Duffy offers a clarification on his Rubio comments
Posted on July 27th, 2009 – 6:20 PMBy Mark Wollemann
Agent Bill Duffy emailed the Star Tribune to clarify comments he made in Sid Hartman’s Sunday column. Here’s what he said:
“I want to elaborate a little more extensively on comments related to me in a recent Sunday article in the Star Tribune. I meant no disparagement toward Ricky Rubio. He is inarguably an immensely talented young man with a very bright future. I do know that both his agent and the Timberwolves organization are working feverishly for a solution. Having been in similar situations before, I wish them nothing but success in their pursuits.
“Additionally, I have no real insight into the coaching selection process being conducted by the Timberwolves organization. I feel badly if any of my commentary takes away from work being conducted by all of the parties and if I have offended anyone involved.”
135 Responses to "Duffy offers a clarification on his Rubio comments"
does not matter, you said brandon jenning was higher on “your board” BUT HE IS YOUR AGENT (duffy is Jenning’s agent), and that you used McHale as an example of your(duffy) talent judgment (im sure someone has made a list of McFail’s accomplishments as a GM)
What do I know?
In the public’e eye, he really had no reason to offer this apology or explanation. I even doubt it has any affect on his career. This is a matter of conviction and shows the type of man he is. Seems like a good man, IMO.
BTW - key words “related to me”. kinda wonder…
It’s nice to see this, because Duffy (and Sid) definitely sounded like he had an axe to grind in that earlier piece…
What’s that smell? Oh yeah, it’s the smell of Sid Hartman burning his Bill Duffy bridge.
Sid is a tool. You can give him that message Jerry.
The Star Tribune decided that they would abandon any ethics long ago. It was about the time they went broke. Easy choice when the other option is going under but the paper is little more than a tabloid and that is fine but they shouldn’t deny it.
Sid?
This is all about Duffy wanting the stay on Kahn’s good side. Sid used Duffy to slam Kahn.
Wow an agent with class. That’s something new. The (Red) Star trib has been a liberal rag for so long now that it has no credibility as a NEWS paper. That shouldn’t effect sports you’d hope.
No one slams me (much).
Sid has had a personal vendetta for the last couple weeks against the Wolves since Wayne Ellington forgot/ignored his obligation to call into the sunday morning radio show. Sid blamed the whole organization for that…I guess this is how he’s getting “revenge.”
As far as I’m concerned, that’s just a very immature thing to do. Heck, he complained when Ellington didn’t call even after David “Man of One Word” Kahn gave him a half hour at 9 in the morning. Classy Sid, real classy…
LT, if you haven’t noticed, the Strib has new ownership and is starting to sound like Fox “news”. They’re omitting facts and showing an anti-democrat bias. Their coverage of the Senate race was blatantly misleading, as those of us (I’m a statistician with a severe interest in the recount) in the know had going to Franken shortly after election night…legitimately.
The paper’s reluctance to set forth the facts and logic of a likely Franken win is not something a left-leaning paper would do, and in fact, not something an unbiased paper would do. Just refuting your thesis. Not saying we disagree politically…I actually am trained to avoid bias in all arguments (doesn’t always work when it comes to sports).
I told everyone I knew why Franken was going to (legitimately) win, because both the facts and the statistical inference made it pretty obvious to those in the know. Neither paper chose to inform its readership of what the real deal was…they let hyperbole and innuendo carry the day, for the most part.
This is not a political comment (my vote will remain my own), but it is an anecdotal rebuttal of LT’s statement about the Strib. As weak as anecdotal evidence is (less weak when used as a counterargument as here), this is just the first example I thought of.
Personally, I think every news or political medium, including talk radio, should be fined every time they abuse the facts, either by omittance or straight mistruths. And there should be an independent organization that distributes each and every misstatement or false innuendo they find broadcast on television, radio, newspapers, and perhaps other media.
Sorry for the rant. Not swaying left or right, just sick of partisanship, most of which is uninformed. We’re a lazy populace, and it’s being taken advantage of. Don’t want to start an off topic thingy here, but one biased political comment deserves a rebuttal.
Didn’t mean to get into the senate race, if that happens to flare your nostrils. If you want to discuss the recount further, you can email me at twinstalker@gmail.com. If you want a good statistical analysis of the recount (back in November to start), try the left-commenting but objectively analyzing (again, statisticians) fivethirtyeight.com (the archives). If you can stand them obviously cheering for Franken, you will get honest analysis and inference.
So getting away from the senate race…
Am I the only one who is really not happy with Sid? I know he’s a legend and I appreciate all the sports knowledge and wisdom he has, but honest to god, his ego has grown so much that if one person doesn’t call him, an entire organization is at fault. Really Sid? David Kahn (say what you will about the guy) gave you a half hour right off the bat in the morning and you’re going to go on a personal crusade against the organization? That’s just about the most ungrateful thing I’ve heard lately.
Star-Tribune turning anti-democratic? I’ll take ONE home subscription, please…
Foo now you are starting to think like me. A narrow minded nitwit and an attention whore. Are you unemployed like me too?
Jonathan Bender making a comeback? Anybody interested? ESPN said NYK would be a possible destination because of Donnie Walsh… well, why not here based on David Kahn?
That said, I’m not sure where he would fit… just curious.
This is a basketball blog. Take the political debate (from both sides) to the appropriate forum. This is NOT the place for it.
Sheal - OK… FINE. What about religion? Any thoughts on that?
Foo why don’t you go the church of STFU?
C’Mon, Sheal… what do you say? Should we be teaching children evolution in the public schools? What about creationism?
IT OK SID LIVING IN THE 50- 60 STILL.
Can’t blame Sid, he is 100 years old. why did the editor let that story fly? An agent remarking that another player is not as good as his…this is news?
The funny thing about Sid’s piece is that he used Kevin McHale’s endorsement to justify Duffy’s ability to evaluate talent. Kevin “Roy for Foye” McHale. Kevin “what I like about Marko is his versatility” McHale.
I agree. Who sites McHale as an evaluator of talent? Especially on the T-Wolves. Sid’s a hack. BTW, whatever happened to his son after KFAN?
The Star Tribune turning conservative??? How do you explain that lefty loony Jon Tevlin recently getting a column? Or the weekly Garrison Keilor column that strips away almost every ounce of credibility from an otherwise acceptable Sunday editorial page?
I can only see that trade as a move towards a bigger deal. Atkins will probably be bought out and Wilkins and his expiring contract will be combined with a bigger contract most likely (he’s an above average defender at best, is an average shooter, a bad dribbler but can finish on the break which is someting that could help).
Mike B. how do you explain your parents procreating and producing such a misguided joke like yourself?
Whatever happen to free speech.
Sounds like Kahn is going to make something happen with the Atkins contract going somewhere else. I know he can’t be traded with other players for 60 days but thinking down the road. A three team trade between Utah, Minnesota, and Miami?
I’ll have to look at all the salaries but the jist of the trade would be Atkins going to Utah along with a player or pick, Miami getting Boozer and a player or a pick and the Wolves getting Beasley.
