Mac out, ??? in: Let the guessing begin
Posted on June 17th, 2009 – 8:30 PMBy Jerry Zgoda
David Kahn said he has no list of coaching candidates — not even one scribbled on the back of a napkin — and says he won’t begin to compile one until the draft is over eight days from now. So…to get him started, here’s my list of possibilities, totally from left-field but all of them with a connection to Kahn or a reason for being on there.
Mark Jackson: Was Indiana’s point guard when Kahn was there. The television analyst has never coached an NBA team but really wants to and he’d understand the truism that NBA players let you coach them.
Tom Thibodeau or Mario Elie: Thibodeau is the oft-mentioned hot NBA assistant-coaching name known for his defensive philosophies. Elie won two NBA titles as a player with Houston and now is a respected assistant under Dallas coach Rick Carlisle, the former Pacers coach who probably would be Kahn’s first choice if he didn’t already have a job.
Bill Laimbeer: The timing of his sudden resignation Monday as Detroit’s WNBA coach is intriguing, but don’t know if this former Pistons bad boy is the positive, nurturing presence Kahn says he is seeking. Never has coached a NBA team.
Terry Porter: Former Phoenix and Milwaukee head coach was a favorite as the top assistant if McHale came back but he still might get a chance.
Mike Fratello: Has coached three NBA teams and the TV guy is itching to get back in the league (tried to get an interview for Sacramento’s just-filled opening) at age 62. There’s a Kahn connection, too: They both worked on NBC broadcasts in the early 1990s and both are tight with Marv Albert.
Paul Silas: Maybe the best people-managing NBA head coach currently not working. Has coached three NBA teams, the last time with Cleveland in 2005 and wants to get one last job.
Jay Wright: If Kahn calls up Larry Brown — a coach Kahn apparently has admired since he was a student at UCLA in the late 1970s — and asks for a recommendation, the Villanova head coach might be the first name out of the esteemed coach’s mouth. Did a courtesy interview with the hometown 76ers before they hired Eddie Jordan. Would be a tough “get.”
Quin Snyder: If Kahn is smitten by a cerebral, out-of-the-box candidate — you could argue that’s exactly what attracted the Wolves to Kahn — then the last guy he hired as an NBA Development League coach in Austin, Texas, might be the guy, if you can get past his baggage at Missouri and elsewhere. He’s a disciple of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. In 2008, the Missourian newspaper in Columbia, Mo., paraphrased Kahn as saying Snyder was destined for greatness in the NBA D League (Snyder was Coach of the Year this past season) and quoted him saying,”He has all the tools you need. He has intensity. He has ambition — and I mean that in the good sense — and he has drive. He’s not lacking anything.”
Unemployed ex-coaches: Jeff Van Gundy, Avery Johnson and Sam Mitchell are all available and seemingly employable.
Thoughts? Comments? Your own candidates?
105 Responses to "Mac out, ??? in: Let the guessing begin"
It’s odd, but I’m not even semi-intrigued by who the head coach will be. I know it’s an important decision, but I’m far more concerned with building our talent on the floor. If you’ve got legit talent, the coach becomes less of a factor.
Missed the deadline from the last string…
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Thabeet’s not my top choice. But if he’s still there at No. 6, that means that some of the other perimeter prospects we’d be targetting will be gone. So at that point, Thabeet will probably have more value than anything else there.
I really hope Harden or Holiday are there and we take one of them. I just saw a report that Adonal Foyle wants to play for at least two more years. For what we want in a back-up center, he’s PERFECT. Cheap, great team guy, one of the best Blocks/48Min guys in the NBA, content to play off the bench.
So I guess I’d be OK with Thabeet, but I’d MUCH rather draft either Harden or Holiday and then sign Foyle to a 2-year, $3M contract with a team option.
I think Mark Jackson is an intriguing idea–I loved him as a player and he would command instant respect from the players based on his CV (résumé) in the league.
On the other hand, Quin Snyder scares me and intrigues me at the same time. He’s from the Duke heritage which I hate (Coach K. hung Bobby H. out to dry with the diarrhea comment during the tourney, which was a good example of very bad judgment and to add to that, Snyder has already been busted for breaking the rules, etc.)
