The most discouraging thing about being a Timberwolf fan now is all the negative press we are generating. Everyone is an expert and most everyone agrees on how bad we are.

Everyone think back a few weeks.I'm assuming if you read this site you at least try to be a Timberwolf fan. We went in to this transition with our eyes wide open. Every trade was made for a purpose. The end result was to free up cap space for future growth and to flood our squad with players with great future potential. Nothing has changed. No one thought we would win many games right away. \"See what they can do!\" That is our slogan.

I have not been dissapointed at all. In fact I am encouraged with our team as it stands right now:

Coery Brewer: Makes rookie mistakes. Will be a stud.

Randy Foye: Is a stud. Can he be a point guard? Give me a break. He will be a point guard.

Al Jefferson: Is a stud. Is going to get better every game.

Craig Smith: Is a stud. Is just coming into his own. Watch out!

Sabistion Telfair: The man (boy) with tremendous promise has shown a willingness to step up to the plate and realize it. He is definitly capible. I believe he will do it.

Ryan Gomes: Is a stud

Gerald Green: Maybe, maybe not. Again, tremendous potential. When your whole squad is new young maybes, some don't make it. He seems willing to work.

Chris Richard: I think he will be a Timberwolf for a long time. Needs to learn and play. A stud.

Rashad McCants: I can't understand the disdain shown for him. He is a talanted scorer. He is good now and don't forget, he is still young too and is learning his craft.

5 of these guys are former high 1st round picks. I don't think any of them deserve the title \"bust\" quite yet.

None of the veterans matter a bit at this time. They are only here because of past deals and are only around to hold down spots. Walker can sit all year. I don't care.

We have played competitive with every team so far. It is mearly our lack of experience that has lost games. I enjoy watching these guys FAR more than the Celtics. Keep your heads up Timberwolves fans. This isn't painful, it's exciting!

PS Don't worry, I am not going to stick up for Wittman.

Yeah, it's just going to take some time. Players like Brewer and McCants haven't really gotten to play much in the NBA. Guys like Jefferson and Gomes look better than we expected, Al looking like a bonafide All-Star and Gomes a solid, solid role player. Our 2nd best player, Foye hasn't played yet.

With Jefferson and Foye as our 1 and 2 guys, this team is in good hands. Smith, Brewer, and Gomes will all be solid supporting members. When you consider that we'll likely walk away with a Top 5 pick in next year's draft, it's safe to say that we could be looking at a championship contender 3-4 years down the road.

Patience is the key. And in the mean time, we have KG's success to bide us over until the Wolves break out. This is the best spot we've been in in four years.

I love the new team! I have never had this much fun watching the wolves besides the Western conference run we made. I also don't see how people are still not very impressed with Mccants.... he is my favorite player hands down and has been (while he has played) amazing this year. Did you see the three he made coming off those screens and the acrobatic plays he just made against Sacramento... I think he is going to do amazing things, not to mention how he performed in college.

Great post Mmaland. We need more positive reinforcement like this. Helps keep people grounded too. Anyways, I completely agree with your post and a Howl for you. Everyone's gotta keep their heads up. It's just the start of a new beginning.

P.S. I am a fan.

The Daddy IS A FAN, but still understands we suck now.

However, I still disagree with most people on this board. Every other team in the league is also preparing for the future, doing the following things: 1-assembling talent, 2-draft picks, 3-money, and 4-betting on the draw their city provides.

1 - In my opinion the potential doesn't stick out more than any other average team. Basically every player on every team is talented, which is why we call these players the BEST IN THE WORLD.

2 - Draft picks??? That's gone well thus far... 3-4 for about 25 is a horrible percentage. We may or may not get lucky.

3 - Money, yea we'll probably have it. Then we'll sign Telfailure to a max contract this summer.

4 - NEVER. Free agents will never want to come here. After we got to the western conference finals, free agents still weren't interested.

So...yea we'll improve, but until MGMT and coaching decide to devote themselves to winning we will end up as another average to good team.

Just DaddyFatSax's 2 cents.

daddyfatsax wrote:

That was depressing. True though.

I was feeling so warm and fuzzy inside from mmaland's post. Ah well, darnit.

