State of the Timberwolves

I'm a Timberwolves fan. No matter how negative or mediocre the club is, it's been fun to follow the team and cheer for their accomplishments and howl over their misfortunes. Needless to say, there's been a lot more howling than cheering these days. Many of us thought when Kevin McHale--aka The Iron Ranger--took over from Jack McCloskey--aka The Vacationer--our ship would finally be righted. And for quite awhile, we enjoyed success; though not consistently one of the elite teams in the NBA, we won enough in the regular season to curry interest, only to be dashed repeatedly in the playoffs.

This was due to one single move:the drafting of Kevin Garnett. Loyal Minnesotans could say the hiring of Flip Saunders as the coach also added "zazz", but really, I don't think Flip could have won without Kevin, and in his prime, I think Kevin could have won without Flip.

How things have changed!

As with many sports organizations, the Timberwolves are a bloated, arrogant and underperforming bunch, from the front office, the players, right to the broadcasting crew. They lack the ability to honestly self-assess, which every successful organization needs, and to understand the changing dynamics of the market they operate in. To wit:

This morning the NY Post announced the Knicks had signed Randolph Morris out of Kentucky, who by entering last years NBA draft but not hiring an agent, was awarded free agent status by the league. Morris by all accounts is not a franchise changing player, but considering the woeful state of the Wolves front court outside of KG and possibly the undersized Craig Smith, they could have at least TRIED to be in the mix for a potentially decent front court role player, at a relatively low cost. Who was reported to be the other suitor for Morris? The Raptors.

What have we gotten instead of real players and effort? "The Blueprint for the Future". Simply put, a lot of spin and mirrors. It would have taken hustle and some cash to show Minnesota sports fans this club is truly interested in improving the club, especially when the on court product is so poor, and this year's first round draft pick is so tenuous. What we get instead are empty, unfufilled promises.

Here's the bottom line: No "blueprint" will be successful unless you have a mentally tough, physical front court who can primarily defend and score at least a little in the low post. Mark Blount--once dubbed the "second best center in the Western Conference" by broadcasting spin artist Jim Petersen earlier this season--has now reverted back to the mediocre and lazy player he was for the Celtics. Yes, he has a sweet stroke from 18 feet, but when that fails him, what's left? Nothing. Even Petersen can't sell the notion anymore that Blount alone is worth the first rounder they owe the Celtics. Hopefully Petersen will never get an opportunity to run a team, based on his early and mid season advocacy of the Blounster.

Herein lies the core problem of the team: having played the game. How many times have we heard Petersen tell his listeners that he played the game, therefore his opinion was superior? How many reports have we heard about McHale blaming coaching and players for his lack of roster building acumen? Sure, he had a nice run when he took over for the Flipper a couple of years back, but even then they quit on him when the needed to win (re:Atlanta). It's the hubris all former players face when they become front office executives or broadcasters: once you step off the court, everything changes. The same qualities that made you one of the top 350 or so players in the entire world won't necessarily make you a top notch executive. It's not just about you anymore. Micheal Jordan, Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, Kevin McHale, and Larry Bird have not taken the NBA world by storm after they've left the hardwood. They've had some measure of success, but certainly not to the level of their playing days. There are other dynamics that make for a successful team building executive, like respecting the opinions of people less accomplished than yours, understanding the personality type of this generation's ball player, or knowing the value of resources (e.g. draft choices) available to you as a team is built. These are all examples of dynamics outside of simply lacing up sneakers and playing the game.

The state of the Timberwolves is that there are too many people who are arrogantly in love with their opinions, and cannot simply see the results for what they are. They've never been total failures before, so in this case, it must be some else's fault. Much like our current administration in Washington, they surround themselves with people who are seemingly "yes" oriented, who will not "tell it like it is". Then, they are incredulous when the fan base doesn't buy the spin they are offering. They are out of touch with their own failure, and refuse to acknowledge it. Until that changes--either by front office shake-up, a possible 12 step program, or a Greg Oden like acquisition--I don't see much changing for the club.