No Livingston for you
by Stop-n-Pop on Sep 29, 2008 4:19 PM CDT
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PrintFrom Zgoda:
The next-generation Timberwolves gathered together for the first time today at their Target Center facility to meet the media before they all hopped a Mankato-bound bus.
Shaun Livingston isn’t coming along for the ride. According to Kevin McHale and Jim Stack, he’s headed for Miami, apparently smitten with the idea of playing alongside Dwyane Wade, with whom he shares an agent and a home state.
The Wolves instead will sign 11-year NBA veteran Kevin Ollie, who’s more a point guard than the combo guard the team was seeking to back up Randy Foye and Sebastian Telfair. Ollie, 35, has played with 10 different NBA teams and spent the past three seasons with the 76ers. He started 23 games for Philly in both the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons and averaged 7.5 minutes to 40 games (no starts) last season.
The Wolves still will keep their eyes open for that elusive combo guard who can play three position if they can find him. Meanwhile, they will take a gander at Ollie and summer-league team prospect Blake Ahearn.
Also, second-year forward Chris Richard signed his one-year qualifying offer as expected and joined his teammates for a two-hour photo shoot and interview session. He wasn’t present for last year’s media day because he didn’t sign a one-year deal until the day practice began.
Obviously I'm kind of disappointed that the Wolves couldn't work something out with Livingston. I think he offers the squad the type of low-risk (yes, even with the injury history) high-reward type of option that a sub-30 win team could use in the final roster spot.
However, I should note that the Wovles are doing nothing to put money on the books for the 2 year window where they should have quite a bit of coin to spend on free agents. They also still have those 4 potential first rounders to work with and a roster filled with young and (largely) unproven talent.
It would have been nice but as much as I begged for it, the club can't be faulted for not bringing Livingston in.
UPDATE: I have yet to find any confirmation of a possible Livingston signing in the Miami-based media. Here's the Sun-Sentinel Heat blog. Here's a story from the Heat's official website about 4 players the Heat have signed to their training camp roster. Livingston is not mentioned. Here is their news page. Here's the sports page from the Miami Herald. Here is our fellow SB Nation blog of the Heat, Peninsula is Mighter. Here is the NBA's list of official transactions. According to my best count, the Heat currently have 17 players in camp. Livingston presumably wants to be with a team at or near the beginning of training camp. He wants a guaranteed deal. Where will he end up? The Wolves still can offer more than the Heat. Is there still a chance he ends up in Mankato this week?
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KEVIN OLLIE?!!?!?!?
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/ollieke01.html
check out his career per games. go ahead, i dare you. i know he probably won’t make the roster, but it’s a strange choice if you ask me.
the only positive angle i can come up with is the veteran leadership.
Hey come on I like Kevin Ollie.
Seriously. Dude’s a solid player! He just looks bad compared to Livingston. He can defend, won’t make a ton of mistakes, etc. Well OK he used to be able to defend.
by plinytheelder on Sep 29, 2008 8:09 PM CDT up reply actions
Right in the...
Screw Ollie
Okay, we didn’t get Livingston. He could suck, we don’t really know after his injury. I would have loved to take a chance with him, but oh well.
The Wolves made a stupid move with Ollie. He does nothing for this team or the future. At least go with someone young.
by Twins Territory on Sep 29, 2008 5:14 PM CDT reply actions
I think...
…they’re looking for a one-year fix at the guard position. Next year’s draft has a nice crop of guards that should be large enough for one of the following to land in the Wolves’ lap with their top pick:
- Ricky Rubio
- Brandon Jennings
- Jrue Holliday
- Tyreke Evans
- Stephen Curry
- Nick Calathes
- James Harden
- Chase Budinger
The Wolves should be able to land one of those players. Right now, I’d rank the top 3 as Rubio, Curry, and Evans, with Calathes and Holliday close behind. Personally, I’d love to see a backcourt rotation with Miller, Foye, McCants, and Curry. Those are all guys who can really hit the 3 and spread the court.
Also, I can’t find any links from Miami-based media that says a deal for Livingston is in place. They are awfully close to the lux mark and I really don’t see Livingston entering the year without at least a 1 year guarantee. Will he do it for under $500k? He’ll have to if the Heat doesn’t want to pay a dollar-for-dollar tax on the top.
The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com
I doubt Padgett and Richards have guaranteed deals in Miami
If the Heat really wanted Livingston, I think they have enough non-guarantees to take him at the minimum, cut other guys and still be below the tax. But that’s just off the top of my head.
Re: Ollie, hopefully he’ll be a good teacher for Foye and Telfair at the point, but what about a guy like John Lucas? He just signed with the Thunder, he’s been in camp with the Wolves before, and looked pretty solid. He’s small, but other than that I’ve always liked him as a Mike Wilks-type 3rd string point guard.
Re: Foye, Miller, McCants, Curry backcourt: who is playing defense with that group?
Curry...
…is a nice defensive player. McCants has the tools to be.
The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com
Curry's quick and can guard college players...
… but I’m skeptical he’d be able to keep up with the 2s in the NBA.
When it come to tools, Shad’s more “is” than “has”. God, I’ve been waiting all summer to use that one.
He'd likely play...
…the 1 in the NBA.
The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com
nice tool line!
think I’ll use it and say I came up with it!
by plinytheelder on Sep 29, 2008 8:16 PM CDT up reply actions
Damn :(. I’m still hoping he’ll change his mind and see that Minny is a much better place for him to be. On the other hand, if he really doesn’t want to be here (I’m pretty sure he got a good offer from our FO, Livingston was one of the possible 1-2-3 guys McHale was thinking about a few months back, no doubt) it may be better he doesnt come here or we might just lose him after nurturing him for 2 years…
Still hoping though.
Kevin Ollie .. the name rings a bell somewhere … in the distance. I guess he’s gonna be around just in case Telfair or Foye goes down?
I agree with SnP’s assessment (no I’m not proposing to you just yet) that Ollie’s a one year fix until next year’s draft. I’m gonna be keeping a really close eye on the NCAA guards this season (since I’m only gonna be watching T-wolves games in the regular season of the NBA this year).
Agree on Rubio, don’t know about the others yet, haven’t seen them (much).
Nothing wrong with the Ollie signing
Veteran leadership should not be undervalued. Its the little things, like dealing with coaches, teammates and the media. Think Mike Redmond for the Twins, or Terry Porter and Sam Mitchell when KG arrived. Yes we have Maddog, Cardinal, Booth, Collins and even Miller, but where we lack it is at the Point.
I’m not sure why McHale has this thing for a combo gaurd to play 3 positions. Its as if he wants to fill the hole left by Jarics departure. I liked Jaric and agree he was very versatile, but the Wolves needed a pure point gaurd more than anything to teach Foye the last couple of years how to play all aspects of the position – including defense. Foye has the tools to play defense as much as McCants does. Someone just has to emphasize the importance of it and show him how its done. Ollie should be able to do that starting from the get go at training camp. Livingston would not have.
Back in it
Zgoda in this mornings Strib
The Wolves are back in pursuit of free-agent guard Shaun Livingston. On Monday, Kevin McHale said Livingston’s agent told the Wolves that his client would sign with Miami, but Heat President Pat Riley on Tuesday called Livingston’s acquisition a “dead issue.” The Los Angeles Clippers, for whom Livingston played his first three NBA seasons before suffering a severe knee injury in February 2007, also are a possibility.
The Wolves signed 11-year veteran guard Kevin Ollie on Tuesday, and he joined the team and former Philadelphia teammate Rodney Carney for the evening practice.
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