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McHale fires the first shot

From the PiPress:

Kevin McHale, who was told after meeting with new Minnesota Timberwolves general manager president David Kahn at Kahn's hotel room Tuesday night that he wouldn't be retained as coach of the team, said this morning he wanted to return as coach but never was offered a contract.

"I was willing to come back, but they never offered me a contract," McHale said. "They told me last week they were going in a different direction. I said I think you're making a mistake, but that's up to you guys.

"I told them I know it's been a tough couple of years, but that the team is starting to build, and that they had some good progress last year when Al (Jefferson) was healthy."

McHale said a strong reason why he wanted to return to coach was the Wolves' players.

"The players kept on saying, 'Hey, Kevin, we need you back, c'mon, come back and coach, work with us, we got this thing going,' " McHale said. "I talked to them last night; they were all very upset. But I said it's not my decision."

McHale spoke with Wolves players Tuesday night after learning he wouldn't be retained.

"I felt bad because the guys (players) really want to make a run at it," said McHale, who won't be attending today's Wolves press conference to announce his dismissal. "I told them I was willing to do it; it just didn't work out."

I personally think McHale kind of shoots himself in the foot here.  Cutting through the Iron Range folksiness, all this really does is show that McHale is willing to use his players' likes and dislikes as leverage against his boss.  That type of behavior really makes tough hiring/firing decisions a whole lot easier.   To the very end, McHale was never able to see that the issue here is him; not his players, not his coaches, not anyone else. 

At the end of the day he was too little to see that this had nothing to do with whether or not the players liked him and everything to do with whether or not he could handle his new duties a couple of rings down on the ladder of authority.  "You're making a mistake because the players love me" is not a solid argument.  "You're making a mistake because a 24 win team had a good month" is not a winning hand.  Instead, if he really wanted the job he should have been busy selling his coaching skills and his ability to humbly (and quietly) work under a new head of Basketball Ops who will likely undo many of the things he set in place.  McHale may be a basketball genius but it is kind of baffling to see him unable to wrap his head around the very clear issues that were at play in his quest to stick with the team. 

The inevitable pro-McHale argument will be this: It's just the way he's wired.  He just wanted to be able to speak his mind about the direction of the team if he were to be named coach.  Nonsense.  I'm sure all of us reading this blog can recite story after story about tough working relationships where we had to put personal preferences and feelings aside in order to get what we wanted.  Fall in line soldier, fall in line.  You don't get to tell the new driver how to drive after you put the car in the ditch.

For me, this is incredibly disappointing.  After years of mismanagement, falling behind the front office curve, poor drafts, lazy scouting, and the scapegoating of two good coaches, McHale still finds a way to pin the blame on someone else.  "You're making a mistake."  No Kevin, you are the one who screwed up.  Hats off to David Kahn for being the first person in this organization to call McHale on his BS.

What say you?

UPDATE: McHale continues the pity party with Zgoda:

“He didn’t really give me any reasons,” McHale said, “other than the fact he wanted to make a change.

McHale said the two in their meetings discussed the team’s roster, which McHale had re-assembled after he traded superstar Kevin Garnett away two summers ago, and began making calls to former NBA head coaches to find a No. 1 assistant coach for McHale, but that effort never resulted in a job offer.

“We were talking about me coming back and at some point you’d think a contract (offer) would be made,” McHale said. “It was very non-commital on everything.

Really?  What part of "I want to deal with the coaching search after we get done with the draft" do you think McHale didn't understand?  He was non-committal because he clearly said that they weren't looking for a coach at the moment.   Of course, McHale frames this in such a way where his attitude, past performance, and potential future relationship with the new boss aren't operating factors in Kahn finally making a move.  I'll give McHale this much: His passive-aggressiveness is pure Minnesotan.  He definitely is one of us.

UPDATE II: SeanTO makes an excellent point in the comments:

If Kahn has the authority...

the Kahn has the authority and should use it as he sees fit. If it’s Kahn’s decision, then he tells McHale, not Taylor.

There’s a reason McHale called Taylor right away — he was seeing if Taylor would overrule Kahn. To Taylor’s credit, he’s letting Kahn make the decision.

by SeanTO on Jun 17, 2009 12:09 PM CDT to parent up reply reply

Exactly.  McHale is showing everyone in the world exactly how things worked at 600 First Avenue in the past and why he isn't going to work there in the future: He thinks he has a direct line to the top even after being moved down the ladder.

