Game #30, Road Game #17: Minnesota 82, LA Clippers 91
Season record: 4-26
1. 4th Quarter Follies
For those of you with hangovers, either from an excess of alcohol or undue loyalty to a dysfunctional, mentally weak basketball franchise, we'll start with a Joe Friday straight script on the lodging of the Wolves' latest L. The team was up 11, 70-59, heading into the final period against a woeful Clippers team that had lost six straight overall, seven straight at home, and all 17 games in which they had trailed after three quarters thus far this season. A mere five minutes later the Wolves had missed ten straight shots, committed three turnovers and four fouls, and watched the Clips reel off 15 straight points--the most they had amassed in any one of the three previous quarters was 21--en route to a sudden 70-74 deficit.
Against stiff competition, the most absurd stat of the quarter was the 13 personal fouls committed up by the boys in blue and green, a pace that would disqualify eight players from the game if enacted for the entire contest. Only one, perhaps two, of those fouls were the purposeful offenses of a team hoping their opponent misses from the foul line in the waning minutes of the game. In any case, the Clips leveraged the hacking for a bounty of 20 free throws in that 12-minute span, making 16, which by itself was enough to top the Wolves 12-point period (which included just 5 free throws). That's how you come within one miss of tying the NBA record for three-point futility--the Clips finished 0-14 3ptFG--and still win by 9.
Four of those 13 4th quarter fouls were committed by Rashad McCants, whose regression has entered toxic territory. In the past two games, McCants has gone 2-13 FG--with just three of those shots inside the three-point arc--with zero, count 'em, zero, free throws. Tonight he fouled out in 18:48, registering a game-worst minus -15. But beyond the numbers, McCants seems to be moving at half-speed. His defensive rotations and scrambles back in transition are occurring in invisible molasses. His engagement and desire are MIA. Even as the desperate television stations broadcasting Wolves games repeat the feature on his many tattoos, this hip hop poet and sensitive soul is mailing it in on the court.
Perhaps Shaddy is sulking over his demotion, watching from the bench as Corey Brewer gets bumped over to his two-guard spot (that went to Marko Jaric before him) and Ryan Gomes takes the bulk of the minutes at small forward. It is hard to argue with Gomes's effort and performance the past two or three weeks, however--last night he vied with Jefferson as the best player in a Wolves uni, scoring 17 points (8-14 FG) and grabbing 15 boards. In terms of the future, however, it is hard to imagine Gomes resigning here.
Hindsight is 20-20, and this only became apparent to me as the game was progressing. But the Clippers took the floor was grandpa Sam Cassell and defensive specialist Quinton Ross in the backcourt. The Wolves countered with Sebastian Telfair and Brewer. Coaches Mike Dunleavy and Randy Wittman both seemed content to cross-match the guards, with their taller, defensive-oriented 2s throttling their smaller point guards. That's because Brewer's season-long shooting woes made Dunleavy comfortable sticking the 38-year old Cassell (who moves like he's 76 on D) on the rook. But what happens if McCants starts at shooting guard? That forces matchups of Ross-McCants, Casell-Telfair, and either Brewer-Maggette (who's 6-6, 225) or Gomes-Maggette.
Wittman obviously didn't want to go that way. His plan was clearly to take advantage of the Clips woeful front line, suffering from the season-long absence of Elton Brand, and, last night, Tim Thomas. That's why he started Michael Doleac next to Jefferson, and put the taller Gomes on Maggette. Besides, Wittman also had to be salivating over the backcourt matchups off the bench. Specifically, 6-7 Marko Jaric would go up against either 6-foot Dan Dickau or 5-10 Brevin Knight. And, as it turned out, Jaric and McCants were greeted by Knight and career-scrub Richie Frahm to begin the 4th quarter. But Jaric never once posted up his nine-inch shorter opponent, But he, McCants and Sebastian Telfair went scoreless (0-7 FG) for the period while Frahm and Knight combined for 6 points, five assists and two steals.
Judging from his postgame comments, Wittman was more concerned with his backcourt's inability to execute the paint-oriented gameplan. "I have to find some guards to lead us down the stretch. We had no direction, no leadership. We have mismatches on the inside that we don't even recognize. It's the same thing every game."
Clips center Chris Kamen, who notched 16 rebounds and 5 blocks, was equally frank. "They're just not that good, so we were able to beat them. We're not that good either. I mean, it was like a `Dust Bowl" game--two of the worst teams in the league playing each other."
