Minnesota Timberwolves Off-Season Thread... Training Camp, to Mankato they go.

[651akathepaul]

Just a tough start to the year. Like you said Hood...Hopefully they can stay competitive until they're able to get back full strength and make a serious run. It's asking a lot of a young team though. Just don't want another wasted season.

 

[hood17]

Welp bye Lazar

 

[RyGuy45]

The bad luck is striking...

But on the flip side I'm starting to think Adelman is more of a stud than I previously gave him credit for.

The fact that this team is still at .500 this far into the season and has barely had their by far top two players speaks volumes. I was at the game Saturday night and he didn't have those two plus no Pek basically the entire 2nd half...and they almost pull it out.

Now this is the beauty of sports obviously but this is coming from a fan who is used to seeing the Wolves year after year at full strength lose essentially 7 out of every 10 games they play.

 

[651akathepaul]

Minnesota better not blow this one. Houston is playing horribly.

 

[hood17]

Welp

 

[651akathepaul]

Team is hurtin'. It's very frustrating watching this game knowing what they could be if they weren't so snake-bitten. Rubio seems to be back, at least.

I hope they get rid of Williams soon. He adds nothing to this team right now.

 

[RyGuy45]

Another wasted year

Call it another year of bad luck, injuries, etc (so far at least) but bottom line is this franchise is 23-48 since Ricky Rubio's knee injury March of last year and it's currently "going through the motions" mode now.

Derrick Williams, in his second year, has no Kevin Love standing in his way and has topped 18 points in a game only one time this season. He's a complete non factor and is shooting roughly 40% from the field and his coach wants nothing to do with him. The number 2 pick in the draft has played 19.0 minutes per game since Thanksgiving. Mickael Gelabale came off the street last month and is averaging 19.1 minutes per game at small forward and Chris Johnson also came off the street last month and is averaging 15.0 minutes per game at center.

The injuries to this team have been atrocious.

Kevin Love breaks his hand working out to start this season and has missed 27 games so far and counting.
Ricky Rubio shreds his knee in his rookie season (lost year for the team) and now in his second season it has been a lost year for him attempting to get back to strength which he does not fully have yet (possible lost year again).
Chase Budinger was traded here in the offseason with a three-year NBA history being injury-free. He lasted 6 games to start the season before tearing his meniscus in his left knee and has missed the entire year so far and counting.
JJ Barea was signed here last year and missed 25 games last season with msc. leg injuries and this season so far has missed 7 games with injuries.
Nikola Pekovic has been here three seasons. He missed 17 games his rookie season, 19 games last season, and this season before the all star break has missed 7.
Malcom Lee, drafted in the 2nd round in 2011 and still given an unusual guaranteed rookie contract, played in only 19 games his rookie season after tearing his left meniscus in camp, and played in only 16 games this year after being shut down for the year with hip/knee injuries.
Josh Howard was signed off the street in November and played for one month before tearing his ACL and is out for the season and was cut.
Brandon Roy was a long shot gamble but one the team though would have a probability of working. He signs with the Wolves in the summer and lasted 5 games because of his knees and is likely to never play in the NBA again.

And Rick Adelman has had to take personal leaves.

I really don't know what the answer is, and I also know things could be far worse. But it's just the Twilight Zone for this franchise and if things do not pick up heavily in the near future here we are looking at a ninth straight season .400 or under.

 

[651akathepaul]

Last night was tough. They just can't find a way to win anything.

Rubio makes Williams an actual legitimate basketball player. This team needs some more athleticism though and still NEED that closer type. Even without all these injuries, that's still what's holding them back.

 

[hood17]

At least Williams was trying in the 4th.

 

[651akathepaul]

3 game win streak before the break starts tonight.

 

[651akathepaul]

Just bought some tickets for their trip to Portland in early March...Whoopty doo, right? Well, I'm excited.

Would be nice if Love was back by then, but even so...RUBIO!!!

 

[hood17]

RICKY MESSED AROUND AND GOT A TRIPLE DOUBLE

 

[651akathepaul]

I just love the way he plays. Scrappy and frenetic on defense, yet smooth and sometimes out of control on offense.