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Comments

Display:

I agree.

The primary concern I had about McHale returning as the coach is the exact hand he played with his first statement. Pulling on his relationships and pointing fingers. It is quite possible that McHale could have been a fine coach, especially if he dived into it. The problem is that it would have never worked if he couldn’t toe the line. He couldn’t use the players or his relationship with Taylor to leverage his position.

When all is said and done, I am happy that Kahn is making a clean break. It is time for a new direction.

by Krotz the Wall on Jun 17, 2009 11:27 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

I'm not surprised.

And as for the players’ love for McHale, perhaps it’s a result of a basketball form of Stockholm Syndrome?

A lot of the key guys on this team don’t know anything other than McHale, either as their GM or as their coach. And if they’re only judging him as a coach against their experience with Randy Wittman, well…there’s a joke in there about winning a gold medal in the Special Olympics, but I’ll abstain from that one.

Clearly, the players’ opinions were a non-factor for Kahn, and probably rightfully so.

But, right on, S-n-P. This seems more brazen than McHale earned the right to be given the situation at hand.

by BLayne23 on Jun 17, 2009 11:28 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

What do these players know…

about winning NBA organizations? They’ve only played for the twolves!

by swheatle on Jun 17, 2009 6:38 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Or the Celtics

When they were the TWolves of the east.

"Come on Eddie, let's get serious."

by biggity2bit on Jun 18, 2009 9:14 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

I thought Taylor said it would be McHale's choice.

But apparently not.

As I’ve said here earlier, I’m fine with that. I’ve thought for many years that McHale was, um, delusional, about many things, particularly players and their ability to play the roles he imagined for them. Examples abound, but Ndudi Ebi heads the list and goes all the way to my impression that McHale always wanted KG to play center.

This apparent firing does bring up the question of whether Kahn may be too abrasive for the “Country Club”, no matter how correct his opinions may be. I’ve seen plenty of cases in my personal professional experience where an executive is hired, was given the reins and then had the “horse” balk, leading to eventual firing.

by levi_mn on Jun 17, 2009 11:38 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

...Should Taylor been the one to tell McHale?

Or does Glen’s silence" indicate issues with Kahn?

More from the Pioneer Press article:
  : Taylor and McHale have had a friendly relationship.
  :
  : McHale did have a brief conversation Tuesday night with Wolves owner Glen Taylor,
  : who’d had a $1.5 million handshake deal with McHale through last season. Retaining
  : McHale probably would have doubled McHale’s salary.
  :
  :"I just said, ‘Glen, I talked to David, and he said he was going in another direction,’ "
  : McHale said. “Glen was very quiet; he didn’t say a whole bunch.”
  :
  : Kahn said when he was hired that Taylor had given him authority to retain or dismiss McHale.
  :
  : “I would assume that Glen did (give that authority),” McHale said. “That’s an assumption.
  : Glen does own the team.”

by levi_mn on Jun 17, 2009 11:54 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

If Kahn has the authority...

the Kahn has the authority and should use it as he sees fit. If it’s Kahn’s decision, then he tells McHale, not Taylor.

There’s a reason McHale called Taylor right away — he was seeing if Taylor would overrule Kahn. To Taylor’s credit, he’s letting Kahn make the decision.

by SeanTO on Jun 17, 2009 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Excellent take..

…and it’s a good example of how things were in the past and how they’d continue to be in the future. McHale would always think he had a direct line to the guy above his boss. That can’t happen.

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com

by Stop-n-Pop on Jun 17, 2009 12:20 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Sounds like...

everyone that gets dumped. Very passive aggressive with the “I wanted to give it a go, he wasn’t willing to give it a chance” and “I told him it was a mistake” talk. It’s like the douche bag boyfriend telling the girl that’s breaking up with him that she won’t find anybody better. Even the “I assume he had the authority, but this is Glens team comments” reek of one last attempt to hold on. I read it as “but your dad really likes me.”

by Minneapleseed on Jun 17, 2009 11:38 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

"I felt bad because the guys (players) really want to make a run at it," said McHale

A run at what, Kevin?