2. Witt Tightens the Screws
Last night was the most aggressive I ever remember seeing Wittman coach. He juggled his lineup, inserting Michael Doleac so Jefferson could operate against rookie Al Thorton. When Jefferson committed some early defensive gaffes, Witt yanked his star less than three minutes into the first quarter and kept him on the bench for nearly five minutes. Likewise, timeouts were quickly called after a pair of mentally lazy turnovers in the third period and when Brewer allowed his man to waltz past him for a layup later in the second quarter. Finally, Witt altered his lineup five times in the first 4:36 of that disastrous fourth period.
There are at least two ways of looking at this. First, Wittman has a thankless job and preferred to have praise and a long leash with his troops result in a steady increase of confidence and, thus, maturity and performance. And when it hasn't happened, he's been forced to withdraw the carrots and deploy more sticks. After all, people are finally beginning to understand how magnificently multi-faceted Kevin Garnett can be for a ballclub--all the big and little things he does to enhance your squad. Look at the Celts' roster and tell me how they are allowing 86.82 points per game when the next best team is ceding 89.25. Then, on top of that, they don't have Foye or Ratliff at the two most important positions on the court.
The flipside is that everything Wittman has tried hasn't worked. The ballclub he is coaching is mentally weak, physically weak, woefully immature and now thoroughly embedded in a culture of losing. Witt fired one of his bullets a couple weeks ago when he essentially told his players they were a bunch of wusses; then, as further motivation, the Strib ran a front-page story openly wondering if this could be the worst team in NBA history, a challenge Witt said affected his team, who proceeded to play their best game of the season in blowing out the Pacers.
But since then, it's been almost all regression, with playing time seemingly allotted without rhyme or reason. Last night it was Doleac getting his season high in minutes while Gerald Green and Chris Richard received their first DNP-CD in quite awhile. Why? Yeah, you can say Doleac was a nice matchup on Kamen (my choice for Comeback Player of the Year thus far) and the big lug did a good job. But with Doleac saddled with foul trouble, why not at least try out Richard? I guess it is plain that Wittman really does envision a Jefferson and Craig Smith front line for the future, a depressing thought. And while I am content to watch Green languish, his supporters have to wonder why he didn't join Walker and McCants on the bombadier squad when Witt was desperately trying to salvage the game in the final minutes--or why he didn't some of McCants minutes when Shaddy lethargically went through the motions in the first half.
Once again the question is--what's the plan? Go with enough vet seasoning to help the young'uns? Give the kids all the burn they can stand? Find out about your expiring contracts--Smith, McCants, Green, Telfair, Gomes--as much as possible? Reward hustle and performance or play for the future? Engender experience in specific roles or juggle the lineup to get the best immediate matchups? There is evidence that the Wolves are doing all of these things and thus none of these things very well. Some of it can be blamed on the bad luck of injuries and flu bugs and the travails of youth and immaturity. More of it is bad, inconsistent judgment.
Bottom line, the problems with this team are fundamental: Executing and defending the pick and roll, moving your feet, boxing out, staying mentally focused, avoiding stupid fouls. They are getting worse, not better. Meanwhile, ten players on the roster average at least 20 minutes a game (a testimonial to wildly fluctuating playing time) and three others average at least 11 mpg,
3. Hit and Run
I walked into the Caribou Coffee outlet beside Lund's in Uptown the other day and saw that if you purchased a pound of Caribou Coffee you would receive two free tickets to the Wolves' January 6 game against Dallas--while the supply lasted. Meanwhile, if the team's play doesn't kill fan interest, the absurdly expanded coverage by FSN will. While Jim Petersen and Mike McCollow are both astute and engaging analysts, promoting a former cheerleader to provide fashion tips or insights on halftime shows or having sideline guy Telly Hughes interview the third or fourth best player on that night's victorious Wolves' opponent kills more brain cells than the 180 proof everclear I once got for Christmas from a friend in Alaska.
After the Indiana win, I pronounced Telfair as having made it in the NBA, claiming that his next batch of bad games should be construed as a slump rather than an immediate ticket to Europe. Since then, Bassy has reverted to the form that earned him his rep as a colossal bust. Last night he shot 3-14 FG, and while the 7/2 assist-to-turnover ratio and the three steals were hopeful, the stubborn fact is that he can neither stick a long-range or mid-range jumper nor finish at the hoop in transition. Aside from Al Jeffersonj, no one will benefit more from the return of Randy Foye--provided it happens this year--than Telfair.
