When it comes to the Wolves, Star Tribune columnist and Wolves Live commentator Jim Souhan is a modern day Sybil. In December, when the Star Tribune published a headline about the Wolves possibly being the worst team ever, he defended them both in print and on the next Wolves Live broadcast. Then after a stretch of particularly horrible games, Sunny Jim rips the club in the paper.
Excerpts from a 12/21 column:
"This team has a purpose. This losing, with any luck, will land the Wolves their choice of dynamic players in the next draft. And what else could matter for this team, other than landing a franchise player to pair with Al Jefferson?"
The Wolves trotted him out the next telecast to help defend the Wolves--in a tizzy over the "Worst Team Ever?" headline--after a rare win over Indiana.
Excerpts from a 1/7 column, written after a particular putrid Sunday effort against Dallas:
"It's been written here that the Wolves might as well lose a lot this year, to maximize their chance at the top draft pick -- but there is a difference between losing with purpose and losing all credibility.
It's been written here that a season spent developing young players can be healthy, but that assumed the Wolves would develop young players and win more than once a month, not implode."
Now, with the current modest improvement in the team, he's back on the airwaves, supporting the notiion that the trades the Wolves made in the off-season were GREAT for the club, kind of back to the original 12/21 premise.
Well, which is it? Is nine wins with a little hope more credible than four wins with none? What if the Wolves go off on a mini tear, and hurt their chances for a higher draft choice?
We all are happy the Wolves are winning more; one can only bitch about losing so much. I think it's important for the fans to have hope for the future. Consistency however--especially in the mainstream media (MSM)--is important. Just because you're getting an extra stipend from the organization you criticize in another venue doesn't make it right..or professional.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sometimes on Sunday
I was going to title this post "Never on Sunday", based on the Wolves poor performance yesterday against the Nets. As history has proven, they have a hard time getting up for these "day-of-rest" contests.
Of course, they proceeded to win the game.
All along, I've been looking for signs of progress, and ranting that losing in and of itself is not a great teacher, stealing the line from George Karl. Yesterday was a good moment, a victory snatched from Nets team looking for answers and sliding into oblivion or in this case dissolvement, since pieces of their Big Three--Vince Carter, Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson--may well get dealt to other teams. Up until the last minutes of the game, Big Al was the only player to show up on the Wolves. His performance was stud-like, and has been noted both in the MSM and blogosphere, the defense was better as well.
The late contributions of Corey Brewer, Gerald Green and Ryan Gomes can't be overlooked. Richard Jefferson was a thorn in the Wolves side all day long, but Wittman finally got a clue and put the bigger Gomes on RJ and his production dropped considerably over the second half. Brewer and Green played opportunistically; they hustled and delivered at both ends of the court. Considering the Celtic blunders on Friday, this was the best way to respond, against a struggling team.
Now what?
More to come...
Of course, they proceeded to win the game.
All along, I've been looking for signs of progress, and ranting that losing in and of itself is not a great teacher, stealing the line from George Karl. Yesterday was a good moment, a victory snatched from Nets team looking for answers and sliding into oblivion or in this case dissolvement, since pieces of their Big Three--Vince Carter, Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson--may well get dealt to other teams. Up until the last minutes of the game, Big Al was the only player to show up on the Wolves. His performance was stud-like, and has been noted both in the MSM and blogosphere, the defense was better as well.
The late contributions of Corey Brewer, Gerald Green and Ryan Gomes can't be overlooked. Richard Jefferson was a thorn in the Wolves side all day long, but Wittman finally got a clue and put the bigger Gomes on RJ and his production dropped considerably over the second half. Brewer and Green played opportunistically; they hustled and delivered at both ends of the court. Considering the Celtic blunders on Friday, this was the best way to respond, against a struggling team.
Now what?
More to come...
Sunday, January 20, 2008
"How do I lose thee, let me count the ways..."
If Elizabeth Barrett Browning had been a basketball fan, I'm certain our Wolves would have challenged her muse.
From being again outclassed on Friday night after one quarter's effort against the Suns, to last night's Rocky Mountain futility, our club has lost about every way possible. I'm having a hard time keeping up--was last night a good loss or a bad loss? Watching Antoine Walker clang free throws, Al Jefferson get technicals, and Randy Wittman put his face in his hands is the stuff only a nihilist could love.They have proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that--at least for this organization--there is no order, no ethic, no meaning to their professional lives. As I have mentioned before, they simply have taken all the fun out of watching pro hoops.
We're almost at the halfway point of the season. What have we learned?
1) Jefferson needs to stay a power forward. This has been widely discussed and accepted among the fans, yet the Wolves stubbornly still play Big Al major minutes at the five.
