Following Ricky Rubio
Posted on July 6th, 2009 – 4:53 PMBy Jerry Zgoda
There’s a chance Ricky Rubio sometime this summer will break the news about his own future, just like Kevin Love did with the Kevin McHale dismissal last month.
Rubio’s latest Twitter feed, made from Spain a few hours ago, said he’s back from a visit with buddy Rudy Fernandez, had a great day at the beach today and now needs a good night’s rest because “we have to make decisions.”
You can follow him at twitter.com/rickyrubio9 or his official web site — www.rickyrubio9.com — updates his Twitter feeds.
They’re all, of course, en Espanol.
Rubio’s ACB Spanish league has picked its top 10 plays of the years, and two of them are his.
Check out the fancy passing on Nos. 5 and 1 at http://acbtv.acb.com/video/1966
258 Responses to "Following Ricky Rubio"
Thanks for the new blog, but I don’t think were close to the final outcome yet, hopefully sometime in the next couple of weeks
Hey Jerry. Are the T-Wolves looking to bring back Carney or even sniffing around any free agents?
Good question Perry, any news or can you give your best guesses or thoughts on some players we will maybe go after or players that may not be with us when the season comes. Thanks.
I just watched that video of highlights and saw #2 as Haislip - the new addition to the Spurs. he looks pretty electric and I wish the wolves had taken a look at him.
Great to see the strib is really covering the coaching search……..
I saw that too matt, I’m surprised no one talked about him more, maybe he didn’t play that well over all over there, not sure
I think Carney’s really underrated, and I’d love to see him back with an expanded role. He’s great in transition and has off the charts athleticism, I really think we’d regret letting him go if someone else picked him up and gave him more playing time.
I’ve seen a lot of Carney bashing on this site, but who’s with me on this one?
I’m with you, BUT it needs to be for less than 3 million a year, He’s just not worth it for more than 3 million a year.
actually he was back after had a great evening with her friends at the beach. I don’t believe he can go to nba this year. this guy is a professional player in europe, but he hasn’t a hight salary, Even if Ricky want to leave ACB and play at Wolfs in 2010 he wouldn’t afford her caluse. low salary VS huge clause
I’m so tired of this topic… so I’m going to say my say and be done with it. I’ll gift-wrap the last word to you, if you want it, Mr. Logical Thinker…
Bob McKillop had Stephen Curry and a bunch of CPAs and Pre-Meds; Roy Williams has a roster of probably 6-8 NBA players at any given time.
We’ll agree to disagree if you think that Wayne Ellington wouldn’t be able to get as many shots as he wanted to in The So-Con. If Anthony Morrow can get 8 shots per game as a reserve against NBA defenders and Ellington was able to 12 shots per game against ACC defenders while having to share the ball as much as he did in Carolina, I don’t Ellington would be deferring to all the Pre-Meds and CPAs playing for McKillop at Belk Arena.
All the efficiency-minded stats support this and I’ve seen enough of the guy play to feel good about it.
Beyond that, I’m happy to just let the proof be in the pudding when the games get started.
I’m so done with this topic.
Foo- I wrote on the last post that I am with you, like you know, people are saying he isn’t going to get enough shots, thats bs, MM had about 10-12 open shots last at SG, and turned many of them down, if Ellington is willing to shoot when he is open he can easily get 10 shots a night in about 25-30 minutes.
Ellington = Young Rip Hamilton
Thanks for the link Jerry. How could you not want the orchestrator of the fifth and first best plays of that countdown playing for the Timberwolves?
Rubio was making those plays against wily, experienced, European players. Keep that in mind when you think about how he’ll fair against players with a low BBIQ in the league.
Joe & C-Note - $3M for Carney? I’d be happy with giving him 10-percent over the league minimum at most.
He’s got what he needs physically to be a great defender, but he looked clueless too often in the team concept last year. He gambled on the perimeter a lot, which led to a lot of those highlight-reel dunks… but also led to him compromising our team defensive shape when he missed or got deked by the savvy PGs in the league.
Offensively, it’s been pretty well documented that he’s got zero mid-range game, can’t put the ball on the floor to save his life and is mostly a streaky base-line 3-point shooter.
My stance for 8-9 months now has been that I’d like to have him back as a situational back-up/mostly a 3rd-stringer on a very low-dollars contract. For that role, I really like him. For a rotational role, I think he’s in over his head.
But I always gave him a lot of credit for seemingly being a great team guy and a very hard worker. It’s hard not to like that guy, but that doesn’t make me want to give him a big role.
How about a three year deal for around $7 million for Carney
C-Note - $2.3M average for Carney is a tad too much for my liking and so is a 3-year commitment.
But I don’t think you’re too far off. I’d probably come in offering 2 years, $1M per and maxing out at 2 years, $1.5M per. It’s just too much of a buyer’s market for available wings with big holes in their games. With all the middle-of-the-pack wings out there, I just seriously doubt that Carney will be able to get more than that on the open market.
And if he does, that’s one of those situations where I’d be OK with walking away. We could still always get a guy like Von Wafer, Carlos Delfino or Keith Bogans.
I like Carney as that insurance player in case someone gets injured. His dunks are some of the most exciting in the league. The problem here is if Rubio is on board our roster is already at 15 with only one true SG (Ellington) and way too many PF. Sure Brown might get bought out but what then if Rubio doesn’t come? Now we’re down to 2 PG and 1 SG. Would someone please tell us who’s in the final year of their contract? I pretty sure Madsen and Cardinal are but who else?
skramber - Hoopshype.com is a great reference for salaries and contracts. Here is the link to The Wolves’ contract status:
http://hoopshype.com/salaries/minnesota.htm
We have 6 expiring contracts right now totalling roughly $21.5M, so The Wolves are in a good position with the cap.
Foo is warming to Carney. Two days ago he wanted to offer the minimum and no more. Now he’s up to $3MM over two years. Like Gomes, Smith, and Telfair, Carney is a cheap roster filler who does a few things well and could develop. It’s not much of a risk. I think they should sign Carney.
Even with Hedo not going to Portland, Fernandez is still looking for a deal out. He’s a pure SG playing behind Brandon Roy. That’s not going to change anytime soon. There are teams he could start for like — the Wolves. Rudy and Pryz to Minnesota. Make it happen Kahn.
I really like the Bogans idea, gives us a good defender on the wings to go with Brewer and some experience
Thanks Foo. You’ve hooked me up with that great site before. Always appreciated (unfortunately forgotten).
Mike B. - I bet I’m not too far off the minimum… anybody know what the league-minimum salary is for 4th-year player?
And I don’t know if warming is the right way to term my opinion on Carney. I’ve always liked Carney the guy and how he fits… just don’t see him as an urgent keep. For his attitude and the sheer entertainment of his dunks, I’d like to have him back under the right terms.
It doesn’t hurt that we only have one SG either. He’s a SG-SF, so between him, Ellington and even a bit of Bobby Brown, we could hold the 2-guard spot down for the year without sacrificing much cap flexibility.
Now that I think about it, I would rather spend my 3 million a year on Bogans, he didn’t shoot great but he has great defense and has played 6 seasons
Bogans - strong perimeter defender, acceptable 3-point shooter, good team guy, knows his role, will be cheap.
As much as I like Carney, he will get too much money (at least 3 mill) thrown at him from somewhere, and he’s just not wroth it at that price (even 2.5 mill) and definitely not worth a long term deal right now. if he’d come back at 2 mill/1 year deal with a team option for next year, I’d be all over it. but giving long term money/years to a guy with 1/4 of a game isn’t good business. and this team is not looking to shore up a weak spot to contend for the playoffs, its just looking to balance out the roster and not tire out 3 young guys at the 2/3. there are plenty of guys out there thatd be hapy to sign for close to the minimum.
Interesting note - Bogans’ stats are almost EXACTLY like Dahntay Jones’ with the exception of Bogans’ being a much more accomplished 3-point shooters (D.Jones only attempted 17 3-pointers last year).
Dahntay Jones was getting some steam on this blog a few days ago, but I think I’d rather have Bogans.
I think Paul Harris might be decent to hang onto, if only a DLeague assignment. he’s decent and works well with Flynn. we could keep in there and if a guy gets hurt we could bring him up and give him some minutes at the 3.
Regarding the 2/3, even if we give Brewer, Gomes and Ellington about 25-30 minutes per game, that equates to about 75-90 minutes per game. that only leaves about 5-20 minutes per game to fill in those last couple spots. on this team in this situation, I have no problem giving Brown a few minutes at the 2 and a guy like Smith a few minutes at the 3 to balance that out. if the game goes overtime, Brewer and Gomes have been around long enough and should be able to handle the extra minutes.
Does it appear the T-Wolves are running low on options? WIth all issues the team has now the draft is behind us, what will they do next? So far only one silly move and there is room for more. What will they do?
What about taking a flier on Shannon Brown? I know The Lakers would like him back and I presume he’d prefer to go back there.
But if LA doesn’t have room for him, maybe a 1-year + team option deal could get him here with the lure being that he’d most likely get more than the 10 mpg he got last year with The Lakers.