Anyone else worried that he won't be here in the long run? This season really killed the buzz Minnesota had going. Puts a whole lot of pressure for this team come next year. Win and win quite a bit or Love and Rubio will probably be gone.

 

[hood17]

Not Ricky I'm more sure of Love leaving but I think it depends what's out there for Love as team and to me which conference he wants to play in.

Ricky is signed up more long term I think. If we lose Adeleman to personal reasons who will they get to replace him would make me think he will want out.

 

[hood17]

Need to get rid of Malcom Lee and Brandon Roy QUICK!

Anybody see someone in the tournament worth whatever pick we get or we better off trading it and rolling with who we have?

PG: Rubio/JJ/Luke
SG: Chase/Shved
SF: AK/D.C.
PF: Love/DwiLL
C: Pek-WE BETTER RESIGN HIM!/Steiamer

 

[651akathepaul]

I hope Minny gets rid of Kahn before the draft. He's gonna **** up.

I'm ready for next year already. Team should be a squad to be reckoned with...I reckon.

 

[hood17]

Flip being name a candidate to take over

 

[jpzx]

Seems like Kahn is staying though at least as GM? Maybe Flip will make an offer to buy the team (rumor is he's recruiting a group, I don't know ) but Taylor doesn't sound like the national criticism of Kahn phases him.

Going to the game tonight. First time I've been at the Target Center in a while. I see there's no Pierce, Garnett, etc.

Oladipo is my guy for the draft by the way.

 

[RyGuy45]

Don't get me started on Flip

If Kahn leaves then there should be plenty of new candidates to go after and if Adelman leaves same thing. If you have to go the retread route then you might as well give it up.

Saunders had players tune him out at three different jobs because of his over controlling, was fired all three times, and was looked at as a joke in this town a decade ago for losing seven straight first round playoffs before they made a one year run. He was literally almost run out of town by the locals (fair or not). Fast forward to the present day and he has done nothing lately but play the media perfectly (he should be writing books about it really) while also sitting back and counting his buyout money.

If you are Glen Taylor and you can't find qualified newer candidates to fill upcoming positions you really need to close up shop because other teams are doing it and doing it every year.

EDIT: And Thank god Kahn left the max contract for Rubio...

 

[hood17]

Rick with win 999 might go to the game Friday for

 

[RyGuy45]

Updates for anyone still caring...

IMO Glen Taylor cannot sell this team soon enough.

Wolves ownership news coming; 'favorable' on Rick Adelman's return
Darren Wolfson, 1500ESPN.com

Minnesota Timberwolves ownership news is coming. Soon.

In a brief phone conversation on Tuesday evening, Wolves owner Glen Taylor said he'll have a major announcement on the ownership front sometime in the next week.

When poked and prodded, the only other information he would volunteer was that it's a scenario that would never be guessed.

Taylor has had talks with Chris Hansen's Seattle group, but they want to move the Wolves to Seattle, and Taylor said that's not happening.

As for the future of coach Rick Adelman, Taylor said he doesn't yet what Adelman will do, but it "looks very favorable" for some sort of return. Taylor added that Adelman has kept him well-informed.

President of basketball operations David Kahn is scouting in Europe, according to Taylor. Asked if it was OK to make a leap on Kahn's future based on him continuing to work, Taylor said no.

When pressed if the NBA.com report about Flip Saunders taking over Kahn's duties was accurate, all Taylor would say is that no decision has been made yet. But in the same breath, Taylor said a decision would come by the end of the month.

That would be today.

Asked whether former Bulls and Lakers coach Phil Jackson was a part of any equation, Taylor said no comment.

Former NBA head coach Flip Saunders is expected to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team’s next president of basketball operations, NBA.com has learned.

Saunders, 58, has been negotiating a contract that, with option years, could run through the 2017-18 season and could be worth more than $9 million over the full five years, according to league sources who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the hiring.

The move, which could become official as soon as next week, would end David Kahn‘s controversial tenure after four seasons and an 89-223 record during which the Timberwolves’ failure to reach the playoffs stretched to nine consecutive seasons. Kahn’s contract includes a team option for 2013-14 that will not be exercised.