I like you better when you drink

mmaland wrote:

Lol

I like Daddy all the time.

mmaland wrote:
YES! me as well. Which is why I will be back in a few hours after happy hour. Since I'm in Hartford, CT again I have nothing much to do except outdo myself from the night before. So unless CW or Derok locks the elimination thread tonight I am inevitably going to screw it up again. I'm going to vote now to try and eliminate any chance of me messing it up tonight.

daddyfatsax wrote:
I second that, but in regards to myself.

You got shipped to CT again? Man... that eats. How long you there?

Don't worry, I would never lock you out of the Elimination Thread... no matter how many mind numbing times you mess up the rankings.

I Liked mmaland's post very much as well. But I guess it have been stated now that he might have looked a little bit too much through his \"fandom glases\" when he wrote that. Being a fan always means to have a more positive view of \"your\" team, but it should not prevent one from being realistic...

Not all of those many (young) players we have accquired through draft or trade will turn out to be more than seviceable roleplayers and it would not surprise me if one will turn out to be a complete disappointment. So while it is still way to early to call one of our youngsters a bust, I would also be more cautios with the inflationary usage of \"stud\" !

But I have often said that I am all in all satisfied with where the team is heading. We are obviously at least two peieces away from becoming a perrenial playoff team, but there will be a few drafts coming up where we will have the chance to draft a young PG \"stud\" ( ) or trade the expiring contracts and picks for a younger defensive minded center. The pieces are in place now, potential and talent are there and for the first time in many years, there seem to be a true team spirit. If the management continues to make at least average decisions and keep drafting not-total-busts, I thnk we have a good chance of at least competing in a few years.

Is that \"realistic\"? I don't know, but to heck with realism ! I was a fan when Isiah Rider was our go-to-guy and all the heckling of my pals only assured me in my beliefs. So I once again enjoy being a fan of the Wolves. Fandom is not defined by how many victory parades your team holds, but by the emotions that \"your\" team stirrs up in you - be it passion and joy or woe and grief.

And so far, the Wolves make me proud again, no matter if they will end up with a record of 0-82!

A real fan is one who has faith and hope. It's like the game of golf. If you could look into the future and see that you would never ever break 100 would you continue to golf? No. You continue to beat yourself up on the course because there is that chance that you will have a really good game.

As Daddyfatsax said we are no better off than any other team doing the same thing. Our players simply because they are Timberwolves are not destined for greatness. We're all bozos on this bus.

But when you hook your ladder to a team, you want to cheer for them and believe in them. Thats why we watch sports in the first place. I spend all day in a meaningless job, but when I go home I can watch someone I truly admire play a game.

We feel great after a good game. Why is that? These are 15 guys that will never know who I am, playing a game that has absolutly no significance on my life. I watch because I like to feel good. I want to get excited. I want to believe that we can really do it.

The reality is that we may or may not......but I have faith that we can.

mmalandI hope it's not! I have tried golf and it's the most boring excuse for taking a walk in the park I have ever seen !

But seriously: I understand what you like to say and you do make a very good point with that. I also tend to think that our opinions on what it means to be a fan do not differ very much...which is a great, great thing, since I have been around pseudo-fans and bandwagon-jumpers for far too long.

Only our main focus seems to be another: In my opinion, having hope and faith when ervery one is writing your team off does make a huge part of a true fan, but having been a fan of loosing teams for most of my life, I tend to think that the bond that connects a fan to his team are the emotions, but what he mades of it depends on the individual character. Some find their self-fullfilment in pessimism, defiantly hanging on to their team, finding that their fate may mirror their own. Some others just enjoy being the minority, the we-against-the-world-mentality and give a rolling donut about whatever team is everybody's darling at the moment. And others might be embracing their team because it brings hope and joy to their sullen lifes.

There are so many ways and reasons to be a fan, so I would not narrow it down to one characteristic. What really seperates a true fan from the casual opportunist is his passion for and his loyalty to the team. You do not \"choose\" the team you are a fan of, much like you can't choose the man / woman you love. It just strikes you and never lets you go again, no matter how much you might hate the players, the management, the way they play or whatever the press writes about them. Your love for the \"team\" will ever be with you...

Maybe I'm a little too much influenced by the European way where there are only local clubs and no \"franchises\" that can be moved from one town to another...but that's the way I see things.

Some find their self-fullfilment in pessimism, defiantly hanging on to their team, finding that their fate may mirror their own.

This explains a lot

College Wolf wrote:
CW, Fortunately I'm back next week. I've been here all month. Hartford is a world of its own, filled with insurance companies. It's really very weird actually.