Author: David Shama

There’s an old time axiom in sports and it’s sort of like life’s Golden Rule.  “A good trade benefits both teams.”   Whoever jotted down that phrase could appreciate the deal that sent the Timberwolves’ Kevin Garnett to Boston for Al Jefferson and four other players.

It’s time to conclude that both teams would make the deal again, faster than a referee whistling a three second lane violation.  The Celtics have the NBA’s best record, 46-12, and are ranked No. 4 in the latest NBA.com power rankings.   The franchise that claims 16 world championships but hasn’t won any since 1986 is back at the top, riding the skills mostly of its three aging stars, Garnett, 31, Ray Allen, 32, and Paul Pierce, 30.

The ride will not last long but it’s a trip the Celtics needed to make.  During the last 20 years the Celtics were sometimes okay, often worse and at times dreadful. As recently as last season Boston was 24-58.  General manager Danny Ainge, himself a former Celtic from the glory years of the 1980s, had to make a bold move before his name was added to the growing list of failed regimes in Boston.  The acquisitions of Garnett and Allen (from Seattle) will likely make Ainge the NBA’s executive of the year.

Kevin McHale, the Wolves’ basketball boss, and Ainge’s former teammate, won’t be a contender for the award but deserves credit for a deal that helps the Wolves now and beyond.  The Wolves gave up their box office draw in Garnett, “The Big Ticket.”  They also are without one of the NBA’s most versatile 7-footers ever, a player particularly adept at rebounding and shot blocking.  But Jefferson’s skills are extraordinary in his own way. Already he’s earned a place among the league’s best low post players, game after game dazzling with moves, footwork and shots near the basket.  He is a superior scorer to Garnett in both consistency and clutch shooting.

The numbers tell a lot about this trade and why it benefits both franchises.  Garnett is perhaps an old 31 considering all the games he’s played since starting his career, not in college, but in the NBA at 19 years old.  His numbers this season include 19 points per game and 9.9 rebounds, down from career averages of 20.4 and 11.3. Garnett’s numbers also include this: he makes over $20 million per year.

Jefferson, 23, makes about $3 million, with a new five year contract totaling $65 million starting next season.  Unlike Garnett, neither Jefferson’s salary nor age are liabilities to the Wolves’ future.  Jefferson’s stats in points and rebounds compare favorably to Garnett’s.  Jefferson ranked 13th in the NBA in points per game at 21.5 and fifth in league rebounding at 11.7 through games on Monday.

The Wolves received Jefferson, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, and Theo Ratliff, plus two first round draft choices and cash in the Garnett deal.  Green and Ratliff are now with other teams. Gomes and Telfair have had productive moments as mostly starters, but forget about all that for a moment.  This was a deal worth making just for Jefferson.

Seldom has the life of a local media figure been remembered with such affection as that of Bill Carlson.  WCCO TV devoted about half of its 6 p.m. newscast on Saturday to Carlson, 73, who died last week from cancer.  He was remembered with fondness, too, on WCCO Radio during a program Saturday from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Yes, he was on the broadcast scene here since the 1950s and excelled as a news anchor and entertainment reporter.  But what people treasured was how he treated others with dignity and respect.

The Sports Show Spoof can be viewed on You Tube.  It’s a take-off on the local Sunday night TV program hosted by Mike Max with regulars Patrick Reusse, Dark Star and Sid Hartman.

First-year coach Tubby Smith will enjoy the biggest win of his brief Gopher career if Minnesota beats Indiana tonight (Wednesday) in Bloomington.  Not only are the Hoosiers, 13-3 in the Big Ten, better than the Gophers, 8-8, but Indiana figures to be focused after Sunday’s embarrassing 103-74 loss at Michigan State.  The Hoosiers are ranked 17th in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Poll.

Based on past reputations, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire probably has more challenging personalities on his roster than in the past.  That category certainly includes outfielders Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez, and pitcher Livan Hernandez.

The MIAC Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships begin tomorrow and continue through Saturday at Saint John’s.  St. Thomas has won all 23 of the previous men’s indoor titles, and 20 of 23 women’s championships.  The Tommies are favored again.

The Minnesota Wild, the golden child of local sports franchises, has been roughed up this week following the acquisition of hockey bad boy Chris Simon, the 36-year-old wing whose on ice incidents have drawn multiple career suspensions.  While Simon’s incidents can be seen on TV highlights and YouTube videos, the trade earlier this week that brought him here from the New York Islanders for a sixth round draft choice has stirred more negative comment from fans and media than any move by the Wild within memory.

With more than 20 NHL deals made by league teams before Tuesday’s trade deadline, Wild followers were hopeful of adding a top tier player who could enhance the team’s playoff possibilities and end a losing streak that had reached four by Wednesday morning.  Despite speculation earlier this month that Peter Forsberg might come this way, he ended up in Colorado.

A star like Forsberg might have been too much to expect but Simon was a let down to fans for a couple of reasons.  First, with career statistics that include 18 goals in his last two full seasons they don’t expect his contributions to be high impact here.  Second, this isn’t a hockey community that embraces first degree hockey violence.

It might be extreme, but one passionate fan who called Sports Headliners asked: “How could they trade for this guy who maybe one of the worst individuals ever to play in the National Hockey League?”

Another fan e-mailed that “this guy is not the player he used to be, and you can count on him to put his team in a hole with committing stupid suspensions.”

President and general manager Doug Risebrough, according to the team’s Web site, believes that the 6-3, 232-pound Simon will give the Wild a physical presence needed around the net.  Risebrough said other teams in the Northwest Division have more size and adding Simon helps make up for that deficiency.

With an easier schedule just ahead and the playoffs not that far away the Wild have to hope for better scoring.  Once in the playoffs an extraordinary series of games by goalie Niklas Backstrom seems like the best formula for success.

The Wild, who are tied for first place in the Northwest Division, will set the scene for more complaining from the public and media than ever before if they finish the regular season and playoffs poorly.  This is a franchise that has been to the playoffs twice in five seasons but yet has maintained sellout crowds and a popular image with a few exciting players, slick arena and meticulous attention to marketing and customer relations. The golden child lost some glimmer this week, and the weeks, months and years ahead (will Marion Gaborik eventually be traded?) will be interesting.