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Written by SG
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Tuesday, 09 February 2010 07:58 |
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The Timberwolves site has a list of the questions and answers from David Kahn's meeting yesterday with local and national media members to address several topics at the halfway point of the season.
Q: Brewer has gone crazy.
Kahn: Its been great, hasn’t it? Very pleased. I mentioned to Glen Taylor about a month ago. I said I will know that Corey has made it with his shot when he himself doesn’t look surprised when it goes in. Because even then it would go in and you would be looking at Corey's face and he would be kind of looking like, my god it went in. That look has disappeared. He now thinks its going to go in. I think that he's had some sort of change in terms of his confidence about what he can do out there. If he can maintain that, he's going to be a very fine player in this league. He's been a very fine player for us these last five or six weeks. Very fine player, and that’s part of the reason we have been playing better. But he's still only 23 himself, I believe, and his whole career is still in front of him. It's very exciting the way he's been developing.
From the Associated Press: "I know that we won't do something dramatic," Kahn said, adding: "Firm as firm can be. Absolutely. We will not move one of the big people in the next 10 days. It would be a mistake of epic proportions."
That means point guards Jonny Flynn and Ramon Sessions, perimeter players Corey Brewer and Ryan Gomes and power forwards Al Jefferson and Kevin Love have the rest of the season to prove their worth and their fit with coach Kurt Rambis's triangle scheme. First-round draft pick Ricky Rubio is part of that process too, a world away in Spain, but Kahn again ruled out a trade this year.
"We've gotten calls on him, of course, but there's no way I would do anything with him now. Absolutely none," Kahn said. "He's still young, and I still think he can be one of the better point guards to play in the game."
BS: Have you spent a lot of time checking in on Ricky Rubio (who stayed in Spain to play after the Wolves used the fifth overall pick in the 2009 draft on him)?
DK: Oh, sure. I saw him in person last Wednesday night in Belgrade, Serbia. We're monitoring it because I think it's likely going to be a year and a half before he's here. I haven't prioritized it.
BS: So, are you ruling out next season for having him play for the Wolves?
DK: I think it's highly unlikely because there's no buyout contained in his contract at the end of the season.
On whether Nikola Pekovic is that complementary player to Big Al and Kevin Love: Kind of in the same mold height-wise, different in that he is much more physical than either of them. I mean the guy is like an Adonis. I think he is probably 6-9, 275 and I don’t think that there is much of an ounce of fat on him. He is a great back to the basket low post scorer. But he is not that lengthy guy that I think we are envisioning. Having said that, that doesn’t mean that we have ruled the possibility of being part of our rotation or joining us. I think that is something that we are going to have to heavily discuss this summer. I saw him play last Thursday night and I was very impressed, as I thought I would be.
There's been a lot of talk lately about the Timberwolves possibly trading Al Jefferson, but Kahn was quick to point out what's needed is an additional front line player to complement Jefferson and Love. He's not interested in moving either one of them.
"We definitely need another person, even if they are both here, and I believe they will both be here. As I've said continually, I'd be stunned if we did anything with either player before this deadline. We're not looking to move them. Now, if Ryan Hollins continues to play as well as he has of late, maybe that fills the need. But that's just a few games, and I don't mean any offense to Ryan - I'm sure Ryan himself would concur that he needs to do it over a long period of time - but you need to have a lengthy, athletic type of person to complement these kids, and to help complete our front line."
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Written by SG
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Tuesday, 09 February 2010 07:24 |
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Click here for the forum's thread for tonight's game at Philadelphia
Game previews:
Ellington will endure a busy and quite possibly an emotional week. Tuesday night marks the first NBA appearance for Ellington in his hometown of Philadelphia. He will then spend a night in Chapel Hill during the All-Star break as North Carolina plans on hanging his collegiate jersey in the rafters.