2) McCants is a poser. Here's a guy who scores when it's easy, and talks big, but has proven time and time again he's someone you can't rely on. Too many fouls, too many misses when the game is on the line. He's a head case, pure and simple.
3) Telfair is a reliable backup. He will be our Jacque Vaughn, if ever we can find a better point guard.
4) Gomes is okay. I'm still on the fence with this guy, but his play in the last month has been one of the few bright spots for the club.
5) Smith can't start for this team. The only way he can start for an NBA club is if there's a dominant center playing with him. He's one of my favorites, but he's a smaller version of Big Al, and defensively puts the Wolves at a serious disadvantage. Plus, he still gets no love from the referees.
6) Wittman is not the coach for a developing team. He's part of the fraternity, and that's the problem.
That's it. Richard hasn't played enough, Green probably won't be with the club next year, Foye's still on the shelf and the veterans are interchangeable bench parts. We'll get a top three draft choice next year, but at this rate it will take YEARS to develop a winning combination, given the front office we currently have.
Meanwhile, the fans remaining on board with the club are showing signs of desperation. I've read suggestions to put McCants at the point, for example. How bad of an idea is that? One of the reasons why the Celtics are looking for a point guard to assist (no pun intended) young Rondo is the fact that Eddie House has to come off the bench and play distributor, instead of doing what he does best, which is shoot the ball. I would put Rashad in that same category. I'm advocating dealing him, but if he stays on the team, he's a scorer, plain and simple.
I'm also seeing a lot of statistical comparisons and analysis, as well as a lot of draft talk about up and coming college hopefuls. The loyalty and support this fan base has demonstrated for a moribund organization like the Wolves has been nothing short of remarkable. Folks, the Wolves don't deserve us. Get ready for the hard truth however: outside of taking our money to watch a game, they don't care about us. They have gone out of their way to demonstrate their knowledge of the game, and our lack of it. They've told us we should have enjoyed the days when they were winning more, instead of being dissatisfied with illegal, franchise crushing free agent signings, and an inability to surround KG with talent to go deeper in the playoffs. Not exactly the most fan friendly approach in the world, to be sure.
In short, they may be the most arrogant 5-34 team in the history of professional sports. An optimist would say there's no where to go but up, but that's the problem, we haven't seen any reason to be hopeful. That's the fun--and work--of rebuilding.
From being again outclassed on Friday night after one quarter's effort against the Suns, to last night's Rocky Mountain futility, our club has lost about every way possible. I'm having a hard time keeping up--was last night a good loss or a bad loss? Watching Antoine Walker clang free throws, Al Jefferson get technicals, and Randy Wittman put his face in his hands is the stuff only a nihilist could love.They have proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that--at least for this organization--there is no order, no ethic, no meaning to their professional lives. As I have mentioned before, they simply have taken all the fun out of watching pro hoops.
We're almost at the halfway point of the season. What have we learned?
1) Jefferson needs to stay a power forward. This has been widely discussed and accepted among the fans, yet the Wolves stubbornly still play Big Al major minutes at the five.
2) McCants is a poser. Here's a guy who scores when it's easy, and talks big, but has proven time and time again he's someone you can't rely on. Too many fouls, too many misses when the game is on the line. He's a head case, pure and simple.
3) Telfair is a reliable backup. He will be our Jacque Vaughn, if ever we can find a better point guard.
4) Gomes is okay. I'm still on the fence with this guy, but his play in the last month has been one of the few bright spots for the club.
5) Smith can't start for this team. The only way he can start for an NBA club is if there's a dominant center playing with him. He's one of my favorites, but he's a smaller version of Big Al, and defensively puts the Wolves at a serious disadvantage. Plus, he still gets no love from the referees.
6) Wittman is not the coach for a developing team. He's part of the fraternity, and that's the problem.
That's it. Richard hasn't played enough, Green probably won't be with the club next year, Foye's still on the shelf and the veterans are interchangeable bench parts. We'll get a top three draft choice next year, but at this rate it will take YEARS to develop a winning combination, given the front office we currently have.
Meanwhile, the fans remaining on board with the club are showing signs of desperation. I've read suggestions to put McCants at the point, for example. How bad of an idea is that? One of the reasons why the Celtics are looking for a point guard to assist (no pun intended) young Rondo is the fact that Eddie House has to come off the bench and play distributor, instead of doing what he does best, which is shoot the ball. I would put Rashad in that same category. I'm advocating dealing him, but if he stays on the team, he's a scorer, plain and simple.
