Author: David Shama

The franchise that almost was shipped down the river is observing its 20^th anniversary this season.  Glen Taylor rescued the franchise in 1995 and kept it from moving to New Orleans but neither he nor previous owners Marv Wolfenson and Harvey Ratner have given us an elite franchise to celebrate.  Wolves insiders hope the coming season will be a step toward that goal and it all begins with a 2008-09 opening game at Target Center Wednesday night against Sacramento.

The franchise that was 20-62 last season has nine times won 30 games or fewer during an 82 game schedule.  The cumulative franchise record: 647 wins, 877 losses.  The Wolves won a division title and advanced to the Western Conference finals in 2004, ending a streak of seven one-and-dones in the playoffs that began in 1997.  The Wolves haven’t made the playoffs since 2004 and have won a total of 85 games the last three seasons.

With a team that’s almost been completely renovated from two years ago and changed further during the last off-season with the additions of veteran guard Mike Miller and rookie forward Kevin Love, the Wolves have at least produced enthusiasm within the offices at Target Center.  The optimism in the halls of 600 First Avenue North is based on the belief that the Wolves are young, talented and possess a will-to-win. The positive vibe is fed, too, by the prospect of having up to four first round draft picks in the 2009 NBA draft and being salary cap flexible enough to chase quality personnel in the 2010 free agent market, being hyped as a transforming shopping season because of all the potential talent.

The buzz-o-meter outside Target Center isn’t nearly as revved up as the one inside the building.  The local public and media are skeptical, and some folks in the national press are cynical, too.

There were a lot of empty seats disguised as fans when the Wolves closed out their 6-2 pre-season schedule on Wednesday and Thursday nights at Target Center last week.  Season tickets sold will again fill roughly one-third of the seats in the 19,356 capacity building.  One columnist in town wrote off Love’s potential as a top player before the 20-year-old had finished his last pre-season game.

Sporting News magazine ranks the Wolves as the 13^th best team in the 15 team Western Conference.  Ditto by Sports Illustrated.  SI reports that the Wolves led the NBA both of the last two seasons in losing games that were tied or where they had the lead at the end of the third quarter.

ESPN.com asked 10 experts about the Wolves and eight wrote that the local team will finish fourth in the five team Northwest Division (ahead of Oklahoma City).  Two of the panel said the Wolves will be the worst team in the Western Conference.  Ric Bucher didn’t agree with that but he picked the Wolves to finish fourth in the division, and he wrote this: “I’m sure GM Kevin McHale has a plan … OK, I’m not so sure these days. Which is why I’d love to hear the architect explain the blueprint. Example: don’t see KLove as a 3 or 5 and Al Jefferson has the 4 anchored.”

McHale, the vice president of basketball operations, took a risk on draft night trading hyped shooting guard O.J. Mayo of USC to Memphis (20.7 points per game at USC, 15.3 in preseason).  But the Wolves aren’t desperate for scoring and Mayo is no more a sure thing than is Love.  The Wolves will produce points behind center Al Jefferson (21 points per game last season), Rashad McCants (15.7), Miller (16.4 in Memphis), and others, probably including Love.

What the Wolves need is defense.  Last year they gave up 102.37 points per game, the 10^th most in the 30 team NBA.  That does raise the question of a small defensive center in Jefferson with an undersized power forward in Love.  The Wolves will try to figure out some answers with their interior defense and their transition defense, too.

This is a team that will be better than last year, perhaps a lot better, like a 15 game improvement or so.  Why?  Because the talent and intelligence has been upgraded.  If Love plays regularly he will be the team’s second leading rebounder after Jefferson.  He could be the most unselfish player on the team, setting up teammates with passes and screens.  He can average double figures in points with a good outside shot and some inside baskets.

Miller is one of the league’s best three point shooters.  At 28, he’s experienced and talented.  Jefferson is only 23 but he has played four NBA seasons already and finished fifth in league rebounding last year at 11.1.  McCants had an impressive pre-season offensively, his specialty, averaging 13.3 points.  He’s a sharp outside shooter with a quick first step who can drive to the basket and score over much taller players.  Role players like forwards Corey Brewer and Ryan Gomes should be better after playing a first season with the Wolves last year.

How much the Wolves improve will have a lot to do with Randy Foye.  To have a bright future the Wolves need a quality point guard and in year three of his NBA career Foye has the opportunity to prove he can do the job.  So far there’s no decision.

And finally there’s this.  With personable leaders like bench warmers Kevin Madsen, Brian Cardinal and Kevin Ollie, and nice guy newcomers Miller and Love, this might be the most likeable bunch of Wolves ever.  Yes, I know you will like them more if they win.

Sporting News picks the Celtics to beat the Lakers again in the NBA finals.  Sports Illustrated predicts it will be the Spurs over the Celtics.

Vikings’ linebacker Chad Greenway will sign copies of the NBC Sunday Night Football Cookbook from 6 to 7 p.m. tomorrow night (Tuesday) in the Sears Court at the Mall of America.  Greenway and others have contributed more than 150 recipes to the book, with part of the sales benefiting food banks nationwide through the Taste of the NFL program.  The book retails for $27.95 and will be available for sale at the MOA event with proceeds benefiting hunger relief in Minnesota.

If you’re looking for a baseball fix in the dead of winter, one way to satisfy it will be at the fourth annual Diamond Awards dinner on Thursday, January 22 at the Marriott City Center downtown.  The event will recognize the 2008 Twins award winners as determined by the Twin Cities Chapter of the Baseball Writers of America.

Among the award winners are team MVP Justin Morneau, upper Midwest player of the year Joe Mauer, pitcher of the year Joe Nathan, most improved player Alexi Casilla, rookie of the year Denard Span, minor league player of the year Ben Revere and minor league pitcher of the year Anthony Slama.  Award winners and others associated with the Twins organization are expected to attend the event.  Corporate sponsorships, tables and individual tickets are available.  For more information call the Twins at 612-33-TWINS or 800-33-TWINS, or Valerie Petermann at the Minnesota Medical Foundation, 612-624-4444 or visit www.minnesotadiamondawards.org.

Northern State’s Kevin Ratzsch, from Bloomington, Illinois, has been selected the 2008-09 NSIC Preseason Player of the Year, as voted on by the league coaches. Ratzsch, already named to the 2008-09 Street & Smith’s pre-season All-American second team, finished fourth in conference scoring last year with 16.8 points per game. The coaches picked Minnesota State, Northern State and Winona State as the teams that will finish first, second and third in NSIC.

Look for Minneapolis-St. Paul to make an effort to attract the 2012 Democratic National Convention here.  The Democrats wanted to have their convention here in 2008 but the Republicans made a commitment first, according to a local source.