I have long been a supporter of Wolves owner Glen Taylor, who, especially compared to the likes of Pohlad, Wilf, and the Wild crew, has been willing to step up in a dramatic fashion to invest in his franchise. Taylor's loyalty to Kevin McHale and Randy Wittman is another matter, and a can of worms I'm not opening here. No, what perplexes me is how and why Taylor stood by while two of his division rivals--Portland and Seattle--have stockpiled assets from a Phoenix Suns franchise that abhors the luxury tax, has abandoned any pretense of building for the future and is doing everything possible to win now. Portland's owner Paul Allen has gladly accepted Phoenix's top draft pick the last two or three years, ensuring that the already deep Trailblazer team is a dynamo for the next five to ten years even if Greg Oden can't fully recover from injury (one, I might add, that deprives the Blazers of a greater potential talent than Randy Foye). Further up the West Coast, Seattle was able to execute a sign-and-trade with otherwise departing free agent Rashard Lewis that provided them with an enormous trade exception against the salary cap. They then peddled that exception to the Suns in exchange not only for Kurt Thomas (whose $8 million deal expires this year), but Phoenix's first round pick in both 2008 and 2010. By 2010, the Suns should be in a precipitous freefall, giving the Sonics (or whatever they are called by then) a nice addition to the roster as Kevin Durant and Jeff Green enter their fourth year in the NBA.
Let's end on a positive note, eh? Doleac demonstrated that he'll be a solid 15-20 minute performer as the Wolves encounter a slew of legit centers--Joel Pryzbilla, Marcus Camby, Erick Dampier, and Shaquille O'Neal--in the week ahead. Sorry, that's the best I could come up with.
Michael Doleac?! Michael Doleac and DNP-CDs for Green and Richard?!!! This is the result of Witt's soul-searching session?! Sweet. Baby. Jesus.
I'm really starting to worry about the rebuilding "plan". In the last few weeks we have seen the Smith/Big Al duo trotted out in the 4/5 spot with enough of a frequency to believe that the Wolves front office and coaching staff have high hopes for an undersized and defensively inept big man combo to provide the front line bedrock for our beloved Puppies. Witt has also started to bitch about the lack of quality guard play which leads me to suspect that we're on a crash course for yet another combo guard a'la OJ Mayo or Eric Gordon in the draft. Hell, even if they luck into Derrick Rose they will still have the wee little problem of not having a true 5 on the roster while depending on a 6'5" 4 who can't defend anybody to complement...who, Corey Brewer at the 3? Again: Sweet. Baby. Jesus.
Center, center, center, center, center, center, center, center. Let me repeat it: center, center, center, center, center, center, center, center. One more time: center, center, center, center, center, center, center, center.
As bad as this season is, it is even more troubling to see signs of a front office moving towards a Brewer, Smith, Jefferson front line. That makes my head hurt. It hurts so much that I've been forced to run off to fantasy GM land and think up of ways in which the Wolves could get a 5 on the roster before next year's draft; forcing them to draft (fingers crossed) Michael Beasley, a solid 1 (Rose, Lawson, Augustin), or a legit 3. They have a 4 in Big Al. They have a 2 between Foye and Brewer. Beyond that....well, here's my best take from fantasy GM land:
Ratliff, Walker, and Smith to the Bulls for Wallace and Noah.
The money works, the Bulls get rid of the $15 million dead-weight anchor while losing a player they have in duplicate--a young hard working center (Aaron Gray). They pick up 2 decent bench players and they will clear a ton of money off the books for the 2008 off-season where they will have to deal with the contracts of Deng and Gordon. Since Skiles got canned, the Bulls have gone to a 7/8 man rotation where Noah isn't seeing a lot of minutes. Wallace isn't giving them $15 million worth of ball and he could be replaced production-wise by a combo of Gray and Nocioni.
Meanwhile, the Wolves get a legit 5 and an over-the-hill backup for both Jefferson (back at the 4) and Noah (who would start at the 5). They would have to eat Wallace's ginormous contract and they would lose a nice player in Smith (who might have to sign and trade) but there are fewer years left on Wallace's deal than Walker's and Wallace gives the Wolves help where they need it most: keeping the front line in order with Big Al at the 4 and a true center on the floor.
Again, this would free up the Wolves to draft for either a 1 or 3--which are their biggest needs after a legit 5. My pie-in-the-sky fantasy gm rotation for next year is:
1- Telfair/Jaric/Foye
2- Foye/Brewer/McCants
3- Beasley/Brewer
4- Jefferson/Wallace/Beasley
5- Noah/Wallace
Resign Chris Richard and take a forward in the 2nd round and hope for the best with that pick. I think that front court could go a long way and you'd have a nice rotation at the 2 that could hopefully reduce some of the pressure on Telfair's poor FG%. I also think you'd have the rebounding team from hell with 3 guys who could grab 8-10/game...thus making up for some of the poor shooting from the guards. If you can't get Beasley, you take the best guard available or the best swingman who can hit a 3. As long as you keep Big Al at the 4 and the Foye/Brewer/McCants rotation at the 2....fantasy gm land is happy.
