Wolves Updates 7/26 Part 2
by SG on Jul 26, 2010 10:41 PM CDT
174 comments
Wolves deal Hollins, Sessions, and 2nd round pick to Cleveland, Yahoo sources: Flynn out for 3-4 months and more
From Marc J. Spears' twitter account:
Wolves Jonny Flynn expected to be out 3-4 months after hip surgery next week, NBA sources tell Y! Sports. Missed summer league with injury.
From the Timberwolves site:
The Minnesota Timberwolves announced the team has traded center Ryan Hollins, guard Ramon Sessions and a future second-round draft pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for the player contracts of guards Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair.
"I want to thank Ramon and Ryan for their time with us last season," said David Kahn, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. "With the arrivals of Luke Ridnour, Michael Beasley, Nikola Pekovic and the signing of Darko Milicic, it was clear that Ramon and Ryan would have lesser roles this season if they were to remain. This move provides them a better opportunity in Cleveland and adds to our flexibility both this season and beyond in relation to the salary cap."
From Jon Krawczynski/AP Sports:
The young and rebuilding Timberwolves aren't interested in taking on a player with West's baggage. His $4.6 million contract will only cost Minnesota $500,000 if West is waived by Aug. 5, and that's what the Wolves plan to do.
Telfair, who played for Minnesota for two seasons after coming over from Boston in the Kevin Garnett trade in 2007, also likely will be traded or bought out.
The principle reason for the Wolves to make this deal was to alleviate log jams at both point guard and in the front court. The Wolves have Flynn returning and signed veteran Luke Ridnour to a four-year, $16 million deal last week. They have also brought in forward Michael Beasley and re-signed centre Darko Milicic and have agreed to a three-year deal with centre Nikola Pekovic that is expected to be announced any day now.
From Jerry Zgoda/Star Tribune:
The deal further pares the Wolves' payroll.
Expect them to sign a veteran point guard to a one-year minimum contract as their next move.
Available players who fit that profile: Earl Watson, Anthony Johnson, Rafer Alston, Earl Boykins and maybe Chris Quinn or Jamaal Tinsley.
From Marc J. Spears' twitter account:
Wolves will waive Delonte West, source tells Y! Sports.
With Hollins out of the picture, sources said the Timberwolves will take a hard look at possibly signing free-agent forward Anthony Tolliver, who averaged 12.3 points and 7.3 rebounds last season for Golden State. The other primary suitors for Tolliver are the Warriors and Dallas.
From Jerry Zgoda/Star Tribune:
By now you know that David Kahn got fined $50,000 and the team got fined that amount as well for his comments about Michael Beasley's marijuana use on the Reusse/Mackey show on 1500ESPN.
In the wake of that, Kahn has changed his media policy: No longer are reporters allowed to call or text him directly on his cell phone. From now on, he says all requests will go through the team's media-relations department.
I'm guessing that will mean a considerable delay at times to get his response to trade rumors and other stuff that breaks. Previously, he'd often quickly text back an answer, which I'd quickly throw up here on the blog.
As you all know, he likes to talk, so only time will tell if this new policy truly lasts.
From Charley Walters/Pioneer Press:
But other than the apparent Milicic hiccup, Kahn seems to have given Wolves' rooters at least a reason to become interested.
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The Sessions deal is ok to me
Since Ridnour’s contract is equal to Sessions, and we’ve now traded Sessions so we can waive West, we’ve basically signed Ridnour for the $500,000 it’ll cost to buy out West’s deal, so not bad. And since we get rid of Hollins in the process, we could argue we break even in the end
Very roundabout way to do it, but I think it makes the team better in the end without any real extra spending
Or...instead of signing Sessions last year, just sign Random Point Guard X
let him expire at the end of the season. Sign Luke Ridnour, save 500K and a 2nd rounder.
Actively looking for red flags since my 5th grade traveling team
But we wanted a point guard who could start in case Flynn was completely unable to handle the job
So the intent was to sign someone more than just like a Keyon Dooling type of point guard.
I mean knowing what we do now, ya, we could have done that and saved a couple low level assets, but at the same time, we didn’t know if we’d need a point guard of Sessions caliber before the year started and we didn’t know if Ridnour would have been available to us now
If Sessions were really on the roster to start
“in case Flynn was completely unable to handle the job,” why wasn’t Sessions given a chance when it became obvious that Flynn was, you know, completely unable to handle the job?
If there were concerns that he was completely unable to handle the job, he shouldn't have been the pick at 6.
They could have simply kept Bassy and not churned the roster as much.
Oh please,
There are ALWAYS concerns about whether or not a player can handle the job when you are in the draft. From 1-30, any pick can turn out to turn out to be a bust and every number has turned out guys that didn’t pan out like everyone thought they would.
by newfrickinshow on Jul 27, 2010 12:15 PM CDT up reply actions
They had a lot of options at PG. If they were unsure enough about Flynn that they felt that a young PG like Sessions (v. a mentoring vet) was needed as an alternative to Flynn, then one of Curry, Jennings, Lawson, Holiday should have been the pick.