I'm also seeing a lot of statistical comparisons and analysis, as well as a lot of draft talk about up and coming college hopefuls. The loyalty and support this fan base has demonstrated for a moribund organization like the Wolves has been nothing short of remarkable. Folks, the Wolves don't deserve us. Get ready for the hard truth however: outside of taking our money to watch a game, they don't care about us. They have gone out of their way to demonstrate their knowledge of the game, and our lack of it. They've told us we should have enjoyed the days when they were winning more, instead of being dissatisfied with illegal, franchise crushing free agent signings, and an inability to surround KG with talent to go deeper in the playoffs. Not exactly the most fan friendly approach in the world, to be sure.
In short, they may be the most arrogant 5-34 team in the history of professional sports. An optimist would say there's no where to go but up, but that's the problem, we haven't seen any reason to be hopeful. That's the fun--and work--of rebuilding.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
With or Without Youth
Two perspectives on youth:
Without freshmen guards Al Nolen and Blake Hoffarber, the Gophers don't win their game against Penn State yesterday. After watching Hoffarber knock down shots, and Nolen play defense and distribute the ball, I had the feeling that whatever success the Gophers have this year will be dependent on how well those two play. The three key seniors--McKenzie, Tollackson, and Coleman--had decent stat lines, but the critical plays belonged to the two youngsters.
Let's be clear: Penn State lost this game. They missed 7 of 8 free throws in crunch time, which would have put them over the top. Jamelle Cornley and Geary Claxton--PSU's two best players--were often men among boys, but didn't deliver when their team needed it. As good as the Gopher defense was, they couldn't seem to locate Danny Morrissey for most of the game, who like Hoffarber was knocking down threes. Penn State's offensive rebounding was the key to breaking open what had been a close game in the first half, and had created the prime opportunity for Penn State to win the game in the last seconds. This was a moral victory waiting to happen, but when the Nittany Lions stumbled, Nolen was there to seize the moment. He slid into the passing lane, intercepted the feed and got intentionally fouled as he was breaking away for the score. He was able to do what Penn State couldn't: knock down 3 of 4 critical free throws for the win.
As was repeated frequently throughout the last two broadcasts, Coach Smith doesn't trust freshmen. For Hoffarber and Nolen, he has recognized their skill level, put them in a position to maximize their talent, despite their inexperience. On the college level, it's where superior coaching makes all the difference in the world.
For the Wolves, their attempts to manage youth has been inept and disastrous, a buzzkill for the ages. After 36 games into the season, the Wolves are left with filling sections of their broadcasts with revised history snippets of analyst Jim Petersen's journeyman NBA career, instead of focusing on the team itself. Why? How many ways can one say they're terrible? There's no stabilizing force, no veteran or coach available who can provide a thread of continuity that would lead to progress.
Whatever fans felt about trading KG, what I've been to able to glean from all the postings and blogs is that most get the rebuilding concept. They are patient, willing to give the benefit of the doubt IF progress is demonstrated. That's the problem. What progress HAVE they demonstrated? What do they know that they didn't at the start of the season? They get blown out at Houston, show up for a half at San Antonio, only to have the Spurs finally awaken and put them out of their misery. All this after a win against Miami, where they finally demonstrate --for one game only--they MIGHT be able to the little things that win basketball games: defense, sharing the ball, creating opportunities for easy baskets. We've seen this all before.
The worst thing you can say about this club right now is that they've taken all the FUN out of watching. For example, as loathe as I am to say this, why not accept the fact they play lousy defense and put the scorers--primarily Gerald Green and Rashad McCants--together to try and outscore the other team? Or, don't worry about the nightly matchups, but establish a defined rotation where Jefferson will STAY at the four, and bring the two centers (Richard and Doleac) in for regular minutes? Make something fun for the fans, give them something to talk about, other than abject failure. Give us hope, don't expect that we will generate our own in the face of such incompetence.
The bottom line here: one organization has optimized their youth and made it a key to their success, the other hasn't and continues to use it as an excuse for the lack of progress. Win or lose with Tubby this year, we will be excited to watch the froshes play, because he has a plan and we can already see progress. With the Wolves, we're still waiting....for anything.
Without freshmen guards Al Nolen and Blake Hoffarber, the Gophers don't win their game against Penn State yesterday. After watching Hoffarber knock down shots, and Nolen play defense and distribute the ball, I had the feeling that whatever success the Gophers have this year will be dependent on how well those two play. The three key seniors--McKenzie, Tollackson, and Coleman--had decent stat lines, but the critical plays belonged to the two youngsters.
