TWolves Blog - Minnesota Timberwolves News and Articles
|
Written by SG
|
|
Friday, 02 November 2007 |
|
Vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale
said Jefferson went against the advice of his agent, who wanted
Jefferson to wait for potentially bigger offers next summer as a
restricted free agent. But Jefferson, acquired last summer in the trade
that sent Kevin Garnett to Boston, decided to sign Wednesday night
before the NBA deadline to extend rookie contracts.
"No. 1, I just wanted to get it locked in,"
Jefferson said. "I wanted to get in my head, get in my heart that I'm
going to be here. This is where I wanted to be. They traded for me.
They traded one of the best players in the NBA for me and some other
guys. And I felt this is where I need to be. This is where I want to
be. But I also wanted to reach a good number (salary-wise) that would
be good for me, you know, and that's the number we reached."
Jefferson ignored that advice and signed a five-year, $65 million deal
just before the deadline Wednesday night. In the era of "Show me the
money!" and "bling bling," Jefferson's reason was stunningly humble.
"I didn't even think I was worth max (money) this year anyway,"
Jefferson said at a press conference on Thursday. "I would've been a
fool to go up there and ask for max, having not really proved myself
for that. So the number I got was the number that was my goal from Day
1. And I think it was a win, win situation."
With Randy Foye on the shelf because of a sore left knee, Telfair has
an opportunity to show that all of his speed and quickness can
translate into effective point guard play. Listen to him, and you get
the idea that he's finally gotten the idea.
"You have to be more professional about the game," Telfair said this
week. "Understand what I have to do and what I can do. You know,
understand that sometimes guys take an opportunity and say it's time
for me to get a lot of shots up."
The Star Tribune also takes a look at :
It looks like it's 5 years, $60 million. That's a lot, but considering
the Wolves just traded KG for him ... I think they had to get this
done. He and Randy Foye are the franchise right now. It made no sense
to alienate him. I think Jefferson has a chance of being an all-star
some day, but I doubt he'll be a superstar.
From what I can tell, of that 2004 draft class, only No. 1 pick Dwight
Howard and Al Jefferson got anything like a max deal—and
Howard deserved it and Minnesota had to pay Jefferson because he’s the
guy they wanted in the KG deal.
 Be first to comment this article
|
|
Written by SG
|
|
Thursday, 01 November 2007 |
From the Timberwolves site, a transcript of the team's press conference regarding Jefferson's extension.
Timberwolves Forward Al Jefferson:
I'm just happy to have it done, and am really looking forward to being
here and getting the season started. It means a lot to me. When they
made the trade, I thought that was the first step (in the organization)
showing that they wanted (me and the other former Celtics) to come
here. That let me know they had a lot of confidence in me right there.
Then to get the deal done thirty minutes before the deadline just put
it over the top. I'm really looking forward to it.
We Rite Goode has posted their Northwest Division preview complete with Anthony's predictions for the team.
SLAM Online has up their "Annual Rookies Most Likely To" feature.
Somehow, some way, the $65,000 vivid yellow diamond
disappeared.
So did a $24,000 emerald-cut bracelet. And $12,000 worth of
jewelry belonging to former Trail Blazer Sebastian Telfair.
The owners of Gari Jewelry and Home Accents in the Pearl
District couldn't believe that one of their employees
was stealing...
The Kings signed Beno Udrih on Thursday, a fourth-year point guard who is much-needed in light of the absence of Mike Bibby.
Be first to comment this article |
|
Written by Jeremy
|
|
Thursday, 01 November 2007 |
|
I'm very excited to start the Wolves regular season tomorrow. I'm kind of relieved to enter a season in which not finishing last will exceed my expectations. The past two versions of the Minnesota Timberwolves were not only disappointing, but also very boring. KG's style of play requires competent shooting and continuous effort out of his teammates and, unfortunately, the Timberwolves could give Kevin neither with any consistency. I cannot even count the amount of times I watched the Wolves get up by ten points in the first half, only to watch them fail in the end. As a fan who came to 40 of 41 home games last season, the sports entertainment value was unnacceptable.
This offseason, the Wolves traded Kevin Garnett in the least attractive of the several deals out there for him. However, the organization did a solid job of retaining its stated cornerstone for the new project (Jefferson resigning) and has earnestly opened the door for the future.
Now, I will give you the opportunity to see what I'm looking for this season and my NBA picks (if you click "Read More") or to skip over this entirely and move to the next post (likely).
Comments (2) |
|
Read more...
|
|
Written by SG
|
|
Thursday, 01 November 2007 |
|
Owner Glen Taylor said he didn't like the team's
inconsistency and wanted to see better effort from players. He said he
was disappointed he didn't see better results under Wittman, but he
placed some of the blame on the players and the culture. The front
office agrees that Wittman's approach is what the team needs.
