T-Wolves: 20th Best Offseason
by NuthinBurger on Jul 27, 2010 3:04 AM CDT
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PrintDavid Aldridge over at NBA.com just ranked all NBA teams' offseason and surprisingly the Timberwolves avoided the bottom third of the league. Here's what he had to say
No. 20 -- MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
2009-10 RECORD: 15-67, fifth place, Northwest; did not make playoffs.
ADDED: F Michael Beasley (trade with Miami); G Martell Webster (trade with Portland); G Wesley Johnson (first round, fourth pick overall); C Nikola Pekovic (three years, $13 million); G Luke Ridnour (four years, $16 million); F Lazar Hayward (Draft-day trade with Washington); C Kosta Koufos (trade with Utah).
LOST: F Al Jefferson (traded to Utah); F Ryan Gomes (Draft-day trade with Portland; eventually signed with Clippers).
RETAINED: C Darko Milicic (four years, $20 million).
THE KEY MAN: Ricky Rubio.
He's always going to be the key man until he comes over and shows everyone what the fuss is about, or until the Wolves trade him and get whatever they get. We will never be able to fairly judge what president of basketball operations David Kahn did last year fairly until we see Rubio, who will play in Europe one more season and then should come to the NBA at the ripe old age of 21.
THE SKINNY: There is a cottage industry now in bashing Kahn, who loves to explain and explain and explain what he's doing. It is easy, because the Wolves are terrible, and the NBA jury is convinced Milicic is guilty of being a bust. But the Wolves do have a lot more talent on the roster than they did a month ago. They got Beasley -- the second pick in the Draft three years ago -- for next to nothing. They got a big-time 3-point shooter in Webster, and a huge talent in Johnson, the Syracuse junior. A lot of quality teams wanted Ridnour, who was excellent in Milwaukee last season. Pekovic is highly regarded by international scouts. My major problem with Minnesota's summer is what it got for Jefferson. Not that it traded Jefferson; everyone knew that was coming. But first-round picks from Utah aren't likely to be very valuable any time soon. Still, Kahn's job is to make the roster better. He's done that. It won't translate into many more wins next season, because young doesn't win in the NBA. But it is better
.
Here's the link to the article for those who care to read more
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We are better
That is definitely true, but how optimistic are you that next off season we will be that much better? We had assets coming out of our ears this year, we should definitely be better. I am looking at Kahn’s moves last year and his trades have not netted us much. Maybe Darko and maybe Rubio. We are younger and cheaper, but I am not sure that we are going to win more.
The article link is a fair assessment though.
Aldridge
called Webster a “big-time 3 point shooter” in his evaluation. I think (hope anyway) Webster will suprise a lot of people in the upcoming season on both ends of the court. Webster seems to be the least talked about and almost the forgotten player but I believe him to be be a very important aquisition to this team.
This team certainly has alot of “ifs” and “potential” surrounding it and, as Aldridge said, and I tend to agree, Kahn has made the team better. I think, if they gel and achieve a large portion of their potential, 30+ (maybe 36-40) wins is a good possibility.
A LOT of "ifs"....
so true.. and we are assuming there will be not Sasha-esque regressions? Not likely….
I agree that you really cannot fairly judge this team and Kahn’s moves until you see Rubio. All the moves and players we acquired were largely to make the team when Rubio arrives much better. I am more optomistic perhaps than the writer is in that I think the team has a chance at 25 to 30 wins. Is that a massive improvement, no, but a ten to 15 game improvement is a good move for a team. If you can do the same thing with Rubio the following year then you are potentially fighting for that 8 spot and still very young.
This Abridge fellow seems like a bit of a think-for-youselfer. Let’s hope he falls in line with the rest of sports media and starts talking about how horrible we are.
Also 40 wins is pretty optimistic. I’d be happy with 25 considering the guys on Hartman and Friends think will break the record for most losses in a season. Idiots.
by Achilles Fang 1 on Jul 27, 2010 10:03 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
I agree that 40 wins is
even highly optimistic, However, I am a new Timberwolves fan and only started postiing here right before the draft. I have only posted a few times but I enjoy reading the posts on here almost daily. For the most part, they are informative, entertainitng, and in some cases complicated but educational. I love basketball, and have paid attention to the pro teams over the years, especially the post season playoffs, but have, for the most part, watched college. Now, unexplainably, I am a Wolves fan.
