Draft Day Approaches
Trade Up From #9? Unlikely
nbatrademachine
Wolves/Philly and Fun With Trades
Default Image
2012-2013 Season Wrap-up

Wolves Updates 11/3

Written by SG on .

Britt Robson/On The Ball with thoughts and predictions on the season.
 
 
Stephen Litel/Hoopsworld interviews Theo Ratliff and Sebastian Telfair.
 
 
Kent Youngblood/Star Tribune on Marko Jaric: 
There have been times when, frankly, he felt that it would be better if he were somewhere else. On another team, with another system, with more opportunity.
But he says he's not thinking that way right now, because right now there is a lot of opportunity. With Randy Foye down because of a stress reaction in his knee, the Wolves have a lot of available minutes at point guard. In Friday's opener against Denver, Wolves coach Randy Wittman started Sebastian Telfair. But Jaric will get his chance. 
 
Denver coach George Karl on KG:
"I was sad when Gary Payton left Seattle," he said. "There are certain guys who should die and live in the city [they start with]. ... I'm happy that Kevin will have a chance to get back into the playoffs. But my thought is he should be in Minnesota."

 
"They have a good start there," Iverson said. "They have Al Jefferson, a guy who can play, guys who can make things happen on the basketball court. I think the sky's the limit for them."
 
 
From Kare 11:
KARE 11 conducted a highly unscientific poll and found none of our interviewees could name even one of the Timberwolves players.
"Well I did know Kevin Garnett, but he's gone," said Myra Curry, in an answer that resembled at least half a dozen other responses.
no comments

Wolves 91, Nuggets 99

Written by SG on .

Minnesota outplayed Denver for most of Friday night, but couldn't come up with the big shots down the stretch and Anthony scored 33 points to rally the Nuggets to a 99-91 victory.  
 
 
 
 
Their first season opener since 1995 without Kevin Garnett proved to be an entertaining one, even though the Wolves lost 99-91 to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night at Target Center. That snapped their 12-game winning streak in home openers.
Expectations for this franchise probably haven't been lower since the days before Garnett arrived.
But the new Wolves, led by Rashad McCants' 23 points and Al Jefferson's double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds, quickly showed a crowd of 19,443 that they just might have the necessary ingredients to be competitive.
 
 
The Wolves nursed a quick 13-point lead all the way into the final quarter before the Nuggets, aimed this season at 60 victories and a long playoff run, outscored them 25-14. A telling 11-2 burst midway through the fourth quarter featured veterans Marcus Camby, Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, all of whom were in the league before six of 10 Timberwolves who appeared Friday ever played a NBA game. 
 
 
It wasn't so bad. In fact, the first six-minute stretch was as close to basketball heaven as you'll see. Denver is a talented team featuring Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson. The Wolves, who clearly haven't been reading their press clippings, came out looking like thoroughbreds. They raced to a 19-6 lead...
 
After that initial surge, the angels stopped singing, and the rainbows disappeared. The game became rather uneven. McCants would get hot. Then he'd do three or four dumb things in a row: lose the ball, bad foul, errant pass. ... A lot of guys had some big moments. And then they didn't. We all knew this was going to happen.
 
 
Mike Trudell/Timberwolves site posted notes on each quarter of the game.   
 
 
Stephen Litel/Hoopsworld with notes from before, during, and after the game.  
 
 
Paul Allen/KFAN also comments on the loss.  
 
 
Telfair finished the game with nine points, five assists, three steals and three turnovers in 35 minutes. The game had a much different tempo with him on the court compared with reserve point guard Marko Jaric, who committed four fouls and did not score.
"He's just got to continue to learn," Wittman said of Telfair. "He's got to learn in some pick and rolls situations. He missed some opportunities to drop the ball off inside."
 
 
The result was a team with 10 new bodies out of 15 and with nine players with three seasons of experience or less. In this mix, Wittman used 34-year-old veteran Theo Ratliff as his starting center, and he ignited a burst that had the Opening Night crowd cheering with unexpected delight. 
no comments

Telfair to start

Written by SG on .

After shootaround on Friday afternoon, Wolves head coach Randy Wittman revealed his starter at point guard.
"I'm going to start Sebastian (Telfair) tonight," he said. "Coaches' decision."
 