Now it is plausible that the FO saw Sessions more as a “value” pickup rather than a backstop for Flynn, but that the previous poster mentioned being unable to handle the job.
Ridnour's deal will last 1 year longer than Sessions...
So what now when Rubio (cross your fingers) comes over and you have Flynn, Rubio and Ridnour. Same problem with another logjam at point guard.
by jdahnert on Jul 26, 2010 11:33 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Don’t you wish we really had some tangible evidence that Rubio is truly going to be here – like a press release from his camp saying “I look forward to elevating the success of the T-wolves after one further season of development here in spain”
How much did Pekovic and Splitter do this?
Or other Euros who have come over? I never noticed it, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t out there…
by stuntmonkeys on Jul 27, 2010 12:50 AM CDT up reply actions
isn't that a bit like
Chris Paul saying he can’t wait for 2013 when he can opt out and sign with the Knicks? Regardless of what you may think, or want, saying that to anyone in the public would not only be a DB move, it would likely create a fine from his EL team(s).
I don’t think the fact that we haven’t heard anything really means anything at this point. I’m going to go out on a limb and trust that Kahn and Rambis are in communication with him and understand where he is – good or bad.
Now…if we draft another point guard next year…
Simply because you don't have evidence that something does exist does not mean you have evidence of something that doesn't exist.
Well, what I’m saying is that there are known knowns and that there are known unknowns. But there are also unknown unknowns; things we don’t know that we don’t know.
by TheMorningAfter on Jul 27, 2010 9:21 AM CDT up reply actions
well maybe, but
There’s another way to phrase that and that is that the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. It is basically saying the same thing in a different way. Simply because you do not have evidence that something does exist does not mean that you have evidence that it doesn’t exist.
by littleboxes on Jul 27, 2010 11:17 AM CDT up reply actions
to clarify Rubio has said on numerous occassion he plans on coming to the nba at the end of this coming season and his number 1 option it the Timberwolves. he then has gone on to say how great and patient the Twolves have been with him and his family. He has said this 2 times at least that I can remember in print, also once in a spanish language television special with him and his parents
Better that problem
than the one we had before; not a decent point guard in site. The 2008-2009 T-Wolves had nothing at the point. Sebastian Telfair, Kevin Ollie, and Bobby Brown? Is it any wonder that Kahn went after more than one? What does he do at the end of the year if he has Flynn, Ridnour, and Rubio? Well, there’s always trading. We’ve got three first round picks and three very capable point guards… Might be able to work a deal for a game-changing caliber player or first overall pick there. SG seems to be our biggest weakness, and guess what position the likely #1 overall pick in this year’s draft plays.
by newfrickinshow on Jul 27, 2010 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions
Well since
it’s seems highly unlikely that Cleveland would have traded Telfair and West for Hollins and 2nd Rd pick. That would mean we got positive value for Sessions, even if minimally positive.
More than minimally positive, I would think
Because they took on Hollins, which is a net positive for us. Sessions helped us dump a contract & open a roster slot. This gives us more flexibility for future moves. Something we could have used a lot of a few years ago, when the roster was totally constipated with bad players & bad unmovable contracts.
One thing we can say about Kahn: His roster is not Kahnstipated.
Sorry bout that, no more posts for me today.
If Kahn has perfect foresight like that,
I would think that his drafts would be better.
Is it really unreasonable
to expect a GM to be able to have a plan for one year out? I thought he had a 3-4 year plan for getting us to the playoffs? If everything we did in the offseason of year 1 was a mistake, how much can I reasonably expect that the rest will be any better?
Actively looking for red flags since my 5th grade traveling team
Exactly
“Whoops, my bad” is not a good 1st year strategy.
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
I don't think that Hollins and Sessions
were very important parts of the first year plan. Last year was about clearing bad contracts and seeing what we had in Al, KLove, and Brewer. Hollins and Sessions were possibilities but neither did anything special for us, so we trade them. That seems like a logical plan to me.
That's fine..
….but it doesn’t exactly inspire a great deal of confidence in anything else he did during the 1st off season…to include the choice of coach.
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
It's just a bad pattern
It shows that with Hollins, he was not a great judge of talent. Even if you think there’s potential in him, why sign him to that kind of a deal where you have to basically pay a team to take him after only a year?
It shows that with Sessions, his planning was terrible. What’s the point signing a young point guard with potential, not using him during the season, and then trading him with a 2nd rounder for the same cap space that you could’ve had simply by not signing him in the first place?