Let's be clear: Penn State lost this game. They missed 7 of 8 free throws in crunch time, which would have put them over the top. Jamelle Cornley and Geary Claxton--PSU's two best players--were often men among boys, but didn't deliver when their team needed it. As good as the Gopher defense was, they couldn't seem to locate Danny Morrissey for most of the game, who like Hoffarber was knocking down threes. Penn State's offensive rebounding was the key to breaking open what had been a close game in the first half, and had created the prime opportunity for Penn State to win the game in the last seconds. This was a moral victory waiting to happen, but when the Nittany Lions stumbled, Nolen was there to seize the moment. He slid into the passing lane, intercepted the feed and got intentionally fouled as he was breaking away for the score. He was able to do what Penn State couldn't: knock down 3 of 4 critical free throws for the win.
As was repeated frequently throughout the last two broadcasts, Coach Smith doesn't trust freshmen. For Hoffarber and Nolen, he has recognized their skill level, put them in a position to maximize their talent, despite their inexperience. On the college level, it's where superior coaching makes all the difference in the world.
For the Wolves, their attempts to manage youth has been inept and disastrous, a buzzkill for the ages. After 36 games into the season, the Wolves are left with filling sections of their broadcasts with revised history snippets of analyst Jim Petersen's journeyman NBA career, instead of focusing on the team itself. Why? How many ways can one say they're terrible? There's no stabilizing force, no veteran or coach available who can provide a thread of continuity that would lead to progress.
Whatever fans felt about trading KG, what I've been to able to glean from all the postings and blogs is that most get the rebuilding concept. They are patient, willing to give the benefit of the doubt IF progress is demonstrated. That's the problem. What progress HAVE they demonstrated? What do they know that they didn't at the start of the season? They get blown out at Houston, show up for a half at San Antonio, only to have the Spurs finally awaken and put them out of their misery. All this after a win against Miami, where they finally demonstrate --for one game only--they MIGHT be able to the little things that win basketball games: defense, sharing the ball, creating opportunities for easy baskets. We've seen this all before.
The worst thing you can say about this club right now is that they've taken all the FUN out of watching. For example, as loathe as I am to say this, why not accept the fact they play lousy defense and put the scorers--primarily Gerald Green and Rashad McCants--together to try and outscore the other team? Or, don't worry about the nightly matchups, but establish a defined rotation where Jefferson will STAY at the four, and bring the two centers (Richard and Doleac) in for regular minutes? Make something fun for the fans, give them something to talk about, other than abject failure. Give us hope, don't expect that we will generate our own in the face of such incompetence.
The bottom line here: one organization has optimized their youth and made it a key to their success, the other hasn't and continues to use it as an excuse for the lack of progress. Win or lose with Tubby this year, we will be excited to watch the froshes play, because he has a plan and we can already see progress. With the Wolves, we're still waiting....for anything.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Today's Secret Word is....
ENDURE.
That's the word guest spin-meister Clyde Drexler used in the 2nd quarter of last night's game, while the Wolves were getting thoroughly toasted by the Rockets. Paraphrasing his message, we have the talent, but we'll have to simply ENDURE this stretch of basketball, while they learn how to play together.
Hmm...kind of like the University of Houston fans did during his coaching tenure, going 19-37. Drexler seems to be one of those NBA players whose obvious on court greatness can't translate to anything else basketball-related but an analyst stint for the local club. Can't coach, and obviously shaky on personnel issues.
Other moments we had to ENDURE from The Glide last night were in the pre-game chat with Jim Pete, mentioning something to the effect that if Petersen were playing now, he'd be one of the premier power forwards in the game today. And, the manly bit about how they would hang out together in their younger days, working out and taking care of their bodies. Last night's love fest between Petersen and Drexler certainly exercised my patience. Maybe THAT'S what happened to the club last night; they all went down to the local fitness club to work out with Jim and Clyde, and simply tuckered themselves out.
Coming off a win against a terrible Miami club, you'd think the Wolves would have hung in a little longer than they did last night, like, at least past the first few minutes of the game. The darling of the week--Rashad McCants--once again proved why he's not someone to be trusted with leadership or a prominent role on a winning basketball team. He's a quote machine to be sure, and by all accounts works hard, but micro-fracture surgery or not, it's time to deal this guy, before he loses all value. He needs veteran leadership around him to be successful, and to smooth out the steep inconsistencies in his game.
How can a young team who's last game was Tuesday come out with so little energy? The Rockets were beating the kids down on the court, getting whatever shot they wanted. Scola looked like a superstar against Jefferson. After 29 assists against the Heat, they had 13 last night, and got outrebounded by a huge margin. With all due respect to Drexler, we don't have much talent on this club, only spin and excuses. Glide's got it half right though, it is something we'll have to ENDURE.