S&P,
If the Wolves get the top pick and go into it with the idea of a center (lets assume the Chicago trade nor any other trade happens between now and then), do we still take Beasley?
I haven't seen too much of Rose or Mayo, but if we favor Rose over Mayo because he fits the mold of a one while Mayo fits the Combo, do we run the risk of making another miscaculation like the Foye/Roy decision and pass on the player with more superstar potential because he fits a position of need for our team?
I'm not saying Rose has greater star potential than Mayo (or Beasley, or Gordon, or koufos, or...), because I honestly don't know. I'm just wondering about going into the draft with the intention on drafting positions of need over the best player available. I'd hate for us to grab Koufos because we need a center or Rose because we need a point and then a year later it becomes obvious that the best player, Rookie of the year candidate and MVP Runner-up was passed over once again by the Wolves in Mayo or some other player.
Just commenting on your speculation on the draft (what else is there to do with this team?), after looking at the mock drafts in 2008 so far. Most have us taking Beasley with the first pick.
As far as the second round, it looks like we have given this pick to the Pistons according to some sources. Also, I thought we had Boston's first round pick this year. But I don't see that on any of the mock draft boards. When do we get Boston's first round pick? Obviously, it looks like we won't be getting Miami's pick this year. So it looks like our only draft addition will be our lottery pick. We had better do well with it.
Andy B:
Over at Canis Hoopus we have a draft page with all of the Wolves' picks:
http://www.canishoopus.com/draft-information
The Wolves traded their 2008 2nd rounder to the Pistons but have the option to defer to 2009. They also have an obligation to the Spurs for Beno but that is top 57 protected...i.e., it's the Wolves pick if they want it this year. They also have Miami's 2nd rounder (via Boston) from the Davis/Wally trade.
The Miami 1st rounder is lottery protected this year, top 10 in 09, top 6 in 11 and unprotected after that. I'm personally hoping that Miami scrapes by on the brink of the playoffs until 2011 before they fall apart completely and the Wolves, hopefully by then a 40-50 win club, get a top lottery pick. Again, it's nice to dream when your favorite club is in the tank.
As for the Draft, Beasley is the crown jewel of the class. He's a 6'9" combo forward who can hit from in and out and who can create off the dribble. He's a beast on the glass and he will automatically be the most athletic player on the Wolves should he be drafted. He was an AAU teammate of Kevin Durant. How scary would that team have been to play? He's the one "you have to draft him no matter what if you get the chance" player in the draft.
Beyond Beasley, there are 4 players who are viewed as very solid NBA starters with upper-level talent: Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, Eric Gordon, and DeAndre Jordan. Rose is viewed as a cross between Deron Williams and Chris Paul; a physical speedster with freakish athletic ability and a solid court sense. He's had a decent year for Memphis and he would be a decent addition to any team. However, his Achilles Heel is his outside shot...I'm not sure the Wolves need another guard who can't shoot from the outside right now. Also, while the big matchup really didn't pan out, Rose was locked up by Mayo during the Memphis/USC matchup...but that's just one game.
Rose is slipping this year vis-a-vis Gordon. Gordon is shooting lights out and he's supposedly more aggressive and b-ball savvy. However, I've seen Mayo play quite a few times and I absolutely love his game. The Wolves could do a lot worse than Mayo. I think he gets a lot of hate because of the massive hype around him. Both Gordon and Mayo are solid NBA 2s with Mayo having a bit more ability to man the 1.
DeAndre Jordan is a 7 foot athletic freak who shoots nearly 80% from the floor and 33% from the line. This means he dunks a lot and can't shoot the ball. He doesn't pass that well and he looks out of place with the ball when he's not in motion, but he's NBA ready on the defensive end and he can give you a solid rebounding effort night-in and night-out. His potential lies in his athleticism: he has Dwight Howard-esque hops and quickness. At 7 feet, that's a tough one to pass up on.
Those are the top 5 players in the draft and I'd be hard-pressed to think that the Wolves would not choose one of those guys given the likelihood that they will draft no lower than 4th. If they enter next season with the same roster as they have now, I'd really like them to take a flyer on Jordan and then try to trade the Miami and/or Celtic pick and/or a 2nd rounder to get a crack at DJ Augustin or Ty Lawson. Both are capable 1s who could develop alongside Jordan. After that, you focus on a solid swingman to work the 3 (possible example in 2009 draft: DeMar Derozen).