Actively looking for red flags since my 5th grade traveling team
It is a bad pattern
but it’s not the worst pattern. A far worse pattern would be Kahn saying “Damn Kurt, this Hollins kid is something special. You are going to start him and play him this year and, Jesus Christ. What am I thinking!? Don’t start him, decrease his value, so we can sign him to a 4 year $20 million extension. I know his contract still has two years on it. But this kid is going to blow up! I know it, Kurt, I just know it!”
by littleboxes on Jul 27, 2010 11:20 AM CDT up reply actions
The moves didn't work out
I agree with that, but the point was they were low risk moves that don’t hurt the team greatly for their not working out. Its not like they were considered premier FAs last year. I wish there were more players from last year’s squad who stepped up, but there just weren’t. Sessions was the closest thing and we would have kept him had Kahn not felt that Ridour would be an upgrade with a veteran presence for the same price. The way I see it he upgraded the team without really giving anything up. You could argue the 2rd round pick, but as someone else pointed out, you can buy those for cash.
I have to admit I’m just dying for one move that isn’t “addition by subtraction”
by Heggiebaby on Jul 26, 2010 11:54 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I assume you mean an obviously huge addition
Milicic was acquired for Brian Cardinal. I’d call that addition by addition AND subtraction.
Beasley for two 2nd round picks? Steal, straight up.
We’ve made several moves that improved our overall talent level I think.
by Cobra312004 on Jul 27, 2010 12:35 AM CDT up reply actions
I’m just frustrated by the frequency of buyouts. I was disappointed in the return for Al and I’m dissappointed in sending Sessions and Hollins for nothing. I also didn’t care for last year’s gift of M. Blount. Quite frankly with the current state of our team I don’t find cap space to be all that valuable.
Hey
Delonte West is great. So is Sebastian Telfair. Treat them the way we’ll treat Sessions and Hollins.
I'm a diehard Cavs fan, proud to say I never owned a LeBron jersey.
This is kind of a short-sighted take.
The buyouts are a luxury that we’ve earned by being under the cap. If we were over the cap and bought someone out, that’d be the end of it. The player would be gone, we’d save money, but lose whatever said player might have had to offer. But being under the cap, buying out players pushes us further under the cap. Doing it this way allows for us to modify the roster as we please. Think Ridnour is a better fit than Sessions? Sign Ridnour, work some cap magic, and voila, for the low low price of $500k, you can switch one for the other, dumping some 2011 salary in the process.
Obviously, the end result needs to be using all that space on a free agent, but that’s for next offseason it seems.
by John Doe on Jul 27, 2010 1:42 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I will be extatic if I see any tangible evidence that our cap space turns into a major player. What I see now is a strategy that looks to mimimize payrole in an attempt to save Taylor $.
I also look at buy outs as an admission of failure rather than a luxury. I’m hard pressed to think of any team that comes close to the number we’ve seen over the last few years
How many teams
have completely overhauled their roster, top to bottom, in the last two years? It’s not an admission of anything. It’s an out. It’s a chance to change your roster for players more amenable to your chosen style of play.
They need to spend money on a player
They are getting so far under the cap that they will need to sign a significant contract .
Except one thing I don’t understand, can they wait until the trade deadline before getting their team salary up to the minimum? If they can, then they may be waiting just for the sake of saving a half year of salary and we won’t be seeing any player of significance, just an expiring deal for whatever player we have that can help a playoff team.
by midlife crisis on Jul 27, 2010 2:28 PM CDT up reply actions
Yes
they have until the end of the season.
by Pedro Munoz is fast on Jul 27, 2010 2:34 PM CDT up reply actions
Will Kahn opt for Jamaal Tinsley
Again? After all, he drafted him into the NBA with the Pacers.
Breaking down cognitive dissonance and group think since gasoline was cheap.
why not
he is a great pg what because of the court issues he mistake he was a steal in the round right
that pacer team was very good almost championship level great
by KahningPups on Jul 26, 2010 11:15 PM CDT up reply actions
No, he was a mistake because the Pacers could have drafted Tony Parker instead
And there’s a difference between having the potential for behavior issues and having a rap sheet of them. Tinsley is past the point of being considered “redeemable”
Of course, if someone recognizes the potential for behavior
issues beforehand, it may be possible to avoid the rap sheet. Just sayin.
Actively looking for red flags since my 5th grade traveling team
It's too late
Tinsley is already an established trouble maker
It’s like saying we could straighten out Shawne Williams or Zach Randolph because we know what’s coming. Doesn’t quite work that way
I meant that if Kahn or Walsh or whoever
had recognized that potential in Tinsley, they could’ve avoided his baggage…
Actively looking for red flags since my 5th grade traveling team
Wait....
….they got rid of Hollins!!!
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
maybe the stupidest person...
…in the history of the franchise. i wish i had his “favorite color” in game question youtube. it’s a classic.
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
wow
in a final death match for ultimate stupidity, Gerald Green vs. Ryan Hollins. It should at least be entertaining.
I think it's a draw, but Green wins in terms of...
…stupidity per inch. Because his is concentrated in a slightly shorter stature.
But did Green...
….ever play a color naming game at Target Center on the Jumbotron and answer “clear” when asked what a certain color was? ;)
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
Can we also mention the 15 year old-type mustache?
