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Chris Finch Grades Wolves Season B-

Posted on May 28, 2023 by David Shama

 

Offseason speculation about Chris Finch’s job security is a topic among media and fans after the head coach’s Timberwolves fell short of expectations last season.  The Wolves won four fewer games than they did during the 2021-2022 season and struggled to qualify for the playoffs. Then the Nuggets defeated the Wolves in an opening round postseason series, winning four games to one.

Next fall Finch starts his third full season as the team’s head coach.  During a telephone interview with Sports Headliners, the likeable Finch was asked if he feels mounting pressure.

“There’s pressure all the time to win,” Finch said.  “I want to win every game. I want to keep growing our program here. I don’t feel any more or less pressure than I did when I first got here—which was the pressure to prove ourselves every day.

“These paths are not linear. You don’t always go from 42 to 44, to 46, 48 and 50 (wins).  But I think it’s a tremendous accomplishment that this team was able to get into the playoffs for back-to-back seasons for the first time in many, many years (since 2004).

“I think if I was grading this team, I would give it overall a B-.  Our young players got better, we finished with a winning record (42-40). We played in a ton of meaningful games. We had chances to…maybe finish a little higher, win a few more games, maybe go a little further in the playoffs if things broke a different direction for us.

“But we gotta now win those little battles.  We gotta mature across the board.  There are a lot of little things we gotta do to try and improve our performances.  But we feel like we’re set up pretty well going forward.  We’re certainly not satisfied with where we are, but we also don’t feel we’re a million miles away from where we want to be, either.”

There’s conjecture the Wolves front office will do little in the offseason to change the makeup of the roster.  The idea being to stay the course, mostly because star forward-center Karl-Anthony Towns missed 53 games and his absence never allowed a full look at the “Twin Towers” experiment with the 7-foot Towns and 7-1 center Rudy Gobert.

Finch, though, isn’t necessarily predicting status quo.  “We love our core. We still believe in our core but we’re always looking to add to that whatever way makes sense. …”

Finch refers to this time of year as “the Super Bowl” for the front offices of NBA teams. Executives like Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly are making evaluations about not only their teams but the June NBA draft, and the trade and free agency markets.

A front office never knows what opportunities will be presented.  That was exemplified in bold face last summer when the Wolves traded five players and four future first-round draft choices to acquire Gobert, who had been a perennial defensive and rebounding force for the Jazz.

Alex Rodriguez

Finch acknowledged that internally pre-trade discussion was “debated heavily” (as with any major transaction). The pros and cons were discussed.  In the end, Finch said, “everyone was on board” with the deal including the ownership group of Glen Taylor, Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez.

The results of the trade have been panned not just in Minnesota but around the country. The team often struggled to find cohesion and Gobert at times was part of the problem. There were more than a few moments when he played slow and awkwardly, particularly on offense where his shooting range and repertoire is limited. And near the basket his hands might fumble the basketball.

Gobert’s stats fell off from the previous season with the Jazz.  Points per game declined from 15.6 to 13. 4; rebounds 14.7 to 11.6; blocks 2.1 to 1.4.  The Wolves did move up in defensive rating in Gobert’s first season, going from No. 13 to No. 10. (Defensive rating is the number of points allowed per 100 possessions.)

Gobert, twice NBA Defensive Player of the Year during his career, joined the Wolves in training camp after playing extensively for France’s national team last summer.  At times he looked liked a tired player trying to find his energy. Compounding Gobert’s introduction to the Wolves was Towns missing training camp sessions because of illness, and then early on in the season he suffered a severe quad strain forcing him to miss 53 games before returning when playoff time was near.

Gobert, Towns and teammates never had extensive time to mesh. “We never looked at it as like a one hit wonder or a one-year thing,” Finch said about the blockbuster trade. “We knew it was something that was going to be more transformative.

“It takes time, and you know when you get a chance to acquire a player of Rudy’s talent…(he) shores up a lot of the things that we had been weak at: rim protection, rebounding and anchoring a defense.

“You know we had a long thought (process) about putting a guy like this next to KAT. It’s just a matter of which one and who, and what type, and how do you do that. And you know when Rudy became available, I think it was something that we all were very excited about, and we remain excited now.”

Gobert turns 31 next month but Finch isn’t concerned about his big man’s age.  He refers to Gobert as a “world class athlete” who is among the best players he has seen in taking care of his body.

“You look at Rudy, there’s not an ounce of fat on him,” Finch said. “He loves to play.  He loves to compete.  He does a great job of managing his workload.  He’s always got himself into a position to be ready to play.

“We didn’t feel that there was going to be any kind of danger of being a significant drop-off in performance. Quite honestly…given all the (team) injuries…he played above and beyond what we thought we were going to require of him.”

A conversation with Finch prompts an interviewer to pick up on his genuineness and optimism. That comes through when the 53-year-old coach talks about next season and a fresh start with Towns and Gobert.  The two bigs can play together on both ends of the court, he said, even though the offense often struggled last season.

“From a basketball skills point of view, we don’t see a reason why it shouldn’t work. Everyone’s got to make a little bit of sacrifice in certain things.”

