TWolves Blog - Minnesota Timberwolves News and Articles
|
Written by Derek Hanson
|
|
Thursday, 17 April 2008 |
|
After the worst season in 14 years, Timberwolves fans can still find hope.
Note: This article appears on www.DeROK.Net/wolves
How do I even begin to summarize this past Timberwolves season? I don't know what words to say. You see, even though games were played and men ran up and down the court with the name across their chests, it just never felt like "Timberwolves basketball" to me. Something was missing, and I'm sure you all know who that "something" was.
I know, I know. The trade took place nearly nine months ago. It's old news, and I should be over it. I know that. But as much as we all like to tell ourselves that this was "the best thing for our future", that KG is "better off", and that we've "moved on", there's no denying that the Target Center was a shell of its former self this year. I only got to witness the experience via the television set, and even I could notice the emptiness. And no matter how much we may try to mask the pain and deny it, that vacuum is a direct result of Kevin Garnett's departure.
Kevin Garnett is just a man. He throws on a pair of sneakers and puts a leather ball through a metal circle. I'm not here to pass him off as some "savior" or some supernatural force that we should bow down and worship. In fact, the point I'm trying to make has very little to do with Kevin Garnett, the man. It has to do with Kevin Garnett, the ideal. It has to do with what Kevin Garnett represented for this franchise and what this organization has become in the wake of his absence.
Continue Reading...
 Be first to comment this article
|
|
Written by Anthony Hall
|
|
Thursday, 17 April 2008 |
|
Forgive me if I go a little light on the discussion of the Wolves' season
finale tonight - I've gotta talk about the memorable experience of getting press access for the game.
Long story short, Timberwolves.com ran a contest called "Battle of the Bloggers"
a little while back, where the winner would receive a press pass for a Wolves
game. Every week, myself, and a bunch of
other Wolves bloggers (including College Wolf, Sonia, and Derok) responded
to a Wolves-related question, and these responses were awarded points based on the
arguments they made, how well they backed up their claims, etc.
Lo and behold, I came out on top at the end of the competition. And I decided to utilize my press access prize for the Wolves' final match of the season, against the Milwaukee Bucks.
I arrived to the Target Center at about 5:30 and received my press
credentials. I hung out for a couple
minutes in the media room before heading out to the court, where a couple
players were warming up and hanging out.
As a lifelong fan of the Wolves, simply walking on to the Target
Center court was amazing...and to be in the presence of guys like Michael Doleac,
Mark Madsen, Corey Brewer, and Kirk Snyder was the icing on the cake.
Matt, an intern for Timberwolves.com, was kind enough to speak with the PR
guys and score me a quick one-on-one interview with Madsen. Mad Dog walked up to me and we shook hands...then,
we walked over to some nearby seats to have a chat.
After spending ten minutes talking with Madsen, one thing became
clear: You'll never find a nicer, classier guy in the NBA than the Dog.
(Click "Read More" to continue)
Comments (3) |
|
Read more...
|
|
Written by Jon Marthaler
|
|
Thursday, 17 April 2008 |
(Note: When not reliving painful memories here, Jon Marthaler can be found weeping over the past at TNABACG .)
There are several great truisms of life in Minnesota: it will always snow after you're ready for spring. It will always rain the weekend you pick to go up to the cabin. And the Timberwolves will always lose in the draft lottery.
After a 22-60 season, the Wolves are back in the lottery for the fourth consecutive year. It's Minnesota's 11th chance to grab the brass ring, and things have not gone well in the past. The stretch most fans remember runs from 1992-95, when the Timberwolves had the worst or second-worst record in the league every year, and ended up with a top-three pick just once. A trip down memory lane:
1992: Minnesota has the league's worst record, but Orlando (second-worst) and Charlotte (tied for seventh-worst) come out of the ping-pong ball hopper before the Timberwolves. Orlando gets Shaquille O'Neal; Charlotte gets Alonzo Mourning. The Wolves are stuck with Christian Laettner. Here's the thing: this is, by far, Minnesota's greatest lottery success - it's the only time they've "won" the lottery and been one of the top three picks.
1993: Minnesota has the league's second-worst record, behind only abysmal 11-71 Dallas. Incredibly, Orlando (41-41 that year, out of the playoffs only on a tiebreaker) wins the first pick again, despite being tied for the league's 14th-best record. Philadelphia (fifth-worst) and Golden State (sixth-worst) also come out of the hat ahead of Dallas and Minnesota, a result so patently unfair that the league changes the lottery system the following year to weight it more heavily in favor of the worst teams.