Whatever facial hair Hollins was trying to grow, it looked more like he took a page from Cartman and pasted pubes on his lip.
That was just the sort of
“outside the box” thinking that this team needed. The unique and courageous individuals like Hollins and Kahn, who are not bound by convention, are always easy targets.
Wait a minute...
don’t we still have center Koufos? So is he going to get buyout or a benchwarmer?
I think Kahn is still trying to trade him
If that doesn’t work, it’ll probably be a buyout. Since he’s been told not to report to us, it seems highly unlikely he’ll play here this year
I'm surprised he didn't go to the Cavs
That would have made sense. I’m glad we dumped Hollins. It would have been nice to unload Koufos as well – to his ‘home’ crowd.
If nothing else
I assume Koufos won’t have the next season on his rookie deal picked up. He’s looked really bad in his short time in the league, and we (hopefully) have our frontcourt set for the long term with the 4 guys ahead of him. He can sit on the roster for a season being our 5th big used only in the case of injury/blowouts, then come off the books, freeing up an extra $2.2 million in cap space for the summer of 2011, which could be the difference between max cap space or not.
Buyouts
I can think of no other professional orginization that so loves to buy out players. Perhaps they should consider a promotion to “buy out the fans” where they could pay people to come to the games or watch them on T.V
You mean pay people to not come to games?
Get paid to not watch the games on TV!
by princelyfrank on Jul 27, 2010 12:30 AM CDT up reply actions
And of the point guards Zgoda listed...
….I’d go with Chris Quinn. He’s best suited for the triangle and least likely to complain about playing time
From ESPN
CENTER
Steal — Tiago Splitter
San Antonio Spurs, three years, $10.9 million
Splitter
The Spurs have done it again. Not only did San Antonio just reel in the best big man playing overseas but it signed the 7-footer for Ryan Gomes money. Actually, even that doesn’t do this deal justice; Gomes signed for $1.1 million more than Splitter. While most front offices are still gauging how to mine international talent, general manager R.C. Buford and his team have it down to a science.
The Spurs signed the 25-year-old Brazilian for three years with the midlevel exception after reserving his rights with the 28th pick in the 2007 draft. They have about $2.4 million left on their exception to nab more talent this offseason. In one fell swoop, the Spurs got better and younger as they begin their transition out of the Tim Duncan era.
According to DraftExpress.com, Splitter has maintained a PER well over 20 for each of his past three years between the Euroleague and the Spanish League. He won’t contribute at quite that level this coming season, but he won’t need to alongside Duncan. Splitter would be a legitimate center on most NBA squads and is a fantastic pick-and-roll option to tandem with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. At $10.9 million, this is a heist.
Overpay — Darko Milicic
Minnesota Timberwolves, four years, $20 million
Milicic
Quite a juxtaposition having Milicic follow Splitter here at the center slot. They’re both 25-year-old, 7-foot European imports — but the similarities end there. As far as we can tell, Milicic has no discernible skills as an NBA big man. He can’t score, rebound or defend at all for his size, and his 96 career offensive rating, which calculates how many points a player scores every 100 possessions, ranks him on par with Brian Scalabrine among the league’s worst veterans. Apparently, that subterranean production is worth $20 million to Timberwolves general manager David Kahn.
POINT GUARD
Steal — Raymond Felton
New York Knicks, two years, $15.8 million (unguaranteed third year)
Felton
The Knicks signed the premier point guard on the market for two guaranteed years, and seven inferior point guards have signed elsewhere for longer deals. That’s a big win for New York, which has positioned itself in the Chris Paul sweepstakes should he stick it out in New Orleans until he hits free agency in 2012. The contract is small enough that a buyout wouldn’t hinder the Knicks from netting Paul in a trade before then.
Felton hasn’t been able to step on the gas since leaving Chapel Hill, but he’ll have plenty of freedom to push the ball in Mike D’Antoni’s offense. Just 26 years old, Felton still has time to bloom as a player (he ranks merely average as a pick-and-roll ball handler according to Synergy Sports Technology). A career year might be in store, especially if Felton can maintain his torrid 3-point shooting from last season.
Overpay — Luke Ridnour
Minnesota Timberwolves, four years, $16 million
Ridnour
Paying Ridnour $4 million a year to start? Not a bad idea. Paying Ridnour $4 million to back up a backup? Horrible idea. And that’s before we bring Ricky Rubio into the picture. Minnesota GM David Kahn signing Ridnour for $16 million is as superfluous as any deal this summer.
As it stands, the former Oregon standout will spar with Ramon Sessions for minutes behind Jonny Flynn, who curiously started every single game of his rookie season. Sessions has proved to be a more capable show runner in the triangle offense than shot-hungry Flynn but looks to be the odd one out. There’s almost no chance Ridnour will repeat his .570 TSP (true shooting percentage) from last season, seeing as his previous high was .509 in 2006-07.