Whatever happens, there are a few names you absolutely don't want to hear:
http://www.canishoopus.com/blogs/stopnpop/2007/12/19/cold-sweat-picks
If you hear "And with the 4th pick of the 2008 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select Kevin Love..." things have gone to holy hell. Ditto for Roy Hibbert.
Thanks S&P,
That was very informative. I hope to hear an update from you around Tournament time.
As I watched the Clippers game in the third quarter, I was actually surprised by how much the players pull for each other. One time down the floor it was offensive rebounds ending with Gomes putting it back in, the next time down it was Doleac. On the bench Walker, Green, Richards, McCants, Smith and Jaric were all on their feet, giddy with the success as the Wolves opened up a a double digit lead. I was feeling good about the future, not because we were on our way to an inevitable win, but because the Wolves players really seemed to pull for each other. How could they possibly lose this game?
Jefferson sits out the first few minutes of the fourth quarter and the Wolves quickly fell apart. Jefferson has to sit sometime and its true that resting him for the last minutes of the fourth quarter is tried and true coaching strategy for a teams star player. But, its how Wittman sat Jefferson out that got me for the first time wishing that some other, any other, coach was manning the sideline for this game that no one could possibly lose - except Wittman. The frontcourt of Doleac and Jefferson had some obvious advantages that were apparent in the opening minutes of the third. Doleac has to get some rest and Wittman went with Smith instead of Richards. Two weeks ago I would have been fine with this substitution, but as Britt and others have made plain, Jefferson and Smith are not a good combination. Then Wittman returns Doleac to play alongside Smith as he rests Jefferson. When Jefferson returns, its for Doleac and the Wolves slip further into a decline. Smith comes out finally, when Wittman realizesx he needs Shaddy and Walker for some offensive fire power. Smith's line in the fourth quarter -- a negative 18.
How should Wittman have played it. He should have brought Smith and Richards in together to rest Doleac and Jefferson together and monitored the game from the sideline. Resting Doleac and Jefferson while watching how the game progressed with this alternative frontcourt. Then, he should have brought Jefferson in for Richards, followed shortly by Doleac for Smith. Game won. The guard play was bad and the inbounds pass from Brewer is inexcusable, but what lost the game was the insertion of Smith into the frontcourt and not getting back to the linejuop that built the lead in the third quarter.
I don't have TIVO, so I have to go by what the guys at 45 give me for replays. Someone mentioned Walkers gaffe on the inbounds pass where he grabbed Frahms jersey and Peterson harped on him for doing this. Its an obviously stupid mistake to make on a guy like Frahm. But, I'd like to see the replay again. The players are bunched up and Wlaker knows Frahm will step out. He has to fight through the line and McCants is standing next to him guarding his man. From my quick view of the replay it looked like McCants grabbed Frahms jersey as Walker was stepping trough and Walker got called for the foul - which Walker understandably protested if my observation of the play is correct. But, I'd like to see the replay again.
Seattle did a wonderful job of exploiting their tradeable assets to get ahead in their rebuilding process. When they did the S+T with Orlando for Rashard Lewis for a Trade Exception and a second round pick, I was scratching my head. However, it was clear what they were doing when they made the Kurt Thomas trade. The kind of thinking where you think two steps ahead of where you are rather than one is laudable.
As for the Blazers, I have to admit that Paul Allen really does jump in wholehearted when he decides to do something. Once he took the team off the sale block, and decided to jump into rebuilding, he really let Pritchard wheel and deal like crazy to get things jumpstarted. It is not often you see a team that is clearly rebuilding willing to pay the luxury tax, but Allen is doing so for the next two seasons. Meanwhile, Taylor went for the standard cost-cutting manuevers for the team.
I would like the Wolves to show they really are serious about rebuilding aggressively come draft time, whether it be moving up to get the "key" player they need, such as the Jazz did a couple of years ago with Deron Williams, or getting extra picks so they can obviously fill holes in the team. Until then, the fans of the team simply tear their hair out because the only clear direction from the bottom is up, but the question is just how deep is the valley.
Britt,
You mention Phoenix doing everything possible to win NOW. I would change that to doing almost everything possible to avoid the luxury tax. I don't think trading Kurt Thomas to Seattle for a salary exemption (or is an an exception?) qualifies as trying to win now.