Would anyone have any interest in trading for Beasley and playing him at the 3? It would increase the overall size and length of the frontcourt while adding some much needed scoring. I realize that Beasley plays very little D and would probably struggle against more agile SF’s but I’m just trying to throw out some names that haven’t been mentioned yet.
No Beasley….unless its for some poo poo soup.
Mike B. - FYI… I didn’t post the statement at 7:25 a.m…. must be one of those user-name snafus.
Just learned that the Red Star Trib is a right leaning paper. Wow that really surprises me since I used to read it steady. Will have to pick up a copy and see for myself. Is MSNBC moving right also? Franken was very fortunate to have the person in Buhl remember they had all those ballets in their trunk a few days after election. Do ACORNs grow that far north?
I hate the idea of Mike Beasley on The Wolves. YUCK.
Swan
You wouldn’t trade Atkins and let’s say Brewer and Utah’s 1st for Beasley?
Jama, I would trade Atkins and say QRich for Beasley in a second. Beasley seems like a bit of a tool, but he’s a serious talent. That’d be fun!
I’d trade Brewer for sure!
Anybody remember that the Wolves tried to sign Wilkens as a RFA to the contract he’s now on? The Sonics matched it. Now he’s 29 yrs old and the Wolves are going to see what he can do. Does he really fit in any sort of long term plan, or is he just a servicable player for the year? (My vote is the latter)
There was a comment on an ealier thread about the Wolves needing that true first option (ala Kobe, LeBron, MJ) to pair with Jefferson, Love, Flynn (Rubio). I couldn’t agree more. But as it seems the Wolves have almost no chance of luring a big time FA to Minnie, their best option is to make a trade for an established player with some years on his contract.
Trouble is, what team in the NBA has a disgruntled/tradeable star signed for 4 or 5 more years who is still young enough to be the viable number 1 option on a playoff/contending team throughout all those years, and would they be willing to take the Wolves garbage (expiring contracts) in exchange? I don’t see a workable solution. Hopefully Kahn continues to make the “red paper clip” deals like Rand alludes to, and it comes out right in the end. I have to think there is some sort of plan in Kahn’s mind. Either that or he’s crazy and really blowing smoke.
In Jerry Zgoda’s story this morning…
“Kahn referred to the deal and Atkins’ contract as “savings we hope to realize in another way shortly, the next couple of days.”
>
I’ll be curious what the next move is in the next couple of days. But adding Chucky Atkins is pretty brilliant and the clear reason why we included two 2nd-round picks in the deal.
Teams buy 1st-round picks for $3M every year around draft time. At minimum if we don’t have another move coming, we basically just sold two 2nd-rounders for $2.75M (the difference in Atkins’ $3.48 contract minus the $760K buyout). Not bad.
That said, I fully expect some OTHER team to be buying out Atkins’ contract eventually because his contract is a pretty nice trade piece. It’s also a sign that The Wolves are going to be making a trade that results in them TAKING ON MORE SALARY… quite a departure from the past.
triebark - I believe the only way we eventually add a true No. 1 star will be through the draft. Legit stars aren’t made available on the trade market and wouldn’t sign with this club as FAs.
We’ll have to see how next year’s draft turns out or maybe Rubio/Flynn could eventually become better than AJ and be the guy. It’s hard to tell, but the only thing I feel for certain is that we won’t get anybody better than AJ through a trade or free agency.
I hope that Star trib would change their format, they are going broke. Fox News has a higher viewership than any of the other cable news shows…. combined!! What a concept making a profit…. The Trib could just wait around for TARP money or a bailout or Stimulus II. The new American way.
Couple other thoughts…
1. Nice to see that Kahn has interviewed Jerry Sichsting for “a” coaching job. I think he’s a very strong bet to be on the bench next year as an assistant. He was the best Xs and Os mind on The Wolves coaching staff last year.
2. Kahn talking to Rodney Carney, but he’s only interested “at the right price.” It’s good to hear that Kahn is being realistic about Carney’s abilities. I say give him a 1-year deal at the minimum with a team option. If Carney can find a better deal elsewhere, let him take it. The old regime would have signed Carney to a 3-year guaranteed contract. It’s nice that it appears Kahn will be more prudent with deep-bench players.
jama — this trade would work cap-wise, but would have to wait two months:
Minnesota trades: Atkins, Brown, 1st round pick
Minnesota gets: Beasley
Miami trades: Beasley, Blount
Miami gets: Boozer
Utah trades: Boozer
Utah gets: Blount, Atkins, Brown, 1st round pick
I think the Wolves would and should do that trade, and I think the Heat would do that trade. The question is what the Jazz would think since they are only getting cap relief, not any piece that will help on the floor.
Jama - Flip a coin and thats your answer. I don’t really know if I would or wouldn’t do that. I have plenty of reasons to ok that and as many to not.
Although a Beasley-Love-Jefferson front court would probably out rebound every team in the league by 10+ boards every night.
Ah Duffy… the Agent of Marco, Kandi, Mike James, Terrell Brandon, Rasho Nesterovic. I think he misses his old roomy as the GM… what a nice pipeline for deals there.
Gotta wait 60 days now to package Chucky… I still don’t understand the move now. Everyone on the board told me that 1 contact is easier than 2 to move. That 2nd round pick will be of great value next trade deadline when it’s clear it’ll be 31. Sell it next draft if it’s about the money hold it til then and see what happens. The party line here is role players fall outta trees why give up 31 for 2 of them.. Confusing
Sean - What do you see in Michael Beasley? It’s been proven time and time again that it never ends well when a team adds a head-case with talent. And Beasley is CLEARLY a head case with talent.
I’m not asking you to school me on Beasley’s on-the-court talents because I’m well-aware of them. But off the top of my head, I can’t think of a single example of it working out well when a head case joins a bad/rebuilding team.
Did Thunder pick up the 1 million trade kicker with Eaton or did Wolves eat that. At least Eaton is out of locker room.
Gotta have a little foresight on this stuff, Logical. Kahn explicitly stated that yesterday’s swap is a pre-cursor to another move.
Agree on Beasley not being good on a rebuild. Wolves still need a 2 man that can put ball on floor and make a play off dribble. Q-DOG & Ellington have none of that.
logical did you ever think of getting a job? You seem like the type of dweeb who couldn’t obtain a GED.
I’ve considered Foo’s point as well on Beasley… Do we know for sure that these are the teams being discussed? I’m not a huge NBA guy, so pardon the ignorance if in fact what I’m about to say is in fact ignorant, but maybe we could swing a deal with Portland for Pryz? It seems it would be a less expensive deal than a Beasley move; the only real benefit to Portland would be expiring contracts for next year where they could have more money to lure a legitimate veterant to team with all of their young talent. Pryz and Al would be a BIG front court.
Talk is cheap in sports as in politics. I’d like to see a team assembled that can compete nightly in NBA. This talk all sounds good but next November the games start and the spin stops. Am happy they have a vet pt to help Flynn though. Wilkins can defend but has no handle for 2 man. I see playmaking as a problem next year.