He’s a nice shooter, good athlete and good defender.
medschool - I’m with you - I’d be OK with standing pat at SG too. Also wouldn’t mind bringing in a younger guy like the ones I’ve been mentioning (Bogans, Delfino, Wafer, Shannon Brown… or even Carney).
But I don’t think the decision will have a big impact either way. Mostly, I’d like to give Ellington some legit competition at the 2-guard spot (Brewer is more of a 3; Brown is more of a 1).
NOOOO he has to re-sign with the Lakers(me being a Laker fan also) but if he wants out of LA or they won’t pay him, I hope the Wolves get him, I watched almost every Laker game last year and when he was traded and started to play, he always played up tempo and hard, I was surprised by his great shooting and decision making in the playoffs too.
Foo
I’d replace those adjectives with:
ok shooter, decent athlete, above average defender.
Matt- for Bogans or Brown?
He was talking about Bogans. But, medschool, fair enough. I’d say OK and acceptable are synonymous. And I’d be happy with an “above average” perimeter defender right now.
actually I was talking about brown but ok 
um, ya….if these are the 10 best plays of the year, this league sucks ass.
Some one took my old screen name, lol
Chris
the top 5 were pretty good, especially rubios’ and haislips dunk. other than that, the crazy 3 pointers weren’t all that exciting.
You could probably see that Haislip dunk any night in the NBA 2 or 3 times
Carney is streaky at best jump shooter, gets blocked too much when he goes inside, converts at a mediocre rate, has an awful Roland rating and turns the ball over way to much.
Makes some sweet dunks though!
Does anyone know who is coaching the summer league team?
Marion to Dallas for Stackhouse, ESPN is reporting
C-Note - Marion for Stackhouse, huh? … OK, just read the story. Interesting that a 3rd-team may need to be involved. With 6 expiring contracts, maybe The Wolves could get in on the deal somehow for some roster balancing…
As a former Spartan season ticket holder, I say YES to Shannon Brown!
not sure how marion helps them, possibly starting him at the wing? I think Cuban likes staking his team with over paid players..
Maybe
Kidd
Howard
Marion
Nowitzki
Dampier
or take out Dampier and Nowitzki at C and Marion at PF and Howard at SF
Maybe Howard or Dampier could be part of the deal
so they are trading for the exact same player? that makes sense.
I never play with the ESPN Trade Machine, but I just spun a 3-way trade between Dallas, Toronto and The Wolves with it…
MINNESOTA GETS:
1. Antoine Wright, SG
2. Ryan Hollins, C
TORONTO GETS:
1. Jerry Stackhouse, SG
2. Oleksiy Pecherov, PF
DALLAS GETS:
1. Shawn Marion, SF
2. Mark Madsen, C
While Minnesota is just there to make salaries work, I think this one helps The Wolves quite a bit… we get our low-key defensive center in Hollins (young, legit 7-0, very athletic, more blocks per 48min than Dalembert & Camby) and some balance in our lineup with Antoine Wright who is similar to Corey Brewer, but more of a SG than SF. Wright’s offense has been lame, but he’s another SG to platoon with Ellington and he defends on the perimeter very well.
All Dallas cares about is Marion, but giving up Hollins is a lot easier now that they are going to get Marcin Gortat. Madsen is roster fodder.
Toronto currently has nobody at SG, where Stackhouse steps in and gives them some veteran minutes. Pecherov is roster fodder.
For The Wolves, it’s a nice deal - two young rotational players in; two scrubs out. It also really balances out the roster, with less front-court space-takers and some depth at SG and C.
Cuban is kind of weird, who knows, I could see Dampier being traded but don’t know who would want him
Foo, I couldn’t agree more that the Ellington subject needs to end because the premise of “let’s have players change teams and then speculate how they would do” has taken this discussion to a new low. Time to move on. Still wondering about the direction of the team…
Foo- that would be a steal for us, but both teams have players to get the salaries close
What’s up with the coaching search? You wouldn’t think it would be that hard to find someone. I wonder if Kahn is having a hard time finding someone who wants to coach this team the way it’s assembled, especially with a Euro guy that doesn’t want to come here.
Dirk is far to weak to play C. he’d get eaten alive.
Actually, I just remembered… are we able to trade Pecherov yet? I thought within 30 days of that Washington deal, we could only trade him away by himself (not in combination with other players…).
Oh well… if not, two other players that could work in Pecherov’s spot on Bobby Brown or sign Carney and include him in the trade. Both scenarios work.
Arenal - Why would Dirk ever have to play C? Currently, they go Erick Dampier and Marcin Gortat 1-2 in the pivot.
I said if they played Howard, Marion, and Dirk in the front court, it could be a good lineup against some teams
Ahh… actually a “Run” lineup with Dirk in the paint would be difficult to guard against.
If the match-ups allowed, it could be fun.
its not finding someone genius, its finding the right someone. common sense.
Jerry, are we sure it was Rudy Fernandez Rubio was visiting? He talks about being in Mallorca with “Rudy” his “gran amigo,” but I don’t see anything about it being Rudy Fernandez…
Arenal - please be more specific. Are you killing me or C-Note or seenenough?
that would be seenenough
i think seenenough is really that idiot Bryan. god knows i have seen enough of that tools stupidity.
lol
Sorry Arenal. Unlike you, I actually use my own name on this blog. I can understand why you’d steal someone else’s though, with your mama being an escaped convict and all. Must be hard to hide something that fat, eh? 
Anyway, watching that video I couldn’t help but notice thatwe’re missing half the equation to make those highlights happen. We have Rubio, but where are all the guys who are going to run the floor and make those catches?
And I like Foo’s trade idea. I think getting a cheap, young, athletic defender like Hollins is worth it this year, if for no other reason than to see if that sort of three man rotation is viable.
If it is, we can either turn our attention to finding a more quality player, or simply retain Hollins if he does really well. If it isn’t, then we’ll know a year sooner and we can start looking for other possibilities.
I am bored so I might as well go with this…
Minnesota general manager David Kahn was in Portland this weekend to interview Blazers assistant coach Monty Williams for the Timberwolves head coaching job.
From the same article: The biggest insight into Pritchard’s mindset came Monday, when a team source revealed that the Blazers are most likely to pull away from the free agent market and use their cap space to execute an financially uneven trade.
Teams under the league salary cap - and the Blazers expect to be $7 million to $8 million under when the cap is announced today or Wednesday - are not required to match salaries of the players involved. For instance, the Blazers can acquire a player making $10 million by using their $7 million cap space and sending a player making $3 million to the other team.
Many think the Blazers are in the market for a starting point guard, a dynamic small forward or a backup power forward. Turkoglu was a dynamic, multi-faceted small forward who was close to signing with the Blazers before electing to agree with Toronto.
Since the stunning reversal Friday evening, the Blazers have been active, according to agents around the league. Andy Miller said the Blazers first inquired about Andre Miller shortly after the free agent market opened July 1, but then the dialogue ceased. After the Turkoglu deal fell through, his phone line lit up again.
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/07/blazers_next_move_is_a_mystery.html
Relax about the Rubio situation, everybody.
This guy is going to play in a Wolves uniform next year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37pw9QoJ-Ws
I’m psyched.
And your basing that on….???
Even though I know we’re not going to concoct some 3-team deal with The Raptors and Mav-Wrecks, I still think Ryan Hollins should be a target for us.
He’s young, athletic and a legit 7-foot. He runs the floor like crazy and has the ability to finish on alley-oops. That above-the-rim, defensive-minded center is a huge need still and (as I said last night), he averaged more blocks/48Min than Dalembert and Camby.
I’d say the urgency to go after a guy like that is even more possible now with The Mavs bringing in Marcin Gortat with the full mid-level exception. How many minutes will there be for Hollins with two other true centers (Dampier and Gortat) on the roster who need big minutes.
Speaking of Dallas deals, is Matt Carroll in the “Don’t Touch Him with a 10-foot Stick” category?
There’s plenty not to like: He’s got 4 decreasing-salary years remaining on his deal - $4.7M, $4.3M, $3.9M, $3.5M. And he had a terrible season last year, shooting .155 below his career 3-point shooting percentage (career is 40%) and couldn’t seem to get off the bench for both Charlotte and Dallas. So there’s a lot to be concerned with there.
But I think Dallas would get rid of him in a heartbeat and pay a pretty penny to the team that takes him.
To me our two worst “long-term” contracts are Darius Songalia and Sebastian Telfair - both decent/average players with player-options for 2010-2011. If they both exercise their options, we owed them $14.5M total through the next two years. Carroll is owed $16.4M over the next four years.
Would Dallas do this trade:
1. Darius Songalia
2. Sebastian Telfair
FOR
1. Matt Carroll
2. Ryan Hollins
3. Draft Rights to Rodrique Beaubois (PG)
4. 2010 2nd-rd draft pick (from draft trade w/ Portland)
Not sure if that’s even worth it, but Hollins and Beaubois have a lot of value and upside, the 2nd-round pick is a throw-in and, hey, if Carroll can bounce back and hit 40-percent of his 3-pointers again, then he’s a nice fit too. And actually, even though all I ever knew about Carroll is that he hits 3-pointers, I also just read that Carroll has a quick first step, strong handles and isn’t a huge defensive liability.