Racine native Caron Butler of the Washington Wizards also continues to be the subject of considerable trade chatter. A bunch of teams covet Butler's services, among them the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Any deal sending Martin to the Mavericks would likely have to involve a third team. Additionally, sources say Minnesota has considered adding Martin to its backcourt. It's not known, however, whether Timberwolves general manager David Kahn would trade either member of his formidable frontcourt – Al Jefferson or Kevin Love.
Another guy definitely not being traded is Al Jefferson. Yet, you constantly hear the Timberwolves feeling they cannot keep Jefferson and Kevin Love.
The notion is they need a big, defensive center to play with one and they’ve even had some success lately with Ryan Hollins. But what if they had Joakim Noah? Everything I’ve heard around the Bulls is no way they would deal Rose or Noah, and I believe that. But say Minnesota would trade Jefferson. I’ve heard they’ve had Luol Deng on a list of players they have interest in and they’ve been asking around the NBA on Deng.
In beating the Grizzlies on Saturday, the Timberwolves had something amazing happen: Ryan Gomes scored 20 first-half points. Then Corey Brewer had 15 in the third quarter, and Al Jefferson had 16 in the fourth quarter. "All these teams that play isolation basketball," says David Thorpe, "I wish they'd see the value in using a system like Minnesota does, where they can move the ball to where it's most effective."
Wolves boss David Kahn reiterated Monday he won't deal any of his top players -- "Firm as firm can be," he said. "It'd be a mistake of epic proportions." -- by the Feb. 18 trade deadline. ¶ But can two similarly sized players with disparate games defend the basket well enough to play together side by side for years to come? ¶ Five NBA head coaches offer their opinions...
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Written by SG
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Monday, 08 February 2010 18:18 |
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Click here to listen to Paul Allen's interview with David Kahn this morning.
Kahn: Rubio playing for Wolves next season "Highly, Highly, Highly unlikely...."
David Kahn on now with PA on Jefferson trade rumors; 'It's not gonna happen this trade deadline, we're just not gonna do something w/ Al'.
About to go to a luncheon with Kahn. He was just on the radio. On Kevin Martin's contract: "I don't like the contract."
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Written by SG
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Monday, 08 February 2010 07:22 |
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Congrats to #Twolves Wolves Vision Host @MikeRylander for starring in a #SuperBowl #Doritos commercial! Snack Attack Samurai
Kahn said it's "too early to tell" if the upcoming trade deadline proves significant for his team, but he reiterated he will not trade any of his "core" players, such as Al Jefferson, Kevin Love and Jonny Flynn.
How 'bout the draft rights to Ricky Rubio and Nikola Pekovic? "Certainly Rubio," Kahn said. "Pekovic, it's too early to see if he is or isn't."
From Jonah Ballow/Timberwolves site:A snapshot of the final quarters in the recent four-game winning streak for the Wolves reveals a common theme. Al Jefferson has elevated his game with dominant performances that have either secured victories or sparked a critical run to top the opposition.
Most recently, Big Al dusted off a rusty first half against the Grizzlies and tied a franchise record by draining 8-of-8 field goal attempts for 16 fourth quarter points The performance featured the vintage Jefferson, the same guy that averaged 23.1 points and 10.9 boards last year. Memphis center Marc Gasol looked helpless while trying to defend the red-hot Jefferson.
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Written by SG
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Sunday, 07 February 2010 05:01 |
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Colangelo said USA Basketball on Wednesday will announce between 25 and 28 names in the mix to play in Turkey as well as in the 2012 Olympics in London...
While Colangelo already has said Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant is assured of playing in Turkey, he wouldn't reveal other names on the list. However, sources confirmed Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge, Minnesota's Kevin Love and New York's David Lee are among those who will be named.
Q Do you ever tune out during a break and watch the dancers or contests instead of Kurt Rambis?
Flynn The only time I do that is when I'm out of the game, and the mascots and people are jumping off the trampoline. It was a good one at the Target Center [recently]. They had all the mascots on the trampolines and shooting half court shots. I tuned out for a long time during that one. Love Yeah, especially when the Klondike stuff is happening and you see Big Al on the screen, you just can't help yourself. Obviously when the dancers are there, you can't help but look sometimes...