Regardless, yes, the wolves could have easily purchased a first round pick or a second pick the last few years. Phoenix has been desperate to sell picks for cash and Portland has bought a ton of picks this way. Does the historically bloated size of our roster (the large number of guaranteed contracts) act as any sort of an excuse for Old Glen? Where would the wolves put these drafted players?
Also, as mentioned by others, it is an odd move by Wittman to not play Richard in the Clippers game. Starting Doleac makes sense, but not playing Richard is odd. That seems to send the wrong message to the team (unless Richard is dating Witt's son and showed up late to the team bus in his car or something).
Every time I turn on a game I feel a lot like Charley Brown lining up yet another field goal attempt.
If the Clippers are "woeful" then what adjective must be reserved for exclusive use in descriptions of the Timberwolves?
I offer "necrotic", i.e. the localized death of living tissue. The word is also alliterative (and rhymes nicely) with neurotic. Anyone see where I'm going here? The Wolves organization is dead at the head, `nuff said.
Despite Britt's reluctance to criticize coaches, I think it's safe to say that Wittman is the wrong coach for this group of players.
"... kills more brain cells than the 180 proof everclear I once got for Christmas from a friend in Alaska."
- LOL, I used to drink Everclear every now and then. Probably explains a lot huh?
Anyhow, just wanted to drop by to say that I still read all your articles and most of the comments, just been busy with other things. Anyhow, another great article that just goes to prove you are one of the best NBA writers in the business. Excellent stuff.
Britt, you wrote recently that you are reluctant to call out a coach, and I tend to agree with you. You're last excerpt praised the progress of Chris Richard, and bemoaned the defensive deficiency of a Smith/Jefferson frontcourt. Again, I couldn't agree more. Wittman's outburst about a "shakeup" after the Seattle game had me really looking forward to the Clipper game -- to see what changes he might come up with.
I was happy to see Doleac get the start. I thought for sure we were going to see Doleac and Richard get the bulk of the C minutes. With Kamen playing 45 minutes, I am still stunned that Richard did not see the floor. Is that what Wittman perceived to be this team's biggest problem -- the play of Chris Richard?!?
The next most annoying thing for me is the play of Telfair. He can't hit a shot. He can't draw a foul. He can't contest a shot. He gets assists, but you seldom see him create shots for our bigs with his drives. Jaric has his faults, and is not the answer for a starting PG. But he brings so much more to the court than Telfair. There is no question in my mind that Jaric should be starting and ending games, not Telfair. Wittman spouted off about his 1s and 2s after the Clipper game. Telfair played the last 9.5 minutes of the 4th quarter. Wittman has no one to blame but himself.
I don't know what Wittman will do next. But I lost a lot of faith in him last night. Despite the losing, I've been looking forward to each and every game this year. But for the first time this season, I'm not looking forward to the next game at all. I feel like calling out the coach -- it's really depressing...
Tough times in T-ball wolf land. Like Kaman's quote about the Dust Bowl. Liked his line about why he doesn't wear tattoos: "Have you met my parents?" Ironic that this quote would be in the same game where Shaddy is describing all his tats.
I'm having flashes of when the Minnesota Timberwolves club was a new, floundering franchise and wonder, has anything really changed? The litany of coaches, the succession of marginal at best centers, the utter lack of consistency, and of course, the loses.
Reflecting on KG and his contributes and travails is wasted energy. Today, as good a player as he is, he still reminds me of Rasheed Wallace when it comes to whining about calls. The skull bleeding incident versus the Lakers is a classic example. Time to man up, KG, and bank your $23M. You were not fouled by Bynum. Bynum had jumped and you were in a awkward position. Bynum's elbow inadvertently caught you on the way down.
Glen Taylor said he was more actively engaged in the management of the Timberwolves than he had been. He spoke of a 5-person board who decides the important issues concerning the club. But who settles the contest when you have divergent views from the board members?
You also have mixed motivations. Witt needs to think of his coaching future and saying you coaches the worst record team in the NBA is not a resume builder.
McHale and anyone else who committed to the team remake last spring have their egos on the line as well. They need to prove that their decisions to date have set the franchise on the right course. But, aside from Jefferson at the 4, the team looks like the characters assembled in Island of Lost Boys.
Bitt, you didn't cite the gaff by 'Toine last night in the closing minutes. Where he tugged on the shirt of the opponent on the in-bounds pass. What can be said of an on-court and player spiritual leader who should know better but doesn't in the deciding moments? Wittman looked like he was ready for a heavy dosage of Aspirin.