Maybe my hatred for Duke is the only reason I’m balking at the idea of Snyder. . .
I admit that I don’t know much about Thibodeau. Perhaps he’d be a good get?
I like Avery Johnson, he was a leader as a player for the Spurs, and almost led the Mavs all the way too. However he had a power struggle with the players as well as Mark Cuban in the end. Can’t see Kahn choosing him.
Quin Snyder, sounds like a good gamble. However, just like Kahn wont want someone to come in between himself and his authority, I doubt he would want to pick a guy with questionable credibility.
I would say Kahn’s looking for someone who is a credible, well-known name, and shares the same ideas as him as the style of play. Maybe we can mirror the Orlando style play of Van Gundy with a Van Gundy of our own
For the record, I would also dig Mark Jackson. Credibility, credibility, ridiculous credibility. He’d need an experienced bench though. I would really like to see Jerry Sichsting on the bench one way or another. He was the Xs and Os guy for The Wolves this season and commands a lot of respect out there.
Would Jackson, assisted by Sichsting, JB and Laimbeer intrigue anybody?
I still really disagree that we’re looking for a backup center, and from talking to Kahn, that’s his feelings too. So that’s where I differ from most of the fanbase. Adonal Foyle is an OK backup center (not really…there’s a reason he was beat out by Battie and Gortat in Orlando’s rotation) but to me, we’re not looking for a backup, we’re looking for a potential starter.
I’m still puzzled at how people think Al/Love is a viable duo on a championship team. Has Boozer/Okur taught us nothing?
Give me Al for 38 mpg and Foyle for 10 mpg at the center position and I’m good to go. Put the emphasis on adding perimeter studs.
That said, if we were to somehow move Love, I’d be all for giving Marcin Gortat $7M per for 4-5 years. He’s a very good center.
But outside of moving Love, I am high on our current starting frontcourt. Our greatest needs are in the back-court… and we need a back-court addition who is a star.
$7 mil PER YEAR to a guy who averages 4 points and 4 rebounds a game??? You just equated Gotat’s value to Marcus Camby….seriously, what is that??
Oh, and for reference, Kahn singled out the Portland and Los Angeles as the two teams to beat out in the west for the next 3-4 years, and he sounded very pessimistic about Al/Love being able to take Oden/Aldridge/Pryzbilla or Bynum/Gasol/Odom in a 7 game series. I certainly don’t think they could.
Bryan, If you think that Jefferson/Love are not viable, you don’t address that in the draft, because there are no players who can improve that rotation. You use that asset to get a strong perimeter player/defender. Pairing Jefferson with Thabeet makes no sense, cause even if Al is a 4, he camps in the low post, and Thabeet is worthless anywhere else on the court. The way you then improve the frontcourt is a midseason trade once you can demonstrate that Jefferson recovered from the knee and/or Love has stepped up his game and then you trade for the veteran player you need.
Other than that, I’m in complete agreement with Foo. My backcourt rotation next season has Love and Jefferson starting with Foyle and Taj Gibson (taken with the 28th pick) backing up along with whichever stiffs you can’t get rid of in the offseason.
Actually, according to Chad Ford, Thabeet has a pretty decent jump shot and has the right mechanics to really refine that.
And again, we aren’t going very far this year. You guys keep saying add a veteran center, add a veteran point guard, etc etc. Great, then the guy will be 35 by the time we’re ready to compete. You all make it sound like we’re taking one year to fix the team and then we’ll vie for a championship in 2011. Get real.
If you are really talking about a team with a chance to go past the first round of the playoffs we need to add a front-court presence (especially defensively), a top-drawer PG, and an exceptional perimeter shooter. But there is no way that we can do this in the upcoming draft alone, or with draft-related trades. As Kahn has said, it will take several stages of improvement (drafts, trades and free agency) through 2010.
So, we should aim to get at least one fairly sure piece in next week’s draft maneuvers, whatever that takes, and then just hope to get lucky with any remaining picks.
