Wow. So much of this interview just blows my mind. Is it good that Taylor is so brutally honest? I'm not so sure. I think it will just piss a lot of people off and make him look like a complete idiot.


PART 1

PART 2


Like I said, so much of this shocks me. Here are some things in particular (and its just from reading Part 1!):


PP: If Fred Hoiberg is McHale's successor to run the basketball department, what more does he need to do that job? Experience?

GT:

I mean, (general manager) Jim Stack has a lot of experience down in Chicago. Rob (Babcock, assistant general manager) has some experience. But I'm not sure they're the best guys to talk to the public to sell the program. McHale is very good at that. That's one of his best things. People like him. He's smart. He's witty, and all that type of stuff.

- Smart!?!? Witty!?!? People LIKE him??? Like WHO??? HUH?


PP: What kind of details?

GT: Let's just say if you're doing a trade. Checking a little bit more, checking into background a little bit more. I think some of the other teams probably have done a little bit better job. Going to Europe, knowing the guys a little bit better. Some of the details like that.

I think Kevin is a little bit like me. Either I like somebody or I don't like somebody, which is fine. But you better have some detail people behind you supporting that, making sure your feelings are right. I'm talking more about business, but I still see Kevin's job as more business.

Could we run as good without Kevin? I'm not sure we couldn't run as good without Kevin. If Kevin came and resigned, would I accept? I probably would. Do I want to fire him? Why would I want to embarrass him? He's done a lot of good.

- You mean we couldn't have failed to surround KG with talent if McHale wasn't here? We couldn't have bombed the past three seasons without McHale??? WHAT?!?!


GT: Kevin is very poor on details. You've got to recognize what he is good at and what he's not good at. And generally, if we've kind of failed, it's been some of the details stuff.

- How long as he known this??? I have to assume the entire time he's been GM since Taylor and McHale are tight. You knew this the entire time and couldn't find anyone else to be the GM in 13 years!?!?


Wow.

I kinda like to hear what he has to say. But, I agree that a lot of people won't be happy to hear it.

TwinsTerritory wrote:

I do agree with you... but still, some of the stuff he says just blows my mind.

There are almost no words adequate to respond to Taylor's comments. It's like he's living in an alternate universe where the Wolves are a title contender (the \"we couldn't run as good without him (McHale)\" line) and last year's Forbes article ranking McHale as the best GM was widely regarded as a solid assessment. Does Taylor talk to or listen to anyone outside of McHale?

Wow.

Those interviews are completely UNREAL. I used to love Glen Taylor. But through the last few years I have come to think he is a bumbling IDIOT.

And I can't believe he threw KG under the bus saying he didn't like Marko, Blount, or Mike James.

Taylor sucks, you would think he would be more heady and have more business savvy and class than all of that.

What a bigmouth.

BonK wrote:

I KNOW!!! I didn't even mention it, but I totally agree with you about him throwing KG under the bus. He was killing KG in that interview.

Taylor is a complete MORON.

If I were to re-title the Q&A....

\"What has gone wrong the last 5 years and why it isn't my fault\" - by Glen Taylor.

Taylor admits that the team had long quite on Flip and yet he didn't make a move. He says McHale basically doesn't work that hard getting all the details. He knew that players were intentionally screwing up on defense. Each of Taylor's juicy nuggets is basically assigning blame to someone other than himself. He even makes it sound like it is some novel idea that Whitman can bench players who are hurting the team on the court.

The gap that the NFL and the MLB have opened up between themselves and the NBA might have more to do with intelligent ownership than the sports themselves.

Speaking of how Taylor was killing KG... All of the problems that were attributed to KG where all things the organization should have never let happen.

I might be taking a leap of faith here but I'm guessing the Spurs aren't basing their starting rotation on Tim Duncan's group of friends.

Can you imagine KG ever demanding players play who aren't going to help the team win?

That was just an insane interview. There was so much dirt dished out, but I can't help but wonder how much of it is true and how much of it has been spun to make the current regimen look good. A lot of what Taylor said is the exact opposite of what I heard coming out of the Target Center.

I would absolutely love to hear Flip and Garnett's side of the story.

Some of it, I do believe. KG has been known to lobby for his friends. However, it's the coach's fault if he's going to let that lobbying determine who starts if those players aren't trying. That's just stupidity.

Even if the Chauncey thing is Flip's fault, how many other horrendous moves did McHale make after Flip got fired?

Also, the whole thing with not pursuing a Jeff VanGundy because Taylor believes Wittman can get the the job done now that KG's gone - that just blew my mind. First of all, how dumb is it to think that a coach is going to do a better job without Garnett than with him? He's one of the best players in the game! If the coach can't earn his respect, then that's the coach's fault. Also, young players or no young players, Jeff Van Gundy will coach Wittman out of the arena on any given night. It just boggles the mind. It's statements like that that make me believe he spent the majority of this interview either 1. lying or 2. delusional.

I reread those two quotes and I just can't fathom any boss saying them about any employees they are still employing in significant roles in their company.

pants wrote:
Those are two of the well over a dozen quotes that blow my mind. I can't say it enough. I cannot get over this. I can't believe how this team is being run. Wow.

Wow, I just read the whole interview, parts 1 & 2.

I can't believe how he threw EVERYONE under the bus. Some of the stuff he said about Flip is just mind-blowing.

It's cool for us as readers to have Taylor give his honest and unedited thoughts about all of this, but from a business and ethics standpoint, it is inexcusable and completely, ridiculousy stupid & lousy.

I have lost all respect for Glen Taylor.

BonK wrote:

Completely agree. I lost most of my respect for Taylor quite a while ago... but now I have absolutely none left.

Also, I'd love to get KG and Flip's direct response in regards to some of these Faylor quotes.