Timberwolves – Page 118 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Does Love Need to See More Wolves Wins?

Posted on January 25, 2012January 25, 2012 by David Shama

Don’t be surprised if Kevin Love turns down a contract offer from the Timberwolves today.

Why? Perhaps Love and agent Jeff Schwartz figure the Wolves franchise needs to prove it will become a winner before the All-Star forward makes a long term commitment to staying here.

Under NBA rules, the Wolves have through today to negotiate with fourth-year players like Love. If a deal isn’t made by then, contract talks have to wait until after the league season.

The maximum contract the Wolves could extend the 23-year-old power forward is for five years at about $80 million. The Wolves have reportedly offered four years and about $20 million less, but perhaps even the maximum deal might not convince Love to sign a new contract, preferring to become a restricted free agent next summer.

Although the Wolves could match any deal from another NBA team next summer and retain Love, he might opt for a shorter deal and free agency in 2013. That’s not to say Love won’t be here long term but it’s a solid gold bet he wants to play for a winning organization and he might wait to evaluate how much more his team improves this season and next offseason.

In his first three seasons with the Wolves, the team produced records of 24-58, 15-67 and 17-65. With the addition of rookie point guard phenom Ricky Rubio and other changes, the Wolves are improved but still a project.

ESPN in-studio analyst Jon Barry believes Love is the NBA’s best power forward. He’s a gifted scorer, rebounder and passer. Although he’s 6-10, Love can score both inside and outside. He’s averaging 24.9 points per game, fourth best in the league. He’s second in NBA rebounding at 13.9.

Ask anyone around the Wolves and they will tell you Love is a person of character, a team guy and good citizen in a league where often the knuckleheads make headlines. He’s already a star and the kind of player the Wolves would be devastated without.

The NBA is a star-driven league and the local team finally has one legit star in Love and another—Rubio—in production. It takes at least two stars to win a championship and five years from now the Wolves need both warm weather loving players shivering through another Minneapolis winter.

Comments Welcome

NHL Outdoor Game Possible Here

Posted on January 6, 2012January 6, 2012 by David Shama

Minneapolis-St. Paul remains a possibility to host the NHL’s New Year’s Day Winter Classic, according to a hockey source who asked that his name not be used.

Five outdoor games have been played, with Chicago being the farthest west of the sites so far. “A lot of factors enter into the NHL’s decision about hosting the game,” the source told Sports Headliners.

He said those factors begin with what NBC wants and the potential for TV ratings. Other factors are the on-ice reputation of the host team and having a natural rival to play against, plus high profile players and a “glamorous market,” according to the source.

The Wild haven’t even been a playoff team since 2008. The franchise has been searching for a high profile scorer since the departure of Marian Gaborik to New York. The best rival for the Wild in a Winter Classic game here is Chicago. Minneapolis-St. Paul can’t match the glitz of some American markets but in this area’s favor is a national reputation for both playing and watching hockey.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is on record saying Minnesota will one day host a Winter Classic. No announcement has been made about the 2013 site but the source said Detroit may host the game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. “The league is receiving flack for not getting western teams involved,” he added.

The Cleveland baseball park will host the Ohio State versus Michigan outdoor hockey game on January 15. Tomorrow Boston’s Fenway Park will be the site of a college hockey doubleheader.

Target Field potentially could host a Minnesota Winter Classic. Although the stadium has fewer seats than TCF Bank Stadium, the venue can sell alcohol while the University’s facility does not.

Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners his organization has made its interest known in having Target Field be the site of a Winter Classic, and also he is considering a college-high school showcase. “We’ve always felt Target Field would be a fun venue for hockey,” he said.

While there’s nothing definitive to announce, St. Peter said he’s “pretty confident” that in the next 60 to 90 days the Twins will further detail plans for hockey at Target Field. Any hockey at the baseball stadium would be played in January or early February, he said.

Love Contract Talks Face Deadline

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners he will be meeting with Kevin Love and his agent Jeff Schwartz this month regarding a new contract for the All-Star forward. “It’s our intention to make every attempt to sign Kevin,”Taylor said.

Under NBA rules, the Wolves have until January 25 to negotiate with fourth-year players like Love. If a deal isn’t made by then, contract talks have to wait until after the league season.

Love will be a restricted free agent following this season. That means the Wolves could match any deal from another league team and retain him.

Speculation is Love could command a multi-year new deal paying him more than $60 million. Love, 23, has become one of the league’s elite offensive forward, averaging 25.7 points and 15 rebounds per game.

Taylor hopes to keep both Love and rookie point guard Ricky Rubio for many years. He reports “good talks” with both players. “I think and hope their main goal will be wanting to be on a winning team,”Taylor said.