This move also gives us more cap space now and for the 2010 FA class. After that, Carroll’s $3.9M and $3.5M salaries are still on the books.
Is it worth taking on Carroll to get those assets and to move Songalia and Telfair?
Foo, why are you so concerned about trades involving something called Ryan Hollins?
And details of a Matt Carroll contract? All of these posts are odd.
99.9% of fans, and I’d guess 90% of serious fans have never heard of him, or of half the guys you’re pitching…
If you’re asking what we think of your “proposals”, the reaction is obvious - crickets…
Thanks for the kinds words, Number 18. Wanna get together for lunch sometime?
Way to throw it out there, Number 18! I was thinking the same thing- who are these guys and why do we care about names like Hollins? While the Celtics are getting Wallace, we’re talking about Matt Carroll? We don’t have a coach, our #5 pick is sitting in Spain, we just traded away our 2 Shooting Guards, and we’re talking about a couple of losers to add to this team? Boy, that should solve all the team’s problems.
Don’t forget, Kahn went to the media and put the current players “on notice” saying that any of them could be traded, but named Al and Love specifically. Recently he’s back-pedaled, but these guys don’t forget as easily as one may think. They also just lost 2 teammates who they seemed to enjoy in Foye and Miller. Trade rumors have been swirling about Smith and Gomes. This group seemed pretty tight last year- I think many of them will give up ‘when the going gets tough’ unless a good coach is brought in to keep them cohesive.
I’m not a cheap date, but I love a good BLT w/ mayo!
LOL, funny stuff #18. I think Foo needs get a life. Ryan Hollins and Matt Carroll? They get more pub from Foo then their own families. Get a life.
Tough crowd this morning.
I’ll happily defend Foo’s small transactions. I love that stuff. Roster building. Small moves. Salary implications. Outstanding. I mean, what’s new to say this morning about Rubio? When there’s news, we’ll talk about it.
As for that trade, I doubt that Dallas would include Beaubois, and I’m not sure I’d do it as the Wolves. I really don’t want to pay Matt Carroll for 4 seasons.
Hollins is an RFA, I believe. If they get Gortat, I wonder if the Mavs would match even a modest offer.
If we’re going to try and get Hollins or someone similar there’s almost no way we can do it through free agency. I don’t think Kahn can justify using our last roster spot for another big (if Rubio stays in Spain and we don’t buy anyone else out).
I really like the Bogans idea, gives us a good PowerBall defender on the wings to go with Brewer and some experience.
Someone is gonna get bought out or just flat out Calvin Booth’d.
Jerry watch out, your blog might blow up from all this Hollins speculation. Massive Fail.
Almost forgot, Bryan is a epic tool.
Sweet…sounds like the Pistons are into Avery Johnson aka we don’t have to have him as a coach !
Foo, sounds like Carroll would fit in perfectly with your new lineup with Ellington because NEITHER can dribble with their left hand (not that any other teams would notice.) Please don’t leave your day job.
Ah Swan, might want to read this…
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-pistonscoach070709&prov=yhoo&type=lgns&expire=1
Well I think if Avery’s looking for 5 million/year, then we can eliminate him as a candidate anyway
Trying to get a feel where team is headed and whether season tickets make sense. MATT CARROL and RYAN HOLLINS plus we get another pt guard. Oh boy just what I wanna hear. Heard we paid a 15% trade kicker to Eaton Thomas. We gave a guy who is a locker room killer an extra million to come here an pollute our young guys. We trade 2 wing men for a player to be seen later, now we’re throwing out Bogins and Carrol cause we have no wings… I guess I could always say I witnessed the team that broke Philly’s 9 game win mark. This can’t be it. Surely Kahn has something going to improve team. Do we have a coach yet?
I read that Kahn will be taking the “next month” to find a coach. I guess he doesn’t think it’s all that important. As for summer league, I think it will be handled by the old assistants, most of whom don’t know if they’ll have a job next year. Can anyone say DYSFUNCTIONAL?
Logical thinker: I’m curious: what moves could the Wolves make that would get you to buy season tickets this year?
Yeah a vet or two that can compliment Big AL. I’m not talking 12 year guys, just some players that won’t be overwhelmed by league, level of competition and can grow with him. This disjointed patch work junk won’t build a team and free agents won’t come here. Don’t give me the players will go anywhere for cash crap…. The wrong ones will come right ones won’t. Ask Chicago, after MJ left they couldn’t give money away. They signed some stiff from Charlotte and Ron Mercer both bombed. Putt together a team around Al and let them grow. That means defenders, shooters and some toughness. Taking 2 pt guards 5 & 6 then saying they’ll be Dumars and Thomas or Ainge and DJ when they don’t fit that mold at all doesn’t fill me with hope. This Carrol and Hollins stuff doesn’t help.
I’m still stuck on this coaching thing. Everyone in the league seems to be getting good free agents, while our team is sitting around without a coach. We need a big name to add a bit of excitement around here. How about a guy like Mike Fratello? Or isn’t he interested in coaching anymore? I also like Del Harris- at least he’s a veteran coach. Anything’s better than Monty Williams who no one knows. He’s a yawner.
No Avery or Mitchell !
Gotta get back to something useful but before I go I gotta throw a jab at Foo….. In the spirit of SNL: Foo you ignorant slut…… You ranted about 6th men and non starters then you write WAR AND PEACE about Carrol and Hollins….. Pick a team, stake a claim and be consistent… Show some BB IQ and get off the fence . The fence hurts if you’ve got a set.
Well LT, I think the devil is in the details. You didn’t suggest any specific players, what we’d have to give up to get them, or what the cap implications are. If we can add a piece like Fernandez this year at the right price, I’d be happy to have it happen. But overall, I’m more worried about whether you want to get season tickets NEXT year than this year.
I’d actually find it pretty interesting to see how guys like Flynn, Ellington, and (maybe) Paul Harris do. It might be a car wreck, but everyone slows down to look at those, too. One way or another, more moves are coming. They just might have to wait a year. I refuse to believe that Kahn really thinks Flynn and Rubio will be on the court together in the long run. But that doesn’t mean that taking Flynn was the wrong move. I buy into the BPA theory on that one.
On the coaching search (seenenough), I’m not sure that “excitement” is in the cards for us. Del Harris sounds like a plausible option, but I doubt he’d light up the phone lines at the season ticket office.
Logical
So who are these players you want? You laugh off every name brought up, but then don’t mention anyone you would like? Some specific players rather than, “Yeah a vet or two that can compliment Big AL”, would be helpful.
It’s pointless to complain about the draft at this point since that has already happened and nothing can be done to change it. I’d like to hear how you would improve the Wolves going forward.
Thank you in advance.
Foo
I have no interest in Carrol. I know he isn’t making much but a 4 year contract is still a 4 year contract. How much would he actually help the Wolves improve over the next 2 seasons? I don’t think that much. I’d rather give those minutes to Ellington to at least see what he can do.
Hollins is another story. I’d take a look at him if it isn’t going to cost you much. I have no idea what kind of offer he is looking for. I’d guess he accepts the qualifying offer from the Mavs and becomes a FA next season.
Matt, nice link… take a look at the last question/answer from the article:
-How’s the coaching search going?
“Great. We’re a third of the way through preliminary interviews. There’s no time pressure on this process, so we’re going to take some time.”
No time pressure? wtf? Make you feel any better seenenough?
This situation exactly mirrors the GM search; the front office messes around, the top 3 candidates walk, and we end up w/ a guy who hasn’t been affiliated w/ the NBA since, what ‘02?
Can’t wait to see what retread ends up coaching the woolfie’s… Save your $$ on the season tickets LT.
Mad Dan… Snuck on to respond. Thanks for your response. Of course I’m vague, I don’t know who’s looking to trade who. I’m not working for the Wolves and hitting the phones (sounds like you may work for them… if so wish you well). Rudy Fern is a name I like. Best player available was Steph Curry so why not take him. Would’ve like to see them move back to 11 12 13 and get a wing plus take Flynn there. I like Flynn and believe he’s there then, if not, Johnson from Wake. I agree draft is done so lets see if Kahn can improve this team not a fan at all of the squad as assembled.
What would it take to get Rudy Fernandez here ? Whoa…he only makes $1.1 this year ?
What would it take to get that done ?
Collins is soft. Always has been.
Logical is right, sort of. The team would be in very bad shape if the season was starting right now, because there is no NBA talent at the wings, and not even enough bodies at that position to get through the season. However, I also don’t think this is a panic situation. I do believe that this issue will be addressed via trade. FAs are OK, but hey don’t balance out the lopsided roster. We have so many bigs, I can’t imagine that adding another guy like Hollins who can give you 10 weak minutes is a priority.
Right now I imagine the emphasis is on finding a coach, and I would expect some trades before the season opens, maybe after the free agent situation shakes out.