That's the word guest spin-meister Clyde Drexler used in the 2nd quarter of last night's game, while the Wolves were getting thoroughly toasted by the Rockets. Paraphrasing his message, we have the talent, but we'll have to simply ENDURE this stretch of basketball, while they learn how to play together.
Hmm...kind of like the University of Houston fans did during his coaching tenure, going 19-37. Drexler seems to be one of those NBA players whose obvious on court greatness can't translate to anything else basketball-related but an analyst stint for the local club. Can't coach, and obviously shaky on personnel issues.
Other moments we had to ENDURE from The Glide last night were in the pre-game chat with Jim Pete, mentioning something to the effect that if Petersen were playing now, he'd be one of the premier power forwards in the game today. And, the manly bit about how they would hang out together in their younger days, working out and taking care of their bodies. Last night's love fest between Petersen and Drexler certainly exercised my patience. Maybe THAT'S what happened to the club last night; they all went down to the local fitness club to work out with Jim and Clyde, and simply tuckered themselves out.
Coming off a win against a terrible Miami club, you'd think the Wolves would have hung in a little longer than they did last night, like, at least past the first few minutes of the game. The darling of the week--Rashad McCants--once again proved why he's not someone to be trusted with leadership or a prominent role on a winning basketball team. He's a quote machine to be sure, and by all accounts works hard, but micro-fracture surgery or not, it's time to deal this guy, before he loses all value. He needs veteran leadership around him to be successful, and to smooth out the steep inconsistencies in his game.
How can a young team who's last game was Tuesday come out with so little energy? The Rockets were beating the kids down on the court, getting whatever shot they wanted. Scola looked like a superstar against Jefferson. After 29 assists against the Heat, they had 13 last night, and got outrebounded by a huge margin. With all due respect to Drexler, we don't have much talent on this club, only spin and excuses. Glide's got it half right though, it is something we'll have to ENDURE.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Just Imagine...
A team...sluggish and down in the first half, able to use defense to create offense.
A team with limited talent...sharing the ball and looking for weaknesses in the defense.
A coach...able to make in-game adjustments and maintain a 10 person rotation.
A coach...able to use youth for success, not as an excuse.
A coach...despite acquiring a 9-22 roster, inspires hope in the face of adversity.
Hey!!! Stop dreaming! You know I'm talking about Tubby and the Gophers.
Northwestern, albeit feisty, is a bad team, but as has been pointed out by many already, they for the most part owned Dan Monson's teams. In watching victory last night, it was great to see the coach have enough resources to bring in Hoffarber to break the zone, then apply pressure at the half court to disrupt the Northwestern offense in the first half.
Even though the Gophs shot over 50 percent for the game, the game was closer than the final score.Two distressing factors: streaky offense and poor free throw shooting. Against superior opposition, those are items that Tubby will need to slow an opposition run, or stay in the game. Both Damien Johnson and Spencer Tollackson will have to do a much better job of converting free throws. As it happened last night, teams will not be afraid to hack at those folks in the paint, knowing they struggle from the stripe.
While Dan Coleman make get a look-see from NBA types, this team has primarily four year talent. No early departures, even for guys like Al Nolen, who has a chance to develop into a nice player, but is going to need a full tenure with Tubby to truly blossom into next level potential. This means their go-to players (Coleman, McKenzie) will be spotty, and not always come through in the clutch. But as I've mentioned in other posts, despite the obvious flaws, people will stick with this team despite the wins or losses, because they have a plan, play hard, AND play the right way. That's how rebuilding is done, both on the floor and with a dwindling fan base.
Onto Penn State!
A team with limited talent...sharing the ball and looking for weaknesses in the defense.
A coach...able to make in-game adjustments and maintain a 10 person rotation.
A coach...able to use youth for success, not as an excuse.
A coach...despite acquiring a 9-22 roster, inspires hope in the face of adversity.
Hey!!! Stop dreaming! You know I'm talking about Tubby and the Gophers.
Northwestern, albeit feisty, is a bad team, but as has been pointed out by many already, they for the most part owned Dan Monson's teams. In watching victory last night, it was great to see the coach have enough resources to bring in Hoffarber to break the zone, then apply pressure at the half court to disrupt the Northwestern offense in the first half.
Even though the Gophs shot over 50 percent for the game, the game was closer than the final score.Two distressing factors: streaky offense and poor free throw shooting. Against superior opposition, those are items that Tubby will need to slow an opposition run, or stay in the game. Both Damien Johnson and Spencer Tollackson will have to do a much better job of converting free throws. As it happened last night, teams will not be afraid to hack at those folks in the paint, knowing they struggle from the stripe.