(it's "inexplicably")
sorry, I’m a dick. welcome, Foul. Hope you’re right about the 40. 30 is my personal best-case scenario, but I’d love to be wrong.
by deus04 on Jul 27, 2010 11:07 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I always liked Aldridge since his days at ESPN
He’s very evenhanded in his assessments and doesn’t look for the sensationalist angle. This is absolutely a fair assessment of this offseason: they needed to get more value out of their moves and they won’t see huge improvement because “young doesn’t win,” but they’re better.
by pagingstanleyroberts on Jul 27, 2010 11:17 AM CDT reply actions
I expect about 25 wins is likely
However, with a team salary now actually below the minimum to bad we can’t find one really good player. they talk about Anthony Toliver another PF but that makes no sense.
I actually think it does make sense
If they can acquire a young player who can score a little to come off the bench, they should do it. He is a “stretch 4” that they are going to need to play a run and gun style. He would probably come at the sort of contract Kahn specializes in: relatively short, relatively cheap, very moveable. I know there is a logjam at the frontcourt spots, but there is no telling if they even want to keep Koufos right now, and he has never proven he can play in the NBA. Tolliver had a pretty good stretch at the end of last year (I know, I know, Golden State). Seems like little risk, decent upside signing if they make it.
by Madsen's 3-Point Barrage on Jul 27, 2010 12:28 PM CDT up reply actions
Just read Hollinger's take on the Wolves offseason
He named us as a ‘Loser’ this offseason. Here’s what he said. Not sure how to quote the whole thing….
Minnesota Timberwolves
KAAHHHHNNNN!!! OK, had to get that one out. No, nobody is quite sure what the strategy is under Timberwolves general manager David Kahn.
I’d say they’re rebuilding, but their big free-agent pickup was a 30-year-old point guard, and they traded their first-round pick for Martell Webster.
I’d say they’re focusing on value contracts, but they just gave Darko Milicic a four-year, $20 million deal.
I’d say they’re trying to corner the market on point guards, but the league has about 70 of them and the Wolves can hoard only 15 at any one time.
I’d say they’re acquiring players who can thrive in coach Kurt Rambis’ triangle system, except they’re not — they keep acquiring small pick-and-roll point guards with iffy outside shots.
I’d say they’re building around character and discipline, but they traded for Michael Beasley and Milicic.
I’d say they’re focused on opportunistic trades, except that they unloaded their best player for 50 cents on the dollar and repeated the exercise with Ramon Sessions.
The only thing I can confidently say is that they’ll be terrible again this year, and probably for several years afterward. The Wolves have a rising star in Kevin Love and a couple of other interesting pieces (keep an eye on Euro import Nikola Pekovic), but it’s not clear whether they’re coming or going right now. I’m not sure they know, either.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=losers-100727
This guy is a clown
Rehashing the same shit over and over again sound just like sounds like the same shit Weber said about how we have too many point guards. Have these people looked at our roster. we have 2-3 pg on our team that’s it. the Cavs have that many so does Portland. he should stick to fixing is fake ass PER system.
Aldridge is solid
It seems like Hollinger can be a little manic, though. Looking around for other Kahn-mentary? This is the kind of crud that is going up. Really cutting edge stuff.
http://susanshan.com/2010/07/27/david-kahn-hired-ruin-minnesota-timberwolves/
by crabdribble on Jul 28, 2010 12:28 AM CDT up reply actions
Wow
I’m shocked and slightly appalled that ‘articles’ like that still get ‘published’ anywhere. I know there’s a lot of space on the internet but really???? That ‘writing’ isn’t anywhere near truth, groundbreaking or funny. It’s just an emotional rehash of other national media, trying to get a reaction (which it kinda did from me). But really, maybe someone could go through it- edit it, change it- and post it on Sports Pickle, but thats about all it could hope for
by NuthinBurger on Jul 28, 2010 2:32 AM CDT up reply actions
hahahaha
I saw that article on a hunt for other takes on the situation— it me physically ill. It really makes you appreciate how good we have it at CH! I am blown away by the level of analysis that the fans put together here.
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