Success can come from better floor spacing by all the players.  Things will work when players, including Towns and Gobert, complement each other’s skills.  Finch said there is no shortage of willingness with his “Twin Towers” to help each other and the team. The hope is that a full training camp and early season together will create more rhythm and cohesiveness in the offense.  Things will look in synch instead of being discombobulated.

The Wolves hope to retain valued reserve and free agent Naz Reid. At 6-9 the forward-center adds to the roster of talented big men.  And that size can be troublesome to foes. At the extreme, Finch could potentially use a zone defense with not only Towns and Gobert on the floor but Reid, too, and move small forward Jaden McDaniels (6-9) to guard alongside 6-4 Anthony Edwards.

After Towns returned to the lineup the Wolves used a zone defense, taking advantage of their length and size. “It was bothersome to our opponents,” Finch said.  “You could see it.”

Zone used to be viewed as a junk defense in the NBA but not now.  The Wolves are positioned to be among the teams to frequently use it. “We’re committed to play whatever it takes to build a great defense,” Finch said. “We’re certainly open to zone.”

With their “Twin Towers” the Wolves have cast themselves as different from most NBA teams who use smaller players in their starting lineups. The local NBA club isn’t trying to start any trends.  The Wolves are just trying to be successful and think they can be.

“We gotta be good at what it is we’re trying to do, not just different,” Finch said.

Comments Welcome

’50-50′ QB Kirk Cousins Gets Extension Prior to Season?

Posted on May 23, 2023May 23, 2023 by David Shama

 

Kirk Cousins is signed only through the coming season and the presumption is Vikings management will let things play out to decide about future interest in the 34-year-old quarterback.  But a former pro football authority isn’t so sure and thinks it’s “50-50” an extension could be agreed to between now and the team’s first regular season game September 10 in Minneapolis.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened before the season since they didn’t draft anybody high and he’s still to me a top 10 to 12 quarterback in the league,” said the ex-NFL team executive who spoke to Sports Headliners on condition of anonymity.

The Vikings drafted Brigham Young QB Jaren Hall in the fifth-round last month.  How he will develop is unknown, but odds are that even in a best-case scenario he won’t be ready to succeed Cousins in 2024.

Cousins earns $35 million this year before pending free agency in 2024.  A one- or two-year extension is likely to pay him $40 to $45 million annually.

Kirk Cousins

The source referenced here said the Vikings may be taking a wait-and-see approach on the veteran’s performance during the coming season.  “But where are they going to find someone better than him?” he asked.

While Cousins likely will be with the team for a while, leading rusher Dalvin Cook’s exit appears soon.  “I think they tried to trade him during the draft, and I think Miami was a target,” the source said.

Instead of a trade, the Dolphins drafted a running back on the third round and passed on the 27-year-old Cook who four times in his career has rushed for over 1,000 yards (most recently 1,177). “But the problem with Dalvin is that I don’t think anyone wants to trade for him and pay him $11 million bucks this year because the running back market is so depressed compared to other positions—which is really not fair—but that’s the way it is,” said the authority.

The Vikings appear convinced Cook’s contract is too much of a burden on their payroll and salary cap situation.  To trade him for a future draft choice might require helping pay the other team for Cook’s compensation.  The best window for a trade could be during training camp if another team is on the spot because of running back injuries.

Earlier this month the Vikings did agree to pay part of linebacker Za’Darius Smith’s compensation in a trade with the Browns.  That helped with Minnesota’s salary cap space (reportedly now at over $13 million), as would moving on from Cook.

But the deal with the Browns that brought future draft picks to the Vikings left Minnesota with pass rushing concerns, a Smith specialty. Could Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah be looking at Ravens free agent linebacker Justin Houston?

Houston had 9.5 sacks last season and is known as a pass rushing specialist. “Yeah, he’s 34 years old but on a one year deal he could be a guy that could really…be a great signing,” said the authority quoted previously.

The former NFL executive has another defensive concern about the Vikings, and it was a suspect area last season, too.  “I think the cornerback situation is still very questionable for the team.”

His first-round selection for the Vikings in the April draft would have been cornerback Deonte Banks from Maryland, rather than WR Jordan Addison of USC.  The Giants, picking one spot behind the Vikings, took Banks at No. 24.

Minnesota chose USC cornerback Mekhi Blackmon in the third round but how much of a contribution can he make as a rookie? The core of the Vikings’ cornerback roster consists of second year players Andrew Booth and Akayleb Evans, and five year talented vet Byron Murphy who signed on as a free agent in March.

“So, they’re counting on these three guys that were all hurt last year. Booth was hurt all through college, too,” the source said. “…They really have to get fortunate with those guys staying healthy and coming on this year or they’re going to be in trouble in the secondary again.”

Worth Noting

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, writing yesterday about the job security of MLB managers, said Rocco Baldelli “appears secure.”  He wrote that before last season the Twins manager received a contract extension of unknown length but at least through 2025.