LT
Again you poo poo every name that’s been thrown out there and come back with “of course I’m vague”. You seem to do a great job of ripping people for throwing opinions out there but have backed that up with nothing.
Rudy Fernandez great, how do you get him? Who do you trade for him that makes sense for both teams?
I’d suggest you lay off all the ripping of people and if you don’t like their take, just ignore it or counter with another option.
5&10
Which Collins are you talking about?
Getting Fernandez would probably require a 3-way deal. Outside of a 1st rounder I don’t see a great way to get him.
Are the 12 people that constantly the only T-Wolves fans in the state? Keep thinking (dreaming) of outrageous trades that will not happen. Good entertainment.
What is the hurry on the coaching front? So he can coach summer league,assistants always coach this anyway. IMHO Kahn has done good. He is right to take his time on the next head coach it will be extremely important for the devlopement of a such a young team. I also see this choice effecting the Rubio decision.
P.S. THINGS WOULD BE SO MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE IN THIS BLOG/CHAT ROOM IF PEOPLE EXPRESSED THER OPINIONS AS OPINIONS NOT FACT. IF YOUR OPINION IS SO RIGHT WHY AREN’T YOU A SCOUT OR A GM FOR THAT MATTER.
LT: I don’t know whether to be flattered or insulted that you think I might work for the Wolves! For the record, I don’t. But whether they should have hired Kahn or not, I think the guy deserves a chance to build the team the right way, and I think that it will take two years given the assets we have.
I would have also preferred it if we’d traded back from 6, but I don’t know whether they had any good options there. I do think that Flynn is a safer bet to be a quality starter than Curry is. And DeRozan is an even bigger wild card. So even though I was in shock when the took Flynn, I buy the reasoning now.
Disclaimer: the preceding consists entirely of opinions.
JR- This is a reality show blog/chat for the soon to be open ass’t GM post. The winner will take Hoiberg’s position. You watch.
Half-baked theory on the coaching search: is Kahn looking to make more roster moves this month, and then wants to match the coach to the personnel?
I can see that he wants to land the right guy, but it seem like kind of a long process to me.
Rasho: I will NOT share a house with these people just to get Hoiberg’s job. I might eat worms.
I love it, Kahn keeps giving it to the media dolts. Nice link Matt.
#18- We’ll be lucky to end up with our 4th choice of coach at this rate. You’re right, the GM search had this same pace, didn’t it? Maybe that’s Glen Taylor’s MO. He’s always been a bit of a mystery- although it sounds like his son-in-law was pretty involved in the GM search. Maybe he’s taken over the coaching search, too. Kahn has a lot on his plate. I still say that we need a vet as coach for these young guys. I haven’t heard good things about Avery or Mitchell, but my sources are vague. Anyone know anything about these guys?
Jama, sorry, typo. I meant Hollins, as in Ryan. I understand the general desire that folks have for an athletic, high flying center, but why do you really want to stock the cupboard with one dimensional players? Is the team any better when you sub out a starting center with one deficiency (say defense) with some other guy who has almost no game at all?
The team has no wings who have ever shown they should even start an NBA game, and Hollins catches your eye?
My last post was opinion, too. No facts involved.
John Kuester to The Pistons? Wow…
Kuester seems strange. Dumars seems to usually select more established coaches. Was Kuester on our short list (or long list) of names?…I hadn’t heard him mentioned before.
Logical - just because I don’t want to spend some $15M total on 6-men types like Foye and Miller doesn’t mean that we don’t need 6th-men and reserves altogether. The NBA roster is 15 players and I happen to enjoy speculating on some of the bargain players who can play nice roles off the bench. No fence-sitting here. Are you advocating a 5-man roster?
And, though Ryan Hollins won’t be on anybody’s fantasy basketball roster (maybe that’s the reason most folks on this board haven’t heard of him…), he’s extremely well-respected for his athleticism and ability to defend the post - two clearly-stated needs we have in our frontcourt. Hollins would be very effective backing up Al and fits the budget.
As for Carroll, I clearly stated there’s a lot not to like. The 4-year contract is the biggest red-flag. But I wasn’t looking at adding him as an asset, but as a way for us to get rid of Songalia and Telfair, balancing out the roster a bit while picking up three nice assets in Hollins, Beaubois and Portland’s 2nd-rounder. That trade idea had very little to do with Carroll the player, but with wondering how badly Dallas would want to shed him.
That’s cool if you don’t like the idea.
Foo, the common misperception on this blog seems to be that post defense is equivalent to blocking shots. Post defense is guarding the opposing big men, which Collins does not have sufficient strength or bulk to do. He can not compete for rebounding position and I doubt you can produce any evidence or expert opinion to the contrary. I was well aware with Hollins game in college, and am frankly surprised to see he has stuck in the NBA, since it does not appear he has added anything to his game since leaving school early.
Kahn is obviously taking his time because he is looking for the next great coach.
I’m betting our coach with be a first time head coach in the NBA.
Anyone think Patrick Ewing will get a look?
I was just thinking about Ewing after I saw Thorpe’s tweet from the summer league:
“Once again, I’m impressed with Coach Ewing. Smart things are just spewing from his mouth.”
I’m not so worried that Kahn won’t be able to hire who he wants to coach. I’m more worried there won’t be any quality assistant coaches available.
Any assistant coach worth a darn has either been hired or is soon to be hired.
The assistant coaches are probably more important with a young team than the head coach.
Well for all you Rubio people again, not the biggest fan of him now, as yall may know, but you may have noticed he is now in Gillet commercials, yes the shaving creme and razor stuff.
An update from Kahn on coach search, Rubio, ECT….. Has been posted today on ESPN TrueHoop section, or on the NBA main page for the sports network, here is the LINK….>>>>
Avery Johnson- ESPN said he wants a 4 year deal and Detroit only offered a 2 year deal. We could give him a 4 year deal for $8 million and see if he takes it
For those people using the trade machine on espn as a proposal for whether a trade might work or not, know that I just traded Etan Thomas, Cardinal, and Madsen for Lebron and it went through. I’m pretty sure it only goes through salary match up.
MNINMIA22-sounds like a good trade to me, lol, they might lose Lebron after next year any how, lol
MNinMIA22- love the trade. Call Kahn and get it done. Hate to see Mad Dog go, but…….
Very true, but just to prove that it only depended on salaries I did a three team trade and gave up our awful salaries Thomas, Cardinal, Madsen, Songalia, as well as Gomes and managed to get DWade and Lebron back for it. Also a good trade because both teams will lose these guys after this year…lol
Is Rubio old enough to shave?
Yes, he is old enough, too bad the only hair he has is on his head
The one up top btw, though only his mother and father in Spain may know.
fiveanddime - Hollins didn’t leave early. He stayed through his senior year.
canis hoopus has a post from a spanish media outlet regarding an offer from rubio’s lawyers. any spanish speakers here who could do a translation? Looks like an offer of 3 million dollars
It is an offer of $3 million. The board of Joventut has a meeting tomorrow where they will consider it. The article says that if they accept, he’ll come to the NBA.
Previously, (when, I’m not sure) Rubio had offered $4 million. He still hasn’t dropped the lawsuit.
Those are the salient points
skramber, you are absolutely right. I don’t know why i remembered Hollins as having a short career at UCLA unless I flashed back to Jerome Moiso.
I loved that ESPN post, I love how Kahn doesn’t take their sh**. They forget that he is a lawyer and not an ex-player who can’t do an interview. He makes them look dumb. Classic.
Why does he need to hurry and hire a coach? What is the coach going to do? At this point there is nothing to coach. We are the only team shopping so what is the rush. Get the right coach, not the first coach.
Korea - way to chime in with the most ridiculous post in the past 3 weeks. Well, other than Kung-Foo’s “trade machine”…
You might be the only clown who dares to stick up for a failed LAWYER running a bball team, rather than an actual PLAYER…
Obviously the ex-lawyer can bs the media, which is clearly easy to do. Me, personally, would rather have an ex-baller making the decisions. Then maybe we’d have a couple wings, a coach, and the #5 in Minnesota.
What, you’d rather have somebody spending more time speaking to an obscure ESPN-blog columnist, than other GM’s? Of course - he’s transparent!!
Since when does being a lawyer qualify you to be an expert on sports? I’ve always found it interesting that guys who never played seem to think that they know best HOW to play. Nothing is as valuable as experience on the court when playing, coaching, or drafting. It’s like me trying to tell an artist how to paint because I saw someone do it a few times. I will be the first to admit that some of these players are not the brightest bulbs and we may not want them making decisions, but I’d take the intelligence of a John Stockton over a lawyer anyday.
lawyers know contracts dolt. kind of how law school qualifies one to be a sports agent. that will get you into an NBA front office, perhaps as negotiator/handler of contracts and cap. then you listen, learn on how that FO evaluates talent, builds a team, trades, etc. Phil is a great coach, not even a good player. Red Auerbach great coach, never played.