"When you look at all the best coaches in the
league, they're disciplinarians," Wolves assistant general manager Fred
Hoiberg said. "They're guys that correct mistakes when they happen.
They're guys that get on their top guy the same as they get on the last
guy on the bench. You have to hold everybody accountable the same way,
and I think Witt will do a great job of that."
McHale called Foye, who was named to the NBA's All-Rookie team last
season, and McCants, who underwent microfracture knee surgery in June
2006, "a big part of our future" in a statement.
The Wolves did not exercise an option on swingman
Gerald Green, who has struggled with shot selection and poor decisions
this exhibition season. He will become an unrestricted free agent next
summer.
Point guard Sebastian Telfair will become a restricted free agent next summer.
The Skyforce could also be gaining the services of an NBA player in the
near future. Their affiliates, the Charlotte Bobcats and Minnesota
Timberwolves, can begin assigning players to Sioux Falls as soon as the
D-League season begins. Minnesota forward Chris Richard, in particular,
a rookie from the University of Florida, is a likely early candidate
given the Timberwolves' sudden interior depth.
Former Sonics assistant Dwane Casey will fill in for Bob Weiss as the
Sonics in-studio analyst for tonight's game for FSN's pre- and
post-game shows. Casey lost out to P.J. Carlesimo for the Sonics
coaching job and is expected to sit out a season.
Be first to comment this article |
|
Written by SG
|
|
Thursday, 01 November 2007 |
|
The Minnesota Timberwolves announced that the team has reached an
agreement on a multi-year contract extension with forward Al Jefferson.
Per team policy, financial terms of the agreement have not been
disclosed.
The Wolves just beat an 11 p.m. deadline and signed promising young
forward Al Jefferson to a five-year, $65 million contract extension
that will make the 22-year-old selected 15th overall in the 2004 NBA
draft a very rich man starting next season. The deal will keep him a
Timberwolf through 2013.
"Al has proven that at only 22 years of age he is among the rising stars in
the NBA," said Kevin McHale, Timberwolves vice president of basketball
operations. "He is extremely talented, hard working and shows a tremendous
willingness to learn and improve in all facets of the game. Al is only going to
continue to get better."
"He's as polished on the low block as I've ever seen in a 22-year-old,"
Walker said. "He's going to continue to get better. He's definitely
going to be an All-Star in this league."
Moving forward, Minnesota signs Jefferson at a bargain price for what he is expected to bring to the team, therefore allowing the team more freedom to surround him with quality teammates. By signing this contract, Jefferson shows he is more about the team than brining in the largest sums of money he possibly can throughout his career. This is a refreshing change and endears Jefferson to Minnesota fans, looking for someone to cheer going forward.
Jefferson is due $2.48 million this season, and the extension will kick in during the 2008-09 season.
Be first to comment this article |
|
Written by Derek Hanson
|
|
Thursday, 01 November 2007 |
|
Garnett is gone, but we'll still fight on.
Note: This article appear on the Minnesota Timberwolves Den at DeROK.Net
For the first time in my life, I'm about to experience a Timberwolves season without Kevin Garnett. Yes, I've been a fan of the team since its inception, but for all intents and purposes, Friday night will be the first time I watch a season begin without No. 21 pounding his chest and making a chalk cloud. You see, in the era before Garnett, things like the internet and NBA League Pass were futuristic technologies. If you lived in New Jersey and liked the Timberwolves, you were forced to follow the team through a box score in the paper. The only way you even knew what the role players on your team looked like was if you were fortunate enough to get one of their basketball cards in a pack. Back then, being a fan of the Timberwolves meant owning a t-shirt and always picking them on NBA Live '95, even though they were awful. Eighteen years later, things are extremely different. Kevin Garnett isn't able to sneeze without a complete play-by-play of the event being instantly sent to someone's cell phone. Hardly a minute passes by without some fan making a blog post about his thoughts on the team. If I had the time, I could easily plunk myself down in front of my computer and spend a solid two-hours every day reading all the latest Timberwolves news. Being a fan of the Timberwolves has a completely different meaning in medical school than it did in elementary school. And so that's why I say that Friday, November 2nd will be my first time that I truly begin a Timberwolves season without Kevin Garnett.
Continue Reading...