Before Saturday's game, the Wolves had held their previous three opponents — the Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks and Dallas — below 40 percent shooting from the floor. Memphis shot 51.7 percent (45 of 87), but the Wolves made key defensive stops in the fourth quarter to erase a seven-point deficit.
Rambis credited the recent turnaround to the players' work ethic and their belief in the coaching staff.
"If you look at where we started and what the team has been through, this team has made tremendous progress," Rambis said. "I'm very proud of where the players are right now. The guys are executing the offense and doing what it takes to get stops."
It's not easy, the Wolves coach said, "but some of the turnovers I have to expect because I'm asking the guards to do different things than they're used to doing."
Until Saturday, when the Wolves made only seven turnovers in a 109-102 victory over Memphis, that had led to an avalanche of miscues on the floor -- more than any other NBA team, in fact. The Wolves had committed 814 turnovers before Saturday's game, 36 more than second-worst Phoenix. Jonny Flynn, who handles the ball more than any other Minnesota player, ranks 17th in turnovers per game -- but given that the top 10 includes players such as Steve Nash, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, it's not necessarily anything to be ashamed of.
Still, the Wolves even made their winning streak a little more difficult by committing 51 turnovers in the first three games, an average of 17 a night.
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Written by SG
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Sunday, 07 February 2010 04:58 |
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Wolves record: 13-38
Box Score
In sports, however, athletes can tolerate pain a lot easier after a win. Jefferson was in that mode Saturday night after the Wolves extended their winning streak to four games with an impressive 109-102 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in front of 14,159 at Target Center.
Jefferson's performance — scoring 16 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter — overshadowed the milestone of the Wolves' first four-game winning streak in more than a year. Jefferson had a coming-out party of sorts that generated a fun night for everybody except the Grizzlies.
"I felt like the old Al Jefferson tonight," he said. "That energy I had came out of nowhere."
Corey Brewer, who had 15 of his 17 points in the third quarter, helped spark the turnaround by finishing a fast break with a one-handed dunk from outside the lane to tie the game at 76.
Ramon Sessions had nine of his 19 points in the third, too, playing well enough that rookie starter Jonny Flynn sat on the bench for nearly the last 20 minutes of the game.
Kevin Love returned from a scary injury to knock down the sealing 3-pointer with less than 2 minutes left to give Minnesota a 104-99 lead. Love whacked his chest a couple of times on the way back to the other end, and Flynn leaped into his arms in a bear hug in celebration.
Jefferson was the star of the show, though, pump-faking newly minted All-Star Zach Randolph into the air and dribbling right for a baseline jumper that cut the Memphis lead to 95-94 at the 3:48 mark to end his run of 12 straight points.
Here's another good sign: Jonny Flynn's savvy and selflessness. The rookie point guard sat down four minutes into the second half, and Sessions proceeded to go on a 15-point, four-assist spree. Rambis stayed with the backup until he appeared winded midway through the fourth quarter, when he signaled for Flynn to return.
Flynn talked him out of it. "He came into the coaches' huddle and said, 'No, no, Coach, he's playing well,'" Rambis said. "That shows growth and maturity."
Suddenly, the Wolves are showing a lot of that.
Fans received quite a scare when Randolph fell on Love in the third period. Ryan Hollins inadvertently tripped Randolph, which created the collision and forced Love to limp back to the locker room. Luckily Love did not sustain a serious injury as he returned to the floor with nine minutes left in the game.
"They're starting to build confidence, they're starting to believe in themselves, they're playing together better, and so it's a really good blossoming aspect for me to see as a coach. I'm enjoying watching them perform out there. And they care. They care about each other," Rambis said.
The Wolves practice on Sunday and Monday before heading out to Philadelphia for the final matchup of the year against the Sixers.