Just b/c you played doesn’t mean you know how to evaluate talent, work trades, etc. same goes for being a lawyer..doesn’t mean you can’t learn to evaluate talent and work trades. try watching someone do it for 5yrs, then yes you can offer suggestions to said painter on how to improve or what is needed for him to improve, you can also know how good a painter he is.
Hire former players with great knowledge of the intricacies of the game to coach, and hire someone with great business, management, and negotiation skills to be a general manager.
An ex-baller as our GM huh #18? How quickly some people forget about McHale. Seriously how do you think old Mac would’ve handled that draft compared to Kahn? And I agree in that I don’t necessarily think being a lawyer qualifies someone but I DO think that learning from Donnie frickin’ Walsh makes someone more qualified then your average player.
I’m not in love with Kahn at all like some people but I also realize it’s too early to scrutinize his decisions and start whining for a different guy. Whether you like it or not he’s the VP and will be calling the shots.
Arenal - do you really know how many lawyers know contracts? Maybe 10%… And law school qualifies one to be a sports agent? LOLOL!! Yeah, I think Lebron’s agent went to law school, oops, no, he grew up w/ him…
Trust me, just because someone borrowed $120K to go to Willian Mitchell Law school, doesn’t mean they can practice law, let alone run a business. Ask any Sales Rep at Thomson/West…
“Trust me, just because someone borrowed $120K to go to Willian Mitchell Law school, doesn’t mean they can practice law, let alone run a business. Ask any Sales Rep at Thomson/West…”
-Ok, but why are people (maybe you?) assuming just the opposite with Kahn? That he doesn’t know contracts, can’t manage an organization, etc.
actually yes you moron, to be a SA you have to have a law degree. Lebron doesn’t have a SA, he has a friend taking care of his shat. that pal IS NOT A SA. you think law school only costs 120k? ha ha ha. you must actually be 18.
and every law student gets taught contracts in law school. like every med student gets taught surgery you moron.
#18 and seenenough:
We’ve tried the ex-player thing and that got us really far. I guess we could have brought in Isiah, or one of his buddies.
Who did you want? Tom Penn from the Blazers, that guy who is also a Lawyer?
How about Dennis Lindsey? NBA player? nope.
Donn Nelson of the Mavs, no NBA.
How about the GM for the Rockets? Nothing.
The list of ex-players turned GM who have been bust is endless.
Is Kahn good or bad, that is to be seen, but just because he wasn’t in the NBA does make him bad.
Patience…do you think the new GM was going to take us from a 20 win team to the playoffs in two months???
Thank you Joe.
Yeah its too early to start saying that Kahn needs to go, he is pooling assets right now and lets see what happens. Hopefully we can get Bogans or Brown and roll with the team we got and win 25-30 games then and see what happens a year from now in the draft and free agency
Evidently lots of morons in here tonight. Here’s the deal. Of course some lawyers can learn sports, but as a whole, those guys are better with contracts than with player personnel decisions. Kahn didn’t work as a GM to Walsh- he merely got financing for the arena they were building. . Kahn seemed to be more of a financial guy than a GM . He may or may not know players…time will tell. His moves may be brilliant, but so far I’m not impressed. I agree that you don’t have to play the game to coach the game, yet ask most players who they’d rather play for and they’ll say an ex-player.
By the way, these are all opinions. No facts.
How about a Bernie Bickerstaff type? I heard the Wolves wouldn’t even give him an interview.
Hey I’m not saying the guy had to play NBA ball, just BB at a level that makes him know the game. There’s many college level BB people who make great coaches. Lawyers just don’t impress me as much as they seem to impress you guys.
I’m willing to give Kahn a chance but the comments about Rubio and Flynn playing together concern me. He slept on it and came up with that the next day. He either believed it or thought the fans here in Hicksville would buy it. Either way it bugged me. He will be judged by wins and loses like everyone else. The only person I’ve been too hard is Ellington. I’ve seen him play so many times that when people say he plays off the bounce it bothers me cause up to this point he hasn’t. I hope he does well cause I’ve never heard a bad word about him. Foo throws some comments/opinions like they are facts and he’s running team so I used Ellington as an example of him being wrong. No more Ellington bashing to make point with Foo. I’ll let Foo’s crazy ideas be my fodder.
You two make quite the tag team. I’m disappointed so many people are biting, but here we aer.
Korea I agree on giving Kahn time. I just felt in January the team was coming around til Big Al went down. I think that team adding a 6th pick & using 18 & 27 with some expiring contracts to get a solid vet would’ve contended for a playoff spot this year. Now we’ve got a guy who won’t come here, no wing players no coach and very little chance to win in the next 3 or 4 years. It just feels like a big mountain to climb to buy into this team as assembled. The we need super star comments by Kahn also concern me. You don’t think every team wants stars…. they are few and far in between. We have Al lets build around him.
Gendo, glad you’re on… Could you explain why the 16 pts over 4 ASSISTS stat was bogus? I never got the point of your response. I said not 20 guys did it and you fired back all these names most of which didn’t do it. You seem to be the numbers guy on this blog.
I didn’t fire back any names. The point was you’re looking strictly at an accumulative stat, which is worthless without context. Any player can get up to 16 points given enough shots.
The point is that the number of offensive possessions a team has is finite so the key is assembling a team of players who make use of those possessions in the most efficient way possible.
While Foye scored 16 points he did it with one of the worst jump shooting percentages in the league for qualified players.
He shot 38.4% on 2 point jumpers which is very poor, and when he tried to go inside it was even worse. 1/5 of his inside shot attempts were blocked and he converted shots inside at a 49.1% clip, which is very poor.
The point is that 16 PPG just tells us he shot enough to score 16 points. Until you look into how he scored those points and how many possessions it took him to achieve those 16 points that number can be misleading.
Foye is an inefficient scorer who’s poor shooting and poor conversion squanders too many offensive possessions to be worthwhile long term.
Gendo is just another idiot. Asking him for answers is like asking George Bush to be a good president. Just not going to happen.
Fiveanddime solid break down of post D. Shot blocking is great but it’s a last resort to guys getting blown by on perimeter. Solid stay in front of your man D with shot blocking backup is ideal. I think Flynn will bring that…. Not to be negative but very uncertain about Ellington and Rubio’s foot speed to be good defenders.
Gendo, I agree with you in that Foye is overrated and did need to go. He’ll be no better than a solid back-up.
Arenal, which Bush president are you speaking of?
Logicalthinker–Ellington and the Rubio will be just fine…might take some time, but they’ll get the defense down.
Are you saying guys who shot better than Foye’s 40.7% but under 44% (which many did) the 3.3 more shots made per 100 is a drastic difference. Most big scorers also didn’t average over 4 assists but yet had more turnovers(manu P Pierce). 3 or less shots made per 100 is not alot when added to assists and to’s. So I guess I don’t get the “he’s so inefficient” thing.
Rather than weak ad hominem Arenal why not address the point?
B$, again time will tell. Lets watch the Wizards and see the roles both Miller and Foye have. I Bet both average around 30 minutes which is big. Both are better than Hand waving trash talking Stevenson. I’ll also bet the Wizards triple the win total of Wolves. Then again 3 times 12 13 or 14 isn’t great.
Gendo add up Miller’s fg%, pts, ast and rebounds and I’ll be shocked if you can 15 players to match that. That is why I liked him. He’s efficient.
A little news- Might have been said already but Shannon Brown re-signed with the Lakers(some people on here wanted him for a cheap SG like me)
And Harden and Tyler H have been really impressive in Orlando according to scouts at the summer league
Tyler H had 40 points in 2 games and Harden had 19 points and almost made a 3 that would have sent the game into overtime
Ah summer league, such a tease.
Can we just start the season already (well after the Wolves bring in Rubio and trade for some depth at wing)? I just want to se how all these rookies look against real NBA competition. From ESPN story on the Orlando Summer league Hansbrough has looked good, but I don’t think he’s had to handle any tough bigs. I wonder if he has game. “Harden has proven to be one of the more athletic guards in the summer league. The 6-foot-5 left-hander from Arizona State played nearly the entire games against the Pacers and continually beat defenders off the dribble. He showed a smooth shooting stroke and played with swagger. And don’t be fooled by his full beard and receding hairline. He’s only 19 years old.”
Tyler H = Brian Cardinal without the contract, without the experience, and without the three. Odds are that he’s a whole lot ‘o hustle that will get neutralized by superior knowledge, talent, and skill at the non-summer league level of the NBA.
And, to make it clear, I don’t have anything against white guys in general.
Hansbrough is just Joakim Noah all over again. Everyone said Noah would fail out of the NBA for the same reasons they’re saying Tyler will.
Psycho T will be fine. He’s in a very ideal situation in Indiana, and he’ll have a long career as a high end role player.
Instant Poll - What are the bloggers most bored of right now?