1994: Minnesota is tied with Milwaukee and Detroit for the league's second-worst record, behind only Dallas. Milwaukee wins the first pick and gets Glenn Robinson; Detroit gets the third pick and drafts Grant Hill. Dallas comes second, and gets Jason Kidd. Minnesota ends up fourth and drafts Donyell Marshall... one spot ahead of Juwan Howard. (Talk about nothing going right.)
1995: For the fourth consecutive year, the Wolves are bottom-drawer, finishing once again tied for the second-worst record in the league, this time with Washington. Golden State, fifth-worst, wins the lottery; the Clippers, the worst team, get the second pick; and Philadelphia, fourth-worst, gets the third pick. With Washington winning the tiebreaker to pick fourth, the Wolves are left to pick fifth. Luckily, that pick turns into Kevin Garnett.
Ultimately, the stats look like this: 10 trips to the lottery. Zero first picks. Zero second picks. Zero times moving up in the draft.
Do you ever ask yourself, "What are the odds?" By my calculations, using the historical probabilities available here , I examined Minnesota's odds of both never moving into the top three, and moving down at least two spots each year they belonged in the top three. The results showed that the answer to the question "What are the odds?" is right around 40-1 against.
Heck, in their entire history, not only have they never moved up, they've managed to avoid moving down just four times (7th in 1991, 5th in 1996, 14th in 2005 - when they couldn't move down - and 6th in 2006).
Adding insult to injury: in 2007, Minnesota finished the season tied with Portland for the league's sixth-worst record, giving both teams the same chance of moving up. The Blazers won the lottery and selected Greg Oden first. The Wolves ended up picking seventh.
This year, the draft lottery is on May 20. The Timberwolves will have the third-best chance of moving up to #1, along with Memphis. Their chances of moving to #2 or staying at #3 are virtually the same.
But ultimately, they have the best chance to move down, statistically speaking. Knowing the team's history... I wonder who might still be left at #6?
Be first to comment this article |
|
Written by SG
|
|
Thursday, 17 April 2008 |
His record in Minnesota since taking over for Dwane
Casey last season can't be ignored. Is 34-90 after Wednesday's season
finale and 96-192 overall including a stint in Cleveland. But it's
important to note that the Wolves were 17-26 coming down the stretch
this season, showing progress after a 5-34 start. Wittman didn't have
his starting point guard, Foye, for the first half of this season.
Hired in large part for his disciplinarian style, owner Glen Taylor
said recently that Wittman must adjust as the players mature. Taylor
also stressed his expectations of Wittman will be higher next season.
Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Kirk Snyder, Craig Smith and Chris Richard
are eligible to negotiate through their agents with every NBA team
starting July 1. The Wolves also have the right to match any offer made
to any of the five players.
"It's going to be an interesting, important summer for a lot of guys," Smith said.
How many of those five players, and whom, the Wolves sign will depend
greatly on one question: At what price? Gomes played his way into a
valuable role in the starting lineup this season and likely is the
team's top priority to sign. He said he is seeking financial security,
which means the number of guaranteed years is important.
The third-worst team gets 156 combinations, the fourth-worst 119.
However, if the teams end up tied, each gets 137, with a coin flip to
determine who gets the extra 138th. You can laugh if you want at the
small difference between a 15.6% chance of drawing the first pic and a
13.7% chance, but let me remind you - that 1.9% difference is greater
than the chance of six teams (numbers 9-14) winning the lottery and
picking first.
Jefferson's scoring and rebounding were beyond
reproach. But now it's up to him to take that same attitude toward
stopping opposing power forwards and centers from scoring.
"No question," Wolves coach Randy Wittman said.
"That's got to be his next step. It's got to be a step for us to win.
For us to be good and continue to grow and go in the right direction,
he's got to get better defensively."
Also from Alonzo:
Wittman said he plans to have Corey Brewer and
perhaps Randy Foye, in a limited role, participate in summer-league
play. The team's draft picks will play, too.