LT
Rubio (if/when he comes here) and Flynn can dribble well enough so Ellington and others can just stand there and shoot if they want (and he CAN dribble a bit; he’s not a tree trunk).
BTW… for those of you who are concerned about the post-defense of Al and Love, why would you EVER consider playing Michael Beasley at SF? Beasley’s has the same affection for defending (and jacking shots) as Rashad McCants.
We spent 3 years saying, “Rashad McCants could be a great defender if he just wanted to be…”
It would be the same thing with Beasley. I think the biggest thing we need from our SF spot is great defense. And that’s why, despite Brewer’s obvious short-comings in the half-court offense, I’ve been a huge advocate for him being our long-term starting SF solely for his defense, work ethic and character.
Foo — I think it’s a balance. I don’t think Beasley has proven himself to be an off-the-charts head case. He’s certainly hasn’t been a clubhouse cancer. He was rather productive last year offensively (more productive than Rashad McCants ever has been, for instance), and finished the regular season strongly.
I would be willing to roll the dice for the relatively low price being discussed here to add that sort of talent.
Why do you think we need a no-defense, get-mine SF? Even if he is only “questionable” in his character issues, you can’t gloss over them like there aren’t concerns.
Even if he was a HIGH-CHARACTER, shoot-first-defend-last player, I don’t think it would be a good fit. Add into the mix that there are legit issues with his character and I think it’s a dreadful move.
BTW… we don’t have a player or leader on our squad like D-Wade to keep him in check.
D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R
Kahn seems to be adding some nice pieces,but how about a backup center who can guard the rim and rebound(a young Theo Ratlief).I think Rambis will be our best choice to add leadership,but add a assistant coach who can be a mentor to the young point guards.
Foo — There were a lot of people who were critical of Kevin Durant as that sort of player as a rookie. Durant blossomed last year and became a more well-rounded and better overall player.
I don’t expect Beasley to be as good as Durant, but there is All-Star caliber talent there if it can be harnessed.
Please re-read my post and note that that I did not gloss over concerns about Beasley’s character. I said that I would “roll the dice” on Beasley for the price being discussed in this thrad.
I’d be willing to see if Beasley can blossom for the price of Chucky Atkins, Bobby Brown and a lottery-protected first round pick. That’s a risk this team can afford to take right now, in my opinion. You disagree. Fine. But don’t twist my words to make it sounds as if I ignored an issue which I did not ignore.
Geno - I continue to agree that we need a defensive-minded center to complement Al off the bench. Though I also continue to say that the jury is still out on Al’s ability to defend. He averaged 1.7 bpg last year and had ZERO perimeter-defense help. So we’ll learn a lot more about Al’s ability to defend the paint after this season when he’s got good perimeter defenders helping him out a bit in folks like Flynn/Rubio, Wilkins and Brewer.
But even if Al does prove to be a serviceable defender, I still think we need a rangy back-up whose calling card is defense. However, I feel that player won’t be added this year. With multiple 1st-round picks again next year, I fully believe we’ll end up with either Cole Aldrich, Soloman Alibi or Jerome Jordan - all of whom are long, good post defenders.
Oh Sid, when are you going to call it a day….
C’Mon, Sean… Don’t be so sensitive. You said that he’s not “an off-the-charts head case. He’s certainly hasn’t been a clubhouse cancer.”
To me, that’s glossing over the issue because you’re clearly minimizing the issue by using extremes as comparisons. Just because he’s not “an off-the-charts head case” or a “clubhouse cancer” doesn’t mean there aren’t very real character and effort issues.
But to address a couple of points in your last post:
1. I NEVER have heard about character/effort issues with Kevin Durant. Can you clarify your KD comparison because I don’t think they are even close?
2. It just very seldom works out well when you get blinded by talent and have to add the qualifier of “if it can be harnessed.”
That was the same M.O. with both Rashad McCants and JR Rider. Putting an “if it can be harnessed” guy on a rebuilding team just about never works out.
Foo-
1.) My Durant comparison is in relation to your description of Beasley as a “no-defense, get-mine SF”, which is exactly what Durant was labeled as a rookie.
2.) Certainly you’re entitled to your opinion. I don’t think the comparisons to Rider and McCants are valid, either. I never said there weren’t any issues. What I did say is that for the meager price of Atkins, Brown, and a lottery protected first-rounder, I would take a chance on the kid blossoming.
Foo
I was just throwing Beasley out there as a name that hasn’t been brought up much before since it seems the Jazz and Heat are looking for a 3rd team to include in a Boozer trade.
That being said, Kahn has stated many times that he wants to collect assets right now. What is a more valuable asset, Beasley, or a combination of Atkins, Utah’s 1st, and Brewer?
In my opinion Beasley has much more value than that package. The Wolves aren’t going to win next year and I don’t think a combination of Beasley, Love, and Jefferson would be a long term goal. I was just looking at ways to collect assets that could turn into a competitive team by the start of the 2010 season.
jama - In general terms, you’re definitely speaking my language. I’m all about the long-term and strategic asset management.
From that perspective and purely for conversation’s sake, I don’t see an issue with adding Beasley for that package.
But, beyond conversation, I REALLY doubt that could happen in the real world. Basically, Utah’s return for Carlos Boozer would be a late 1st-rounder? And from The Wolves’ end, I wouldn’t want to give up much more than that for Beasley. So, yes, if we can get Beasley for scrubs and a late 1st-rounder? Yes, do it. But if we have to start giving up more than that for it to make sense for Utah? I’ll pass.
I still hate the idea of Beasley ever stepping onto the court.
Give the guy a chance before you write him off as a lazy defender who only cares about scoring. Beasley has had his issues, but he was a model citizen last year, after the rookie orientation thing.
It’s a moot point anyway because there’s no way Utah accepts only a mid/late first rounder and scrubs for Boozer.
I’m not a great trade-brainstorming mind, but isn’t there someone else out there besides JRich that we could acquire? If we’ve been manuevering to clear cap space for a big FA or trade, and all we can get is JRich, I’m going to be highly disappointed.
TF21 - Like it or not, Michael Beasley has been a disinterested defender his whole career. This isn’t my assessment of Michael Beasley… this is his reputation based on his play to this point.
Anybody can change, but the best predictor of future action is past action. Sometimes folks have revelations and change. But, for the most part, you are who you are and it would be a surprise if he changed because most folks don’t.
But yes, as you said, it’s moot. Utah could get a lot more for Boozer (now or at the trade deadline) than a late 1st-rounder.
Foo — but you continue to tout Jonny Flynn’s defense despite the fact that his interest level defensively was questioned during his college career…
Sorry, I should have included that the Heat would probably have to part with Haslem to go to the Jazz. While the Heat would be getting another player from either the Wolves or jazz. Plus that opens up room for the Heat to sign Odom.
The Jazz would get Haslem a 1st round pick and Atkins contract which would save them a ton of money.