Definately have to fire him, though. Demoting someone and having the new guy be the boss rarely works in any field.

The players are “upset.” There are a lot of young guys here who should be learning that silence in these situations is the professional move. Talk about it after it isn’t the number one basketball tabloid story of the day.

With Kahn, though, I see the Wolves have a hopeful future. They have great players and most of them are young.

Disclaimer: Division rival supporter.

by staylost on Jun 17, 2009 11:42 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

Upset players

Players are frequently upset when their coaches get fired. Oddly enough, you rarely ever hear anything more about it once the next season rolls around, perhaps because they’re getting paid millions regardless? Because the new coach isn’t so bad after all? Maybe even because they’re professionals (strange but true, right)?

KG said he never wanted to play for a coach other than Flip, but I don’t think he minds Doc Rivers. Jordan said he never wanted to play for anyone other than Phil, but he did. I’ll believe the players are upset when they start lobbying for a trade in September. Otherwise it’s just typical player speak after their coach gets fired.

"Come on Eddie, let's get serious."

by biggity2bit on Jun 17, 2009 11:47 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Too true

Think of how many bosses you’ve had, and how many of those you’ve really been heartbroken over when they left/got fired. A player who bashes his current or past coaches is quickly labled a cancer, even if everyone agrees that what he said was true.

I’m guessing that the players know who is good and who isn’t, and there would have been some resentment toward McHale on the team if he continued to back “his” guys, even though newer, better players had been added to the roster since McHale’s demotion.

by PoorDick on Jun 17, 2009 11:53 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Bon Voyage Kevin...

You might be from my hometown of Hibbing..But trust me you were a terrible GM..a decent coach…time to move on and go stain that new deck….

P.S. AVERY JOHNSON FOR HEAD COACH!

by Tony_O on Jun 17, 2009 11:57 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

It's About Time

This team needed to cut loose McHale to move forward. I like Avery Johnson as well.

I thought Jerry Zgoba brought up a fascinating point: does this mean that Kahn is intending to dismantle the roster McHale put together faster than we all thought? I hope so.

by TWolvesFanInLA on Jun 17, 2009 12:06 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

My sense of things...

is that Kahn was trying to get McHale to walk away as opposed to essentially being fired so that it would look more graceful. I think that was behind the whole “pick an assistant coach off the list” thing — Kahn was hoping McHale wouldn’t go for it and would choose to leave. After three weeks of no progress on that front, Kahn needed to end the process as McHale’s status was going to hang over the team until it was decided.

by SeanTO on Jun 17, 2009 12:13 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Maybe it's just me...

But does this whole McHale dismissal process strike anyone else as kind of ham-fisted?

  - I thought the best course of action would have been for Kahn to fire McHale as soon as he took over, to make it clear the organization was making a clean break from the past.

  - Instead, he told us he was postponing any decision on firing/keeping McHale until after the draft, so he and the staff could focus on that. OK, fair enough.

  - Now, just a week before the draft, we learn that, no, he’s decided to go ahead and fire McHale now.

  - Not only that, but the decision gets leaked at midnight by one of the team’s players, via Twitter!

So instead of a heads-down full-time draft preparation, the front office is faced with a sudden major distraction, media circus, and he-said/she-said back-and-forth with the now ex-coach, just a week before the draft. It’s tough to imagine the process getting more completely botched.

I agree McHale needed to go, but the way it was all handled does not augur well for Kahn’s FO administration IMO.

by Jackdaw on Jun 17, 2009 12:17 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

But it already was a distraction...

McHale’s status was issue #1 at every event the Wolves have had since Kahn’s hiring? When prospects have been in town, the story has been: is McHale there? Why isn’t he there?

I’m not sure that Kahn ever committed that no decision would be made on McHale until after the draft, either. He just said that he didn’t feel that he had to make the decision before the draft.

The Twitter thing isn’t significant to me. Love should have known better, though.

by SeanTO on Jun 17, 2009 12:25 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

This is pure speculation...

..but my guess is that McHale forced his hand. There’s nothing Kahn could have done about Love making a silly mistake. I think he’s handled this very well.