Captain America, Now you choose as the time to insult KG? Maybe your timing could be better. Now is the moment when we all can clearly see that KG was single-handedly keeping the Wolves as a good team. Now is the time when he has transformed the Celtics into the top team in the NBA and one of the top teams of all time. There have been moments when a person could criticize KG but now is definitely not one of them. Any badmouthing of KG from Minnesota people just smacks of bitterness and being a poor sport.
And a few posts down from that(i forget the poster) someone says that we need to realistically assess who will be here long term and start playing them consistently. We are losing horribly with a constantly fluctuating lineup so we might as well lose horribly with a consistent lineup building for the future. Right?
At this point I don't think that Wolves fans want to hear the word "potential". We want to see results. It is going to take a cold hard surgical hand to pare the Wolves into a real team so lets see what needs to be done.
McCants is a talented headcase. He always has been and always will be. He's gone.
Green is a physically talented but bad basketball player. Britt pointed out that he has been in the league longer than McCants but he still looks worse than most rookies. He is gone.
Gomes is inconsistent and we will have to overpay for him. He's gone.
Smith is great and everybody likes him but he doesn't fit in our team. We should use that nice chip to trade for some positions of need. He's gone.
We are left with Telfair as a good backup point guard. Keep him around.
Foye, if he returns is a multi-faceted player who we can keep around.
Jefferson is great. Keep him obviously.
Brewer is a good kid. Keep him around.
Richards is our best choice for center right now. Keep him around. He can be a good bench player or backup center. He should be the starting center this year every game for the rest of the year.
Jaric can be a good backup guy. He is untradeable.
Walker has a surprisingly good attitude. Keep 'im.
So to sum up. This year we should really be starting Richards, Jefferson, Brewer, Telfair and I don't know who the fifth guy would be. Walker?
Then for next year it is imperative that we get a center. A real center. Sure we need a point guard but we need a center so badly. We have never had one and without one it will hurt Jefferson's career.
We will be starting, New Center guy, Foye, Brewer, Jefferson, and then Telfair or a New Point Guard guy.
My plan is foolproof!
How can you say that Smith doesn't fit in with out team? What team?
I am not saying we absolutely keep Craig Smith, but it is clear that the Wolves have made no progress towards identifying a nucleus, a game plan, an identity, etc.
Nobody on this team is untouchable, and nobody has shown that they are good enough to build around...including Al Jefferson.
We are not in a position to talk about filling needs. We need to think in terms of better players. Filling needs is for teams that win and want to win more.
Although I agree with Rhino Love in theory, in reality Craig Smith is much more touchable than Al Jefferson. For one, we have Al's contract and two Als a better player than Smith with more promise to build around. Craig Smith is easy to fall in love with, with his girth and short stature to go with a hard work ethic. But, he's still undersized at the Power forward and not worth investing equal time with Jefferson.
I think RL's point is that we can lose with Jefferson, or we can lose with Smith, or we can lose with both. I say, at this point of the season, we determine that a Jefferson/ Smith combo is not going to work because they are both undersized at their respective positions. So, we cut our losses with Smith (trade him if we can) and give a good look at Richards with Doleac and Madsen helping to get us to next year.
Likewise we do the same with McCants. For sure if Foye comes back, but even if hes out for the year it should be Brewer and Gomes at the 2 and 3 getting the majority of looks, with Green filling the garbage time ahead of McCants (if we can't trade him).
Of course nobody is untouchable, but some are more touchable than others. McCants and Smith (in that order) should be first to give up on, because other teams might find their potential worth looking at so we can get something mildly worthwhile in return and because they really do not fill a need or anything else on this team now or in the foreseeable future. It hurts to give up on someone like Smith, but what else can you do. I really don't see him as a worth giving a huge amount of minutes too. Wittman and the Wolves need to realize its Jefferson and not Smith, nor can it be Jefferson and Smith. At best, it can only be Jefferson and then Smith with Smith getting 8-10 minutes a game as Als backup.
Rhino,
I agree with everything you said.
Thanks An1
Andy,
I am not arguing the merits of Smith vs. Al or any other players relative to one another. I am saying that these past few weeks have exposed tragic flaws in every player on this roster, and it is silly to say things like "Smith doesn't fit or McCants doesn't fit". We need major talent upgrades throughout this team, and we are playing so poorly that we can't choosy be about what position they play. Injuries, bad coaching, sickness be damned, guys with the talent and psychological make-up to be successful in this league don't play this crappy for this long.
It's not the losing, it's the lack of enough pride to even compete.
Who knows what the team will look like? But changes are certainly necessary.
Jackson, I've been a KG critic for about five seasons now. Don't get me wrong, he is likely to be a top-50 hall of famer. There are numerous other reasons for which I will not elaborate here.
