Wolves sign six for camp
Posted on September 28th, 2009 – 11:42 AMBy Mark Wollemann
The Timberwolves filled out their training camp roster with these six players. Jerry will be on later today to talk about media day and prospects for Wolves training camp.
Here’s the Wolves’ press release:
Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves today signed unrestricted free agents Alonzo Gee, Devin Green, Jason Hart, Jack McClinton, Jared Reiner and Mustafa Shakur, finalizing the training camp roster at 18 players.
Gee, a 6-6 guard from Alabama, played for San Antonio in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 2.2 points and 11.5 minutes in five games. An All-SEC Second Team honoree following both his junior and senior seasons, Gee was not drafted by an NBA franchise this summer.
A 6-7 guard from Hampton, Green returns to the Wolves after competing in the Las Vegas Summer League with the team, where he averaged 5.7 points and 3.0 rebounds in three games. After appearing in 27 games for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2005-06 season, Green played for the NBA D-League’s Los Angeles D-Fenders for two seasons, averaging 19.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 13 games in 2006-07 and 16.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 24 games in 2007-08. He played in Belgium last season.
Hart, a 6-3 guard from Syracuse, has played eight seasons in the NBA, averaging 4.8 points and 23 assists in 336 games. He split last season with the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets, averaging 2.0 points, 1.2 assists and 8.9 minutes in 39 games. Hart saw action in nine playoff games for Denver, averaging 0.2 points, 0.6 assists and 2.1 minutes. Over his NBA career, Hart has also played with Utah, Sacramento, Charlotte, San Antonio and Milwaukee. He averaged 11.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.5 steals in 132 games at Syracuse (1996-2000), earning All-Big East First Team honors as a senior.
McClinton, a 6-1 guard from Miami, was a second round selection (51st overall) by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2009 NBA Draft. He played for San Antonio in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 2.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in five games. In three years at Miami, McClinton averaged 17.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 95 games. He ranks first in the ACC with a career three-point shooting percentage of .440. McClinton was an All-ACC First Team selection as a junior and senior.
Reiner, a 6-11 center from Iowa, brings two seasons of NBA experience to the Wolves training camp roster. Despite going undrafted, Reiner appeared in 19 games for the Chicago Bulls in 2004-05, averaging 1.1 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. After a season with Sioux Falls in the D-League in which he was voted to the All-Star Game, Reiner was called up to the Milwaukee Bucks and appeared in 27 games, averaging 1.2 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. Reiner has played professionally in Europe during each of the last two seasons.
Shakur, a 6-3 guard from Arizona, has competed in Poland, Greece and Spain since leaving Arizona in 2007. Shakur was All Pac-10 Honorable Mention as a senior and ranked third in the nation in assists.
The Timberwolves’ 21st NBA season tips off today with the team’s annual Media Day from 12-2 p.m. at the Timberwolves Practice Facility in Life Time Fitness Target Center. The first practice of training camp is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 29 from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at Bresnan Arena on the Minnesota State University-Mankato campus. A complete training camp schedule and roster are attached.
45 Responses to "Wolves sign six for camp"
Wow
Jason Hart is kind of expected. But Shakur is definitely a name coming out of no where. He unquestionably has the tolls to be an NBA player, if his time overseas has taught him to play under control.
Obviously Kahn is much more concerned about a 3rd point guard than he is about another big man.
[…] On the Wolves » Blog Archive » Wolves sign six for camp blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/wolves/2009/09/28/wolves-sign-six-for-camp – view page – cached The Timberwolves filled out their training camp roster with these six players. Jerry will be on later today to talk about media day and prospects for Wolves training camp. — From the page […]
who? see you in 3 years when rubio comes over
It probably comes down to Hart and McClinton for the third PG job unless one of the others really impresses.
I think it depends on how many players The Wolves opt to keep. 15 is the max game-day roster, but I’m not sure what the minimum is… I believe it’s 12 or 13.