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com

by Stop-n-Pop on Jun 17, 2009 12:27 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Nevertheless

To me it has all the hallmarks of Wolves bumbling. Can you imagine the Spurs (for example) going about a coaching change this way?

According to the quoted Pioneer Press article, McHale was told Tuesday night he wouldn’t be back. If Kahn wanted to avoid distractions, then relieving McHale should have been one of his first acts as GM. The fact that it wasn’t makes me think there is still extracurricular activity with Glen going on behind the scenes.

by Jackdaw on Jun 17, 2009 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

If you really want to start talking about bumbling...

You should start with the mismanagement of the GM search. But that topic has already been discussed ad nauseam.

by BLayne23 on Jun 17, 2009 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

To be fair

The Spurs would never put themselves in the same position as the Wolves, with RC Buford out of the way, Pop’s future up in the air, and a new GM coming in who was supposed to clean house but let Pop decide whether he stays or goes.

The Wolves’ situation was a PR nightmare from the outset (thankyou PG), with the only elegant way out being McHale volunteering to step down. That didn’t happen, and given the alternatives, I’m fine with this.

"Come on Eddie, let's get serious."

by biggity2bit on Jun 17, 2009 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Very true...

About the Spurs—my comment was mainly to illustrate how far the team has yet to go to become a truly professional organization. As BLayne23 notes, mismanagement has been the rule rather than the exception for our franchise.

I still think it’s clear that leaving McHale’s status in limbo was something to avoid, and it should have been obvious to Kahn from Day 1….which is why the fact McHale lingered this long in purgatory worries me.

by Jackdaw on Jun 17, 2009 1:03 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Ya.

The only silver lining is that it can’t get any worse, can it?

"Come on Eddie, let's get serious."

by biggity2bit on Jun 17, 2009 1:13 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Recall that...

Popovich named himself head coach, which was a controversial move at the time. Bob Hill had won 122 games over the previous two seasons before Robinson and Elliott suffered season-ending injuries in 1996-97.

So no, it didn’t happen on Twitter, but it wan’t all peaches and cream, either.

by SeanTO on Jun 17, 2009 1:01 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

I think it was actually sent

via broadcast fax. I know, because I followed a lot of those “faxers” (as we called them) back in the day.

by PoorDick on Jun 17, 2009 1:06 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Extracurricular Activity...

This is old news, but worth looking at if you want to speculate on how this was handled and why it was done the way it was done:

http://www.minnpost.com/steveaschburner/2009/06/04/9299/mchale_getting_squeezed_in_timberwolves_power_play

by BLayne23 on Jun 17, 2009 1:04 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Look again at the end of Zgoda's article...does he still think there's a place for him in the organization?
What will he do now that his 16-year run with the Timberwolves is over?

“It is, huh?” he said.

by BLayne23 on Jun 17, 2009 12:28 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

I’m sure he probably thinks he can come back as a broadcast analyst for the team. I think that would be a mistake, at least right away.

by SeanTO on Jun 17, 2009 12:31 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

TNT will grab him

"Come on Eddie, let's get serious."

by biggity2bit on Jun 17, 2009 12:53 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Perhaps...

He takes the seat vacated by one of ESPN’s two “A Team” analysts – Mark Jackson or Jeff Van Gundy – as one of them takes over the Wolves job?

Ouch.

by BLayne23 on Jun 17, 2009 1:09 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Several comments

McHale did not force Kahn’s hand. In fact, McHale has put on hold a very good broadcasting offer to accommodate Kahn’s desires to focus on the draft. It was McHale’s choice not to be at the workouts figuring that the press/bloggers would make it a big distraction.

Taylor and McHale have a handshake agreement from years back allowing McHale to stay in the organization. Not as coach, GM, or anything dealing with operating the team. But as a Top 50 former player identified (for good or bad) as a Twolve. A PR style position not unlike Julius Erving.

McHale will be in broadcasting – but on the National level.

I don’t see it as strange that you called someone who you worked closely with for 14+ years to say good bye. The begging for the job is being inferred by internet folks. From what I have been told, that did not happen.

By the way, Kahn made the call to McHale without letting Taylor know the time table. Big mistake – while Taylor has given Kahn free reign, he did ask for no surprises. Chalk this up as a big first surprise.

by Just A Fan on Jun 17, 2009 12:54 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

If McHale has a handshake deal to stay in the organization...

why is he calling to say “good-bye” to Taylor?

