Wolves'
Taylor Willing to Spend Money
Although his franchise hasn’t made the
playoffs since 2004 and has never been to the NBA Finals, Wolves owner
Glen Taylor wants to build a championship team. He’s starting
over in the front office with new president of basketball operations
David Kahn who was welcomed to town last month by a franchise that
has won 46 and lost 118 games the last two seasons.
But the Wolves have three picks in the
first round and two in the second of this month’s NBA draft. They also
figure to have salary cap room to add players in 2010 when the league
free agent market is expected to be exceptional. Plus, the Wolves have
a promising forward in 20-year-old Kevin Love and a star in
24-year-old center Al Jefferson.
Despite a season ticket base of about
6,000 and red ink flowing after recent seasons, Taylor told Sports
Headliners he’s willing to spend money to win. “Money is not
necessarily what is going to take us to the championship, but if that
was the only thing, it won’t stop us,” he said.
Whether the Wolves will be more successful
in acquiring productive players than in the past is the $64,000 question
at 600 First Ave. North. Kahn, although he isn’t a former NBA player or
coach, will be the major decision maker on both drafting players and
acquiring players already in the league.
Taylor expects Kahn to surround himself with a basketball expert staff
that can invigorate the process. “…I think it’s important that you have
input from other people that are going to look at it a little different
than he is,” Taylor said. “…He’s willing to do that. Some other
people are not so willing to do that. That they just sort of rely on
their gut instinct on what’s the best. It’s just kind of a cold
decision and my preference is that a person gets a lot of advice first
before you make that last decision.”
Kahn, a former sports columnist turned
lawyer, then basketball man, has a resume that includes nine years with
the Indiana Pacers. Four of those years he was the team’s general
manager. He learned about not only judging talent but how the finances
in the NBA work, including structuring salaries so they fit within
the league’s cap guidelines.
Kahn told Sports Headliners a
person can be the “greatest talent evaluator in the world” but the
process of building a roster will be stymied without knowledge of
“how to put a deal together or fit things in the salary structure.”
“I hope the different skill sets I bring
will be my greatest strength,” he said. “I am not a specific guy in one
respect. I hope that I am capable in many areas. Time will tell.”
Kahn expects to do some college scouting
for the 2010 draft but wants to learn what he’s got with the Wolves,
too. “I am certain I will see my share of games next year during the
college season, and I am certain I will scout, but I really want to
focus on the team right now, and what we have," he said. "And I want other people
to primarily be the people out on the road.”