Former Twins executive Terry Ryan is the latest guest on “Behind the Game” with hosts Bill Robertson and Patrick Klinger.  Ryan talks about baseball’s rule changes and other topics on the TV show that can be viewed by clicking on this link https://youtu.be/Oyje7-3Yhng

Congratulations to coach Martin Hyndman and his rowers from the University of Minnesota who won the American Collegiate Rowing Association national championship last weekend in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Men’s rowing will gain attention later this year when the movie Boys in the Boat is released and tells the story of the University of Washington team that won gold in the 1936 Olympics held in Adolph Hitler’s Berlin, Germany.

USA Basketball recently announced the men’s 2023 USA 3×3 World Cup team that will participate in the 2023 FIBA 3×3 World Cup May 30-June 4 in Vienna, Austria. The roster includes former Iowa Wolves player Canyon Barry, along with Jimmer Fredette, Kareem Maddox and Dylan Travis.

Larry Higgins is asking if any Sports Headliners readers have film or video of the 1961 state championship basketball game when his Bemidji High team almost upset Duluth Central in a controversial finish.  Central, trailing late in the game, won 51-50 and finished with a 27-0 record.

Comments Welcome

Travel to Russia Up to Kirill Kaprizov

Posted on May 21, 2023May 21, 2023 by David Shama

 

Kirill Kaprizov will make his own decision on whether to visit his native Russia this offseason, per Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold.

The Wild’s franchise player hasn’t announced his intent, but Leipold told Sports Headliners Kaprizov is “free to go wherever he wants to go, and do what he wants to do.” That’s the stance of Wild management toward its players regarding the offseason.

Kirill Kaprizov

Kaprizov visited Russia last summer and reportedly had difficulty re-entering the United States because of a work visa issue.  Russia is in a chaotic state because of its Ukraine invasion and Vladimir Putin’s war effort has created an unpredictable environment that will cause Wild fans to fret if their favorite player returns to his homeland.

Leipold said last he heard the 26-year-old Kaprizov was in the Twin Cities, but the owner is well aware of his star forward’s dilemma.  “He wants to see his family. The hope is that the family will come here.”

While Leipold hasn’t spoken to Kaprizov about Russia, general manager Bill Guerin has.  Kaprizov knows he could spend the offseason in the Twin Cities where he can utilize the team’s conditioning and training resources. Leipold said “we support what he wants to do.”

Late in the season Kaprizov sustained a lower body injury and missed 13 games.  Although he played in the Wild’s six playoff games, Leipold said his leading scorer “wasn’t 100 percent.”

Kaprizov scored just one goal in the opening round playoff loss to the Dallas Stars.  A healthy Kaprizov might have totaled five or six goals.

“It’s fun to watch special players in this league,” Leipold said of Kaprizov who has played three seasons in the NHL. “There’s something magical when he jumps on the ice, and he’s at 100 percent. He’s a player that cannot be stopped. And he’s gonna be that way again next year so we’re all excited to see that.”

In the playoffs the Wild had to play without center Joel Eriksson Ek, a key performer.  He, too, was injured late in the season.  Offense, defense, penalty kill and power play, Ek is a major contributor.

Leipold said he understands all teams have injuries and he’s not making excuses for his team losing to the Stars.  But he thinks his club could have won that series and perhaps still be chasing the Stanley Cup.

“You know I think we’re a team that’s pretty well built for playoffs,” he said. “We’ve got good goal tending. Our defense is good. We’re not that far off. There’s a couple issues that we all want to get better in but right now you know we’re pretty close.”

Leipold didn’t detail those needs but presumably they could include more timely goal scoring and better special teams performance. What does the owner anticipate happening in the offseason regarding the roster?

Craig Leipold

“There’s not a lot of changes that we’re going to have with our personnel. You know we have a salary cap crunch that we’re under for the next two years.  I don’t really see much changes in our lineup or in our in approaches. I think it’s gonna be a lot of status quo until we get some relief with the salary cap.”

The Wild are on course to have at least $20 million in cash and salary cap room in two years.  Leipold believes the opportunity to pursue free agents is “going to open up some real possibilities and excitement for our fans and our team.”

Asked about a favorite memory from the 2022-2023 season, Leipold said any game that secures a playoff position is special.  ”It’s hard to make the playoffs and we make them 10 out of the last 11 years. That’s an incredible run. Now we gotta get past the first round and that’s when the big smile is going to be on my face…and I look forward to that.”

The playoffs are where NHL teams make a lot of their revenue.  The deeper the playoff run, the more lucrative it is for franchises.  A reasonable estimate is the Wild grosses $1.5 to $2 million per home playoff game.

Leipold didn’t answer whether his franchise made money in 2022-2023 but acknowledged the financial recovery from games lost during the pandemic has been faster than anticipated because Minnesota is a superb hockey market.  “We don’t make a lot of money, if we do make money,” he said.

In two more years, the Wild’s arena, Xcel Energy Center, will be 25 years old.  Leipold said preliminary meetings regarding renovations have started but nothing major has been decided. “We’re not looking for any government subsidies or anything (public),” he said.

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