 
 
 
Assistant coach Jerry Sichting with a video scouting report of tonight's game.
no comments

Wolves Updates 11/2 Part 2

Written by SG on .

In an interview with Shoals at Free Darko, Neil Michael Hagerty calls Kevin McHale one of the top 5 NBA players of all time.
 
 
In case you missed it, The Old Logo posted a great team preview.
 
 
Mike Trudell/Timberwolves site talks to KFAN's Paul Allen about the upcoming season.
 
 
The Nugg Doctor previews tonight's matchup.  
 
 
The Pioneer Press has up a "Meet The Timberwolves" article.  
 
 
David Brown/SPM has a Wolves season preview.
 
 
Cub Buenning/SLAM Online takes a look at the teams of the Northwest Division.
 
 
The final Battle of the Bloggers is up.   
no comments

Predictions From The Wolves Community

Written by SG on .

To mark the long-awaited opening day of the team's season, we asked our favorite Wolves writers, bloggers, and fans to send us their predictions for the upcoming year.  

   

10,000 Takes
Predicted record: 20-62

An inept and dysfunctional front office, an owner who should be seen and not heard, bad coaching, serious injuries (Theo Ratliff, Rashad McCants & Randy Foye), fat guys (Antoine Walker), redundant guys (Craig Smith & Chris Richard), guys who love guns (Sebastian Telfair), a lack of a point guard to run the show (Fred Hoiberg on Randy Foye: "I don't think he's a pure point guard.") and Marko Jaric all add up to a half empty Target Center by December. As the crowds dwindle, so will the interest in watching the talent and potential of Al Jefferson and Corey Brewer. The Wolves' new direction and commitment to youth may initially leave us filled with promise and hope for the future, however, once the losses start to rack up we'll all be pissed that we didn't whip out the plastic and order the $159 Early Bird special for the NBA League Pass so we don't miss a minute of KG and the Celtics this season.

 

A.K. Agikamik/KFAN Rube Chat
Predicted record: 30-52

The Wolves' new potential and the story lines that will flow throughout the season from the team's ups and downs have me excited. My greatest concern is Randy Wittman's capacity to rebuild the team and succeed as head coach.

 

Alex Halsted/Talkin’ T-Wolves
Predicted record: 30-52

I'm still staying optimistic about this team, and whether they win or lose, it'll be fun to watch a team that for the first time in a while seems to have a sense of direction.


Britt Robson/On The Ball
Predicted record: 23-59

The Wolves could win anywhere from 14 to 35 games this season. Yup, that's a ridiculously wide span, but 80 percent of the team is new, the most crucial player to this season's fortunes is out "indefinitely" with a "stress reaction," and no one knows if there will be gelling or tanking taking place in April. In the end it's about growth, not doubleyas anyway, but if you put a starter's pistol to my head I'll say 23. Trenton Hassell's old number.

 

College Wolf/Twolves Blog
Predicted record: 21-61

The Beginning of a new era starts this season for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Can this revamped roster come together as a team throughout the course of the season? Regardless of the team's success, it should be exciting for fans to see what these young guys can do.

 

Darren “Doogie” Wolfson/KFAN
Predicted record: 26-56

They are arguably the worst team in the conference, but will be fun to watch...the last 3 yrs, with KG, were awful. When does a MVP, in his prime, miss the playoffs 3 straight years? It finally appears they have a plan...get draft picks and target the summer of '09 or the summer of '10 to land a solid free agent or 2...but in regards to this season, they're just too young. This year is all about finding out what you have in Randy Foye and C. Brewer. Also, we have no evidence Randy Wittman can coach. I like Randy a lot, but his win-loss record is Dan Monson like.

 

Jerry Zgoda/Star Tribune
Predicted record: 29-53

Now, I know the skeptics think this is the franchise pre-Kevin Garnett, back to the old lousy expansion days. I covered those days and remember them well -- Tod Murphy and Scott Branch, Adrian Branch and Randy Breuer and Myron Brown -- and this isn't, not nearly, expansion Timberwolves. There's talent there, a good bit of it, but it's going to take time. A lot of time.

 

Kent Youngblood/Star Tribune
Predicted record: 33-49

The Wolves will work harder than last season. They will rebound more and defend better. But, especially in light of Randy Foye's knee injury, is there enough game-in and game-out scoring? The Wolves will hustle themselves to 33 wins.