Let me put it this way: do you think Al, Love and Adonal Foyle can take Gasol, Bynum, and Odom in 7? With Kobe freakin Bryant to deal with on top of that???
A fairly sure piece, I think, would be Harden. We could take a chance on one of the many talented (but less sure-fire) point guards at a later pick.
I don’t think Harden will be there at #6…I bet he gets taken either #3 by the Thunder or #5 by the Wizards or whatever team they trade that pick to.
We should move up to #2 to take him.
It’s a possibility. I don’t think giving up Love or all three first rounders is worth it for Harden, because I don’t think he changes the team enough to warrant the cost, but it’s in the realm of possibility for sure.
graduate, waseca high school, late 80’s: my high school coach sure SEEMED to think he knew everything.
mark jackson and mario elie intrigue me the most from the list above. i like the thought of a young team and a coach growing together. really, just anyone that doesnt approach the media / coaching like randy wittman is my preference. the tough, know it all guy act wears thin so quick - even with teams that have been good ie orlando this year and the scott skiles bulls of 5 yrs ago, that act gets old so quick to fans, and players it certainly seems. i prefer the doc rivers / avery johnson type. quinn snyder gets an auto no b/c he’s got ties to bob knight and therfore wittman. wittman’s rotations or lack thereof still haunt me.
What are Quin Snyder’s ties to Bob Knight? Are you thinking of Quinn Buckner?
Quin Snyder’s a Coach K disciple.
A young coach is fine, but he has to have some substantial coaching experience, preferably in the NBA. Mark Jackson seems savvy, but he would be feeling his way as an NBA head coach. Better to have someone who already has a system and a plan.
Bryan, I agree. We wouldn’t want to give up too much to move up to #2 (probably not Love and not all three picks). But we might be able to deal two of the picks, along with some other asset, and perhaps take some salary back. As you said, it is a possibility, and hopefully one that Kahn is exploring aggressively.
I want the best coach who will fit our talent the day after the draft. I have a feeling that with three expiring contracts (Miller, Cardinal, Madsen) and three draft picks that we will be busy on draft day. If the guy we want is gone, we could trade down. If we can, we will trade up. Regardless, we are not a great free agent destination, so I am sure guys like Hinrick, Kamen, Josh Smith, etc will be talked about on draft night.
even the following 4 degrees of separation is too close for me: snyder-coach k- bob knight - wittman. seems extreme sure, but i am a fan and therefore allowed to be delusional and turn a complete 180 if snyder gets the job and passes phil jackson with 11 rings as wolves coach.
reality is, i have a hard time with someone who hasnt been on an nba bench as a player or a coach leading a group of young guys. the jump from the d-league or the wnba seems like a big jump. but then look at how flip (and phil jackson) made the jump successfully. like i said, what do i know?
Hinrich isn’t in the mix. Kahn said flat out that a Kirk Hinrich trade won’t happen.
The idea of matching the coach to the players is good, but the problem is there’s going to be a lot of turnover over the next year or so. Kahn said he’d like to get at least 7, possibly as many as 10 new players on the roster by the end of the 2010 season. So getting a coach to match the players we have now won’t work.
someone posted as me above again, lol, but I am happy that McHale is gone
The benefit of hiring somebody after the draft is that Kahn is now allowed to have 100% say in who he wants, it is HIS show now. Maybe he intentionally chose to wait until the draft to release Mac for a reason.
I’m not a fan of Thabeet for our team but again, if he is there at six we have to get him. As of now I’m hoping for Curry at six.
“but then look at how flip (and phil jackson) made the jump successfully.”
getfree, Phil Jackson played in the NBA for the Knicks and was a key reserve on their NBA championship team in 1973. Soon after going into coaching he won a CBA championship coaching the Albany Patroons. Then he coached as a an assistant with the Bulls in the 1980s before taking over as their head coach.
So, he didn’t make a “jump” from obscurity to NBA head coaching.
uhhhh guys:
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2009/06/jefferson_on_mo.html
“An NBA executive told the Boston Globe today that the Minnesota Timberwolves is working a deal with the Phoenix Suns that would send former Celtics forward Al Jefferson and their sixth pick in next week’s NBA Draft for All-Star Amare Stoudemire.