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Written by SG
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Saturday, 06 February 2010 05:38 |
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Click here for the forum's thread for tonight's game against Memphis
Game previews:
Wolves boss David Kahn used those four days for a whirlwind two-city European tour in which he scouted prospects Ricky Rubio and Nikola Pekovic.
Kahn watched Rubio's Regal Barcelona lose for the first time in 12 Euroleague games Wednesday night in Belgrade, Serbia, and watched Pekovic's Greek team play in Athens as well. He said he visited with Rubio briefly after that game and told Pekovic the next time he sees him, he'll have Rambis with him in May.
Rubio, the fifth pick in last summer's NBA draft, won't play for the Wolves until 2011 at the earliest, or possibly 2012.
Pekovic -- a bruising 6-11 post presence whom the Wolves selected with the first pick in the 2008 draft's second round -- is eligible to be signed this summer if Kahn deems he fits into a frontcourt currently built around Kevin Love and Al Jefferson.
The former Minnesota Timberwolves center was a mountain of a man whose statistical accomplishments would make Bill Brasky blush. He grabbed more rebounds per minute than either Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell.
However, it is not Winter's 3 rebounds in his 5 career minutes that we are here to discuss. It is the 5 fouls he committed in those same 5 minutes. That wacky statistic from Winter's one career game in 1999 cements the 7-footer's status as the Foulin' Prince of the NBA.
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Written by SG
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Saturday, 06 February 2010 05:21 |
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Wolves record: 12-38
The Mavericks fought back from a 13-point deficit to take a 106-104 lead with 2:35 remaining, but the Timberwolves responded with a 13-2 surge to finish the game and extend their season-best winning streak to three games.
"It's just a good win against a playoff-caliber team," said Minnesota rookie point guard Jonny Flynn, who had a team-high 19 points and seven assists. "We really held them off during that great run and we came away with a big win."
Corey Brewer scored 14 points and began the decisive run with a 3-pointer at the 2:14 mark. He pushed the lead to 112-108 by making all three free throws after he was fouled by Nowitzki on a 25-footer with 1:07 left. Rookie Wayne Ellington delivered the dagger, swishing a 3-pointer from the corner to make it 115-108 with 32.3 seconds remaining.
Al Jefferson and Ryan Hollins added 15 points and Ryan Gomes scored 12 as all five starters reached twin digits. Kevin Love had a double-double off the bench with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The Wolves now have beaten the Clippers, the Knicks and a suddenly struggling Mavericks team consecutively for what Rambis calls a "multitude of reasons."
They include a corresponding lineup change that saw long, athletic Ryan Hollins move into the starting frontcourt and Kevin Love and Damien Wilkins switch to reserve roles that have both helped produce faster starts to games and bolster the team's second unit.
Rookie point guard Jonny Flynn is playing with newfound direction and assertiveness, as evidenced by his 19 points, seven assists and one turnover.
At 12-38, Minnesota is the worst team in the Western Conference, at least by record.
At 31-19, the Mavericks looked much worse than the Timberwolves in this game.
Three games ago Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Kurt Rambis told his team they were starting over. Forget their record, the fact that they'd been blown out three times in a row, and that the 2009-10 NBA season was basically at its mid-point. Rambis gave his team a clean slate and said they could start over. So far, they're off to a great start.
The Timberwolves, who hadn't beating Dallas since 2006 and boasted a modest 11-38 record (worst in the Western Conference), shot 54% from the field and lead most of the way as they handed Dallas a 108-117 loss on their home court. It didn't take a career night from an opposing point guard to cost Dallas a win, rather they stood by seeming completely disinterested on the defensive end as six Timberwolves scored in double-figures and Minnesota racked up 36 points in the paint.
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Written by SG
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Friday, 05 February 2010 02:52 |
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Click here for the forum's thread for tonight's game at Dallas
Game previews:
13. Al Jefferson, PF, Timberwolves
Timberwolves president David Kahn insists that Minnesota has no interest in moving Al Jefferson.