Aren’t we down to 3 big men in Love Jefferson and Songaila. One coming off a major knee injury and another who was average at best and doesn’t really play down low. Don’t we need at least one more big?
foo - how is it that far fetched to give the poo-poo platter to get beazley? utah put themselves in a horrible position. they now have the highest payroll in the league at 84.6M with boozer still on the books. as much as they pretend they aren’t going to give him away it would be very hard to pass up on cap relief and getting their 1st rd pick back. i’m not saying it needs to be beazley or j rich or whatever, but the wolves are in a great position because of kahn to acquire legit players for basically nothing because of the position he is building the team. randball’s article was spot on.
reeves — You’ve still got Gomes and Cardinal who can give you some minutes at the 4. Plus, I imagine Pecherov will get a chance to play some.
Sean - Are you making comparisons between Jonny Flynn and Michael Beasley as it relates to defense and character?
I don’t have a beef with you being in love with Michael Beasley. I just don’t like him and history has shown repeatedly that players with character issues have very, very seldom been successful in rebuilding situations. That’s the pillar I choose to stand on. You’re obviously not overly concerns with those issues and focusing largely on talent, which is also fine. If we were both running NBA franchises, we would each choose to build on different things. To you, talent is king. To me, talented character is king. I refuse to use revisionist history on these issues. After all - Fact One is that Beasley has demonstrated by his actions serious and objective character flaws. Fact Two is that players with character flaws don’t fit on rebuilding teams. If talent trumps those things in your mind, that’s fine. I just wouldn’t do it that way.
But, let’s frame this whole discussion. You’ve said that you’d be interested in Beasley for our scrubs and a late 1st-rounder. I said in my 11:09 post, that I’d be fine with picking up the asset for that price. But that deal isn’t going to happen. So if we transition back to the real world, the real question here is if you’d want Michael Beasley for his fair market value. That’s the context that I’m using because that’s the only realistic possibility out there… not the fantasy of landing Beasley for a late 1st-rounder. So under the real-world context, the thought of adding Beasley makes my skin crawl. I guess I’m just having trouble basing my opinion on the unrealistic trade you proposed.
But for academic reasons only, I’ll re-state again that I’d be happy to stockpile the asset for the price of a late 1st-rounder and our zero-value reserves.
I’ll refrain from buying what you’re selling on Flynn. “Disinterested” has never been an appropriate adjective for Flynn.
Foo — It gets really tiresome having to restate everything I say multiple times so that you can understand it.
No, I’m not comparing Flynn and Beasley in terms of character. I’m comparing YOU saying that you can’t trust Beasley to develop into a good defender because of his record on that end of the floor to your promotion of Jonny Flynn as a good defender. The fact is that there are plenty of folks who question Flynn’s commitment to playing defense. For one example, read through Flynn’s page on draftexpress.com — it’s littered with that very observation many times across his Syracuse career and it’s listed as one of his weaknesses. I’d also point out that Flynn wasn’t exactly a stopper in Las Vegas.
Let me also call your attention to a couple of other things:
1.) Jama originally posted the MIA-MIN-UTA trade. I just built it out so it would work from a cap persepctive.
2.) In that very same post, I questioned whether or not Utah would do it. So your whole tirade about how I’m going around making up this unrealistic trade is a load of you-know-what. For that matter, the modified conditions that jama subsequently posted (Haslem going to Utah) make it even more unlikely. Miami isn’t going to trade both Haslem and Beasley without getting a substantial second forward in return and neither Utah or Minnesota have that to offer.
3.) I’m not “in love” with Michael Beasley. I think Beasley is a talented player who has shown some immaturity in his rookie season, and that if the Wolves had the chance to “buy low” on him, it would be a risk this team could afford to take. You seem to think Beasley is an irredeemable head case and the Wolves should stay away at all costs. Time will tell who is right on that point.
Last year during the draft we would have jumped at the chance to get Beasley. I say get it done…could you imagine him with Rubio, Flynn, Love, and Big Al? Now that would be a fun team to watch!
Regarding the coaching situation - not sure if this new/old news for everyone, but this is from Andy Katz’ daily CBB blog on ESPN.com:
A source close to Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik told ESPN.com that Bzdelik talked with Minnesota Timberwolves general manager David Kahn about becoming a top assistant, not the head coach, for the franchise. The talk took place two weeks ago while Bzdelik was in Las Vegas to watch some former players in the NBA’s summer league. The source said Kahn discussed with Bzdelik that he could be the trusted aide to whoever lands the job. The source said he was told that the list featured mainly ESPN/ABC analyst Mark Jackson, Houston assistant Elston Turner and Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis. Bzdelik is still actively recruiting for Colorado, but if Kahn comes back with an offer that Bzdelik can’t refuse sometime in the next month, the Buffaloes’ coach likely will take the gig.
Coaching basketball at Colorado is arguably the worst job in the Big 12, as the school has facilities that don’t match up to any of its competitors in the league. Before taking over at Colorado, Bzdelik took the Denver Nuggets to the playoffs and had a successful run at Air Force. One of the main reasons he wanted to stay in the Denver area after he was fired as the Nuggets’ head coach in 2004 was that his daughter had a brain tumor. She since has recovered well and is a freshman at Wake Forest, so Bzdelik could move out of the state if need be.
If Bzdelik were to get the offer and accept, the timing probably would make top assistant and former Wyoming head coach Steve McClain the likely successor for the Colorado job. The source said Kahn likely would make the decision as to whether Bzdelik is on the bench. Having management, not just the head coach, decide on assistants isn’t out of the norm in the NBA.
Sean - Now let me repeat MYSELF to you because you seem to have the same problem that I do. You said in your last post that, “You seem to think Beasley is an irredeemable head case and the Wolves should stay away at all costs.”
Actually, in my last post at 12:59, I said (and this is going to be the 3rd time now… maybe that number will be a charm in your comprehension): “I said in my 11:09 post, that I’d be fine with picking up the asset for that price” but that it’s unrealistic to assume that could be possible.
So to say “You seem to think Beasley is an irredeemable head case and the Wolves should stay away at all costs” just isn’t true. I’ve stated the opposite THREE times now. Got it?
So before proceeding much further on this discussion, I need to ask for clarification - DO YOU COMPREHEND MY TAKE ON BEASLEY as is relates to that fictitious, never-gonna-happen trade scenario?
So now if I may proceed with the assumption that you’ve got a basic comprehension of what I continue to need to repeat… my take on Beasley is that I wouldn’t offer fair-market/real-world value for him because of all the concerns I have about his make-up.
i need some dick!
Did you try asking foo jama? That fool is just getting plain tiresome.
or logical thinker, both peas in a pod if you know what i mean. 
Foo — So, now you’re mad at me because you basically share my opinion on Beasley?
I’ve only advocated a “buy low” strategy on Beasley, not spending significant resources on him. You apparently agree.
I stated that whether Utah would do jama’s proposed deal was questionable. You agree.
Where we apparently disagree is on the extent to which Beasley is a head case. You seem to be ready to throw him in the Rider/McCants camp. I am not ready to do that.
Thanks for that report Icz.
To me, it only makes sense to bring in a top assistant (like Jeff Bzdelik) for a young inexperienced coach like Mark Jackson. While I don’t hate Jackson, I think Rambis is more qualified.