1. Randy Foye’s brilliant induction into the ever-elusive 16-4 club?
2. Speculation on Wayne Ellington’s NBA promise?
3. David Kahn Bashing?
4. My excellent trade proposals involving Matt Carroll and Ryan Hollins?
5. The 4-5 name-callers who won’t ever propose any original thoughts of their own?
6. Exciting play-by-play on The Wolves inevitable “name” hire - Monty Williams? Del Harris?
You know, I hopped the Tyler as colossal bust train a long time ago. But, I’m willing to admit that I don’t know who will perform and who will sink this year. Just as there are so few sure things in this draft, I’m sure there are going to be some surprising achievers.
That’s why I want the season to start.
7. All of the above
All of the above Foo, lol
Looks like the Raptors are set to resign Andrea Bargnani…5 years, $50 mil. Too bad…he’s another guy that I’d love to pair with Jefferson and Rubio. He fits that prototypical Gasol/Aldridge mold of tall, long, athletic and skilled.
The Kahn remark on the ESPN blog :
“How’s the coaching search going?
Great. We’re a third of the way through preliminary interviews. There’s no time pressure on this process, so we’re going to take some time.”
1/3 of the way through preliminary interviews ?? Who has he interviewed other than that Portland assistant coach ? Does that mean that he’s done 1 interview and he has 2 more interviews lined up (with WHO ?) and the coaching search is done ?
From the Pioneer Press, it sounds like Kahn has done preliminary interviews with 4 people for the coaching job. Who, besides, Monty Williams from Portland, has Kahn already interviewed ? The news has been very quiet on this front.
“As for the coaching search, Kahn had a busy first week, but the process still has a long way to go. ”
“I have spoken to four individuals,” he said, “and expect to speak to approximately a half-dozen to eight more.”
Kahn reminds me to much of Childress….just hire a damn coach and shut the F@$% UP!
Just one comment for the board as a whole.
A LOT IS TWO WORDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So Kahn has “spoken” to four individuals, not necessarily “met” with them? In ONE week? That means it will take another 2 weeks just for preliminary meetings. I would assume that there will also be follow-up meetings. We’re looking at another month, folks, unless he’s full of BS and already knows who he wants. What happened to Mark Jackson? I thought he was the front-runner.
James Harden can play!!!!! He was my favorite player other than Blake G. If Wolves were going to trade 2 wings they should of made him their priority. He beats people off dribble steady and can pass. He has that man body that’ll serve him well in the NBA. That is my concern with Rubio, he’s not close to being ready physically for league.
Not sure if this got posted but FYI:
According to El Mundo Deportivo, Ricky Rubio’s lawyers have submitted a new offer to Badalona in order to release the player so he can join the Minnesotta Timberwolves. The legal team that is handling the case also made a bid for the freedom of the player from Badalona before the draft process for 4 million dollars that was rejected by Badalona.
It’s on Hoopshype.com/rumors.htm today
LT–I love Harden too. I think he’s going to be a tremendous player. He has a lot of ball skills and is much more athletic than he looks–very smooth.
I suspect that the Wolves thought they would get him at 5. Rubio to OKC, Evans to Sac. leaving them Harden.
I myself am thrilled to have Rubio, but would have been happy to have Harden. Actually, my nightmare scenario heading into the draft was that neither of those two guys would be there at 5.
I agree on the Childress comment about Kahn. You never heard old school guys like Jerry West have a constant dialogue about their plans. Transparency is good for the government, but in sports just do your job please. The more they try to defend things, the more you wonder about it. The whole Rubio/Flynn playing together thing was a spin effort that fell flat and made Kahn look stupid. Chris Carter, the old Vike, lit Kahn up on First and Ten over it. Don’t try to spin it let it stand on it’s own legs and see if it works. Fans aren’t that dumb to believe it just because someone says it.
Eric I assume that with all the calling around before the draft that the actual draft order was talked about by Kahn/staff. The move back to 11 or 12 get a wing player then draft Flynn makes sense. Kahn also came out and said he had Flynn rated higher than Rubio on his board did he not? The 2 picks together stunned me and I didn’t by the spin that followed it either.
LT–I think Kahn said he had Rubio/Flynn as 2-3 on his board respectively. Don’t know if you can take that sort of statement seriously.
I agree that these 2 together are probably untenable, and I would have tried hard to avoid it. I have a hard time believing that Kahn is serious about them playing together, but I guess it’s a wait and see.
Eric I agree it’s all just a wait and see game. The fact that we have 8 power forwards on roster however is an issue. I think everyone agrees on that. Which ones have value to move for wings? Not to be a hater but Matt carrol and his 15 million dollars can’t be the best offer. Parting shot at Foo…. You asked me about 15 million for Foye and Miller being too much but yet you throw out 15 million for Carrol alone over 4 years. That’s why we need you on this board….. Love when you act like the GM and then make deals and statements that no GM would think about. Been missing you..
I saw someone else brought this up but how ridiculous is that Bargnani contract? 5 years and $50 million? The Raptors are going to be regretting that contract in about 6 months.
I don’t know if anyone has brought this up but the new projected cap for the 2010-2011 season dropped dramatically. They are projected the cap to be somewhere between $50- $54 million. That makes a huge difference for next years free agents. A lot less teams are going to have the cap space to sign big time free agents.
LT, glad to see you and Foo have made up.
I believe you were the butt of his “Instant Poll” however- LOL. That’s OK, good to see someone keeping him on his toes.
Bargnani got 50 million for 5 years. Wow that is some serious money in todays market. A lot of big guys who’s contracts are up are smiling and GM’s are hiding.
LOL- ESPN is saying that Larry Bird is trying to build a team of all -white players. Are they calling him a racist? Unbelievable.
What was the cap last year? How much did it go down from last year?
White black pink or blue I’m sure Larry Legend just wants to win. Not a big Tyler Hans fan myself but he plays hard as a player can play. Must be a slow news day to call Larry a racist.
Cap went down by about a million this year. Was about 58.7 last year, 57.7 this year.
I think there is some value in our excess power forwards to turn them into wings–not real stars, probably. Cardinal’s expiring contract will be valuable. There are other expiring contracts.
The issue is that the team’s most valuable chip is expiring contracts. They clearly need a star-level wing player. Whether it’s possible to turn those contracts into a really good player between now and the trade deadline will be the quesiton. It’s not something that’s easy to pull off.
We’ve talked occasionally about a guy like Kevin Martin. I don’t know whether that sort of thing will be out there. If it isn’t, they will have to settle for lesser guys, and hope that either Rubio emerges or that they find a real star in the next draft. If none of that happens, it’s tough to see how they emerge from the depths.
How about trying to get Marvin Williams away from the Hawks? He’s only 23 and would fit nicely at the three.
Is Kevin Martin a guy who’s good from far but far from good when seen up close? His D and lack of passing are a concern. He does live at the FT line, but without looking it up would say his FG% is low cause he takes tough shots. He is a scorer though and that’ll be a major concern for this team the next 2 or 3 years. I assume he has a bad contract????
Every player in the draft, aside from Griffin, had fans and detractors on this board. I certainly thought that Harden was the most likely instant impact player aside available after #1, and was really hoping he’d fall in the draft so the Wolves could pair him with any of the outstanding PGs. I think he’ll hit the ground running when the season starts. I am willing to eat crow if Thabeet looks anything but lost this year and if Evans looks like the PG of the future in Sacto.
Next summer Michael Redd is going to be a FA. He seems to be a perfect fit for what this team needs. How much would you give him as long as he comes back healthy this season?
Well, his FG% fell last year to 42%, but was over 45% the previous years. He’s really fairly efficient for a guy who scores as much as he does, mostly because he gets to the line so well and makes a ton of 3s at a good percentage (over 40% the last 2 years, 38% the year before that). He went 1.5 points per FGA last season, about where he usually is, and among the league leaders.
He isn’t a perfect player by any means, but he is an extremely efficient scorer. My real problem is the health issues. He had an ankle problem last year which wasn’t in itself serious long-term, but I do wonder about his ability to stay healthy.
His contract isn’t bad, really. He’s owed about $45 million over the next 4 years. Healthy, he’ll be worth it, and moveable.
I agree on Thabeet totally. Evans is a slasher who can get to hole but not a pt guard at all. Michael Redd at a mid level type contract would be a winner. He again is a poor defender but can fill it up…… Most scorers just don’t defend anymore. Why is that???
jama - Doesn’t Redd have a player option on 2010-11? Not likely he’ll opt out of that.
Are the Kings shopping Martin? I thought that they were looking for a PG to complement with Martin as the backcourt of the future?
In games I’ve watched he is a great scorer, making his living from driving and collecting fouls, but still deadly from long range. Makes him a very tough assignment. However, I don’t know that you want him on this team, since he is not bringing the efense required to buffer our front court.
Actually, he’s Jefferson in wing form. Excellent at scoring, but kind of a blackhole on offense and not much of a presence on defense. I don’t think the Wolves as currently constructed would be a good fit.
Eric don’t let Foo and his bunch see that FG%… They’ll go nuts. Cause at 40.7% for Foye they lost it. If they see Martin made only 1.3 shots more per 100 than Foye they’ll not be able to use him as one of the many players that are way more efficient than Foye as they have already thrown martin out there. How many assists for Martin last year vs TO’s?