While Dan Coleman make get a look-see from NBA types, this team has primarily four year talent. No early departures, even for guys like Al Nolen, who has a chance to develop into a nice player, but is going to need a full tenure with Tubby to truly blossom into next level potential. This means their go-to players (Coleman, McKenzie) will be spotty, and not always come through in the clutch. But as I've mentioned in other posts, despite the obvious flaws, people will stick with this team despite the wins or losses, because they have a plan, play hard, AND play the right way. That's how rebuilding is done, both on the floor and with a dwindling fan base.
Onto Penn State!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Whopper Alert!!!
An e-mail I wrote this morning:
"Dear Mr. Zgoda,
The Wolves organization is like the Bush administration...some general acknowledgment of oops, but no specifics on any particular issue.
"Dear Mr. Zgoda,
Imagine my excitement this morning to read in the Strib that our Iron Ranger finally was acknowledging/accepting fault for assembling too young of a group to compete this year. "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" sort of thing.
But wait...pardon my remedial ability...but where does he actually say that he made a mistake? He says they should have won more games (not his fault there), they played terrible on Sunday (not his fault there), this is professional basketball, not a church league (stating the obvious, praise the Lord) and that if a veteran bunch lost this much, they wouldn't be as resilient as this young bunch (no blame there).
He goes on to say he's happy with Witt, and the usual trying to find a few good men out of this bunch
Where does he actually say anything resembling that he made a mistake in assembling this young of a team? Is there a direct quote you left off the article, or is this wishful thinking on either yours or the Strib's part?
But wait...pardon my remedial ability...but where does he actually say that he made a mistake? He says they should have won more games (not his fault there), they played terrible on Sunday (not his fault there), this is professional basketball, not a church league (stating the obvious, praise the Lord) and that if a veteran bunch lost this much, they wouldn't be as resilient as this young bunch (no blame there).
He goes on to say he's happy with Witt, and the usual trying to find a few good men out of this bunch
Where does he actually say anything resembling that he made a mistake in assembling this young of a team? Is there a direct quote you left off the article, or is this wishful thinking on either yours or the Strib's part?
The Wolves organization is like the Bush administration...some general acknowledgment of oops, but no specifics on any particular issue.
Thoughts?"
It's always good to get clarification from your local news organization.
It's always good to get clarification from your local news organization.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Flip 2.0
The road to irrelevance continued through Target Center last night, as the Nuggets outclassed our feckless youth 118-107. As I was watching both the Pistons and the Celtics gear up for their rematch tonight as well as our team, I didn't get to hear all the comedy stylings of our television broadcast crew. The broadcasts on KSTC seem almost subdued as opposed to the endless spin-presented-as-analysis efforts on FSN North. If you combine the last couple of broadcasts with the MSM media reports in addition to the blogosphere however, I'm fascinated with where this train is headed.
In the last few days we've heard both the coach and Chief Vindicator Jim Petersen talk about the need for better jump shooters. In fact, during the Portland broadcast, Petersen went so far to say jump shooters are what we should be looking for in the offseason. Commenting in Britt Robson's blog, I worked myself into my usual lather (role playing only, I assure you...I am NOT a curmudgeon!). My reasoning? It seemed to me that what was being hinted at here was Flip 2.0: another team who valued perimeter play and scoring over the hard work of playing defense, sharing the ball and developing the tough mindedness that comes with those traits.
As we've seen with Flip teams, he knows how to win in the regular season--it's the playoffs where he's been exposed. I've often said he's the junior version of Don Nelson--another offensive genius who will win a ton of games, but has failed somewhat miserably to demonstrate that his brand of basketball succeeds in the second season. I thought the whole reason of trading KG and "rebuilding" (if that's what you can call it), was to develop the "smashmouth" style of ball: points in the paint, tough defense, etc. Since both Petersen and Wittman were soft, jump-shooting players back in the day, it seems that in the face of adversity (4-28 is the definition of adversity, isn't it?), people will go back to what they know and value the most.
Last night's game demonstrates why they are mistaken. Of all the assets the Wolves need right now, jump shooters are about 4th or 5th on the priority list.
Who was the difference maker last night? Yeah, Anthony and Iverson did their usual damage, but it was Anthony Carter--a guy who couldn't get regular playing time here--who stepped up and set the tempo for the Nuggets. A +17 in the stats last night, 7 of 9 from the field, with 11 assists, he initiated fast breaks, shared the ball, finished, and played tough defense. AC is a 39% percent career FG shooter, similar to Our Man Telfair, who is at .388 for his career. This year, AC is currently hitting FG's at a 53% clip. What has caused that dramatic improvement? My guess is the style of play. The Nuggets are an aggressive, shot blocking club. They create opportunities for transition buckets and easy scores, which improves shooting percentages. Last night, the Nuggets also had 30 assists, to the Wolves 21. Denver dominated the fast break point total, which again leads to point blank shots and higher FG%.