On the coaching front: I am also a Laker fan as some know and I have followed Rambis for a while, I want him to take over the Lakers job when Phil retires but I would also be very happy to have him coaching here. The problem is that he is already being groomed to take that job and the offer by Taylor would have to blow him away. When Rambis coached back in 1999, I think, he had a very good record for the half year he coached (something like 28 wins and 15 losses) Granted he did have a pretty good team with the young Shaq and very young Kobe but they still won and thats what matters
If whoever is posting as me is refering to Vitale, you are way off. I’m much more of a Brent Musburger fan.
Rambis is far-more prepared for head-coaching duties than Mark Jackson. But Jackson’s got a ton of credibility and will definitely be able to communicate expectations to his players.
I’ll be happy with either one, but they are definitely different.
Given the proposed depth of next years draft i’d rather hang on to our picks, and select BPA then see if any trades can be made. Beasley won’t help us next year, as w/his addition i still don’t see us cracking 30wins, so whats the point. I’d rather go w/the draft and keep stockpiling that way. I’m guessing our FA splash will be in 11 or 12. By then we should be on the cusp helping to alleviate that its ’sota they are coming to and Kahn seems to be one to sign smart contracts so we should have reasonable space left to offer.
Wonder if Pippen would be amenable to coaching the wings as an assistant..teaching technique etc. esp on defense. He seems like a cerebral guy. I see no reason why Bedzelik would be considered a ‘top’ assistant. then again i don’t know much about the guy other than he did ok during his nuggets stint.
C-note: I read somewhere (don’t remember where) that the Lakers are actually targeting a more experienced coach to replace Phil Jackson and because of that Rambis would be more apt leave. Believable?
Courtside/C-Note: Rambis is definitely a top candidate/up-and-comer, but I agree with Courtside that LA Lakers is the glamour job of The NBA, so I think they could just about always have their pick of the litter for coaches. So is Kurt Rambis the “pick of the litter?”
I think Rambis’ best bet to take The Lakers job eventually would be to become the head coach elsewhere, show some success and then bolt for LA two coaches from Phil Jackson.
This and the fact that I think The Wolves are an up-and-coming team (young players, cap space, picks) would seem to make Minnesota a nice fit for Rambis.
I love Mark Jackson, but think Rambis should be the top candidate.
Maybe Courtside but this upcoming season Rambis was going to coach during times when Phil needs a break or long road trips but the Lakers said no Phil can’t just take time off. So who knows I guess.
Rambis would be wise to turn down the t-wolves job and wait for Phil to retire and coach a real team…..on the Beasley take, he’s a hell of a talent that I’d luv to see staring in “Beasley and Da Beast”
Problem w/LA is that if you happen to have 1 bad season, they will fire you. That won’t happen here and Rambis would have much more job security. They’ve already replaced him once, and after a successful season at that.
Morris Almond is available and i’d consider him should QRich and/or Wilkins be dealt. He’d be cheap as well. Othyus Jeffers would be another consideration.
What bout Willie Burton…
Arenal - I heard Morris Almond has had a hand-shake agreement with The Knicks for a couple months.
But I like him too.
Tell me more about Othyus Jeffers? I know who he is, but what’s your take on him?
Foo,
Love the way you state things as fact. How do you know that Jerry Sichting was the best X and O guy in the huddle- because you saw him draw up plays on TV? Sichting has another year or two on his contract and will probably have a job because of that- taylor is too cheap to cut bait. Same with most of the positions in the front office- guys with contracts will stay. That’s the way it seems to work around there and it makes the most sense with the timetable left this summer.
Has Kahn done anything that you don’t like? You seem to think everything he does is “brilliant.” A cynic like you would normally find something to question….are you sleeping with him or what?
Mark Jackson has no experience and is completely unproven. You’re taking a big risk with him. What happened to all the other great candidates? Are we really down to Turner and Jackson…and maybe Rambis? Whoever said that the it’s par for the course for the VP to select the coach’s assistants is nuts. When????? A head coach always has the final say unless he’s inheriting a couple of guys who are under contract. The VP doesn’t usually want to touch the coaching staff because he’ll get the blame if things don’t go as planned.
If Kahn starts dictating assistant coaches, i guarantee no one will want the job.
seenenough - This is a forum for rube opinions. Would you feel better if I couched every comment I post with things like, “In my opinion” or by starting every sentence with “I think”?
My reporting days are over and this is a blog… so just go ahead and assume that everything I state is my opinion other than stats or passing along news. Feel better?
How’s this: “In my personal opinion, I think Jerry Sichsting is the best Xs and Os guy on the bench. But that’s only from my perspective I think.”
As for my sleeping with David Kahn, seenenough… I actually haven’t, but I’ve heard that he’s lonely with his wife still in Portland and all the time he’s spent on the road.
But seriously, it is true that I have endorsed almost every move that Kahn has made so far. The only two things I questioned: Trading the rights to Nick Calathes rather than stashing him in Greece; and giving up two 2nd-rounders in the recent trade with OKC, but even that has a defensible position. But those were two of his minor moves. So, you’re absolutely right that I’ve supported all of his major moves.
I’ve repeatedly stated that I’d lead the charge to crucify Kahn if The Wolves aren’t a solid playoff team by 2011-2012, but at this time I see a plan and believe that the last two moves (Q-Rich, Chucky Atkins/Damien Wilkins) are precursors to something else.
What moves haven’t you liked?
1. Declining to bring back McHale.
2. Trading Miller and Foye for Rubio.
3. Drafting Flynn instead of reaching for another position.
4. Turning a No. 18 pick in a weak draft into a likely higher pick in a stronger draft by moving Lawson to Denver for a future 1st.
5. Drafting Wayne Ellington.
6. The LAC and OKC trades - neither was done for immediate on-court solutions, but for future moves TBD.
Feel free to state your opinion as fact (I won’t be offended) and give me specific feedback on each of those moves. You’ve implied that you haven’t liked Kahn’s moves so far… what haven’t you liked? State your opinion.
Let’s start backwards with #6. I don’t care about the OKC trade-junk for junk, but hate the LAC trade. Smith was a versitle, bull-dozer type of player with a soft floater. He gave us a guy who could play multiple positions, and was just coming into his own when he was traded. This is, what, his 3-4th year? Telfair had the ability to change the pace of the game when needed. He had a few years behind him and could have brought some veteran leadership to this young squad. Richardson is nothing but a thug. I think we got the sorry end of that deal.
Everyone keeps talking about freeing up $$ for free agents next year. I think you guys are crazy- no one willingly comes to a team that is only winning 20 games in a city of ice. Dream on, guys.
#2. Again, I’m not convinced that Rubio is coming here, and also not convinced that he’s God’s gift. I believe Miller’s shot will return this year when he’s asked to move the ball less and get more comfortable with the team. With Al back, that would have happened. Foye was just coming into his own- he was finally showing what he’s capable when not injured, which I admit was an issue. Again, we wasted a few years developing him and then threw him away. Meanwhile, Washington is dancing in the streets. They are reporting that Miller and Foye are outworking everyone else on their team- also, Wittman was part of bringing them there. Maybe he knows a little about their value?