The Suns, which have dangled Stoudemire for some time, fiound a suitor in Minnesota that is in transition. The team announced today that coach Kevin McHale has ended his 15-year association with the team. New basketball of operations David Kahn is looking to take the franchise into another direction.”
The guys that intrigue me the most are Porter, Mitchell, Elie, and Silas. My money’s still on Mitchell.
This doesn’t seem very credible. Unless there is more to the trade than just Jefferson and the 6th pick for Stoudemire.
That would be a very lopsided trade–in Phoenix’s favor.
Also, what are the contracts like? Jefferson is locked up at a reasonable salary through 2012/2013, right? What is Stoudemire’s status?
I have zero confidence in Kahn (read: Con) making a wise decision in selecting the new coach. His ego is too weak to hire someone with significant experience and a winning coaching record.
Interesting quote from Ruesse’s column:
—-
“The players had really been reaching out to me, saying, ‘We really want you to coach; we think we can make a run,’ ” McHale said. “The players felt so strongly, that was a big part of it.”
This job needed a realist — not some guy from Fantasyland ready to embrace the idea this was a nucleus ready to make a run.
—-
Dreamers who think the current roster can be competitive. Sounds like some fans I know…
Bryan, I think the Wolves are a few years away from worrying about how to beat the Lakers in a 7 game series. My point was that you’re not going to solve that problem in this year’s draft, so you focus on building up the perimeter. You solve that by some manuevering like the Jefferson for Stoudamire swap. Seriously, this club has no legitimate starting PG or wing, and you’re worried about whether Love and Jefferson can compete with the Lakers?
Overall, though, I’d expect most Laker/Wolves matchups in the future to go along the lines of the Jan 30th game. The line:
Gasol+Bynum: 48 pts, 24 boards.
Jefferson+Love: 48 pts, 22 boards.
Stopping Kobe on the other hand…
I’m worried about if Love and Jefferson can compete with anyone. There’s this thing in basketball called defense. It’d be nice if the Timberwolves could play some of it.
I agree their defense is terrible and neither can guard any body that is somewhat quick at the 4 or 5
Boston Globe came up with this ridiculous rumor from “an NBA executive” that we’re sending Al Jefferson and the #6 pick to the Suns for Amare. Anyone want to take bets on if it’s just McHale being pissy about being fired?
The best defense the Wolves have has been played in the paint.
From Canis Hoopus:
“Kevin Love led the Wolves with a 7.4 WARP in his rookie season. Despite some often-heard sentiments about him being a terrible defensive player, the 20 year old rookie actually held his opponents to 86.6% of their per-possession production. Love even led the team in defensive win shares. These probably aren’t stats you want to write home about, but taking into account the fact that Love was the team’s only legit front court player in the last 2-3 months of the season, that he was a rookie, and that he was often left cleaning up the mess left by one of the worst defensive perimeters in recent basketball memory, they are encouraging in a player as smart and talented as Love.”
Now Jefferson might not be a good defender, but it’s not because he’s over matched at center, he’s probably about the same at the 4. You’ve got to give both these guys the chance to show whether they can defend their man in the paint, rather than chasing a penetrator.
Thabeet promises some nice weakside help defending the rim, but defense in the paint begins with position. Love is actually pretty darn goos with that aspect of the game. Jefferson needs to try harder.
That sounds like a good guess. McHale blaming his dismissal on the fact that the wolves are ready to move Jefferson…
86% difference is not good defense. For a 20ppg scorer, that’s 18 points instead of 20. ONE SHOT. Wow, Love can make his man miss one extra shot. I’m sold.
Not to mention that whoever wrote that sounds like a Hollinger wannabe. Ya, his PER system is pretty accurate. Magic in 6 right?
And for the sake of this argument, I’m going to go on record as saying better perimeter defense won’t help much. Exhibit A: The Jazz. Ronnie Brewer, Andrei Kirilenko, Matt Harpring, CJ Miles. They’ve got a very good defensive perimeter, and yet they can never get beyond good because Boozer and Okur are completely incapable of defending the paint.