Other GMs around the league are equally convinced that Jefferson is available for the right offer, especially if the Wolves can get a big man in return.
"He's showing all of our big guys how effective they can be when they run the floor, how you get easy scoring opportunities," Rambis said after inserting the four-year veteran into the Wolves' starting lineup. "Al [Jefferson] and Kevin [Love], they see that, it'll drive them to get up the floor as well."
That energy has helped Hollins make an impact beyond what Rambis was expecting when he made the move. Hollins responded to his new starting role with two of the top three scoring games of his career, putting up a career-high 19 points against the Clippers last Friday, then following with 16 against the Knicks.
"He's got a lot of potential in him, with his athleticism and his length," Rambis said. "He's still just very raw."
High-5 to the players taking part in the Timberwolves FastBreak Foundation's Black History Month. At the recent Foundation “Reading Timeout”, Wolves players Corey Brewer and Damien Wilkins were armed with books and read a pack of the books, including "Meet Martin Luther King Jr." to second and third grade students at Whittier International School in Minneapolis. You might not have known but this is pretty common. Players get out nearly every week and give back to the community and get valuable face time with kids all over the metro and the state. Thanks too to the Hennepin County Medical Center for sponsoring the event.
Timberwolves top draft pick Ricky Rubio, 19, scored his Euroleague career high of 14 points the other day for Regal FC Barcelona against Montepaschi Siena.
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Written by SG
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Thursday, 04 February 2010 07:32 |
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The Wolves flew to Dallas on Wednesday morning, two days in advance of Friday's game with the Mavericks. The purpose: Give the players a break from Minnesota's snow and cold, even though it was raining and in the low 40s when the team arrived in Texas.
Rambis also gave them the day off from practice, after saying Monday and Tuesday that they'd work all four days between Sunday's victory over New York and Friday's game. He did call them together for an afternoon gathering Wednesday, and they are scheduled to practice Thursday afternoon at American Airlines Center.
From ESPN: Most Improved Player of the Year Watch 4. Corey Brewer, Wolves: He has gone from being just a lockdown defender to being a lockdown defender with a jumper. His shooting range, shooting percentages and points-per-game average have risen each month this season.
Quickest off the dribble: Brandon Jennings, Bucks
Runner-up: Jonny Flynn, Timberwolves
Flynn gets this over Lawson. Barely. In fact, Flynn is a better finisher at the rim than Jennings, using his superior strength to square up at the end of drives and kiss it off the glass. He can drive in either direction and shoots the midrange jumper well enough to keep his defenders close, which then gives him the chance to change gears and separate from his defender on his way to the hole.
Eric (Minneapolis)
Everyone keeps talkng about trading Al Jefferson, why? Kevin and Al are getting along fine. They both score and rebound at high rates. Why not give them time to work out the kinks on defense?
David Thorpe (12:19 PM)
They can play offense together and are a great rebounding tandem, but I have doubts about what they can do on d. Can they win 45 games with them as the frontcourt? Yes. But can they contend for a title? No.
Royce White, the ex-Gophers basketball player who on Wednesday dropped out of school, could end up trying the music business with former Timberwolves guard Troy Hudson, who has tried to make it as a rapper.
From Jonah Ballow/Timberwolves site: Jefferson may head to Dallas on February 12 to watch Flynn and Kevin Love fight head-to-head at the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge during All-Star Weekend. Flynn was selected to the game along with a group of ultra-talented point guards, including Tyreke Evans and Brandon Jennings.
Flynn's numbers against the elite point guards of the league are helping him gain respect from a first-year player to a future Hall-of-Famer."I've known Jonny for a while now; he's a good friend of mine. I played with him a couple of times; he's just a good kid," Evans said. "We both bring a lot of energy and we both love to win. He can get to the basket like me, he's a little guard and I go with the big guys. He's a great finisher and a great point guard. I'd say we have the same ability to get to the basket."
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