The Wolves--even with 21 assists last night--don't share the ball particularly well. They don't stop anyone on defense, and don't create opportunities for easy baskets. They have one player who scores well in the paint, but as with all the other young knuckleheads on our club, seemingly feel they have to take the team on their shoulders to win the game. You'll rarely see Jefferson pass the ball back out to reset his position; he goes through all these low post moves to score. It's often a beautiful thing to watch, but in the context of winning basketball, it's only one piece.
What's needed first on this club are players who understand the dynamics of winning basketball, not just jump shooters. When they have a team who can do the little things and make each other better, and are able to post a few wins as a result, trust builds. When trust builds, and you have solid team play, then you can go and add individual pieces that might improve the club's chances. We just got rid of two jump shooters -- Mark Blount and Ricky Davis. Those guys could score, but didn't do much else and weren't particularly good team players. (They ARE making a huge difference for the Heat aren't they?)
Cut it from any angle you wish and the general feeling still is obvious: losing sucks. No matter who's doing the talking--Owner, VP, Coach, Broadcaster, Columnist, Blogger or Fan--losing often brings out all the worst qualities in humans. Blame and finger pointing touch all aspects of the operation; players, coaches, strategy, acquisitions and probably even the quality of vendors at Target Center. As I've said before, rebuilding is hard work. But you can't lose your focus. The answers are out there, it just takes the right folks to understand what they are.
That's the primary problem.
I certainly would be more charitable in this rebuilding process if I were confident a real plan was in place. What I've seen so far is pretty distressing: a broadcaster who's been consistently wrong about personnel and trades still acting as mouthpiece for the club, a VP who will take general responsibility for the team's demise, but fails to acknowledge specific mistakes he's made during his tenure and seems doomed to repeat them, an owner who continues to permit these mistakes to happen.
So, when I hear about needing Flip 2.0, I just shake my head. When will these folks ever learn?
In the last few days we've heard both the coach and Chief Vindicator Jim Petersen talk about the need for better jump shooters. In fact, during the Portland broadcast, Petersen went so far to say jump shooters are what we should be looking for in the offseason. Commenting in Britt Robson's blog, I worked myself into my usual lather (role playing only, I assure you...I am NOT a curmudgeon!). My reasoning? It seemed to me that what was being hinted at here was Flip 2.0: another team who valued perimeter play and scoring over the hard work of playing defense, sharing the ball and developing the tough mindedness that comes with those traits.
As we've seen with Flip teams, he knows how to win in the regular season--it's the playoffs where he's been exposed. I've often said he's the junior version of Don Nelson--another offensive genius who will win a ton of games, but has failed somewhat miserably to demonstrate that his brand of basketball succeeds in the second season. I thought the whole reason of trading KG and "rebuilding" (if that's what you can call it), was to develop the "smashmouth" style of ball: points in the paint, tough defense, etc. Since both Petersen and Wittman were soft, jump-shooting players back in the day, it seems that in the face of adversity (4-28 is the definition of adversity, isn't it?), people will go back to what they know and value the most.
Last night's game demonstrates why they are mistaken. Of all the assets the Wolves need right now, jump shooters are about 4th or 5th on the priority list.
Who was the difference maker last night? Yeah, Anthony and Iverson did their usual damage, but it was Anthony Carter--a guy who couldn't get regular playing time here--who stepped up and set the tempo for the Nuggets. A +17 in the stats last night, 7 of 9 from the field, with 11 assists, he initiated fast breaks, shared the ball, finished, and played tough defense. AC is a 39% percent career FG shooter, similar to Our Man Telfair, who is at .388 for his career. This year, AC is currently hitting FG's at a 53% clip. What has caused that dramatic improvement? My guess is the style of play. The Nuggets are an aggressive, shot blocking club. They create opportunities for transition buckets and easy scores, which improves shooting percentages. Last night, the Nuggets also had 30 assists, to the Wolves 21. Denver dominated the fast break point total, which again leads to point blank shots and higher FG%.
The Wolves--even with 21 assists last night--don't share the ball particularly well. They don't stop anyone on defense, and don't create opportunities for easy baskets. They have one player who scores well in the paint, but as with all the other young knuckleheads on our club, seemingly feel they have to take the team on their shoulders to win the game. You'll rarely see Jefferson pass the ball back out to reset his position; he goes through all these low post moves to score. It's often a beautiful thing to watch, but in the context of winning basketball, it's only one piece.