The Wolves were 17-65 last season but are dramatically improved, already playing competitively despite a difficult early schedule. Taylor is hoping a nucleus of Love and Rubio will produce a lot of wins for many years.

Taylor also told Sports Headliners his franchise, despite a renaissance in public interest, will lose money again this season — perhaps $15 million. About $10 million, Taylor said, is because of the shortened pre-season and regular season caused by the NBA labor dispute.

Worth Noting

The Winter Classic this year — like the college football bowl games — was on January 2 and played during unusually mild temps in Philadelphia. Dan Craig, a River Falls native and the NHL’s ice guru, is credited for his work in having the surface ready to play.

The Wild might be looking to trade goalie Josh Harding, perhaps hoping to secure young prospects and gain payroll relief. Harding’s contract ends after this season and the team’s other main goalie, Niklas Backstrom, has an estimated salary of $6 million. The Wild probably doesn’t want to have several million dollars tied up in salaries for two goalies next season. Harding reportedly earns less than $1 million this season but figures to command a lot more in 2012.

Marian Gaborik is having an impressive season with the Rangers. He ranks second in NHL goal scoring with 23. At 29, Gaborik has entered his peak years. The native of Slovakia once spoke no English but has taught himself the language.

Former South St.Paul High School and Notre Dame hockey coaching legend Lefty Smith passed away in South Bend earlier this week. He was a St. Thomas college graduate.

Wolves second year guard Wayne Ellington remembers his rookie hazing. He had to bring center Al Jefferson a bottle of 5-hour Energy before each game. “Sometimes I would forget and…be scrambling out to try to find him one,” Ellington said last week.

This year Ellington said Wolves rookies Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams had to find baby oil for all the players. “It just goes on throughout the season,” Ellington said. “They haven’t even tasted any (major hazing) yet. They’ve had it really good so far as rookies.”

Ellington said Rubio, a native of Spain, is making progress with his English. “He’s a great guy,” Ellington said. “He’s pretty funny. He’s learning our slang pretty fast so it’s funny listening to him.”

Wolves veteran guard J.J. Barea said he’s never seen a player come into the NBA that can pass like Rubio. “…He can control the game, he can pass the ball,” Barea said recently. “He likes to play defense, he likes to play hard. So I think he’s doing a good job.”

Could Rubio one day be the league’s best point guard? “At some point definitely,” Barea said. “He keeps getting better, (and) keeps working like he’s doing. Keeps getting better on offense. Shooting wise I think he’ll be good.”

Barea’s girlfriend, 2006 Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera, is expecting a baby boy on March 5. No name decided on yet.

ESPN’s John Hollinger analyzes stats and rates former Orono prep Jon Leuer, now with Milwaukee, as the seventh most efficient rookie in the NBA. The Wolves’ Rubio is No. 10 and Williams No. 17.

Comments Welcome

Ex-Coach Predicts 7th Place Finish for U

Posted on January 4, 2012January 4, 2012 by David Shama

Jim Dutcher predicts the Gophers will finish seventh in the Big Ten and likely will play in a post-season tournament, but he said 0-2 Minnesota needs to win its next two conference games starting tonight against Iowa at Williams Arena.

Dutcher, the former Gophers coach whose team 30 years ago won the Big Ten, is a passionate follower of college basketball and watches many games on TV. “Minnesota is not a Big Ten (title) contender but can get into a post-season tourney (NCAA or NIT),” Dutcher told Sports Headliners.

He believes a 9-9 conference record is possible for the Gophers, and that would give Minnesota a 21-10 overall record before the Big Ten Tournament. He said the Gophers might finish their conference schedule with a 6-3 home record and 3-6 on the road.

After opening conference road losses to Illinois and Michigan, the Gophers are home for games against Iowa and then Purdue on Sunday. “You gotta win your home games,” Dutcher said. “Go at least 6-3 at home and 3-6 on the road.”

The Gophers played better at Illinois and Michigan than Dutcher expected. Minnesota lost to the Illini, 81-72 in double overtime, and 61-56 to the Wolverines. “I was more impressed (with Minnesota) after the two losses than I was before,” Dutcher said. “One game (Illinois) they should have won and one (Michigan) they could have won.”

Obvious in both games was the Gophers don’t know who their clutch player is, and also Minnesota struggles to make outside shots, including three pointers. But Minnesota has athleticism, depth and plays with effort.

That could be enough to keep the Gophers just ahead ofIllinois in the final conference standings, a program Dutcher describes as “always a work in progress.” He thinks the Illini will finish eighth in the conference followed by Northwestern, Iowa, Nebraska and PennState.

Purdue has “marginal” talent” but Dutcher has been impressed enough with the Boilermakers to think they will finish sixth in the Big Ten. His top five teams are: Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan. The Buckeyes could be a Final Four team, and the Spartans and Hoosiers might also make deep tournament runs, according to the former Gophers coach.