Well, I don’t think they are trading Martin, no. This emanates from my head, but also from a Chad Ford remark about Sac being willing to move him in a response to a Wolves fan question.
LT–Martin has about a 1:1 A/TO ratio. As for scoring, though, he is a TON more efficient than Foye.
As for Redd, I think he’s done.
Sean
You are right, I was going off some bad reporting. Redd does in fact have a player option for 2010 at $18.3 million. I don’t see any way he opts out of that. I do think he’d be a great fit for the Wolves though. Maybe the Bucks are looking to get out from under that contract.
And there is no way Redd is signing for the mid level when he hits free agency.
Swan’s T-Wolves offer to Redd: 0 years for 0 dollars
No Redd !
I was probably the biggest proponent of James Harden leading up to the draft. Unfortunately, it was going to take too much to move up from 5 & 6 to get him. I would have loved to have somehow come away with him and either Flynn/Rubio in the draft.
But when the chips fell as they did, I was happy they went best-player-available and got Rubio and Flynn because I just don’t see Kahn keeping both of them. He’ll get a nice return on whichever PG he trades. Though we’ve had to be more patient than we like, that’s the best way to maximize the value of those two picks.
Redd is cashed. Let somebody else overpay for him.
If Al Jefferson is the first building block for the Wolves future (maybe or maybe not the cornerstone), and SG is the area of greatest need at the moment:
What player is the best example of what the Wolves need in a SG to play, and star, with Al? Don’t factor in age or contract size. Just throw out a name and the on the court abilities he shows that would be a good pairing with Al.
After the fantasies are dealt with,are there any realistic options for the Wolves to meet their need exactly?
I’d be way more excited over Harden/Flynn than I am over Rubio/Flynn this year, but … I guess we’ll have to wait to see what Kahn does with them. Any more news on Rubio? Sounds like something is stirring in Spain with a possible buy-out. As far as Redd goes, I like him, but you guys are right- overpaid.
trie - I don’t think Kevin Martin is attainable, but I’d like the idea of putting him into our lineup at SG. He’s got some big holes in his game - defense is average at best and he’s not much of a facilitator. But what he does, he’s one of the very best - incredibly efficient scorer and gets to the FT line at a crazy high rate (and makes like 90% of his attempts).
If Flynn and Rubio can defend like we’ve been told and Corey Brewer gets big minutes at SF, then maybe Martin’s so-so defense could be hidden.
But, wow, the inside-outside scoring potential of Martin-Jefferson would be dynamite and I believe Flynn/Rubio and Love will be nice supporting-cast scorer types.
The two options I’m seeing mentioned in general are 1.)to sign/acquire a veteran SG for one or two years until a better option can be found and/or Ellington’s ceiling is better understood (role player or starter). Or 2.) acquire a young talent who can be a substantial part of the future for many years.
Of those mentioned so far, Bogans is the name I like the most for the short term plan. Fernandez (if Rubio stays and plays in MN) works for me as a longer term idea. There are other names I like more, but seem less feasible either because of age or contract amount or both (i.e. Joe Johnson).
The trouble with so many of the names bandied about here is that they are really good on one side of the court, but not so much the other. There’s little balance to their skills. If there is some balance, then it seems that their overall level is not that of a number 2 option for an NBA team. Maybe a starter, but more likely a 6th man. (Bogans, Jones, etc)
triebark: in general, I like exercises like the one you propose. But in this case, I think you have to start with some constraints. Answering Kobe Bryant or D-Wade isn’t very helpful. But I’ll describe two traits that I think need more emphasis than others: outside shooting (i.e., over slashing) and perimeter defense.
Have any insiders seen how Ford has graded our off-season. I’m guessing not well.
trie - For the roles they would play, I really like Bogans (reserve/depth) and Fernandez (long-term, multi-talented starter).
Mad Dan - it seems obvious that the Wolves would greatly benefit from having a superstar at the SG, but as you said DWade and Kobe (heck throw MJ in there too) aren’t viable options. They do however have traits that the Wolves should probably have in their starting SG. Naming a player and pointing out the traits/skills they have to give a parallel for the Wolves need is what I looking for.
I think the Wolves need a scorer (think Kobe or MJ, can hit the long ball and the mid range and finish. Scoring from anywhere) who is solid on defense both individually and in the team game (rotation, help, etc). What current NBA players that can play SG meet those criteria? Which ones do the Wolves have any real chance of not only aquiring but signing long term and being successful with?
I’d have been much happier if the Wolves had been able to draft Harden and any PG. That didn’t happen, so what is plan B?
Madison Dan -
Chad Ford rated The Wolves’ off-season 29th out of 30 teams. Here’s the blurb:
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29. Timberwolves
Key additions: Jonny Flynn, Wayne Ellington, Oleksiy Pecherov, Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila
Key subtractions: Randy Foye, Mike Miller
In limbo: Ricky Rubio (???), Rodney Carney (U), Shelden Williams (U)
The Timberwolves had one of the weirdest drafts in NBA history, including the selection of point guards with both of their lottery picks. Two weeks later, we keep waiting to hear about a trade that explains where one of the two — Rubio or Flynn — is really going to land, but instead we have Minnesota GM David Kahn saying he wants to keep both of them. Meanwhile, Rubio is threatening to sign with a European team for the next two or three years.
So, to recap: The Wolves sent away two key players on their roster, Foye and Miller, in exchange for some undesirable contracts and a player — Rubio — who is threatening that he won’t play for the Wolves. If Kahn sorts all of this out, either via trade or by persuading Rubio to come and try his mad experiment, the Wolves will move up in these rankings and I may even call Kahn a genius.
But for now, the team appears to be in disarray and considerably worse off than it was going into the draft. Not a great start for Kahn.
Trie - Rip Hamilton.
As Ford states, it’s all about what they do with Rubio-Flynn. If you believe, like me, that Kahn is just leveraging/maximizing value, then it follows that either Rubio or Flynn will be moved eventually.
But, I believe Ford is rating the off-season’s based on where we are right now in the off-season. And, at this exact point in the off-season, our team would be a mess on the floor (glut of PGs and PFs, only one SG, still lacking that defensive-minded center).
As Ford said, if Rubio or Flynn are dealt, The Wolves will move up the rankings pretty quickly and Kahn will look like a genius.
Does anybody really think that Kahn is going to stand pat with this cast of players?
Thanks, Foo. I figured Ford would keep hitting us for the draft. I’m not sure why I case.
triebark: sorry, I was being a bit stupid earlier. I can’t think of a perfect plan B. I like the idea of Fernandez, though I don’t know what it’d take to get him and his defense might not be ideal. I like the idea of Turner in next year’s draft, but his shot might not be there yet. At this point I’d lean toward Ellington + D-league filler this year and best available in the 2010 draft. Does anyone in 2010 sound better than Turner at this point?
Foo - Hopefully the only people close to untouchable are: Al Jeff, Love, Brew, Flynn and Rubio.
That being said if we are “selling high” and get offers close to too good to refuse I don’t see anyone as untouchable.
But I’d like to keep those 5.
Oops. In my last post, I meant “not sure why I CARE.”
Swan - I hope Al, Love and Brewer are the foundational pieces along with EITHER Rubio or Flynn. Hopefully the PG we trade yields a scoring SG who can defend the perimeter as well.
Swan- I don’t disagree with Hamilton from what I know about his game. What traits would you point out about him that a Wolves SG should have? I could probably guess, but would rather hear it from you.
I would guess that in reality, Rip is a little older that what would fit the Wolves long term and a little higher paid as well. I haven’t looked up either number.
Madison Dan - I hope we add another NBA player at SG this off-season, but only if it doesn’t come at the cost of long-term cap flexibility or one of our current assets.
But, yes, if the only options are players that will cost us cap space/assets, I’d prefer the route you are suggesting - Ellington and D-Leaguers (along with some minutes at SG from Brewer and Bobby Brown).
Mad Dan- OSU’s Evan Turner is the highest rate SG in next years draft on the few mocks I’ve looked at. I’ve only got what I’ve read about him there to base an opinion on, but he sounds like he could be the type of player the Wolves should want as a starting SG (IMHO)
I don’t see the Wolves making great strides in the win column this year, so I’d have no problem with them keeping their lottery protected pick away from LAC for one more year and having a chance to have 3 first round picks again next year and a shot at both SG and a C then (currently I’d point out Turner and Jerome Jordan of Tulsa, again only from what I’ve read)
Give me Evan Turner and either Soloman Alibi or Jerome Jordan in next year’s draft - nice haul if something like that could happen.
Sounds like Ford thought that the team was supposed to be building for a run this year.
So far, I dont have a problem with what Kahn is doing at all. Everyone knew that this was a pg heavy draft, and according to what most of you guys have said next year will be a big man’s draft. I think that his plan is to acquire valuable assets, and obviously to use those assets to build a contender.
I think that we need to give this guy time to work his plan. Not saying that anyone on here has said differently.
The only problem with targeting Turner next year (debating myself now) is that we couldn’t get Turner and someone like Aldrich. Not to dismiss the Jerome Jordan idea, but the more obvious impact players will only be available with our own pick. To get an impact player with the other picks will require some luck.