What's needed first on this club are players who understand the dynamics of winning basketball, not just jump shooters. When they have a team who can do the little things and make each other better, and are able to post a few wins as a result, trust builds. When trust builds, and you have solid team play, then you can go and add individual pieces that might improve the club's chances. We just got rid of two jump shooters -- Mark Blount and Ricky Davis. Those guys could score, but didn't do much else and weren't particularly good team players. (They ARE making a huge difference for the Heat aren't they?)
Cut it from any angle you wish and the general feeling still is obvious: losing sucks. No matter who's doing the talking--Owner, VP, Coach, Broadcaster, Columnist, Blogger or Fan--losing often brings out all the worst qualities in humans. Blame and finger pointing touch all aspects of the operation; players, coaches, strategy, acquisitions and probably even the quality of vendors at Target Center. As I've said before, rebuilding is hard work. But you can't lose your focus. The answers are out there, it just takes the right folks to understand what they are.
That's the primary problem.
I certainly would be more charitable in this rebuilding process if I were confident a real plan was in place. What I've seen so far is pretty distressing: a broadcaster who's been consistently wrong about personnel and trades still acting as mouthpiece for the club, a VP who will take general responsibility for the team's demise, but fails to acknowledge specific mistakes he's made during his tenure and seems doomed to repeat them, an owner who continues to permit these mistakes to happen.
So, when I hear about needing Flip 2.0, I just shake my head. When will these folks ever learn?
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
New Year's Losing Eve
The only thing more painful than viewing the Timberwolves on New Year's Eve was switching the dial to watch Dick Clark. On the other hand, he does have more tenacity and courage than our club. In both cases, there's some letting go to be done.
With dear Mr. Clark, it's time for him to walk away. Coming back from the stroke to broadcast one time was inspiring. Now, it's embarrassing. There's plenty of ways he can contribute to HIS broadcast without having to be a rotating anchor.
As for our club, if they weren't so bad, one might think they were tanking these games. What's remarkable about many of these losses is how quick it happens. We can see the bullet coming. For three quarters, they play good to mediocre against a bad Clippers club. Then late in the 3rd Cassell starts going to work, ably assisted by Maggette, Mobley and Kamman in the 4th, and voila, you have another loss. In the post game comments Wittman torches the guard play, but in truth the defense is as awful as the offense, and the coaching not much better. At 4-26, they stink.
However, a cynical fella at this point might be still be thinking, "Hmm...they did hold their best player out of games at the end of two straight seasons. Why not hold one of your top players out in the BEGINNING of the season, ensure yourself of a high draft choice, and make a little run at the end to build a little buzz..." No, that can't possibly true...can it? A little more specificity from our coach and front office might help to ease those suspicious nerves.
For example, we were told at the beginning of the year one primary goal was to find a few good men to build around--outside of Jefferson and Foye. After 30 games, I think it's safe to begin to evaluate our feckless youth, and establish a rotation that resembles being able to--in the words of the immortal Sweetwater Jones--separate the wheat from the chaff.
Happy New Year!!!
With dear Mr. Clark, it's time for him to walk away. Coming back from the stroke to broadcast one time was inspiring. Now, it's embarrassing. There's plenty of ways he can contribute to HIS broadcast without having to be a rotating anchor.
As for our club, if they weren't so bad, one might think they were tanking these games. What's remarkable about many of these losses is how quick it happens. We can see the bullet coming. For three quarters, they play good to mediocre against a bad Clippers club. Then late in the 3rd Cassell starts going to work, ably assisted by Maggette, Mobley and Kamman in the 4th, and voila, you have another loss. In the post game comments Wittman torches the guard play, but in truth the defense is as awful as the offense, and the coaching not much better. At 4-26, they stink.
However, a cynical fella at this point might be still be thinking, "Hmm...they did hold their best player out of games at the end of two straight seasons. Why not hold one of your top players out in the BEGINNING of the season, ensure yourself of a high draft choice, and make a little run at the end to build a little buzz..." No, that can't possibly true...can it? A little more specificity from our coach and front office might help to ease those suspicious nerves.
For example, we were told at the beginning of the year one primary goal was to find a few good men to build around--outside of Jefferson and Foye. After 30 games, I think it's safe to begin to evaluate our feckless youth, and establish a rotation that resembles being able to--in the words of the immortal Sweetwater Jones--separate the wheat from the chaff.
Happy New Year!!!
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