Be first to comment this article |
|
Written by SG
|
|
Thursday, 17 April 2008 |
The victory diminished the team's probability of winning the draft's
No. 1 overall pick from a 15.6 percent chance to either a 13.8 or 13.7
percent chance, which would be the third or fourth best, depending on
the result of a blind draw Friday with Memphis. Last season, the Wolves
tied with Portland for the sixth-worst record, the Blazers won the
blind draw, the No. 1 pick and Greg Oden.
Wolves record for 2007-2008 season: 22-60
The Wolves started the game well but fell behind by
16 points in the third quarter only to rally and send the game into
overtime. Randy Foye came alive in overtime, hitting a couple of
three-pointers en route to a career-high 32 points.
Minnesota's Rashad McCants blew a potential
game-winning layup in the waning moments of regulation. But Foye took
control when it mattered. Al Jefferson didn't play in the fourth
quarter or overtime.
It was nice to see Randy Foye play well tonight, scoring his season
high in points. This is fool's gold though, as his night was great as a
shooting guard, not a point. Foye has a definite future in the league,
but anyone who truly believes he is a point guard at this stage of his
career would be wrong.
It wasn't Al Jefferson, Foye or Gomes that led the Wolves back into the
contest in the fourth, but rather two bench players, who made up for
that fact that Minnesota's pine was a combined 1-for-17 in the first
three quarters. Rashad McCants and Corey Brewer combined for 12 points
in the fourth quarter, including two McCants triples and four huge free
throws from Brewer, including the two that tied the game at 94 with
about 26 seconds remaining. Foye took over from there, but the victory
was a total-team effort as 10 players scored and nine grabbed at least
one rebound and assist.
55 Double-doubles this season for Al Jefferson after Wednesday's 13-point, 11-rebound game.
Minnesota's
Kirk Snyder sprained his left ankle and left the game in the third
quarter after a rough landing on his foot while being fouled on a
missed layup. Fan favorite Mark Madsen, who appeared in only 20 games
this season, subbed for Snyder and made one of two free throws.
Be first to comment this article |
|
Written by SG
|
|
Wednesday, 16 April 2008 |
|
But the Wolves also need to hold Wittman accountable now, after a
season and a half of prep work and team reconstitution. He will begin
the 2008-09 season with 124 games as Minnesota head coach, more than
three of the six Wolves coaches who have been fired; Bill Blair got 102
(a 27-75 record), Jimmy Rodgers got 111 (21-90) and Casey got 122
(53-69).
It is quite possible that Randy Foye and Rashad McCants can find a way
to co-exist in the same backcourt, especially if they realize it is the
only way they both get regular rotation minutes. But in a very
fundamental way, they really do have a lot of overlap in their
respective games. Neither one of them is really a point guard, in that
point guards are working for a seamless blend and a synergistic
ensemble above all else--they are the Anthony Hopkins or Gene Hackman
of hoops, capable of greatness mostly in the context of their character
role. Foye and Shaddy are more like Jack Nicholson, the shooting guard
of actors, a guy who is essentially himself regardless of what role he
plays, a guy who elevates the ensemble by being a shining star, not a
blender.
RandBall on the team's "Pay The Pick" season ticket package.
We were incredibly high on Corey Brewer coming out of Florida, but his
rookie campaign was sort of a bust. It wasn’t a bust along the lines of
Joe Forte or anything … but Brewer’s 37 percent from the field and his
17 percent from three don’t bode well for the immediate future,
especially considering he’s competing for minutes with a chucker like
Rashad McCants.
Be first to comment this article |
|
Written by SG
|
|
Wednesday, 16 April 2008 |
The team is offering a "Pay The Pick" season ticket package whose price will be determined by where the Wolves land in the lottery. For instance, if they get the #1 pick, tickets will be $1 per game. If the team falls to #5, tickets are $5 per game.
Wolves point guard Sebastian Telfair is expected to miss his 20th
consecutive game. His season ended when he severely sprained his ankle
on March 7 at Sacramento. Forward Craig Smith's season also apparently
ended when he was hit in the chest Wednesday against New Orleans and
sprained the joint that connects his breastbone and collarbone.
Yet, with the Timberwolves playing "small ball" for most of the second half of the season - moving Ryan Gomes to the power forward and Al Jefferson to the center - Smith has found it difficult to find where he fits in. Minnesota's biggest need is size and although Smith put up solid numbers, recent reports have suggested retaining rookie Chris Richard at the four, possibly more beneficial in spot minutes behind Jefferson. That is if Minnesota can acquire size via the draft or free agency in the summer.