And anyone who thinks Thabeet can only defend from the weak side has never actually watched him play.
Mike
I just think all the pieces fit:
The rumor was first reported by the Boston Globe. Who the hell would know about talks between us and the Suns and go to the Boston Globe first? McHale’s the only one with the connection.
Second, it was from, what the paper called “an NBA executive”. Well, Mac’s not technically that anymore, but using his former title makes the paper look more credible.
Third, the deal completely fleeces us. McHale built a whole team on trades that are better for the other team than ourselves.
Coincidence?
well many of you know that I am not a huge Al Jeff fan and I wouldn’t be disappointed if he was moved. Carlos Boozer is available, Lamar Odom could be as well as Rasheed Wallace. All would be major upgrades of Jefferson defensively and would more than hold their own offensively
I’ve watched Thabeet play plenty against a bunch of 6′7″ college centers who will never sniff the D League. Look, he may become a player, but everyone knows he’s a project. He really doesn’t know his way around the court. Even so, if he had half the physicality of his teammate Robinson we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
Ehhh….Boozer wouldn’t be a defensive upgrade…
Now Rasheed…there’s an intriguing possibility. Not in a trade, since he’s an unrestricted free agent (and we wouldn’t give up a 24 year old future all star for a 34 year old), but if we were to sign him to a one or two year deal just as a holdover until we can find a permanent solution…that idea I like.
here is my list for coaches in no particular order:
Bobby Knight(Target Center would be full and just imagine his interaction w/ Pro Referees)
Avery Johnson: he tried to preach defense much to the shagrin of Marc Cuban and would be helpful to young PG’s
Jeff Van Gundy: has lead teams deep in the playoffs and always seems to get more out of his players than there talent would seem
Paul Silas: was rode out of Cleveland by superstar Lebron James…well looky looky, no superstars on this roster…he’d get at least 4yrs on the bench
bryan as far as boozer’s defense goes, i see what you’re saying but at least he attempts to get in front of guys. I’m not going to defend it any further than that
Who cares if Thabeet is a project? Are we in a hurry? Short of a miracle trade for LeBron, we’re not going to be very competitive for the next couple seasons anyway…
And honestly, if Thabeet doesn’t have an impact and doesn’t know his way around the court, how would UConn be the best defensive team in college ball? Hasheem averaged the same number of blocks last year that Mutombo did at Georgetown. It takes a lot more than just being 7′3″ to do that.
Wow, that’s true. I’ve always wondered why Al, a guy so great at moving his feet on offense, is always nailed to the floor on defense.
Jim Peterson pretty much nailed it after we played Orlando…Al is an arm waver on defense, and that’s why he struggles so much to defend and why we need to find a true center that can make up for that.
because defense is about heart, effort and want to…and maybe Jefferson just lacks a little bit of those.
Ideally, I would like to see Tom Izzo as the coach here, but I don’t think there is a chance at that.
But I would like to see Lambier come in here as an assistant coach so he can teach some toughness for the bigs, and I would like to see him be able to work with Kevin Love on his spacing by the basket, and his outside shot a little bit.
VanGundy would be a nice “big name” guy, and I kind of think bringing in a big name guy of some kind would be a great boon for this team because it would add a sense of credibility to the product, and it would also help the players who are hurt by losing McHale realize that Kahn is very serious about creating a culture of winning, and excellence here.
I have to say though that Jerry’s article for the Strib created some of the most pathetic responses I’ve ever seen. The McHale sob story makes me think of Jim Morrison’s line “Death Makes Angels Of Us All” which is not true. McHale was a failure here, he stayed with the team 7-8 years too long, and he has tarnished his minnesota halo hopefully forever.
Bryan, I forgot all about Sheed. Putting him in as the center in this lineup might be an interesting experiment, especially if we get a guy like Lambier in here as an assistant coach.
I am not sure I would like him as a head man though. It would be like Bobby Knight with weapons, and a less accomplished resume.
Sheed, Laimbeer, Bobby Knight: the kind of calm, quality human beings that will reshape the franchise.
Ha, if we had both Laimbeer and Knight, our coaching staff would probably finish the year with more technicals than any roster in the league.
