Timberwolves – Page 37 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Rosas Shadow Hangs Over Wolves

Posted on March 21, 2022March 21, 2022 by David Shama

Enjoy a Monday notes column:

Gersson Rosas, a candidate for NBA Executive of the Year? Could have been if the Timberwolves hadn’t fired him last September for reportedly having an inappropriate relationship with an office employee and fostering a tense office environment.

The Wolves rank among the surprise teams in the NBA after a 23-49 record last season. The Wolves, 42-30, are 26-10 since January 2 and driving toward an April spot in the playoffs for just the second time since 2004.

Rosas, hired in May of 2019 as president of basketball operations, has his “fingerprints” all over the Wolves dossier. He inherited center Karl-Anthony Towns but the other members of the “big three,” guards Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell, came through moves made by Rosas and his staff.

Edwards was the NBA’s overall No. 1 draft choice in 2020. Russell and several other contributors, including talented young forward Jaden McDaniels, came via trades. Those players include starting power forward Jared Vanderbilt and guard Patrick Beverley, a catalyst either starting or coming off the bench.

Role players off the bench who came via swaps and have helped improve Minnesota are three-point shooting specialist Malik Beasley and power forward Taurean Prince. Contributors acquired through free agency are center Naz Reid and playmaking guard Jordan McLaughlin.

Rosas, who did fail on 2019 first round pick Jarrett Culver, made a shrewd move hiring Chris Finch as head coach in February 2021. Finch seems to be an effective communicator who listens to players and lets them know what is expected.

So when Rosas departed he left in place a roster and coaching structure that has blossomed after going a combined 42-94 the two previous seasons. Rosas, though, won’t be picking up any awards for his trophy case and reportedly is working in a consulting role with the NBA Knicks.

Rosas’ home overlooking Bde Maka Ska is on the market for $4 million, per Jay Boller from Racketmn.com. The stunning contemporary property at 3817 Sheridan Avenue South was purchased in 2019 by Rosas for $2.42 million and has been renovated since, according to Boller.

New Wolves’ minority owner Marc Lore doesn’t miss a beat. He told WCCO Radio’s Vineeta Sawkar last week he started taking basketball lessons about six months ago to better understand the game.

Despite box office competition from home games involving the Timberwolves, Wild and Loons, the hockey Gophers, playing Michigan Saturday night for the Big Ten Tournament title, drew a record crowd of 10,774 at 3M Arena at Mariucci. Standing room tickets sold for $30 as the Gophers changed the all too frequent narrative of playing in front of empty seats.

In a big move the Wild has acquired 37-year-old goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury from the Blackhawks in exchange for a conditional first-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft. In 45 games this season he has a 2.95 goals-against-average.

Per a statement from the club: “In the event Minnesota advances to the Western Conference Final and Marc-Andre Fleury is the winning goalie of record in a minimum of four games in the first and second rounds combined, Chicago will receive Minnesota’s first-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft. In the event both conditions are not satisfied, Chicago will receive Minnesota’s second-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft. In addition, Chicago will retain 50% of Marc-Andre Fleury’s contract.”

The Wild also announced this morning the acquisition of a second-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft from the Coyotes (previously acquired from the Canucks) in exchange for forward Jack McBain.

Former Timberwolves executive Ted Johnson, now CEO of Norden Strategies, is a senior advisor to the group pursuing Expo 2027 for Minnesota. Bloomington would be the host city for the global event that Johnson said can have a $2 billion economic impact running over 90 days.

The Minnesota effort is a joint venture with the U.S. State Department and the American theme is “Healthy People, Healthy Planet.” Other countries bidding for the event are Thailand, Spain, Serbia and Argentina.

Congratulations to Pete Chubb of Minneapolis who was recognized recently for 50 years working in event management at University of Minnesota basketball games. Many of those seasons his assignment was to provide security near the visiting team’s bench. In 50 years he didn’t receive an increase on his $12 per hour rate but the work was a labor of love.

Chubb’s memories include the infamous game when Northwestern coach Ricky Byrdsong left the bench and walked up into the stands. Whether prompted by mental fatigue, or using a psychological ploy on his team, the incident is remembered as bizarre by fans in attendance.