The Timberwolves' Ricky Rubio, who says his surgically repaired left knee has recovered 100 percent, will play for Spain in the European Championship in September.

Wolves guard J.J. Barea, who is signed for two more years, said he will probably play with the Puerto Rican national team, which will try to qualify for the World Championship at the end of the summer.

Wolves forward Andrei Kirilenko has until the end of June to exercise a $10 million 2013-2014 option. But look for a decision to come much sooner, according to a league source.

 

[651akathepaul]

I don't know. Watching Steph tear it up this postseason (let alone all season), have me sour on this entire organization for the moment. They've given me no optimism about being able to get back to winning and with that...keeping Love and maybe even Rubio.

 

[Deleted member 38182]

Updates for anyone still caring...

IMO Glen Taylor cannot sell this team soon enough.

Wolves ownership news coming; 'favorable' on Rick Adelman's return
Darren Wolfson, 1500ESPN.com

Minnesota Timberwolves ownership news is coming. Soon.

In a brief phone conversation on Tuesday evening, Wolves owner Glen Taylor said he'll have a major announcement on the ownership front sometime in the next week.

When poked and prodded, the only other information he would volunteer was that it's a scenario that would never be guessed.

Taylor has had talks with Chris Hansen's Seattle group, but they want to move the Wolves to Seattle, and Taylor said that's not happening.

As for the future of coach Rick Adelman, Taylor said he doesn't yet what Adelman will do, but it "looks very favorable" for some sort of return. Taylor added that Adelman has kept him well-informed.

President of basketball operations David Kahn is scouting in Europe, according to Taylor. Asked if it was OK to make a leap on Kahn's future based on him continuing to work, Taylor said no.

When pressed if the NBA.com report about Flip Saunders taking over Kahn's duties was accurate, all Taylor would say is that no decision has been made yet. But in the same breath, Taylor said a decision would come by the end of the month.

That would be today.

Asked whether former Bulls and Lakers coach Phil Jackson was a part of any equation, Taylor said no comment.

Good to hear that he's not going around looking for a team after saying this in October 

"We're not going to go around saying, 'Please sell us your team,' "he said. "We're not going to pry a team away."

 

[RyGuy45]

Agreed 651, I don't see Love being here unless the organization is filled with his guys and also obviously winning. The good news is this front office will know more than us and they can always swing a trade.

To me I've always been a Glen Taylor guy because he has saved this franchise from relocating. He never blackmails for new arenas, and he will not sell unless it's guaranteed the team stays permanently in MN. He is a loyal guy all around.

But it's just time to hang it up and step aside because this is not working. This team has made it past the 1st Rd in the playoffs one total time in the 19 years Glen has owned the team. You literally have had no success to market to your fanbase and you've never brought in any general managers who can run the show and know what they are doing (draft, trades, FAs, etc). This latest now with Flip (if true) is just the icing for me. There is literally no reason for Glen to hire Flip Saunders as decision maker / GM other than he's "from Minnesota and I know him."

But anyway....How bad has this organization fallen? You can call it bad luck but at this point it's probably not:

Western Conference - Seasons since organization was last in the NBA Playoffs

0 - Oklahoma City
0 - San Antonio
0 - Denver
0 - L.A. Clippers
0 - Memphis
0 - Golden State
0 - LA Lakers
0 - Houston
1 - Dallas
1 - Utah
2 - New Orleans
2 - Portland
3 - Phoenix
7 - Sacramento
9 - Minnesota

 

[jpzx]

I was talking to my dad about that, yeah it's an upgrade from David Kahn, but what indicator do we have ANYWHERE in history that Flip Saunders has the ability to assemble a successful basketball team?

Hoping Andrei Kirilenko exercises that option. The way that was worded, it sounds like he's planning to.

Can we get a little lottery luck this year? For once?

I'm with you on Glen Taylor. He's obviously devoted and WANTS a good basketball team here, but at some point (it already should've happened) he needs to do the organization a solid and sell. If he really is devoted to having a good basketball team, that is. The failure to have any sort of success starts with his management hires and then trickles down.