I wonder what we’d be nicknamed? Timberwolves doesn’t rhyme with jail or thug or anything like that…
it would maybe be known as the turn-style team, as in creating a turn-style at the league office
Add Rick Pitino to the list. He’s looking, his name has been tied to other pro jobs recently. More important is that he is someone who gets young guys to develop. I like Izzo better but I think Pitino is more likely.
Besides, he’s a good quote: All the negativity in this town sucks!
Very few college coaches have had success at the pro level. I’d rather see us go for a known commodity like Van Gundy, Avery Johnson, or Silas.
I don’t know about this trade Al Jefferson nonsense. The guys has played a big role on a time for all of two years. Give him a little time to grow.
I would guess the Suns made that one up.
Pitino wouldn’t settle for this market, he’s a guy that demands a spotlight, wants to be in a big market and the TC is not that.
Al for Amare, no way. Also there is no WAY Sheed would come to MN as a free agent. He can have his pick of teams, why would he come to a last place team?
I’m not a fan of bringing in a college coach to the NBA, like MikeM said, “Very few college coaches have had success at the pro level.”
Pitino wants a big market, like Louisville?
Probably a better way to put it is Pitino wants a basketball town.
I’m guessing we don’t qualify.
Why should the Wolves be building a team that looks to stop the Lakers? Shouldn’t they be building a team that the Lakers have to adjust to stop?
Look at Orlando, they built a team that other teams have to adjust to not vise versa. Plus as others have pointed out, the Lakers are going to look a lot different by the time the Wolves are actually competing for a Conference title.
That Jefferson for Amare deal makes zero sense. If that is the first personel move Kahn makes, he won’t be here for long.
That rumor is absurd. Wouldn’t trade Jefferson for Stoudemire straight up, much less with the 6.
I think people are completely wrong on what Thabeet is at this point. Right now he is basically Mark Eaton. Yes he can block shots which the Wolves need and yes he can rebound, which is not a Wolves weakness, but he has almost zero offensive game at this point.
Also, jama is right on. You don’t reactively plan for every team you might play. You have to decide what you will do well and execute, based on realistic options for personnel. And with the current rules, it’s a smaller, faster league. It’s not the mid-90’s anymore.
If we get to the point where the only thing between us and the title is Gasol/Bynum (unlikely given timing), I think we can all live with that given the past few seasons.
Bryan… I’m not personally advocating to add any old veterans, so I hope you’re not lumping me in the “you guys” group. The only veteran I’ve been open to adding in a major role is Kirk Hinrich and he’s only 28.
Uggh, Thabeet= Lame. Deandre Jordan blocks shots and rebounds. Which round could we have taken him last year? Please remind me.
jama, in the college basketball world Louisville is an established/recognizeable school.
where did he coach in the pros?
oh thats right, Boston.
No to Amare. Please.
Once again to Bryan…
You said:
“Let me put it this way: do you think Al, Love and Adonal Foyle can take Gasol, Bynum, and Odom in 7? With Kobe freakin Bryant to deal with on top of that???”
I agree that Gasol, Bynum and Odom are a strong frontcourt, but not that much stronger than Al and Love. Foyle fills a role and that’s it. The bigger issue (BY FAR) is that they have Kobe. We’re not going to beat Kobe by improving our frontcourt. That’s why I (and a lot of others) believe perimeter defense, penetration and scoring are much more important than tearing up our current frontcourt rotation.
BTW, I don’t think anybody is saying that Al-Love represent the best frontcourt in The NBA. But it’s a very good frontcourt… good enough that we have the luxury of focusing on other much greater needs. I think you’d agree that upgrading from Al-Love is not nearly as important as upgrading from Telfair-Foye-Miller, et al.
Why are people so opposed to bringing in a veteran or two? This team has no veteran leadership whatsoever. Bringing in a couple of guys to show the young pups what real work is would do the Wolves wonders. Now I’m not saying they should bring in guys with huge salaries to help the team win a title right now. What I’m saying is bring in some guys who might start or could be one of the first couple guys off the bench who can lead this team.