Indiana coach Bobby Knight was known for his hot temper and foul language. He was a villain at Williams Arena, but Chubb saw a different side to Knight who took an interest in developmentally disabled young adults. “He would take them down in the locker room and show them around. …He was very, very nice to them,” Chubb said.

Dick Jonckowski will emcee Thursday’s reunion luncheon recognizing individuals who played on boys’ state tournament basketball teams from the last decade of the one-class tournament format (1960-1970).

Before the luncheon at The Graduate Hotel honorees will visit Williams Arena where their state tournament games were played and each will walk out on the floor to be recognized by Jonckowski.
Jeff McCarron, from the 1970 Sherburn team that won the last one-class state title, is one of the reunion organizers.

Have to wonder if the warm-blooded L.A. Dodgers are already packing mittens for their two-game series in Minneapolis against the Twins April 12 (night) and April 13 (day).

Twins promotions at Target Field in 2022 include bobblehead giveaways of Jim Kaat, July 16; Tony Oliva, August 6; and Byron Buxton, August 27. Selected Fridays are “all you can eat” games.

Former Vikings superstar RB Adrian Peterson turns 37 today and reportedly wants to continue his NFL career. He is a free agent after the Seahawks let him go.

Look for the new Four Seasons to host visiting professional teams after Minneapolis’ only five-star hotel opens in June.

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NBA Oracle Likes Wolves in Playoffs

Posted on March 8, 2022March 15, 2023 by David Shama

The Timberwolves could not only make the playoffs with more than 45 regular season wins, but be a spoiler in the postseason. That’s the view of a former NBA scout who still follows the Wolves and other teams in the league.

Minnesota figures to be a lower seed but could win its opening series. “I don’t think there are a lot of teams that want to see them in the playoffs,” the authority said while speaking anonymously.

With a 37-29 record, the Wolves have 16 games remaining in the regular season before the schedule ends April 10. The team is 8-2 in its last 10 games and making a bid for the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Minnesota is a vastly improved team over last season when the record was 23-49.

The ex-scout believes the unpredictable but gifted D’Angelo Russell is the key to how successful the Wolves will play this spring. “When (Russell is) under control and playing steady…they’re tough to beat,” he said.

The Wolves’ point guard excels at playmaking, but he can be too prone to poor decisions and turnovers. His skillset tempts him to be too creative.

Center Karl-Anthony Towns and shooting guard Anthony Edwards are the other two players who make up the team’s big three. Towns is “out of his funk” and playing at a high level, while Edwards can some day be a top 10 NBA talent, per the source.

He raved about coach Chris Finch, who took over the team in February of 2021, and has the Wolves playing some of their best basketball in the new millennium. “He’s a communicator,” the authority said while talking about how Finch has the players understanding what is expected of them.

Neither Russell nor Edwards played last night but the Wolves still crushed the Trail Blazers at Target Center, 124-81. Towns, coming off his Western Conference Player of the Week honor, had 27 points and 13 rebounds. As of yesterday morning he was the only player in the NBA averaging 20-plus points per game, shooting 50% or better on field goal attempts and 40% or better from three point range.

The crowd of 16,035 continued the trend of large and noisy fan turnouts. Finch described the new atmosphere at Target Center as “awesome” and said his team can continue to connect with fans by playing at a high level.

“…I think it’s a team that a lot of people like to watch play,” Finch said after the game. “We play hard, we share the ball. It’s pretty exciting. Even our mistakes are interesting. It feels like we got something growing here, and we’ve just got to keep building on it. It’s our responsibility to keep giving ‘em performances that they can cheer on.”

Worth Noting

With the Wild losing eight of its last 10 games, the local NHL club is prompting speculation it could be among the most likely franchises to make a trade prior to the league trade deadline of March 21.

Doug Risebrough, the Wild’s former GM, is a consultant for the Rangers team that plays Minnesota tonight at Xcel Energy Center.

Anonymous hockey authority talking about the Big Ten champion Gophers who start postseason play Saturday at home against Penn State: “They have a legitimate chance to win it all (NCAA title). They have that kind of depth.”

Two spring practices open to the public to watch the football Gophers will be at 4 p.m. April 5 and 11 a.m. April 16. Admission is free, with locations announced soon.

The annual spring game is scheduled for 1 p.m. April 30 at Huntington Bank Stadium.