As for the present team's plight, KG's presence or absence has no bearing. It's an entirely different team, entirely different circumstances, and an entirely different team strategy. But who cares much less remembers if the team wins a dozen games per year or 30 games if you are not in the playoffs? The only difference is when your draft number comes up on draft day. Oh, sure, we could pretend like we have the past four seasons that we had a chance to be a playoff team, but any critical observer would realize that the T-wolves with KG were more likely to stink up the court than not. Quality teams ran over them then too.
Green and McCants (as it stands now) don't have a future with the team. Telfair may be lucky to come off the bench for the wolves once they get healthy again. For 3 seasons in the league, Bassy is incredibly inconsistent. This is unacceptable from a position that is supposed to quarterback the offense.
Walker won't be around after this season or (possibly) next due to contract considerations. I look for a buy-out after this year. He is slow afoot, leaks on defense, and is a erratic shooter.
You're right, we need a capable center. But don't look to the draft for a 3-year project nor does the cast of free agents in '08 create any enthusiasm.
It's pretty sad when the one wearing a halo on the team is the guy who has been out all season due to a bum knee.
How can you tell everyone that remembering KG is wasted energy and then slam him in the same paragraph? Everybody and his cousin says KG is the first third of the season MVP and the reason the celts are the best defensive team in the NBA by a long ways. He's earning his gillion dollars this year like he did most years, but now it's a stage that reaches more than the 10,000 of us that followed the team for the last 3 years.
Nice comment about 'Toine though and Wittman's headache. The last quarter felt like playing pickup ball where everyone on the opposing team has much better skills. The game moves too fast. The tug on the shirt was just another moment of realizing that 'Toine had no idea where his guy was going to go. He just knew he couldn't keep up. Yesterday put my Wittman sympathy at an all time high. (and my confidence in Telfairs shot, Smith and Jefferson's defense, Marko's playmaking and anything Shaddy at an all time low)
Smith and Jefferson playing together is a disaster. At this point, I feel it's as likely for Smith to play capably at the three (not at all likely) as it is for Jefferson to convert into a 5.
Folks, you're welcome to you KG fetish. And he is a key contributor to the Celtics success (no surprise there). I choose not to debate the virtues and travails of KG on this thread and really have no interest in trying to change anyone's opinion.
The only thing more painful than watching that loss last night was seeing Dick Clark on "New Year's Rockin' Eve". Then again, he showed considerable more spunk than our club did in the fourth quarter.
After ruminating for at least 5 minutes, I've come up with the perfect solution to McCants vs. Green: neither. Wasn't one of the stated objectives of the Wolves this year was to find a few good men beyond Jefferson and Foye? Well, I think we're down to that few: Richard, Brewer, and Telfair as a PG backup. If Gomes and Smith stick around, okay, but they probably will find better teams wanting their services. Mix in a few vets for seasoning, and you have our latest version of humble pie. Guaranteed to win 30 games for seasons to come, or until another legit superstar comes our way via draft or free agency. That is the plan, isn't it?
Both Gerald and Rashad tease folks with their athleticism, but end up coming short in mental toughness and maturity. Since February is fast around the corner, why not try and make a deal for at least Rashad? Someone, somewhere must think they can resurrect his game.
30 games in, it's time for some solid rotations to be developed and player evaluations to happen.
Britt,
Let me follow up on your Al being taken out of the game early comment.
Did you see Al's reaction on the bench? The camera was framed on Wittman and Al. Wittman is animatedly talking to Al while Al has his head turned away from him. I think that camera shot says a ton about where we are at and where we are going.
I discussed the minutes in a previous thread. Our rotations are simply a mess with no rhyme of reason. The focus needs to be on a handful of players who are going to be here long term. Yet, there are some problems with that too.
If Gomes continues to perform well, is he going to stay? My guess is only if the front office significantly over pays. I believe Smith is in almost in the exact same situation - strong performance means over pay to keep him. If Green performs well, will he stay? Unlikely from my vantage point based on the body language (immaturity) he frequently shows. I bet his ego will lead him to believe the grass will be greener (no pun intended) elsewhere. I believe we could have hedged both these guys with 1 year, rather cheap, option pick ups. But we did not which to me is a big mistake.
If my take on these 2 is correct, then the playing time needs to be given to the remaining long term options:
Foye/Telfair/McCants/Brewer/Jaric (who I believe he is untradeable)
Walker/Jefferson/Richard
That is players 8 - far from the best 8 we have - but the 8 that realistically could be here for a few years. As sad as it makes me to say it, we need to play these guys the majority of the minutes with the others situationally playing.