As Khan would say:
Methinks the Spurs have some wink, wink, nudge, nudge contracts occuring with some of their players. It would be hard to imagine that Richard Jefferson would end up making ten million dollars a year with them if it wasn’t as payment for his opting out of his much more egregious contract this year. He wasn’t going to get anything near that moneys anywhere else. And if they’re willing to do that with RJ, why would they make some under the table moves with a shmuck like Splitter?
by TheFlingerofPoo on Jul 27, 2010 1:02 AM CDT up reply actions
In total agreement with his take on Milic. I disagree to a degree about Ridnour though. He’s a good back-up to Flynn, and maybe will end up being the starter. As soon as Rubio comes over we’ll have a log jam though.
by packallday555 on Jul 26, 2010 11:58 PM CDT up reply actions
If Flynn is really out 3-4 months
That Ridnour deal is suddenly quite a bit better looking. But whoever wrote this is clearly not paying attention if he thought there was even the smallest fraction of a chance we’d carry 3 PG’s.
I am curious what our plans are for Rubio’s arrival though. Presumably Flynn is gonna be traded in the next 12 months but I am curious to see how they play it nonetheless.
Darko’s gonna surprise some people this year. Just wait and see.
by Cobra312004 on Jul 27, 2010 12:45 AM CDT up reply actions
Hi there
Do you know what happened to Ricky?
I'm a diehard Cavs fan, proud to say I never owned a LeBron jersey.
Great
The Sophmore curse strikes again, and now we have a player coming into the time where we were hoping to move them for maximum value and he’ll be coming off of injury.
Timberwolves fandom at it’s best.
by Cedarpenguin on Jul 27, 2010 7:08 AM CDT up reply actions
Blah, blah, blah...
…the rantings of another writer who doesn’t have his facts straight.
3 point guards is already taken care of. Milicic will never be a good rebounder, isn’t yet a good offensive weapon (though he’s in the perfect situation to flourish), but you lose all the credibility of the first 2/3 of the argument when you pile lies on top of your argument to try to make it more extreme than it deserves to be. A mobile 7 footer who can defend the pick and roll and block shots is by no means a bad defender. Not to mention that he’s actually only guaranteed $16 million and 3 years.
by John Doe on Jul 27, 2010 1:57 AM CDT up reply actions 4 recs
What gets me
is that all these people writing about Darko only quote his career stats. It tells me only a few of us were watching the games Darko played in last year. He looked good! Stats be damned he looked like he was playing really good basketball for us. Your talking about his game proves you watched those games. I would love to see a poll of sports writers who actually watched the Darko games. I’d be surprised if even one of them did.
Unfortunately, none of these national media types are really wrong until Darko (Beasley, et al) prove them to be wrong. We really don’t have anything tangible to base our optimism on, yet. Darko didn’t stink, but we lost most every game.
by ogishkemuncie on Jul 27, 2010 9:52 AM CDT up reply actions
Not really
He sported a sub-13 PER, which is actually kinda hard to do if you’re a Center. His defense was an improvement over Jefferson, but that’s not saying much. His rebounding was atrocious and his offense was inefficient since he avoids contact at all costs.
I don’t think the deal is as horrible as some people make it out to be, but I agree with Ogishkemuncie that Darko needs to really step up this year. I think it was a worthwhile gamble on Kahn’s part, but I understand the national skepticism.
by Rascal Flatts on Jul 27, 2010 11:38 AM CDT up reply actions
I understand the skepticism
but I still think that its all based on his career stats and not the 30 games he played for us last year.
Go look them up
They were no better than his career stats, and in fact worse in some areas. He just benefitted from more minutes, but he really wasn’t all that effective. Looking better than Jason Collins or Ryan Hollins is not much to write home about. I agree that we saw flashes of a guy that could potentially help us. But he had very little impact on the outcome of games last season.
by Rascal Flatts on Jul 27, 2010 4:07 PM CDT up reply actions
Great Point about the actual guarantee
Made even more hilarious by the fact that he lists Raymond Felton’s 3 year deal as : two years, $15.8 million (unguaranteed third year)
His offensive rebounding% skews his rebounding totals
His career defensive rebounding % is better than the following players: Kenyon Martin, Elton Brand, Rasheed Wallace, Nene, Brendan Haywood, LaMarcus Aldridge, Roy Hibbert, and Robin Lopez. His DREB% is similar to Amare Stoudemire, Jason Thompson, and Brook Lopez. He’s a bad offensive rebounder and an an average to above-average defensive rebounder.
by pagingstanleyroberts on Jul 27, 2010 11:55 AM CDT up reply actions
Pekovic deal finalized?
I haven’t heard anything official, but in the RealGM salary guide he’s on the team listed as making only a fraction less than Darko. They also have Delonte and Telfair on there so it must be up to date.
Last I heard
was the deal was signed pending a physical and should completed any day now.
by newfrickinshow on Jul 27, 2010 1:31 PM CDT up reply actions
For those who missed the Team USA scrimmage...