An outcome of spring practice that could be telling for the fall is the physical condition of running backs Mo Ibrahim, Trey Potts and Bryce Williams. All had their 2021 playing time severely reduced by injuries.

Ibrahim, a 2021 preseason All-American candidate and recovering from Achilles surgery, will receive extra focus from fans even though he isn’t expected to participate in scrimmages. It could be that his quickness and speed is compromised. “Even if he’s 90 percent of what he was, that’s still a pretty good college running back,” said Minnesota authority Ryan Burns from Gopher Illustrated.

It might be that the now Division I St. Thomas athletics program, in need of upgraded athletic facilities including its own hockey arena, will turn to the former Ford plant area in St. Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood. Land acquisition and development, arena construction and other facilities could come with a $100 million cost, per a source. Remember, though, the school’s roster of benefactors is deep and wealthy.

Alabama coach Nick Saban, perhaps the GOAT, has been added to the list of speakers for the Minnesota Football Coaches Association’s Clinic. Saban will speak to attendees via Zoom starting at 1 p.m. April 1. In-person speakers will include Gopher coach P.J. Fleck. Link

Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry will receive a happy birthday call later this month from Dick Jonckowski, the former Gophers’ basketball public address announcer and Shakopee-based event speaker. The two met years ago in Minneapolis and annually exchange birthday greetings, with Barry’s birthday March 28 and Jonckowski’s October 22. Barry turns 78 this year, Jonckowski, 79.

Barry, BTW, is one of the most under appreciated superstars in NBA history. He would fit seamlessly into today’s game, including blowing a fuse in the scoreboard with three-point conversions.

Jonckowski will be doing public address duties again for both the girls’ and boys’ basketball state tournaments in March. This year will be a return to years ago when all the boys’ games are played at Williams Arena. “I am glad I get to work in Williams Arena. That’s good,” Jonckowski said.

Tom Hoge from Fargo, who has three top 10 finishes on this season’s PGA Tour and has won about $3.2 million, is a name to watch at The Players Championship this week and the Masters next month. He is expected to be a headliner at this summer’s 3M Open in Blaine.

Front Office sports reported yesterday because of the delay in spring training baseball, communities in Arizona and Florida are missing out on about $1.3 billion in economic activity.

Very sorry to learn Mark Davy passed away recently. A superb fundraiser, Davy’s varied career included assistant athletic director at the University of Minnesota and director of the M Club. He had a close relationship with the late Pinky McNamara, the former Gopher football player who is among the University’s most generous donors ever.

Sean Sittnick and Yunus Masood are the latest guests on the “Behind the Game” program seen on local cable markets and YouTube. Sittnick is a Minnesota United soccer executive, while Masood is a cricket advocate who wants to see the sport grow on all levels in Minnesota. The show is co-hosted by Agile Marketing owner Patrick Klinger and USHL commissioner Bill Robertson. Link

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Gophers’ Mafe Draws First Round Talk

Posted on February 27, 2022February 27, 2022 by David Shama

The NFL Scouting Combine starts Tuesday in Indianapolis and former Golden Gopher defensive end Boye Mafe is a name to watch between now and the NFL Draft April 28-30. Mafe had a head-turning performance at last month’s Senior Bowl and his draft stock could be rising with some NFL teams intrigued by his talent.

When Mafe announced in December he was forgoing his final season of eligibility with the Gophers, he projected as a second or third round pick. He still might be selected on the second day of the draft, but there is increasing speculation he could go late first round.

Ryan Burns, the college football authority who has tracked Mafe since his days at Hopkins High School, told Sports Headliners there is a “chance” at the first round. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network has the Packers taking Mafe at No. 28 in the first round of his mock draft from last week. “The Packers love raw, explosive edge rushers,” Jeremiah wrote.

Mafe, 6-4 and 265-pounds, has long been known for elite athleticism but seen more as a project than a finished first round product. He could play as an outside linebacker in the pros where extraordinary pass rushers are among the most valued of personnel.

Interestingly, another edge rusher gaining notice is Minnesota native Jermaine Johnson who finished his college career at Florida State after previous stops at Georgia and junior college. ESPN’s Todd McShay had the former Eden Prairie DE going to the Cardinals at No. 23 in the first round of his mock draft earlier this month. McShay was impressed with Johnson’s Senior Bowl performance.