Since KG left the Wolves have sorely lacked a veteran leader who actually sees some floor time. How many of these young guys are going to listen to Mark Madsen when he doesn’t even need to put on a jersey? The only current player that plays that is a veteran is Mike Miller and he is the opposite of vocal.
Bryan - as I read further, you advocated adding Rashweed Wallace a few posts after stating that adding aging veterans is a bad idea. Please make the distinction for me.
jama - You said it. I don’t want to put our eggs in the short-term, pricey veteran basket. Adding a sage, innexpensive veteran is great. Adding short-term fixes like Camby or R.Wallace doesn’t help us at all beyond giving us 2-3 extra wins next year… which is worthless.
here is another issue that some of you aren’t thinking about. this roster already has 12 people signed for 2009/2010 leaving very little room to bring people in, regardless of the fact teh wolves have a lot of cap space for this and next year. you can’t have more than 15 on your roster…those are the rules. so bringing in a vet, even a mid-level exemption guy would require a sign and trade or a trade of the regular variety.
Paul Silas or Avery Johnson would be my two top choices. I lived in Charlotte when Silas was coach of the Charlotte Hornets and he was an outstanding coach with that team and took them as far as they would ever go. I think Avery has the people skills to work with young players. Any truth to the ESPN rumor about Al Jefferson+6 pick for Amare Stoudemire?
I really liked Paul Silas as a coach when he was in Charlotte. The main problems I have with him is his age, he’s turning 66 in a couple weeks, and the fact that he’s been out of the league for almost 5 years. How well does he relate to today’s player?
We are one week out from the draft. At a minimum the draft should be very entertaining for Wolves fans.
Thibodeau and Elie would be my preferences from Jerry’s list, with Johnson, Snyder, Jackson and Porter on the next level. Mitchell and Van Gundy would be OK, but I tend to think both are overrated in the minds of many on here. I don’t think Wright is leaving Nova to come here unless you throw more money than he’s probably worth. Fratello and Laimbeer shouldn’t even be on the list, and I would consider Silas, but like jama, I think he might be too old — we want a guy who can be here for a while if results warrant.
I agree Jama, It’s an exciting time.
For those who (like me) want to fantasize about getting Ricky Rubio somehow, enjoy this youtube video. I’m not sure if the guy will be a superstar, but I just love guys who can pass.
Was thinking about the Jefferson/Amare rumor and it’s yet another example of how silly the media has become. This story get carried nationally because it’s blogged about in Boston. Some joker blogs and wham it’s all over the news.
From the Draft Express scouting report on Thabeet (didn’t anyone else notice these exact problems in Thabeet’s game?)
“The most evident thing to come out of this game was how much Thabeet dislikes contact around the basket. He was knocked to the floor a good 12-15 times by the much more physical (yet extremely undersized) Spartans, and looked extremely frustrated in turn. His extreme lack of balance has never looked more obvious, as he looked about as clumsy as he has since his freshman year with the amount of time he spent laying on the ground.
A huge key to this game for Michigan State was the way they were able crash the offensive glass (to the tune of 16 offensive rebounds) despite their lack of size and athleticism, and Thabeet was clearly a big factor in this. He was easily boxed out by the likes of Delvon Roe, Goran Suton and Raymar Morgan all night long, being constantly bumped out of position, and only coming up with 3 defensive rebounds in 36 minutes in turn. His inability to go outside his area and come away with loose balls really hurt his team tonight, and it really seemed like he lacked some focus here, even being hit in the face by a potential defensive rebound on one occasion.”
And this is his strength. Everyone knows he has no offensive game yet that can translate to the NBA. I just happen to think that he is going to get abused by the big guys in the paint at the next level.
How bout hiring Mussellman for coach….he’d probably really want to coach instead of being WILLING TO COACH…
The thing that worries me about Thabeet is that he’s only played since he was like 16. Which reminds me a little too much of the Candyman.
Indeed 5&dime… any big man who didn’t want to give up soccer for basketball, because b-ball was too rough a sport, is not a big man I want.
The game against Michigan State exposed that weakness in Thabeet’s mentality, as it was exposed by a few other physical/aggressive front courts. I think Thabeet will get badly dominated on defense in the NBA.