#1. Say all you want, if the cornerstones of our team are Al and Love, there’s no better guy to teach them than McHale. As Kahn is quickly finding out, it’s hard to find good coaches out there. How does Mark Jackson, who’s NEVER coached, especially big guys, come across as a better coach than McHale? Fans want to win. McHale had the guys on board to do so. Jackson is going to have a huge learning curve along with young players. He also has a temper, and tempers flare with every loss. Just watch. He may help Flynn develop, but will have a hard time with the bigs and will have a hard time with the emotional types of guys.
The assistant coaches you talk about are not “big” coaches, either- Sichting was an end of the bench guard. Cooper? He never played NBA that I know of.
At least someone like Lambier could have helped these guys. Why do you think teams have Ewing, Sikma, Jabbar, etc on their benches? They realize the development of bigs is an essential part of the game.
I predict this team will lose Al or Love eventually due to apathy. They’ll never develop here as they would have- Al is already mad because his teammates are gone and McHale is gone. You can read his body language when he gets down pretty easily. This will be a tough year for him, especially coming off the injury.
Other than Flynn, I see nothing of value that we’ve added to this team, yet I see quality players that we’ve let go. The cap room doesn’t impress me.
My opinion.
seen — The notion of McHale as some sort of big man coaching wizard seems rather overblown to me.
Under McHale’s tutelage, KG never developed a go-to low post game. How much has Al Jefferson improved since he got here? Not that much, frankly. As for Love, he played better as the year went along. Was that a result of McHale, or just natural rookie progression?
I firmly agree that we need somebody on staff to help tutor the bigs. The fact that said person isn’t going to be Kevin McHale doesn’t concern me at all.
Also, we have a much bigger need for someone to teach the young guards rather than the bigs. AL has been in the league for a while now and can help Love along. Our concern should be on developing Flynn, Ellington and maybe Rubio. With that said… the ideal situation is to have a coach that can help either the bigs or the guards and an assistent that can work with the others.
Even though I like Flynn a lot as a player, this he’s going to be a star thing is premature. Since the mid 80’s name me a guy under 6 foot that has been a star other than CP3 & I Thomas. It’s not easy being that small on the court with like athletes that are 6-3 or bigger. Whether Mchale should coach or not is debatable the fact that Love, Big AL & KG all said he helped them is not…. They all said it…. as a matter of fact KG said last year he learned more from Mchale about hard work and what it takes to be a player in the NBA than anybody else he’s been around.
seenenough - Seriously, Excellent post. (and thanks for quantifying it as your opinion… otherwise, I would have perceived it as fact ).
My thoughts on your thoughts:
#6 - I agree that Q-Rich is dreadful - I’ve always hated him, but I’m pretty convinced that he’s going to be gone shortly - hopefully before the season, if not definitely at the trade deadline. As for Smith and Telfair, I am also big fans of those guys, but they are very expendable based on their limitations and the fact that their ceilings are as reserves. Overall, I can’t allow myself to pass judgement on this trade until I see what The Wolves do with Q-Rich’s expiring contract and the extra roster spots we got in the deal.
I also agree with you regarding FAs coming to Minny. I disagree with you that “Everyone keeps talking about freeing up $$ for free agents next year.” Some folks have definitely mentioned FAs because that’s what rubes do. But I believe the bulk of the posters see those expiring contracts/cap space as an avenue to trade for currently-signed players or to sign the Loves/Rubios/Flynns to big contracts should they develop into max-contract types, which is still obviously unknown.
#2 - To me that was an absolute win-win trade. I’ve also been a big proponent over the last year of both Foye and Miller. I haven’t changed my screen name, so anybody is free to go into the archives and check that. During the season, I was one of Foye’s biggest advocates and I always drew attention to the other good things Miller did other than shooting/scoring.
That said, I believe Miller would have been a goner next off-season and probably not the best fit for a rebuilding situation anyway. I also believe and have stated repeatedly that Foye’s best role is as a Vinnie Microwave Johnson type of instant-offense 6th-man. That’s nothing to sniff at… Foye’s pretty good. But I just believe (yes, it’s unproven as you stated) that Rubio’s upside is far higher than Foye’s and he fills a harder-to-fill role of true PG. So, yes, it would have been safer and more conservative to have stayed with the Bird-in-Hand of Foye. But what would the upside have been with the safe, conservative approach? I like the move because I feel Rubio’s upside is much higher. And to become a title-contender, you need starting-five stars before you need 6th-men. And it’s also easier to find a tweener combo guard who can score than it is to find a star PG. So if Kahn believes Rubio is a future star (and he wouldn’t be alone in that assessment), I like the move.
But, yes, Foye and Miller will be better for Washington this year because with Arenas, Butler and Jamison, The Wizards are in win-now mode. So, again, I think it’s a perfect win-win move.
#1 - I liked McHale more as a coach than as VPoBO (though his moves post Roy-Foye were actually very good), but as soon as Glen determined he was going to hire an outsider to run the basketball ops, it was clear to me that it was time of McHale’s considerable shadow to be gone. Culturally, I believed we needed a clean break. But, speaking of making statements as if they are fact, how can you say, “As Kahn is quickly finding out, it’s hard to find good coaches out there.” Is the long time-table the only thing you’re basing that on? Because Kahn said from the outset of the coaching search that he was going to be methodical, interview a ton of candidates and take his time. That’s exactly what has taken place. If Kahn stated at the outset that he wanted to make a quick hire, I would have been very concerned about how long it has taken. But, in truth, the coaching search has gone 100-percent exactly like Kahn said it would. I’m itching to know who the coach will be just like everybody else. But Kahn is just doing it the way he said he would. No reason for alarm here.
I agree The Wolves have shipped out some good players, but I would submit that they are all “good reserves” not pillars to build a team around. Mike Miller and Randy Foye can all pass as starters, but really are better suited as reserves at this point in their careers. I’m happy to shed reserves for potential (I know, “potential”) stars.
Finally, how can you say that “Other than Flynn, I see nothing of value that we’ve added to this team”? Even if you don’t see anything positive with cap space and expiring contracts (on which I completely disagree BTW), how can you say that Ricky Rubio has no value? Should we just release him if he’s worthless? How can you say that trading a No. 18 pick in a weak draft for a better pick in a better draft is “nothing of value?” How is Wayne Ellington, who Mitch Kupchak predicted will be the best UNC player in this draft, “nothing of value?”
I understand you need to see more. Geez, so do I. We need to see what Rubio turns into (either as a player or as a trade chip). We need to know how Kahn plans to use all those expiring contracts. We need to see who we pick in next year’s draft with that Charlotte pick. We need to see if Ellington is indeed the shooter we have been missing. But if you’re saying that Flynn is the only player who has any value, then you’re casting yourself as a pessimist who is just going to complain about everything, regardless of Kahn’s plan. Rubio, Ellington and next year’s pick from Charlotte all have value. And, despite its lack of importance to you, cap space and expiring contracts have supreme value in The NBA.
But nice, strong takes. I agree with a lot of what you’re saying. But there are definitely a couple of things we see very differently as well.