Hello everyone
I just joined Canis Hoopus. I want to start conversing with Wolves fans.
I'm a diehard Cavs fan, proud to say I never owned a LeBron jersey.
What does the title of this blog mean?
I'm a diehard Cavs fan, proud to say I never owned a LeBron jersey.
Canis Lupus is the scientific name for the wolf species.
Canis Hoopus rhymes and includes a basketball word. Its punny, get it?
What games are you looking forward to seeing next year?
I'm a diehard Cavs fan, proud to say I never owned a LeBron jersey.
Actually November through April is the offseason for us Wolves fans
Things really quiet down around here. People go on long vacations, spend time with their family, engage in new hobbies. But man, once May comes around, things really heat up around these parts. I’m not sure what you mean by “games”. Can you say more?
by Rascal Flatts on Jul 27, 2010 11:42 AM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
I'm also a Storm fan
I'm a diehard Cavs fan, proud to say I never owned a LeBron jersey.
by WaveOcean on Jul 27, 2010 2:36 AM CDT reply actions 3 recs
A lot at stake with the signing of Luke
If Ridnour continues his fine form it could lead Kahn back on the road to respectability.
If last season proves to be a flash in the pan or contract year heroics I don’t think Kahn will ever recover from it all. The media will forever portray the Kahn led Wolves as the car crash you can’t look away from.
I think this was a horrific signing
On this one, I agree with the national media. Luke Ridnour shot an unheard of 57% on long 2-pointers last year after never hitting better than 45%. That won’t be replicated and I fully plan on him regressing to shooting around 40-42% from the field with minimal 3-pointers and free throws. Just a terrible, terrible signing. Rambis absolutely screwed Sessions last year and we wasted what I thought was one of the better offseason pickups in 2009.
by Rascal Flatts on Jul 27, 2010 11:46 AM CDT up reply actions
Fine with this trade.
Sessions didn’t fit well in Rambis’ offense and there wasn’t room on the roster for either of these guys. It’s good to ditch their contracts.
I’d rather keep Bassy as a third point guard than cut him for somebody like Anthony Johnson.
If Sessions can't fit in the triangle
why did the Laker’s inquire at the trade deadline??? (Unfortunately, they did not have much in assets to trade back)
At this moment in time, I think Phil Jackson and Jerry Solan are the only coaches in the NBA who gets the free pass as to having players fit the system instead of fitting the system to your players.
I just get tired of the “did not fit the system” justification for moves.
That's only part of the justification.
The other part is that Sessions is a young player who plays the same position as Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn. At best, he’s a long-term backup. More likely, he’s a long-term third string point guard. I don’t see the real loss here, to the franchise.
Quite frankly
Sessions should have started last year, with Flynn as his back up. From my seats, that would have been worth several more early season wins while Flynn was playing like a deer in the headlights.
I am coming to the conclusion that last year was neither about wins (I am ok with that) or player development (what – we have 4 left – I am really not OK with that). Rather, it was to position ourselves to cut our operational losses. (Which is why I am still struggling to write this year’s check.)
You're probably right...
but the main point is that Sessions has no important place on this team, long-term, if Rubio joins the roster. Whether Flynn, Ridnour or Sessions is his backup is not something that (in my opinion) will have much impact on the fate of this franchise.
The Jefferson trade is far-more significant and your beef with “did not fit the system” should be applied there (it very well might – I can’t remember your thoughts on that trade.)
Really disappointed with the Big Al trade
For a team that has no creator on offense, losing a 20 ppg scorer is a big sacrifice for the “system”.
We had better hope for some tremendous improvements defensively – I really don’t see us averaging much more than 85 ppg.
There's only one system
in which Big Al is a 20 ppg player, and I’ve seen quite enough of that system.
If Jefferson was an efficient scorer or even a competent facilitator I might actually worry about how these extra 20 posessions would be used each game.
by dropstep on Jul 27, 2010 11:07 AM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
If Sloan and DWill
turn Big Al into a pick and roll machine, I will be greatly impressed. I will also change my tune about the trade and profess my desire that we had instead kept Jefferson and traded for DWill and Sloan.
now THAT
would be a coup.
Hell, let’s trade the Timberwolves for the Jazz. We’ll all be a little happier, but there won’t be anything to talk about.
Everyone take a breath.
by losDelFuego on Jul 27, 2010 11:32 AM CDT up reply actions
I have grown sooo tired
of the repeated line of “Player X didn’t fit Rambis’ offense” or “Player X wasn’t in our long-term plan due to the inevitable upcoming sparkling ascendance of Ricky Rubio”. We won 15 games! 15! We stink. We throw away players left and right only to buy out what we get back. We are a team with NO stars. Love is not a star. We don’t win. We have had virtually complete roster turnover each of the last two-three years. How in the world would you market the Wolves to the new or casual fan? Why will ANYONE watch this team? Don’t respond by saying you’re anxious to see how Wes/Webster/Darko pan out. No one, other than a die hard, would care to see that. No one else has even heard of them.
by ogishkemuncie on Jul 27, 2010 9:59 AM CDT up reply actions
But we're all diehards here
I have no idea how to market this team, but I can’t wait wait for the season to start.