The Wolves currently have 12 players on the roster (b/c Daniels and Blount will be goners), so if they keep 15 players, I think they’ll keep:
1. Jason Hart - PG
2. Jack McClinton - Combo Guard
3. Jared Reiner - 3rd-string C/PF
Shakur and Green are wildcards because they both played in Europe last year… maybe they’ve rounded out their games while across the pond.
Alonzo Gee has got to just be a training camp body, right?
And McClinton’s got the most upside to ever become a useful, rotational NBA player… so I hope they find a way to keep him.
I love the idea of bringing in a veteran PG who played at Syracuse like Jason Hart… good mentoring potential for The Wolves investment in Jonny Flynn.
Does anyone know if Reiner played in the Howard Pulley League at the Salvation Army this summer? There was a big center from Iowa (or Iowa State) who had been playing in Europe, but I can’t remember if it was him. Would be a good person for practices.
1. none of the above 2. Hart 3. McClinton 4. Gee 5. Reiner 6. not too likely, and I forgot all about Shakur… very interesting choice, not a shot at making the team, but very interesting.
Expression451 - What’s your take on Gee? I don’t know a ton about him.
oops. 4 was supposed to be Green not Gee.
Gee is going to make a decent living in Europe.
Alonzo Gee is a defensive SG in the NBA… if he translated into the NBA at all it would be as a 11-12th guy as a defensive ball player… His jump shot is mediocre due to a funky delivery, but he’s a gamer who can play very good defense on the college level. I think he’s going to go to Europe make a few hundred K a year and do alright for himself.
Foo, Gee is a 6-6 version of Corey Brewer without upside.
I’m torn between Hart and McClinton. I agree it’s going to be one of those two, but which one? McClinton has the potential and more dynamic ability, but Hart is a proven veteran and a mentor I think we need for Flynn and Sessions.
Speaking of Brewer and bad shooting forms, Rambis said in his KFAN interview that he’s worked on correcting an imbalance problem with Corey’s shot, and already it looks much much better. Smoother form, quicker release, higher percentage.
Hopefully that carries into the season.
Is there any place we can go to watch the game (online).
thats a lot of background for a lot of guys who prob won’t make the final roster. thanks mark…great work
I would have to think Hart has the inside track — he’s bigger and a veteran presence would be welcome.
I’d be surprised if more than two players of this group is on the roster. Given the current economy, I would imagine the Wolves are not going to carry anybody just for the sake of having an extra warm body around.
2 Words. Play Offs
I’m excited about the future, but am presently confused about the team…I’ll need to see a final roster and more clarity about who is doing what before I can really get a sense of hope about the team…then I’ll need to see them play a bit to get a realistic sense of the team. Jerry, please help us understand what these news bits are about (salary move, training camp move, actual team contributor, etc.) Thank you.
Yeah, I think you guys got it, Hart and then McClinton. Maybe they keep both and trade a guy like Wilkins if another team loses a guy to injury.
what happened to that PG from North Dakota ? I forget his name or maybe im thinking of last years team? Please help me remember..im old…
What happened to Ben Woodside?
Woodside isn’t a NBA player. Sorry. He will likely go to Europe and have a very nice career over there.
Folks, Jack is in training camp through his connection with Jonny. Just as Paul Harris joined the Summer League roster. In fact, I think Jonny and Jack may be bunking together for now while both are in Minneapolis.
Jack is a solid guy too.
Oh, boy . . . .
A little follow-up on a couple of players that have appeared on this board in the past:
1. Chucky Atkins to Detroit.
2. Stromile Swift to Philly.
i agree that this will be an exciting team to watch, i think for the first time in a few years the Wolves will be able to draw some people that would’ve otherwise spent an evening in St. Paul at Excel Energy Center.
now whether or not this team is better than 24 wins is entirely up to Al Jefferson. all of you know my stance on the organization’s franchise player and I hope he can alter my opinion of him this year.
“I’m torn between Hart and McClinton.”
Im torn between Hart, McClinton and who gives a sh:t.
I don’t care what anyone says: I am disappointed that McHale didn’t get the chance to coach the team he put together. With Jefferson they were deadly. Now I feel like we have somebody with Turrette’s Syndrome calling the shots. McHales’s team would’ve competed THIS year.