Wolves coach Randy Wittman said that absence shouldn’t affect the
Wolves’ consideration this summer when they decide which of five
restricted free agents they will bring back. Telfair is one of them.
“I would have liked to have seen him and Randy play more together,”
Wittman said, referring to guard Randy Foye, “but you can’t do anything
about those things. Sebastian played well. He moved in a positive
direction from where he was before th eseasno and I think he learned a
lot about how to play in this league. He’s made the right steps to show
he can play point guard in this league, absolutely he has.”
Wolves swingman Kirk Snyder said he's open to returning to the team after the season ends.
He will become a restricted free agent if the Wolves
make him a qualifying offer for next season by July 1. That means the
Wolves can retain Snyder if they choose, though he's free to shop for
offers from other teams.
This past off-season, Kevin McHale - the T-Wolves GM — freed KG,
sending Garnett to the Boston Celtics for Al Jefferson and a collection
of additional players. If we focus solely on KG and Jefferson, the
T-Wolves lost on this deal. Jefferson is a very productive player -
0.252 WP48 [Wins Produced per 48 minutes] last season - but he’s not as
productive as Garnett.
Of course, despite this move, the T-Wolves could have improved if the
team simply upgraded its very weak supporting cast. In other words,
Jefferson with better teammates could do better than Garnett and really
bad teammates...
Previews of the game against Milwaukee, the team's last of the season.
Click here for the forum's game thread
Comments (1) |
|
Written by SG
|
|
Wednesday, 16 April 2008 |
The loss, which ended Minnesota's two-game winning streak, was the
team's 60th of the season. The Timberwolves finish this year's campaign
with a home game against Milwaukee on Wednesday.
"We tried to hang around -- we were right there at the end and
they just made some plays," Minnesota coach Randy Wittman said. "Their
bench just shot the lights out on us."
Wolves record: 21-60
6 Times in the Wolves' 19 seasons that they've lost 60 or more games.
The Wolves' defeat on Tuesday ended a two-game road winning streak and
guaranteed they will enter the May 20 draft lottery with no worse than
the fourth-most combinations to win the No. 1 overall pick. Thus they
will have their choice of two potential franchise-changing college
freshmen, Kansas State forward Michael Beasley and Memphis guard
Derrick Rose.
Whether the Wolves own a 15.6 percent or 11.9 percent chance at winning
in a game of chance will depend upon, barring a Memphis victory at
Portland late Tuesday night, the outcome of their season finale tonight
against Milwaukee and a Grizzlies game in Denver.
In Al Jefferson, the team got one of the best young
low-post players in the NBA in exchange for Garnett, traded to the
Boston Celtics last summer. Jefferson had 30 points and nine rebounds
against Detroit.
"He reminds me a lot of how Elton Brand was in
Chicago," Saunders said. "You build around him and he'll score for you
and rebound, but he can't do it all by himself."
Be first to comment this article |
|
Written by SG
|
|
Tuesday, 15 April 2008 |
|
The young Wolves have 21 wins on the season - the second fewest in the
Western Conference and third fewest in the NBA - but have amassed 17 of
those Ws since Jan. 8.
The first time the Timberwolves won on successive eves didn't come
until Jan. 21 and 23, at Golden State and in Target Center against
Phoenix. Then they did it again on Jan. 30 and Feb. 1, with the Bulls
and Clippers in Minnesota. The first road back-to-back wins came at
Sacramento and L.A. (Clippers) on March 7 and 8, before the Clippers
were again the first victim on March 17 (at home), followed by another
home win over Memphis on March 19.
The Star Tribune on this season's roster moves, key moments, and signature wins and losses.
Now, if only the Wolves can add two more equally talented players --
Memphis freshman guard Derrick Rose or Kansas State freshman forward
Michael Beasley would be a fine start -- around him. Wittman suggests
Jefferson's hefty 21-point and 11-rebound averages might only rise with
better players around him, because defenses can't be as attentive to
him as they were this season.
However, for once in their 20-year history, the Wolves need to get
lucky in the May draft lottery -- and if they do, they cannot miss this
time with their selection.
But Brewer has spent much of the season in and out of Minnesota's
starting lineup, due in part to his inconsistent perimeter shooting.