Truth is the Wolves will have the lowest payroll in the league and Glen won’t have to worry too much about marketing.
by PhoenixWolf on Jul 27, 2010 10:04 AM CDT up reply actions
I'm not old enough
to remember the 1977 Portland Trailblazers. However, I’ve read some things about that team that give me hope for this one. They ended up winning the championship after having an average regular season that was mostly spent forming cohesion amongst their players. I realize that the NBA game has advanced a lot since then and running teams are hard pressed to win championships nowadays, but we have a lot of similarities to that team and could surprise the league. Even if we don’t win 49 games like that team did, we’ll still be playing a style of basketball that is more enjoyable for the casual fan to watch.
The hook for this team is upside.
There’s a LOT of potential upside with our team this year. If everything works out, Darko will be really good, same for Beasley, Webster, Johnson, even Hayward. Maybe even Flynn. Realistically they won’t all be amazing, but these are some of the most talented players in the NBA if you look at their average draft slot, and maybe they put it all together. That’s why I’m excited about this season. Last season we had a bunch of cast-offs and bad fits. This year our team is balanced and talented. They just need time to gel.
I'm anxious to see how Wes/Webster/Darko pan out.
No, I really am.
I think we are seeing exactly the type of players that Rambis envisioned for
this team: length, athleticism, lean & mean. Jefferson, for all of his good
qualities, does not fit the mold. As for the ‘horrific’ signing of Ridnour, what
else was out there? I got angst whenever I saw Flynn and Sessions run this
team, and as far as Luke’s scoring, who knows? He’s been a backup guard
in Milwaukee. His point production was mentioned, but not his superior
passing ability, which I think, was a huge omission in talking about him. He’s
a very good facilitator, and that’s what Rambis is looking for. Those last few
games when Sessions was running the team I was wondering, “What the
*&Y%$# is wrong with Sessions? Is he drunk, or having a seizure? Darko?
I still think he’s a question mark, but what else was available in a big man?
At least we finally got a big man. Those two forwards we were using were
6’10 (if Love is 8’10” - I doubt it) and were being dominated in the paint.
When Darko came, they could revert to where they belonged, and they could
start working like a team, finally, that had all of its parts. Were getting Pekovic.
He’s supposed to be pretty good.
I’m more optimistic than most. My only question is about Beasley. He’s
got tremendous talent. Does he have his head on straight? If he does, we
have a guy who can create his own shots when the team gets into that kind of
situation.
I think the negativity on this board has grown under a climate of several
years of grief. I’m glad Rambis has cleaned house. He’s done more than
I thought could have been done in so short a period of time. Has anyone else
totally transformed a team the way he has this off-season- – - from a team
of plodders to a team of greyhounds in a few months?
Love’s outlet pass is going to result in a lot of slam-dunks by those
greyhounds on the other end. Whether they can play defense is another
question. That takes time.
"Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction."
Will Rogers
by WillistonCoyote on Jul 27, 2010 1:22 PM CDT up reply actions
I also highly doubt
that Love is 8’10"
by NuthinBurger on Jul 27, 2010 5:20 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
:)
:)
"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." -- Yogi Berra
by Wile E Coyote on Jul 27, 2010 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions
A slight exaggeration, or typo.
"Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction."
Will Rogers
by WillistonCoyote on Jul 28, 2010 5:25 PM CDT up reply actions
off topic
aussie wolves fan here, im keen to watch some wolves games this year and with foxtel i think ill be only able to see one game on espn for the whole season, other options are the highlights on nba.com and the press pass i was just wondering for those who live in minnesota know of a link that stream games online?
Welcome, mute
Last year many of us outside the Wolves immediate broadcast area watched on atdhe.net with varied results. Cheaper than League Pass, but as with many things you get what you pay for too.
"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please."
Mark Twain
Keep in mind that atdhe is live games. I used league pass broadband because they show archived games .. which lets you look at ’m when you want to.
Lots of problems with that service though..
by Wim (Belgium) on Jul 27, 2010 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions
I didn't know that League Pass
was available outside the states. I seem to remember trying to watch a game while in London and being rebuffed.
Mute try this site:
http://www.myp2p.eu/competition.php?competitionid=&part=sports&discipline=basketball
Tis good for all sport (except Australian sports).
by quessa on Jul 27, 2010 7:38 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
And make sure to register for the forum
by CourtsideATX on Jul 27, 2010 8:19 AM CDT up reply actions
thanks guys
it sucks not being able to watch any of the games in full, but ill try these sites when the season begins cant wait!
In addition to the ones already suggested
I’d check in on the Game Threads and if someone hasn’t already posted a link, try asking and I’m sure someone will provide one for you. We usually have a couple links pop up within the first 20 or so comments.