Comments (2) |
|
Written by Derek Hanson
|
|
Thursday, 01 November 2007 |
|
Randy Foye: "All Heart"
Background:
Randy Foye was born September 24, 1983 in Newark, New Jersey. Foye's father Antonio was killed in a motorcycle accident when Randy was three. Three years later, his mother Regina dropped him off at kindergarten, and Randy and his brother never saw her again. Foye doesn't know what happened to her. However, Foye's grandmother took him in and his neighbor helped him learn the game of basketball. Foye keeps alive the hope that he will someday see his mother again, and he even has an image of her face permanently tattooed onto his left pectoral. In June 2006, it was reported that Foye has the rare condition situs inversus, which means his organs are arranged as the mirror image of a normal person's: for example, his heart is in the right side of his chest rather than the left. However, it is not expected that this fact will have an impact on his game.
Comments (1) |
|
Read more...
|
|
Written by SG
|
|
Wednesday, 31 October 2007 |
|
The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that the team has exercised
the third-year option on guard Randy Foye and the fourth-year option on
guard Rashad McCants.
Foye, the team’s currently injured point guard, will receive $2.81
million next season, his third NBA season, while McCants will be paid
$2.62 in his fourth NBA season.
The team did not exercise the fourth-year option on Gerald Green, one
of five players acquired from Boston last summer in the Kevin Garnett
trade. That would have cost them $2.2 million next season, but they
declined.
Be first to comment this article |
|
Written by SG
|
|
Wednesday, 31 October 2007 |
Check out Celtics Blog for a complete list of the NBA Blogger Previews.
Kevin McHale on the midnight deadline to sign Al Jefferson to an extension:
You really want to get something done. For the player, he's under
contract for this year, so he's doing something for the future. For the
team, you have the right of first refusal so you can see where the
market is again next year. So you want to get something done but if you
don't ... Usually things get done when there's a little bit more of a
crunch...
Also:
Jaric was wearing the black jersey and running the first team in
practice today, though coach Wittman explicitly mentioned no decision
has been made as to who will start. Alas, the first team has
traditionally worn black and the second wears white. This may be
because Kevin Garnett would never, ever wear anything but black.
"I could have been a better
player during the time that I was there, but they never really gave me
a chance to really get healthy," Hudson said. "He could have mentioned
that I had reconstructive surgery and microfracture surgery at the same
time that limited my abilities, but he didn't want to mention that and
he didn't have to. ... Sometimes people take situations and turn the attention off themselves and put it on others."
As for the charge that he was a Garnett confidant, Hudson pleaded guilty without remorse.
"(Garnett) felt like he had
more of a bond on and off the court with me and Trenton Hassell than he
had with other players that they were bringing in," Hudson said. "He
felt like me and Trenton could really help win games. He felt that way.
They didn't feel that way. So they made the moves that they had to
make."
On Oct. 11, over 70 Wolves staffers volunteered for more than 400 hours
at St. Paul's Scheffer Park to paint, build and detail a new reading
and learning center for the St. Paul community.
Be first to comment this article |
|
Written by College Wolf
|
|
Wednesday, 31 October 2007 |
|
In anticipation of the 2007-08 Minnesota Timberwolves season, TWolvesBlog is counting down the days 'til tip-off by featuring some of our team's players. These player articles were written by several of our forum members, as well as the site's regular contributors. The seventh piece in this series was written by yours truly, C-Dub. I'd like to present to you our Jack-Of-All-Trades, largely unknown, third-year small forward Ryan Gomes.
Ryan Gomes, Jack of All Trades
Ryan Gomes – “It Isn't Where You Start, It's Where You Finish”
By: College Wolf
To what great mind is this cerebral quote attributed to? Why, the Minnesota Timberwolves very own Ryan Gomes. The 50th overall selection in the 2005 NBA Draft out of Providence College, at only 25 years old, has already proven himself to be one of the most mature players on this young Wolves team. Gomes was an All-American Big East standout during his college career, yet did not have the prototypical “size and abilities” craved by NBA teams. Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers deemed his work ethic and track record substantial enough to take a chance on him with a low second round draft pick. Ryan has been fighting an up-hill battle since the end of his college career, but it is obvious that he has finally arrived in the “Association.” We all know where this young man started, but the question is where will he finish?
(Click "Read More" to continue...)
Comments (1) |
|
Read more...
|
| << Start < Prev 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 Next > End >>
| | Results 811 - 820 of 1144 |
|
Columnists
Sonia Grover started her Wolves site, "I Heart KG", in 2006. In the wake of the big trade, she moved over to TWolves Blog 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 TWolves Blog, 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 TWolves Blog, 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
Rob Brewer and Neil Olstad launched the first-ever Minnesota Timberwolves podcast back in 2007. After acheiving critical acclaim with "The Kissing Marney Gellner Show", the duo decided bring their act to TWolves Blog. "Timberwolves Today"
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.
_______________
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
|
|