 

Michael Rand/RandBall
Predicted record: 24-58

They will be young, kind of short, will win 2-3 truly memorable games (remember how much fun it was when the terrible Wolves teams of old would conjure up a big win every once in a while?), will have about 9 different second-leading scorers in every 20-game span, will use 37 different starting lineups in an 82-game span and will surprisingly be more popular and in the news than either of the teams from the past couple of seasons.

 

Mike Trudell/Timberwolves official site
Predicted Record: 27-55

Predicting how many games the Wolves will win is a bit like trying to ascertain the number of days Lindsay Lohan will spend in rehab this year. You know she'll be there for a hot tick, but what if she does most of her damage inside locked doors? So, let's start with a range: 20-35 games. The fact is, there is enough talent on this team to produce legitimate NBA wins against good teams, particularly because Minnesota will often be taken lightly. In the West, who says Sacramento, Portland, Seattle or the L.A. Clips are any better? This pack of Wolves gets along really well, and is flat-out going to work hard every night. Plus, there are only three or four guys in the league that can produce on the low block like Jefferson ... But when teams double- and triple-team him in the fourth quarter, will the Wolves be able to score? Foye and McCants have shown flashes, but until we see it for a full season, let's go in the middle of our range: 27-55. 

 

MNSportsFans.com
Predicted record: 28-54

Wolves finish fifth, but not by much, in the Northwest and likely will be last in the Western Conference, finishing just behind Seattle and possibly Sacramento. The Wolves may start slow and have a poor first half of the season but as the roster grows together into a cohesive unit the positive chemistry should help to galvinize the Wolves to a strong finish to 2007-2008. A 30 win season, while difficult to attain, could be the best case scenario if everything breaks right. We think they'll finish with 28 wins on the season.

 

Neil Olstad/Timberwolves Today
Predicted record: 24-58

While the national NBA media is shortsighted to have the Timberwolves as the absolute worst team in the league, they are not far off. This season will have its gruesome moments, but with a solid foundation for the future now in place, Wolves fans finally have something look forward to.

 

Revprodeji/RealGM Wolves forum
Predicted record: over/under is 29 wins

Anytime a team loses a player like KG and rebuilds with so many young parts only losing a handful more games than the previous year should be looked at as a success. The goal this year isnt to win games, but to test the young players with a trial by fire and find out who has what it takes to build around. In order to do this they will need shots, minutes, and fan support. It will be an exciting year as we set the ground work.
On a positive side, on paper we could catch fire and be in a playoff hunt if our young guys grow up fast and Whit does the coaching performance of his life.

 

Rick Kamla/NBA.com
Predicted record: 30-52

There is no doubt in my mind that Al Jefferson becomes a true 20-10 player this season and I really like the young nucleus around him. Randy Foye could be a star, he just needs minutes. Corey Brewer is a TO waiting to happen (for the other team) and Craig Smith is a beast among beasts.

 

Scott Henneboehle/Wolves Watch
Predicted record: 25-57

I think this season will say a lot about the direction of the team in the next couple of years. If some of the players they acquired in the KG deal pan out and can play in the NBA, we should have a decent nucleus to build the team around, but they don't develop into quality players, the team could be in even more dire trouble that it is right now.

 

Steve Aschburner/longtime Star Tribune NBA writer now with SportsIllustrated.com and MinnPost.com.
Predicted record: 24-58

All the basketball purists who like the idea of rebuilding might feel a little different about that come March and April, after suffering through the worst Wolves season since the days of Jack McCloskey, J.R. Rider, Stacey King, Marv & Harv and the smiling dog logo. Forget the problem at point guard for the moment; the most pressing question at 600 First Avenue is whether Minnesota has a better shot at the NBA's No. 1 pick next June by unloading Antoine Walker, or by playing him.

 

Tony Lang/Twolves Rube Nation
Predicted record: 27-55

The fact is KG is gone. It never worked out and it was time to move on. It might be a hard season to watch but this is the best time to become a Wolves fan because you get to see an entirely new young group of players come together and build for the future.