BTW, I never said McHale was “begging” (and for that matter, I haven’t seen anybody say that). So please, don’t imply something that wasn’t said.

by SeanTO on Jun 17, 2009 12:58 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

None of this would be surprising

1. I think Kahn would have liked Kevin to leave on his own, which Glen would want as well (rather than canning Big Kev outright).
2. McHale wouldn’t have minded coaching, but still wasn’t that fired up about it. What he really wanted was to coach with a contract, so that he could get implied status security and guaranteed financial security.
3. Kahn got pissed when McHale didn’t quit on his own, and decided to take matters into his own hands. As JAF mentions, that could put Kahn in the dog house with Taylor, and have Glen on the phone with Stern asking what kind of guy The Commish foisted on Glen.

by PoorDick on Jun 17, 2009 1:03 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Let's not get ahead of ourselves

This is the first ‘big surprise’ and now Kahn may/may not be in PG’s doghouse?

No, PG gave Kahn the authority to do what PG couldn’t or wouldn’t do himself, and Kahn did it. There are no restrictions, no guidelines, no reason whatsoever really that Kahn would have to or should have to notify PG about his decision to fire or keep McHale. The simple equation is this—PG hired Kahn to be in charge and gave him the authority to do so without needing PG’s hand to do it. The writing has been on the wall for McHale a long time, and PG’s silence speaks volumes (in my opinion, affirming that he hired Kahn—or any GM candidate—to fire McHale because he couldn’t do it himself).

Also, this isn’t the first time a senior executive of Glen’s has taken leadership and made a decision that was in the best interests of the organization without consulting Glen about it first. You don’t own however many businesses as Glen and become a multi-billionaire without hiring people to make decisions on their own, whether Glen likes them or not (hopefully he does, but that’s the risk you take).

"Come on Eddie, let's get serious."

by biggity2bit on Jun 17, 2009 1:21 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah..

…I see this as pretty par for the course with what Taylor does with Taylor Corp as well. If he gives a President the authority to do something, they don’t need to call and ask a second time after they’ve been given the go-ahead. Just a Fan, I don’t think anyone is saying that he begged for anything. What he may have done is force Kahn’s hand on making an announcement on a process that he wasn’t prepared to initiate for another few weeks. Stuff like this doesn’t just happen out of the blue. You don’t hold a presser calling someone a wonderful human while letting him go because of a Twitter. McHale called Taylor like he always had and found out that the wires have been rearranged and that what used to work no longer does.

McHale wanted an answer to a process that hadn’t begun and Kahn gave him one. Whether this is overplaying his hand or simply wanting an answer for the sake of an answer, I don’t know. This wouldn’t have happened until after the draft had something not been initiated by one of the parties. This doesn’t even need to be an acrimonious situation. It can be a mutual one.

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
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by Stop-n-Pop on Jun 17, 2009 1:32 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

BTW:

Just a Fan, it could have very well been the other way around: Kahn knowing McHale had an offer on the table and he held off the decision for long time hoping that McHale would be the one to make the decision. That could very well be the case. It could also be the other way around. Either way, something happened last week to force this train into motion.

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com

by Stop-n-Pop on Jun 17, 2009 1:46 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Good thoughts, SnP!

I like the way you think about this. I agree, McHale had a chance to do this gracefully, and chose not to, for whatever reason. Most people would have seen that it was not going to work and moved on, saying things that would have helped the transition and helped the players.

The fact the McHale did not says a lot about his suitability as a coach, long term. I would like to have seen him stay for a year or two, but long term, to move the team to a high level, he would have had to go anyway — in my opinion. He just takes things too casually to be a winning coach — whether it is communications or game strategy & planning.

So now Kahn gets to prove himself all on his own.

by timmuggs on Jun 17, 2009 1:51 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Could very well be

Although multi-billionaires can be some of the biggest control freaks on the planet—sometimes, that’s how they got to where they are in the first place, and it’s difficult to change ways—especially when it has worked.

We really don’t know how much power Kahn has been given, do we? And wasn’t the lack of carte blanche some of the reasons given that the previous GM candidates backed off?