For the season, Brewer is shooting 37.1 percent from the floor while
starting in 35 of Minnesota's 77 games this season.
"That's been tough," Brewer said. "I might start one night, get 15 minutes the next night."
Minnesota coach Randy Wittman described Brewer and Richard as, "Two
quality kids. Like most rookies in the league, they've had had ups and
downs this season.
The Wolves are coming off back-to-back wins,
ensuring they can finish with no worse than the NBA's third-worst
record. ... The Wolves did not practice Sunday or Monday heading into
tonight's game. It's the first time since the all-star break they have
not practiced on consecutive days that did not feature games.
Wolves point guard Sebastian Telfair (ankle) did not accompany the team
to Detroit, which means he almost certainly will not play again.
Be first to comment this article |
|
Written by SG
|
|
Monday, 14 April 2008 |
|
While it remains
possible that Richard will become this year's Bracey Wright--a kid with
a flash of promise honing everything he can out of his game who just
doesn't have NBA ability in the long run--his attitude and work ethic
have been a joy to behold this entire season.
Another second-rounder who constantly works hard at refining aspects of
his play--Craig Smith--has not been missed at all the past two games,
which could help make some signing decisions a little easier in the
off-season.
The NBA Season Of Drew on his visit to the Target Center to see a Wolves game during his tour of all the NBA arenas.
The Timberwolves came to the NBA as an expansion team in 1989. They
have been in two divisions, but always with the Denver Nuggets.
The teams met in the first round of the 2004 playoffs. The Wolves, as
you might be able to envision again if you squint real hard, we're the
No. 1 seeds in the Western Conference and eliminated the Nuggets 4-1.
There were some ill feelings from elbows thrown and taunts made, but it
failed to turn into anything long-term for this reason: The Wolves have
gone sadly absent from the playoffs.
Be first to comment this article |
| << Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next > End >>
| | Results 51 - 60 of 870 |
|
Columnists
Sonia Grover started her Wolves site, "I Heart KG", in 2006. In the wake of the big trade, she moved over to TWolvesBlog and brought her column,
"Wolves Daily News"Email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Derek Hanson, the founder of TWolvesBlog, delivers his optimistic and often inspiring take on the Wolves in his column,
"DeROK's One Shot"Email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Dave Kelsey, life-long Wolves fan, season ticket holder, and forum post champion gives his humorous take on the Wolves and life in general in
"Club Seating with College Wolf"
Email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
As one of the 78 owners of Troy Hudson's "Undrafted", its clear that Anthony Hall isn't afraid to go against the grain. He offers up his one-of-a-kind take on the Timberwolves in his column,
"In the Paint"
Email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Jeremy Knutson packed up his stuff from the Old Wolves Logo, drove over to the TWolvesBlog, unloaded the car, and now invites you to come along for a ride through the NBA in his
"Hoop De Ville"
Email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
TWolves Blog Howl-Outs
We have excellent Timberwolves tickets, plus awesome cheap tickets to Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers tickets, San Antonio Spurs tickets, Denver Nuggets tickets, and many other basketball tickets.
_______________
Sponsored by BetUS Sportsbook - Basketball betting at BetUS. Bet on the Timberwolves at America's favorite Sportsbook for NBA betting, football betting and sports betting.
________________
Get free NBA picks to win more of your bets this winter. Also view the latest NBA lines and college basketball odds and get a great sportsbook review at Locksmith Sports.
________________
Get Jimmy Buffet Tickets, Dave Matthews Tickets, and Spamalot Tickets from Vivid Seats. We also have tickets to the hottest sporting events including
Boston Red Sox Tickets, Super Bowl Tickets,and New England Patriots Tickets.
________________
Minnesota Timberwolves Tickets from a Minnesota ticket broker, Ticket King. Need Cheap Timberwolves tickets? Log-on to Timberwolves Tickets and reserve your Timberwolves Basketball Tickets to any game, even the Timberwolves Boston Celtics game!
________________
Barry's Tickets has great deals on Minnesota Timberwolves Tickets, Minnesota Vikings Tickets, Minnesota Twins Tickets, Minnesota Wild Tickets, Super Bowl Tickets, NBA All Star Game Tickets as well as all NBA Basketball Tickets
________________
NBA Picks
Basketball Picks
Free Basketball Picks
________________
For information on featuring your site in this area, please contact
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
|