You're not letting natural selection take its course! You're like the guy who invented the seatbelt...
Not good news for Flynn
He won’t be able to develop this off season.
Hip surgery
Isn’t this odd? I don’t recall many NBA players going out for hip surgery.
Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!
Actually, hip injuries are somewhat worrying. I have no idea what the problem is here, but I’m not unworried.
We Are the Washington Generals
by Eric in Madison on Jul 27, 2010 8:52 AM CDT up reply actions
Not unworried?
Client: What do you think of the recent news about stock XYZ?
Broker: Well, I’m not unworried, I can tell you that much
Client: Oh, um, ok well good talk…
I'm a huge, huge fan of
the double negative. It encapsulates my personality. I can’t say I haven’t taken flak for it before.
We Are the Washington Generals
by Eric in Madison on Jul 27, 2010 9:35 AM CDT up reply actions
How do you feel
About the word irregardless? I have a special spot in my heart for that “word”. That spot is black, but a spot nonetheless.
by nja700 on Jul 27, 2010 10:57 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Not unworried is a great line, especially in business when trying to sugar-coat crap news. The best one though is “negative profits.”
by newfrickinshow on Jul 27, 2010 1:52 PM CDT up reply actions
With a google search
it looks like the last two NBA hip surgeries were…Phil Jackson and Pat Riley. Prior to that: Sam Cassell following the WCF season.
A couple more
You can add Mike Dunleavy, Jr, and Keyon Dooling to that list
relax
the hip surgery will not affect Jonny Flynn’s smile.
by littleboxes on Jul 27, 2010 11:27 AM CDT up reply actions
Nor his firm handshake
That really was a fine, fine draft pick for us. So glad a similarly limited player, but upstanding human being like Wes Johnson has joined us.
Flynns Hip
Does anyone know what he has actually done to his hip? hip injuries for someone his age is really bad news, im 23 and have already had surgery on my hip, (torn labrum) which i suspect what johnny may have, if this is the case he is going to lose a bit of his explosiveness and quickness. Hope all goes well for him
He injured it
in the 2nd-to-last game last season. He didn’t play the final game.
I have no recollection of this, but this is what Kahn said and other CHers verified.
I would love to know more details. Does anyone still have that game on their DVR? Did anyone actually watch those end-of-season games?
Everyone take a breath.
by losDelFuego on Jul 27, 2010 10:07 AM CDT up reply actions
TA
With having hip surgery i know a fair bit about them now,im no doctor and from what i have learned is that in most cases with hip injuries they are often abnormalities with the hip socket, overuse injuries (labral repairs & FAI) or traumatic injuries which may have happened with johnny. Imo, based on all the information that has been shed i would say that he most likely has torn his labrum (cartlege in the hip socket) and will require arthroscopic surgery to repair it, otherwise the cartlege bleeds and causes cists in the socket, i would say hes looking at 5-6 months before hes actually fully recoevered and back to 100%
For some reason
I thought his injury was a hip flexor injury. Not a socket injury. I hope that’s true, cause that should be easier to recover from, plus the team said he’d be out 3-4 months, not 5-6.
I searched injury reports last night and found a plethora of hockey players that had Torn Labrum Hip Surgery and all were given 3-4 months as a projected recovery time. Most of the websites I found said on average 12 weeks to recover from such surgery which meshes with the timeframe. Additionally, they said 3-4 months until you could play again, but you’d still be experiencing pain probably until 5-6 months after the surgery to corroborate with what Mute was saying.
wow
if you had refrained from mentioned John Wall I would hail you as a seer.
by littleboxes on Jul 27, 2010 11:29 AM CDT up reply actions
I'm no doctor
but from what I’ve been reading online I don’t think Jonny has a torn labia. This does not sound like a basketball injury at all. I’m sure he has something less serious.
by dropstep on Jul 27, 2010 11:37 AM CDT up reply actions 4 recs
laBRUM, laBRUM
the other is just too painful to consider. though with all the piercings the kids have today i’m sure it happens…
I certainly hope he didn't tear his labia.
That would just be weird.
The original word was hip pointer,
but that typically doesn’t require surgery either. So that one seems doubtful.
NYC
Torn flexors usually dont need to be operated on, 3-4 months was an approximation on recovery time, i indicated that if it were a labral tear 5-6 would be more close to the mark
The sad thing
We all know what the Timberwolves probably will and should make their priority right now; if Jonny Flynn is out we need to sign a replacement to come off the bench and back up Ridnour until Flynn’s return. And what is every sports media jagoff going to say when the Wolves sign said point guard? “Wolves sign their tenth point guard.” “So are they going for an even dozen point guards?” “David Kahn signs his hundredth point guard in 2 years.” “Why don’t they just use one of their thousand other point guards?”
Because they want two point guards on their roster, they’ll get crap like that by people who have no clue what the Wolves are actually doing and going through.
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