The Rob Moor and Kahn connection, though, is intriguing.

by PoorDick on Jun 17, 2009 1:52 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Was it the decision or the "time table" that Taylor didn't know?

If Kahn did not have Taylor’s knowledge and acceptance of the McHale firing, but acted on his supposed authority, then that was a major gaffe on Kahn’s part because of the long history between Glen and Kevin.

If it was “merely” the time table, then that’s a lesser sin of insensitivity towards Glen’s personal schedule.

by levi_mn on Jun 17, 2009 1:52 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

That wasn't clear...

…because Kahn did say he talked to Taylor about the issue on Friday.

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
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by Stop-n-Pop on Jun 17, 2009 1:53 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Strib Poll

75%+ voting in favor of letting McFail go in their unscientific poll.

The Wolves will get a PR boost from this thing anyway.

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by FishingMN on Jun 17, 2009 1:45 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

BTW: Here's the email letter from Kahn to the fans:

Dear Nate,

As you may have already heard, today we will announce that Kevin McHale will not return to coach our team next season. Consequently, we will commence a search for our new head coach immediately after the draft with the hopes of having a selection made by mid-summer.

I have the deepest respect for Kevin McHale and his many accomplishments as a player, basketball executive and basketball coach – especially those that have occurred in the State of Minnesota. Under Kevin’s leadership, the Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals once and were a perennial playoff team for a number of years.

I did not know Kevin McHale until I took this job and can tell you that he is an even better person than most understand. He is warm, bright, upbeat and relentlessly optimistic. He cares about making players the best they can be. Because of those qualities, I thought long and hard with him about whether we could create an environment where he and the team could succeed next season with him as head coach.

We will have a team in transition for the next few years as we build through the draft, trades and free agency. Because of the changes that have already occurred and are likely forthcoming, I believed it would have been difficult for everybody involved to put Kevin in this position.

I hope people will join me in recognizing the many successes Kevin had in building the Timberwolves.

I continue to be excited by the opportunities that likely will present themselves during the next 16 months. With multiple picks in this year’s and next year’s drafts, salary cap flexibility, and with several expiring contracts, we will have the ability to accumulate talent and begin our climb to the top.

When I arrived in Minnesota, I pledged that no other team would outwork or outthink the Timberwolves basketball staff during our quest to win a championship for this community. As draft day approaches, I assure you we are working relentlessly in preparation for this draft. I want to thank you for all the support you have shown me in my first three weeks on the job and I look forward to working tirelessly to make you proud of your team.

Regards,

David Kahn
President, Basketball Operations

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by Stop-n-Pop on Jun 17, 2009 1:53 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

Key 'graph to me

“We will have a team in transition for the next few years as we build through the draft, trades and free agency. Because of the changes that have already occurred and are likely forthcoming, I believed it would have been difficult for everybody involved to put Kevin in this position.”

To me that pretty much says everyone (including Al Jefferson) is on the block, and that this team will be unrecognizable in a year or two.

by McCleak on Jun 17, 2009 1:58 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

yep...

…it was repeated at the presser.

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by Stop-n-Pop on Jun 17, 2009 2:02 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Unrecognizable

That would be good. I don’t think anyone should be “untouchable” when you are a 20 win team, but some are “not as touchable” as others. If Al Jefferson gets traded, it had better be for a younger better player ( eg Dwight Howard). We do not have the assets to “win now” and I’m glad that Kahn recognizes this.

Sometimes the obvious is hidden.

by frankenhoops on Jun 17, 2009 2:08 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

how about

Can we trade Big Al to the Thunder for the #3 pick, Jeff Green and Sam Presti?

by littleboxes on Jun 17, 2009 4:35 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Nice.

That would be awesome. Someone, make it happen! ;)

"Come on Eddie, let's get serious."

by biggity2bit on Jun 18, 2009 9:14 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

McHale is gone?

good, now I can watch the Wolves again

Son, when you participate in sporting events, it's not whether you win or lose: it's how drunk you get. ~Homer Simpson

by thewild_viking_twins on Jun 17, 2009 9:55 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

LOL

Make a run of it? A run where? to last place?

Kevin McHale killed this team for years. He should have been fired YEARS ago.

by IHATEMCHALE on Jun 20, 2009 12:37 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

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