So I’d guess our best bet is to try to fill one hole with the expiring contracts this year. I won’t even guess about the guys we could get that way. I wonder if the prospect of a lower cap next year will help, though.
If Rubio for any reason in not on the squad next year (or maybe even if he is), I’d go for a SG who has a bit of tweener ability. Not anything resembling a true PG, but the ability to run the offense a bit. The Wolves may have their PGs of the future, but they will be very green at that position. I think some folks don’t realize how big a role MIller played in steadying the offense when we did not have any real PG skills last year. He was the guy running the pick and roll with Love quite often. I think he correctly perceived a necessity to be an all around player on last year’s team and it took him out of his shooter’s mentality. I think they will need a steadying hand on offense from the 2, as well as good defensive skills. Size to play either wing might be good since we are shallow at both positions. It will also allow Ellington to come on the court and still have a veteran ball handler paired with a full rookie back court.
I’m not sure I know enough about the full league to identify the top candidate. If you’re looking at this as a 2 year deal until the SG of the future arrives, Hamilton could be the guy. Ginobli, obviously. I might even take Stephen Jackson’s poor shooting percentage after watching him play some point forward for the Warriors.
Of course, these are all high cost guys who would not come cheap, and are probably not realistic. I think the wolves could try to get Kelenna Azubuike from the Warriors in a swap between teams with opposite wing/big ratios. I’d like it if he was a bit more proven on D and as an assist guy, but he could be more than a short term band aid until the next draft or two.
I’ve seen the name Azubuike pop up a few time on this blog. I don’t know who he is. How old is he and how long has he been in the NBA?
Foo and/or Gendo - any numbers you could throw out to represent what type of a player he is?
It kills me that we have to already talk about next year’s draft to get excited about this team. I was hoping that this year was going to bring about a little excitement, but it doesn’t look that way.
Trie - Rip: Can catch and shoot with the best on em, can play decent D, can run him off screens all day and keep help defenders watching him and keeping the double teams away from Al…etc etc etc.
Foo - Flynn, Rubio & Brewer is the defensive perimeter I’ve been begging for.
Swan-pretty much the Hamilton traits I figured, and all ones the Wolves should covet in a starting SG (what NBA team wouldn’t?)
Trie - If you could add Manu’s ball handling, dribble penetration and range to Rip, thats what I’d want…that also would probably be the best player in the league….
fiveanddime - Other than a few folks, I’m not sure most people are under-valuing Mike Miller. I just think most of the board is realistic that he’d probably be a goner after this season, so to get an asset like the No. 5 pick for him and Foye was a nice get.
But, at face value, I love all the little things Miller did for The Wolves. I just can’t justify his contract on a team that doesn’t have a chance next year anyway. Couple that will getting the No. 5 pick and I think it was a wise move.
Either way, it’s nice to see Kahn leveraging his expiring contract for something.
Azubuike will turn 26 this year, 3 years played. Fits in my thinking of age and experience requirements for a long term SG for the Wolves.
He started 51 of 74 games for GS last year (many I would guess because Monta Ellis was hurt). Does it seem likely the Warriors would be willing to trade him for anything the Wolves have to offer? 5&10 alluded to a lack of depth in the Warriors front court. I guess I’ll have to visit look at their roster and some salary numbers, unless someone already has…
Swan-if we could just combine Kobe and MJ we’d be set. XD
I think Kevin Martin would be a great fit for the Wolves. Maybe he doesn’t bring the defense we’d like, but the guy can score — he’s one of my favorite players in the league to watch since he’s always on the move, in the right spot to make the play, and great from long-distance and on the drive. His FG% suffered last year since the Kings were so bad and had no one to score or take the heat off of him, but he’s typically been very efficient and not at all your typical gunner.
It’s been a long time (forever?) since we’ve had someone who could put pressure on the D by getting to the foul line, and he does that with the best of them.
The unfortunate part, though, is that I’m not sure why the Kings would trade him. Unless, of course, they realize Evans is an SG after all and want to pair him with Flynn or something like that. A Rubio/Martin backcourt would be tremendous offensively and on the break.
Azubuike averaged 14 & 5 last year while shooting 44% from 3. I think he could be had for a decent price since the Warriors have a ton of wings. By adding Curry they now have Maggette, Ellis, Curry, Jackson, Azubuike, Morrow, and Belinelli who could play 2 or 3 for them. Not sure which one of our bigs they would want but I would guess we would have to include a pick or Pek to make a deal. Maybe Madsen + Utah’s pick for Azubuike would work.
Mad Dan and Foo - how ’bout a d-leaguer as filler in Kasib Powell? He apparently put up some noticable numbers last year (enough to get called up by the Heat for a stint) and is playing well in the Orlando summer league. Just saw his name on the NBA page for the summer league and thought I’d share.
Not the first option I’d hope for, but as keeps being said here the Wolves need to do something to add depth (and hopefully with some quality) to their backcourt rotation.
jballer-how about Rhino for Azubuike? The salaries are close enough, but who knows what the Warriors are looking for or what they think Azubuike is worth. Remember, they’re coached by Don Nelson and he’s proven to have some “unique” ideas over the years.
I’m still uncertain that Azubuike is a good long term fit for the Wolves though.
No Kevin Martin !
trie- if there was any coach who would put a lineup of all wings on the floor it would be Nellie so I guess maybe he would be okay with the depth they have there. I don’t know if Rhino’s lack of mobility would affect GSW’s running style. Either way I think we have could get Azubuike for a modest price (expiring + pick). He has another year on his deal but it’s a good contract so taking on that extra year doesn’t bother me.
Kevin Martin is one of those players I think of when I say he has great ability on one end of the floor, but not so much on the other. I’ve only seen him play on TV in a few games, so my knowledge of him is admittedly limited. He would seem to have the quickness and length to stay with his man defensively, but I’ve never heard any comments about that being a strength he’s displayed in his game.
Rhino doesn’t have a lack of mobility offensively or on fast breaks…
jballer - Azubuike would certainly seem to be a better option than what the Wolves have now (and I don’t mean that as a back handed compliment since the Wolves have so little), and I agree that with the number of SG/SF on the GS roster that it would seem feasible to trade for him. Whether he’s the right option or even one that gets considered is in the hands of Kahn.
yeah, Kevin Martin doesn’t really do it for me, Turner would be sweet next year though
Swan - But looking at Rhino compared to the type of bigs they have now, he doesn’t really fit the mold. Randolph, Wright, and Biedrins are all long athletic types. They already have Turiaf to bring them toughness upfront.
Nellie can never have too many wings to let him play small ball, but he really has too many guys to give minutes too. The important point is that they see Randolph as a budding star at the 4, and Curry as the future with Ellis. Jackson is signed long term for big money as the other wing, as is Maggette. Morrow is cheap and interesting for them right now as a back up 2 who will shoot the 3 (lead the NBA in 3pt % last season), so not a lot of room for anyone else to get minutes. I’m sure Nellie would love to move Bellinelli first, but neither will get the minutes they deserve going forward.
A lot might depend on who they get rid of if the Amare trade ever comes together. They could easily lose Beidrens and Wright and need a guy like Rhino. If they move a few wings then it’s a different story.
Remember, there was a lot of talk about the Warriors looking long and hard at Hill in the draft because the 4s they had were not bringing any muscle. As it was, Curry was supposedly number 2 on their entire board, so they went that direction. They might want some beef as a contrast to the tall thin guys they have.
Next year is all about John Wall. The 6′4″ Lebron James. Our whole team should be on the block to make Wall happen. Start the whisper campaign.
Who cares about Wall ?
It wouldn’t suprise me one bit if the Wolves ended up with the #1 pick next year with Wall, a PG, as the clear cut overall #1. That is kind of how their luck runs.
Someone’s stock will rise by then.
If we get the #1 so what ? More trade bait / offers coming in.
Come on — picture it in your head what would happen if the Wolves won the lottery next year. This board would light up like a Christmas tree. Having the chance at Wall plus Rubio and Flynn would be a pretty nice problem to have.
. . . And next year New York-centric media types will lambast the Wolves for not trading Wall for whatever dead weight the Knicks have laying around.
Like the wolves will ever get the first pick. But our own boy Aldrich at 4ish would be a nice fit.
Wall is the real deal. I would be somewhat surprised if someone overtook him for the first pick. If we get lucky enough to draft him, I can’t see us passing. He’s the type of player you build around.
-jama
Bargnani has shown every sign of being worth $10/year. After he moved into the starting 5, he average 19-6 on 47% shooting (43% from three). He’s gotta get better on the glass, but he’s also shown a lot of potential to surpass Bosh at the 4. Between that and the fact that Toronto seems to have decided Bosh is leaving, that’s a pretty good deal to offer Bargnani.
I mean, when you really think about it, Bargnani would be a perfect compliment to Rubio and Jefferson. 7′1″, athletic, a good shot blocker, and can shoot the lights out from deep. That’s basically all our needs rolled into one player.