 

WD/Canis Hoopus
Predicted record: 22-60

With 2/3 of the roster new to Minnesota, this team will likely match last year's Grizzlies (12th in the league for offense, 30th for defense). It will be a great opportunity for the youngsters to sort themselves out, but it's going to be painful to watch most nights. With our beefed up frontcourt, though, McHale should get the marketing department to consider "We Bang" as part of the new campaign.

 

Thanks to all those who participated.  

no comments

Wolves Updates 11/2

Written by SG on .

Click here for the forum's game thread on tonight's season opener against Denver. 
 
 
Kent Youngblood/Star Tribune has a preview of tonight's game.  
 
 
Even by McHale's estimation, it is the 2009-10 season where the big moves could occur. As of right now, the Wolves have only $32 million on the books for that season. 
And then there are draft picks. The Wolves still owe the Clippers a first-round pick, but they'll keep it next summer if it turns into a top-10 selection. They should also get Miami's pick as part of the Davis-Blount trade, unless the Heat finishes with a lottery pick. In 2009 the Wolves should get Boston's first-round pick as part of the Garnett trade.
  
 
Kare 11 has video of an interview they did with Al Jefferson.
 
 
Dan Barreiro/KFAN also talked to Jefferson yesterday. You can listen to the interview here.  
 
 
Before agreeing to a five-year contract with Al Jefferson on Wednesday night, the Timberwolves spent much of the day talking about a three-year deal. 
 
Also from Walters, owner Glen Taylor on buying out Juwan Howard:
"It was hard because Juwan had never played for us," Taylor said Thursday. "But I've got to have (salary cap) room for next year and the future. If I'm putting this together the way I think I am, I've got to have the payroll lined up for two years from now as these guys come out of their rookie contracts. I've got to have the money and plan for that. That's kind of what I'm doing now."
  
 
Vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale said he believes the team will have the ability to sign other players in the future, in part because Jefferson agreed to less than the maximum salary. The Wolves will try to re-sign Smith and Gomes next summer when their deals expire.
 
 
Stephen Litel/Downtown Journal with a media roundup of predictions for the season.  
 
 
The Timberwolves site got a redesign.  
 
 
Mike Trudell/Timberwolves site with a season preview on Sebastian Telfair.  
 
 
Timberwolves President Chris Wright says the change requires a new approach to promoting the team.
"We're moving from a team that developed an image around one player -- whose image, voice, personality was evident in every report that was talked about on the airwaves, seen on television, or read about in the newspapers -- to much more of a team concept," says Wright.
 
 
Teammate Sebastian Telfair calls Jefferson a "freak of nature" when he possesses the ball near the basket. Savvy vet Mark Madsen prefers to call him a "machine" while Jefferson refers to himself as a "beast."
 
 
As the Wolves open their season tonight at Target Center, here's hoping Taylor and McHale can regain their credibility, if not their celebrity.
 
 
no comments

Wolves Updates 11/1 Part 3

Written by SG on .

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. 
  
 
Some of the Timberwolves talk about their favorite Halloween costumes.  
 
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.
 
 
Mike Votta/STATS with a look at tomorrow's season opener.      
no comments

Wolves Updates 11/1 Part 2

Written by SG on .

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.
 
 
Ed Kacik/PA SportsTicker with a Wolves preview.  
 
 
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.
no comments

Wolves Updates 11/1

Written by SG on .

Rick Alonzo/Pioneer Press on last season: 
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.
 
 
Timberwolves Today are posting their "Keys To The Season." 
 
 
All Hip Hop.com has a preview of the Northwest Division. 
 
 
Terry Vandrovec/Argus Leader on NBA D-League team Sioux Falls Skyforce:
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. 
no comments

Wolves and Jefferson Agree to Extension

Written by SG on .

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."
 
Stephen Litel/Hoopsworld on the extension:
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.
no comments
10 Players Who Will Breakout In 2013
Crystal Ball Run
Which QB Performed Best In The Red Zone?
Colts Authority
Sophomore Slump- Fact Or Fiction?
Colts Authority

You Might Like...

Top Stories

New Falcons Stadium Turning Some Heads
Grits Blitz Blog
First Take Hits A New Low
Awful Announcing
Raw Sewage Overtakes MLB Locker Rooms
The Outside Corner
Manziel Hints At Early Departure
This Given Sunday
Bengals Reportedly To Be Back On Hard Knocks
Awful Announcing