Foo as far as Kahn goes only here on this site is he looked on as “brilliant”. Washington and it’s fans feel they fleeced him, Thunder can’t believe they got a valuable 2nd for Chucky & Wilkens, nation media rated his draft 29 outta 30 & the topper is Clips got rid of a bum in Q-DOG for 2 rotation players. Not to mention his coaching search is a laughing stock to other NBA teams and fans.
LT — What they say is less important than what they do on the court. And the on-the-court results don’t indicate that McHale produced unique results as a big man coach.
If you look at the advanced statistics on Al Jefferson, the only areas where he’s made significant improvement since coming here are in assists and turnovers per 100 possessions. He’s not more efficient as a scorer (he’s just used more), rebounder, or defender.
LT- how about AI for superstar under 6′
I wonder if the Wizards think they got a bargain for their pick considering they could have had Rubio? Do you really think they couldn’t have gotten more than Miller and Foye in return if they would have traded away Rubio, Thomas, Pecherov and Songaila?
seen — So you say McHale “had the guys in place to win”. Let’s hit the reset button for a moment, shall we? Rewind to the end of this season, and say we leave McHale in charge.
We don’t make the trade for the #5 pick, and we just keep the three picks we had. Add those players to the existing core, and you’ve got a team that probably wins 35 games or maybe even a few more next
year (assuming Jefferson is healthy).
What do you do then? Would you have been willing to make a multi-year commitment to Randy Foye? If so, for for how much? Would you have resigned Mike Miller? If so, for how long and for how much?
If you resign both those guys at amounts higher than the MLE, your cap space is essentially gone. So you’ve settled on Jefferson/Love/Foye/Miller/6th pick as your core. Is that good enough to go deep in the playoffs? I don’t think so.
Interestingly, this same discussion is taking place today at Canis Hoopus. To me, Kahn’s moves make enough sense that I have a lot of hope. I like the upside of Flynn, Rubio and Ellington. I had a hard time seeing how Foye could be paired with anyone (except maybe Evans) in this draft and be a high quality starter. Before Kahn’s moves started, I wrote that the Wolves probably need to blow up the backcourt and start over. Now he’s doing it, and I love it. Unless Ellington exceeds expectations or we make a big move, we still need a top SG prospect, but I’m hoping for Evan Turner in the 2010 draft.
http://www.canishoopus.com/2009/7/29/966685/competing-with-the-status-quo#comments
Are you telling me Love/Big AL/flynn/ Rubio(if he comes)/Ellington are a deep run playoff team? I hear Mitch Kup said good things about Ellington Never saw a thing written about him nationally after EVERYONE in the league saw him play in Vegas. Flynn got some love nationally Wayne no. Wolves would’ve won 34 last year if AL hadn’t got hurt. Add Flynn and take 18,27 and expiring contracts to bring in a vet and try to win 45 plus with a still young team in 2010 season. AI is another Under 6 footer All Star…. that’s 3 in 25 years. But yet I hear it steady here that Flynn will be great.
Fear vs. hope, Eeyore. The “kool aid drinkers” hope that the new guys pan out and we have a better team in the long run. You fear that we’ve lost our shot at a slightly better than mediocre team. And you keep talking about the current team as though Kahn is done. We have more picks next year and cap room to make trades. We are debating the merits of a team that most likely will never take the floor.
LT: I don’t think we know whether the current core is a deep run playoff team. But I think what most of us here are responding positively to is the notion that last year’s core backcourt wasn’t worth committing to and building around and that it needed to be blown up.
I would have had a very difficult time committing more than MLE money for both Foye and Miller.
Does that mean that Kahn’s moves are going to work? Not necessarily. But what it does mean is that we’re not going to settle for the McHale era standard of just being happy to be in the playoffs.
I’ve been very clear that I’m not as high on Flynn and Ellington as some here. I don’t see Flynn as a future All-Star, and I think comparisons to Chris Paul are unwarranted. I think he can establish himself as a solid starter in this league. On the other hand, I think Rubio has a chance to be a special player — a perennial All-Star kind of player.
Logical - Rewind two weeks back to this same discussion… remember how we discussed at that point that a 45-win team wouldn’t have made it into the playoffs? Well, two weeks from the first time you brought that argument up, a 45-win team STILL doesn’t make the playoffs. Only eight teams make the playoffs from each conference and a 45-win team is a 10-11 seed. And, assuming you took that route, it would have been a 45-win team with zero cap space. It wouldn’t work if your objective is to win a championship. But I congratulate you (once again) on building the best 10th-seed ever.
Billy - EXCELLENT perspective on the Wizards trade. If Washington knew it could have gotten Rubio with The No. 5 pick, do you think there is a chance in Hades they would have made that trade? Does anybody on the board think that The Wizards couldn’t have gotten A LOT more for Ricky Rubio than Foye and Miller?
Foo,
If Jackson is the best coach we can get, then, yes, I stand by my position that Kahn can’t find anyone else. There is a list of qualified coaches out there- I’m assuming that Kahn has the list. If he’s been through all of those guys and settled on Jackson, then I think we have what we had with his own hiring- most good applicants simply fell by the wayside. Kahn was left. That is fact, not opinion.
Sean, I’m happy to rewind. Add a Flynn to the mix from last year, maybe clean up some of the bench players, and continue developing Al and Love and I predict 40+ wins next year. You then have a team that is up and coming and a place where some, not all, free agents are willing to look at in 2010. You guys assume that we can’t make moves mid-season or next year depending on need. At least give this team a chance to gel- All good teams need a few years to play together and we finally had a core that was starting to “get it.”
We don’t know what would have happened had Corey been healthy, Al been healthy, Foye been healthier, Miller been playing his position, Love in his 2nd year, etc. We would have had the opportunity to see that this year- all the guys playing healthy and playing for someone they liked along with playing in a familiar system, A new coach brings in his own offense and defense. Many of these guys are not rocket scientists and don’t learn quickly.
If we still lost, then I have no problem saying McHale is not the answer. I have no problem throwing away a few good players for cap room and picks.
It seems to me we’re on a constant rebuilding quest that will not be successful for years-
Chucky Atkins is another Bobby Brown. We already have one of him- and why would we give up a good second round pick for this guy? Seems excessive-
I’m just not buying the Kahn hype. He hasn’t proven to me that I’ll enjoy watching this team this year. It’s hard for me to get excited about 2012.
Can Al/Love/Foye/Miller/Flynn go deep into the playoffs THIS year? No. But they’d have a competitve team. They’d each increase their trade value. I believe Al’s trade value will decline after this year with another 20 win year.
Also, McHale was able to convince Al to take less to stay here, saving the organization millions. Foye and Miller liked him. My gut feeling is that both would have stayed and signed for less if they were on a decent team and happy in Minnie. Again, my opinion.
With the current rules in the NBA it does make it easier for smaller guards to compete. With the ticky tak fouls, hand check rules, etc. the focus of the NBA game has shifted from big men dominated to quickness and athleticism (2 qualities that Flynn has plenty of).