I feel sorry for Kurt Rambis. He is going to be transitioning from being an “Assistant Legend” to being a scapegoat for a third-string GM. This won’t be the opportunity he thought it was, and he must know this by now; otherwise we would see him in the press. Kurt is probably the only person more shocked than we are by David Kahn. Good luck Kurt.
Jim - “McHales’s team would’ve competed THIS year.”
What does that mean? Can you put a number of wins on that? What does it mean to compete THIS year… just trying hard or actually winning a fair amount of games?
“McHales’s team would’ve competed THIS year.”
Does the word myopia mean anything to you?
Hope Atkins has fun riding pine behind Stuckey and Will bynum…
I hope its McClinton as he can do more and has more upside than Hart does. Seeing as how Kahn goes w/the asset rule, i see Jack staying more so than Hart but thats just me.
Italy Jim: ah no, last years team would not have competed THIS year, they would’ve been avg at best again with Miller/Foye walking or getting big money this summer.
Who cares? IF all or if none of these guys make the team b/c it won’t change the fact that we are built to win 20 games tis year. That is it! None of these guys will put us up to 25-30 wins. Kahn is positioning us to have a big off season next year from have 2 1st round picks to trading for large expiring contracts up at the years end. none of these guys will play large minutes and don’t figure into the long term big picture. They are bench warmer’s @ worst, they are posterized people by Kobe’s feet at best ( with playing time ). As a matter of fact I have wasted my time to even type this blog about them since they mean so little to the T-wolves plan and team make-up! That’s it I’m done!
The problem with what Kahn calls his five year plan is that the folks here have watched this team go backwards for the last five years. If the team doesn’t do well (and they won’t) Kahn will be let go in 3-4 years and he’ll talk about not being given his 5 years to turn it all around. I never think its a good idea to completely blow everything up to start over. Unfortunately for this team the GM will be making more moves off the court than the players on the court. I do hope I’m wrong…
Lots of randoms hating on Wolves tonight, people can say they will suck but we don’t know yet, yeah they won’t be great but there going to win some games and 30 games is a very realistic goal for this team and who knows how good they can be the following year if they add a couple of 1st round picks and a solid FA.
McClinton has the potential to be a nice player in the league if he can learn to play PG. be a nice 3rd option shooting PG to bring off the bench. I really hope we add Siler..size, bangs, knows his role and how to play it.
the wolves will lose more than they win, obviously, but i think they will be far more entertaining to watch that last years crop simply b/c the effort will be there.
long as their is effort there will be improvement which is what this season should be all about. it’ll be interesting to see the system Rambis and co implement.
Jimfromitaly…
I love Italy, but you are 110% dead wrong! Kevin McHale is a failed abortion, and almost everything he has done since trading for Bobby Jackson was a mistake.
You are in Italy… you weren’t here to watch the crowds turn… the team not play hard… you weren’t here to watch them bring in Duane Casey and then ruin him… you weren’t here for Randy Wittless, and the worst job of coaching in NBA history… and you weren’t here to watch this team under McHale continue it’s futility against teams that could win more than 30 games in a season… so when you bring up that nice little stretch from last year before Jefferson got hurt… look who they played and realize that the team had lost 6-8 games in a row. before he was injured!
You are wrong… this is hard for me to say on an “opinion” but McHale is the freaking grim reaper of NBA basketball in Minnesota… had he been allowed to stick around with this club longer… we wouldn’t have had a club!
His lack of talent, desire, and inability to draft, trade, or sign a free agent coupled with the economy, and the state of the NBA in general are in… McHale would have single handedly destroyed NBA Basketball in Minnesota.
Jimfromitaly…
If anything Kahn has shown to us just how lazy McHale really was.
BC: seriously, you either need to seek professional psychiatric help or come up w/some new material. i mean honestly man, let it go. geezus.
keep dwelling on the past and you’ll miss out on the present and future.
I hope we sign Shakur, just so I can wear Tupac’s last name on the jersey
Personally, I’m excited about watching this team with these coaches grow over the coming year and beyond…I can’t remember the last time I thought that about the Wolves.