Neither the Badgers nor Wolverines have consistent inside scoring threats and that will be problematic. “Wisconsin (also) can’t play from behind (in a game) and get to the free throw line,” Dutcher said.

The Badgers’ deliberate offensive style and tenacious defense could be enough to push Wisconsin just ahead of a more talented Indiana team in the final standings, according to Dutcher.

Love Blossoms, Trade Rival Fades

It’s never too late to say thank you. How about tonight when the Grizzlies play the Timberwolves at TargetCenter?

In the hours following the 2008 NBA draft, Wolves executive Kevin McHale made a multi-player trade with the Grizzlies that brought power forward Kevin Love to Minnesota. The cornerstones of that trade were Love and shooting guard O.J. Mayo.

Love has become an NBA All-Star while Mayo doesn’t even start for Memphis. A league source told Sports Headliners McHale wanted to draft Love but instead the organization chose Mayo with the No. 3 pick in the draft. But Love, who was the No. 5 pick, soon became a Timberwolf when McHale and team owner Glen Taylor worked out a deal that involved eight players.

At the top of McHale’s things-to-like list back in 2008 was Love’s skill in rebounding. Love led the league in rebounding last season at 15.2 per game. In five games this season he’s second in NBA rebounding, again at 15.2.

Now in his fourth season, Love is maturing into one of the NBA’s best offensive forwards. He’s averaging a career high 25.4 points per game, making 47 percent of his field goals including 44 percent of three point attempts. He not only shoots with accuracy, but is the team’s best inside scorer.

Love’s passing is timely and accurate. At 6-10 he’s the best of the team’s big men passers and other than point guard Ricky Rubio, nobody on the Wolves is more unselfish.

During the off-season Love reshaped his body and reflected on his leadership skills. He’s become both the franchise’s definitive leader and best player, now even drawing comparisons to Kevin Garnett, the former Wolves All-Star forward who will be a certain Hall of Famer.

Love may or may not one day make the Hall of Fame, but you have to like his odds much better than Mayo’s who during the last three seasons has seen his scoring averages decline from 18.5 to 17.5 to 11.3. This season he’s averaging 8.6 points in five games.

McHale is no longer working for the Wolves and is coaching the Rockets, but he will be remembered tonight.

Worth Noting

Speculation is the National Collegiate Hockey Conference will announce former USOC CEO Jim Scherr as its first commissioner today at a news conference. The conference begins play in 2013-14 and consists of eight teams—Colorado College, Denver, Miami (Ohio), Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, St. Cloud State, UMD and Western Michigan.

Iowa basketball coach Fran McCaffery’s wife Margaret was a Minnesota prep basketball star who later played and coached at Notre Dame. She grew up in St. Paul as Margaret Nowlin and met McCaffery when he was an assistant coach for the men’s team.

Michigan has opened a $20 million-plus basketball practice facility, leaving the Gophers and Northwestern as the only Big Ten schools without such a building. Minnesota is trying to raise funds for a $15 million facility.

The defending champion Mavericks have made personnel changes since last year including allowing point guard J.J. Barea to join the Wolves. Dallas is off to a slow start (2-4) and it doesn’t surprise Barea.

“No question. I knew they were going to have a tough time,” Barea told Sports Headliners. “It’s going to be a long year for them. They’ll win some games because they got enough talent and they like to compete and they like to win. …”

Derrick Williams, the Wolves 20-year-old rookie forward, said the difference between the Pac-12 where he played for Arizona and the NBA is a player needs to use his basketball intelligence in the pros or “get left behind.”

The Vikings promotion of Rick Spielman to general manager didn’t prompt a late afternoon headline yesterday on ESPN.com.

Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway talking about teammate and defensive end Jared Allen who set a new franchise single season record for sacks with 22: “It comes back to what makes him great is his ability to play hard every snap. …”

Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin commenting about the quarterback competition between Christian Ponder and Joe Webb: “It will be tough to keep Webb off the field, but Ponder did some great things for us this year. It’s a good scenario to have two quality quarterbacks like that. That’s not my job, though. I will show up and do whatever they ask me to do.”

Kyle Rudolph, the Vikings rookie tight end, considers himself fortunate to have played one season having Jim Kleinsasser—the 13-year veteran tight end who retired on Sunday—as his mentor. Rudolph has referred to Kleinsasser as dad.

The MIAC is one of only three Division III conferences to have seven schools in the first 2011-12 Division III Learfield Sports Director’s Cup Standings of the season. The MIAC schools are St. Thomas, St. Olaf, Concordia, Saint Benedict, Carleton, Bethel and Hamline.

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