Wizards weren’t thinking a ball dominant pt guard at all. Gilbert and Rubio??????? They came right out and said they would not have taken Rubio just the same way Clips, Grizz, Thunder & Kings didn’t. Those 4 teams past and didn’t look back so Wizards wouldn’t? I bet you 45 gets in playoffs this year. You’re looking at a rare year when it doesn’t . I can only remember twice in 25 years. I forgot stats and logic only apply when it fits a certain pattern of hope and change. Reminds me of something else that’s working out swimmingly.
You missed the point, Eeyore. The Wizards wouldn’t have picked Rubio for themselves, the would have moved him (and others) for a better return than Foye & Miller. It’s safe to say they didn’t think the #5 pick would end up being that valuable.
Hell if Rubio is that valuable WHY haven’t Wolves traded him and fix our own mess or was he just valuable in Washington?????
Rubio IS the fix to our own mess — or at least he could be — even if it takes one or two more years to get him here (which I don’t think it will).
A note on all the cap room we’ve created for 2010 with these multiple moves, 1M. That’s the same 1M we gave Eaton in a trade kicker to be a Wolf for 3 weeks.
He’s a fix for our team but not a help to a projected playoff team? sounds like a dreaded role player to me. Stars shine everywhere.
seen — the problem is, though, if you resign Foye and Miller — even at the best case scenario of the MLE — you’ve used up most of your cap room to do that. There’s no additional impact player coming in free agency if you bring those players back.
I would also argue that notion of teams needing to “gel” is overrated. No amount of gelling is going to get a team that doesn’t have the horses over the hump. Back in the day, this team went with a core of KG-Brandon-Wally for several years. They had ample chance to gel, yet still went nowhere.
The 2008 Boston Celtics didn’t spend years gelling. The team they beat in the 2008 Finals made a major trade at midseason that enabled them to reach the Finals, and then they went on to win the championship in 2009.
I’m as frustrated as anybody about where this organization is at. But I give Kahn credit for recognizing that the McHale core wasn’t good enough and we were better off fixing it now as opposed to getting stuck in the middle like were were a decade ago. It’s up to Kahn to make the right moves to fix the situation. If he fails to use the assets at his disposal effectively over the next year or so, I will be right there by your side criticizing him.
But for right now, I generally like the direction he is going. I have a similar quibble about the OKC trade and the second round pick, but on the whole, I think he has raised the upside of this team.
LT — 45 wins hasn’t got you in the playoffs in the West in three of the last five years.
If you think Rubio is that good, you don’t trade him, you wait for him to play here. As we’ve found, when you trade superstars you don’t get the same value back.
That’s right, Eeyore. Washington is set up to win now, so playing an 18-year old isn’t ideal. We need stars, and the easiest way to get them is to draft them. Rubio has a chance to be one, but it’ll take time for that to pan out. We have the time, the Wizards don’t.
Did someone say Craig Smith played multiple positions? Are you counting right bench and left bench to go along with undersized PF?
What position other than PF did Smith play? Don’t forget he played no defense.
Rather than looking at the past I’d like to hear of some players that the Wolves should be targeting. All we’ve really heard so far are Jason Richardson, Rudy Fernandez, and a couple of Warriors wings. Who are some other players that are actually attainable via trade for this season?
By pumping up Rubio as God-like, Kahn has made a couple of big mistakes. First, it’s a hard label to live up to, especially at his age. Saying that this guy is the new “face of the franchise” is ludicrous. Giving the guy a starting spot without so much as an exhibition game behind him undermines any coach that is here.
What if Flynn beats this kid out in training camp? What does the coach do, listen to Kahn or listen to his gut? Rubio expects to play and will not be happy, Flynn has won the battle but will sit. Not a good situation.
The KG/Wally team had potential, however KG hated Wally and it showed on the court. Wally never turned into the shooter/player that he was hyped as. KG couldn’t carry a team down the stretch, yet demanded the ball every possession. How many games did he win down the stretch for us? The Celtics gelled quicker because they had veterans- Pierce, KG, and Allen. Allen is the cornerstone there, as far as I can see. They also didn’t need Garnet down the stretch because they had the others. They didn’t need the time to come together because as vets, they already understand the nuances of the game.
One more thing. Go back to Kahn’s initial press conference where he praises the team and says that he was blessed to come into such a great situation where the people before him had handed him cap room, a good team, and good picks.
Now when you hear him talk, it’s like Obama talking about Bush. “They left me with a mess.”
Sounds like Kahn is pointing fingers away from himself already. Man-up and own your moves, Kahn.
Excellent question, jama. I’ve been looking through rosters trying to find a better option than J-Rich (in terms of a major addition that helps us and is attainable at a reasonable cost), and didn’t have any luck. That’s one of the reasons I’m leaning toward a year of (probable) suffering and adding our next big pieces in the 2010 draft.
seen — About handing Rubio the starting spot: If you believe that Rubio is the second-best player in the draft, you hand him the keys. If he flops, you take him out of the starting lineup. It’s not that difficult. I think this organization has been far too deferential to the feelings of mediocre journeymen when it comes to playing their rookies. Kevin Love should have started last year instead of Craig Smith. Ricky Rubio should start whenever he comes over here.
About Garnett in the fourth quarter: In 2007-08, Kevin Garnett was the leading scorer for the Celtics in the fourth quarter in both the playoffs and regular season. He shot a significantly higher percentage than Pierce or Allen in that time either. It was a matter of surrounding him with the pieces to win.
About Kahn’s initial press conference: the transcript is here:
http://www.secretsofthecity.com/magazine/blogs/ball/2009/05/kahn-press-conference-transcript
Kahn never says this ia a “good team”. He repeatedly says that there are some good young pieces and a lot of flexibility. But he also starts what would become the “Jefferson as a #2″ line, and doesn’t mention any other players at all.
(just throwing out names — not endorsing any of them)
Josh Howard? Mike Dunleavy? Rip Hamilton/Tayshawn Prince? Luol Deng? Delonte West? Travis Outlaw/Martell Webster?
Sean: of that list, I like Price best from a win-now perspective. I don’t want to start another discussion about trading for Blazers, no matter how good they are. West could be an interesting intermediate piece (starts this year, moves to 6th man over time).
Here’s my idea for a fun exercise: what’s the best win-now roster we could assemble? Let’s pull a full-on Eeyore here and mortgage the future to win as many games as possible in 2010. I think we have enough salary on the books to add two or three major pieces. Any takers? My first try wasn’t so great: Camby/Jefferson/Josh Smith/Rip Hamilton/Flynn&Rubio.
I am so smart!! trade rubio as far as i can tell he is not much of a half court penatrator more of a fast break facilitator. flynn looks to have a better half court game. so we trade rubio and a big contract and a first rounder and pick up bogut and redd from the bucks, that balances out the roster gives us good enough young players to keep around then we can pick up other role players in the draft.
c. bogut
pf. big al
sf. brewer
sg. redd
pg. flynn
this way we would have finishers at four of the five positions two all stars and stay young. yes i am sooooo smart!!!
They have Brandon Jennings so they don’t need Rubio right now, maybe if Jennings turns out to suck but some people think he might be better than Rubio(not to mention Jennings himself) lol