Rodman
The Amare/Jefferson trade rumor was started by a sports journalist at the Boston Globe. It wasn’t like I was the one who started this rumor it came from the Boston Globe. Rip the trade but don’t rip how the news was disseminated. Do you rip Jerry for what he writes?
espnnews is starting to jump on that trade idea…..amare for jefferson….
that scared the crap out of me…
jefferson for amare straight up is a stupid trade…..let alone with a first round pick…..if kahn makes that trade he is worse than mchale! why would you do that trade? Dumb…Dumb….Dumb…
There arer significant differences between Olowokandi and Thabeet. No one has questioned Thabeet’s work ethic. And Thabeet has played against better competition at the college level than Olowokandi did. As such, Thabeet’s weakenesses have been more exposed at the college level than Olowokandi’s.
From what I can read, Kahn is not all that impressed with Jefferson and Love as solid core pieces; he may just deal one of them or both to help his quest to bring in a superstar type player.
Rodman, it’d be nice to get a guy with that kind of vision and feel for the flow of the game around him… and the skill to do something about it. The kid can pass the ball. There is no denying that.
Amare isn’t a superstar. Kahn couldn’t really be this stupid could he? Jefferson smoked Amare every time they played.
jama,
My point is that if you read the blog entry at the Globe (with some nice typos), it’s just not a credible story. And the fact it came out of Boston on the day McHale got the boot is just too much of a coincidence for me. Perhaps they are just bitter their trade buddy is gone.
In the very least, it reads like some writer was told if he doesn’t get x-amount of hits on his blog by Friday he’s toast.
Kurt Rambis. Kurt Rambis. Kurt Rambis. As long as Phil Jackson doesn’t retire (in which case Rambis would be a front runner for the Lakers gig), the defensive minded Rambis is exactly the kind of coach a young and inexperienced Wolves team needs. Everyone here in LA thought he was headed to Sacramento, but at the last minute negotiations with the Maloof Brothers broke down over what Rambis described as a disagreement over the length of the contract. If he was willing to coach for that train wreck of a team, he could probably be lured to Minnesota for the right price. No low balling though.
Sean,
Thabeet is a thousand times better than Candy. And works a lot harder. All I was saying was I don’t like players who haven’t played their whole life. Maybe there are few good ones, but I don’t know.
I agree with Rodman, that guy was full of it writing that rumor. And Jama, when this blog first started you ripped Jerry all the time with you condescending crap. Give it up phony.
Arenal
Did I run over your dog and steal your wife without remebering it? All the venom you throw is pretty laughable considering you add nothing of value to this blog.
Jerry,
Any chance the Strib could set up a Chat with you like they have done with the beat writers for the Twins, Vikings and Wild?
I am 100% more accurate than you will ever be Jama. Like I said run off to Twins chat with all the other B.S.
If anyone wants to still talk BBall and quit fighting amongst eachother, Rotoworld reports that Phoenix made the Amare offer and Kahn turned it down.
Jefferson for Amare no longer on table
Al Jefferson - F/C - MIN - Jun. 18 - 11:32 am et
An NBA source confirmed that a potential trade of Al Jefferson and the No. 6 pick for the Suns’ Amare Stoudemire is no longer on the table.
The source said that the Suns made the offer to Minnesota, but were turned down by David Kahn and the Wolves. Kahn has reportedly called Jefferson to tell him the trade would not happen, but it does look like the Suns are dead set on moving Amare this summer. Jun. 18 - 11:32 am et
Source: Boston Globe
What are you accurate about? You don’t give any opions about the Wolves players or front office. It’s easy to be right after the fact though.
Sounds like Kahn knew what he was doing on that one. Jerry are you heading to the workouts?
“Olajuwon did not play basketball until the age of 15.” This is why I can’t make a decision on Thabeet. Kandi was a huge bust and Hakeem was such a stud.
Snyder was the all-star coach and was voted coach of the year by his peers in the D-league. He has passion, intensity, and a proven record of developing college and pro players. I’d roll the dice on him making the jump from the D-league to the NBA… unless Phil was interested.
