timberwolves' first point guard off the bench.

Casey recently called Carter his "old blanket," a reliable veteran who provides security at a position that's again in flux for Minnesota.

"Anthony is an acquired taste," Casey said yesterday, citing tenacious defense, the ability to push the ball and distribute it and a take-charge attitude on the court as Carter's strengths.

"He has definitely grown on me, and I can't rave enough about his leadership," Casey said.

Carter appeared in 66 games last season for the Wolves after four years in Miami and a brief stint in San Antonio. His up-tempo, pass-first style fits well with swingman Wally Szczerbiak, and Casey plans to play them together often.

A jump shooter who relies on a rhythm to succeed, Szczerbiak needs a point guard who will get him the ball on the wing. In the past, with Sam Cassell or Troy Hudson running the offense, that didn't always happen.

"He's like the Energizer Bunny, kind of like Steve Nash," Szczerbiak said, referring to last season's league MVP. Nash "kind of brought the glory back to that style of point guard. He's constantly looking for teammates ... playing with a lot of energy."

Carter isn't as talented as Nash, but he gives Minnesota a valuable backup to the relatively untested Marko Jaric, who came in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers for Cassell. Hudson will also be a regular contributor, but his defense was a weakness last season.

That's where Carter comes in. Casey has been all about defense since he took over, and that's clearly the biggest reason why Carter has earned his favor.

"Once I found out he was a defensive coach, I was like, 'Me and him are going to be on the same page a lot,' " Carter said with a smile.

Though the prospect of more playing time than last season is certainly welcomed, Carter doesn't take his current status for granted.

"You can't look at it like once you're in you're in, because there's always other people trying to take your job," said Carter, who spent the 1998-99 season with Yakima in the CBA.

The Wolves had their final preseason practice yesterday, with the Portland Trail Blazers due in the next night to tip off the regular season.

Minnesota will unveil a light blue and yellow commemorative patch on its warmup shirts in honor of the late Hall of Famer George Mikan.

Casey was all smiles, surely in eager anticipation of his coaching debut.

It happens to be against ex-colleague Nate McMillan, who's now coaching Portland. Casey was McMillan's top assistant in Seattle.

With Hudson back, rookie guard Rashad McCants at full strength and All-Star Kevin Garnett apparently recovered from a sprained ankle he suffered last week, Minnesota will begin a season without any lingering injuries to significant players. That's the first time that's happened in quite some time.

"Everybody's healthy, physically and mentally," Casey said. "So we're in a good place."