Jeremiah had the Vikings using their No. 12 first round selection on Washington State cornerback Trent McDuffie. Interestingly, Jeremiah doesn’t project a quarterback being selected in the first round until the Saints choose Pitt’s Kenny Pickett at No. 18.

Former Vikings GM Jeff Diamond told Sports Headliners he expects cornerback to be a draft priority for Minnesota: “Because you really need to have four or five good cornerbacks in this day and age,” he said.

This is the second year college athletes, including football players, can monetize deals for name, image and likeness (NIL). Big payoffs are in place in some communities around the country, or are being planned, but apparently not in this state. “I would say Minnesota is behind the ball,” Burns said when asked about the presence of NIL benefitting Gopher football.

Outsiders need to lead NIL efforts because athletic departments aren’t allowed by the NCAA to do so. NIL opportunities will become increasingly more important in recruiting success for schools and their various programs.

Burns said in the Big Ten West Division it’s not just the football Gophers who aren’t benefitting from NIL. “There’s nothing going on with NIL at Wisconsin. There’s nothing going on with NIL at Iowa.”

Meanwhile, the SEC and some of its schools are drawing attention for their NIL efforts. As an example, WBIR TV in Knoxville reported in December that over 300 University of Tennessee men and women athletes profited from NIL since its inception about six months prior.

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is 40 years old, coach Kevin O’Connell 36. Mensah hired Ryan Grigson, with 23 years of NFL front office experience, to help with personnel decisions. O’Connell hired assistant head coach Mike Pettine with 28 years of coaching experience. “I think those both were really smart moves to bring in… experienced guys when you’ve got a first-time head coach and a first-time GM,” Diamond said.

The new regime didn’t retain veteran defensive line coach Andre Patterson, now on the Giants staff. Vikings defensive end Daniele Hunter, a top talent but injury-prone, has a $22 million salary cap hit in 2022 (second only on the team to QB Kirk Cousins). If Adofo-Mensah moves on from Hunter to clear salary cap room, could the Giants be a landing spot?

In a ranking of Big Ten football transfer classes last week, Steven Lassan from Athlon Sports had the Gophers at No. 5. Nebraska, at No. 2 behind Michigan State, was the only West Division program ahead of Minnesota.

Earlier in the month Lassan ranked the Big Ten quarterbacks for next fall and had Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan No. 8 in the 14-team league.

Photo credit: Matt Krohn/University of Minnesota athletics

Coach Bob Motzko’s Gopher hockey team finished February with an 8-0 record for the month, including a weekend home sweep of the Badgers, 8-0 and 5-0, that gave Minnesota its first Big Ten championship since 2017. Minnesota outscored opponents 37-11 during the win streak.

As the No. 1 seed for the Big Ten Tournament, the Gophers have a bye in the quarterfinals and will host a semifinal game at 3M Arena at Mariucci March 12.

The Gopher men’s basketball team ends its home schedule tonight against Indiana and will not have one sellout crowd for 2021-2022.

Wishing a successful recovery to Mike Wilkinson after falling at home and having back surgery. Wilkinson authored the biography about former Gophers football national championship coach Murray Warmath, The Autumn Warrior.

Condolences to family and friends of Tommy King, the Edina native and halfback on Warmath’s 1960 national championship team, who passed away earlier this month. Tommy’s father, Ray King, was a 1937 All-American end at Minnesota who played on national championship teams in 1935 and 1936.

Popular Dave Schwartz, who many viewers expected to succeed Eric Perkins as KARE TV’s No. 1 sports anchor, turned 43 Friday and has a new career in communications with the Minnesota Wild.

Celebrity sightings at the Timberwolves-76ers game Friday night at Target Center included O’Connell. Sitting courtside was MLB Hall of Famer Dave Winfield who played on championship Gopher baseball and basketball teams. It was 50 years ago this winter Winfield and his teammates won Minnesota’s first Big Ten basketball championship since 1937.

Eagan resident Pat Fraher, with more than 18 seasons of NBA officiating experience, was in Minneapolis Thursday night working the Timberwolves-Grizzlies game.

The CORES luncheon group welcomes Stew Thornley as its guest speaker March 10 at the Bloomington Event Center. The Minneapolis native has authored numerous local sports books and is a long time official scorer for the Twins. Reservations must be made by March 7. For more information contact Jim Dotseth: dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

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