Timberwolves – Page 44 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Historic July for Local Pro Franchises

Posted on July 11, 2021July 11, 2021 by David Shama

Welcome to a Sunday notes column:

Because of the pandemic and disruption of schedules, MLB, the NHL and NBA hold player drafts this month. It’s unprecedented for fans of the Twins, Wild and Timberwolves to be following all three drafts in July.

The 2021 MLB First-Year Player Draft starts today in Denver and continues through Tuesday. The Twins have the No. 26 selection in the first round and may take a college pitcher. This is the first time the MLB Draft has been part of events built around the All-Star Game (Tuesday night).

The Twins, with a 38-50 record, may earn a .500 record by season’s end. Regardless, they won’t finish with MLB’s worst record in 2021 and thereby qualify for the first pick in the 2022 draft. Twins draftniks have joked about a “tank for Elijah” campaign, referring to super prospect outfielder Elijah Green who is a favorite to go No. 1 in 2022.

The NHL Draft will be July 23-24 at the NHL Network Studio in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Wild draft position is late in the first round but Minnesota does have two picks at No. 21 and 25. The organization needs scoring and playmaking including at center, with that priority likely addressed on July 23.

The Wild will also target the center position in the offseason by looking for a veteran center. Buffalo Sabre Jack Eichel could be on the shopping list.

The NBA Draft will be July 29 in New York and the Timberwolves don’t have a selection in either of the league’s two rounds. Put the odds, though, at 50-50 this will change between now and July 29, with basketball boss Gersson Rosas making a trade with another club for a choice or two in the draft.

The Golden State Warriors have the Wolves first round pick because of the 2020 trade that sent Andrew Wiggins to California and brought D’Angelo Russell to Minneapolis. Wiggins exceeded expectations for the Warriors last season, while an injured Russell missed 26 games because of knee surgery. The defensive limitations of Russell, the performance of Wiggins at both ends of the court in 2021, and having the Wolves’ No. 7 first round draft spot, prompted this opinion last month from NBCsports.com about Golden State executive Bob Myers:

“Myers robbed Gersson Rosas blind and simply left Russell in his office with a thank you card attached.”

Former Gophers star Max Meyer, now in the Miami Marlins organization, is scheduled to pitch in today’s Futures All-Star game in Denver. Meyer is among minor league baseball’s most promising prospects. Josh Winder, a right-hander like Meyer, will represent the Twins via the St. Paul Saints. Winder is 4-0 with a 2.17 ERA in two minor league stops this year.

Before the trade deadline it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Twins move shortstop Andrelton Simmons to the Cincinnati Reds for prospects. The Reds are trying to win the NL Central and have a need at short. The Twins could call up MLB veteran JT Riddle from the St. Paul Saints and finish the season with him. Top prospect Royce Lewis is likely to be Minnesota’s long-term answer at shortstop.

The Twins rotate analysts on TV telecasts but no one compares with 82-year-old Jim Kaat who in recent weeks has been working the booth with play-by-play man Dick Bremer. Listening to Kaat’s insights and storytelling can be better than the game. Within moments his infallible baseball mind might be recalling the first game he ever saw (1946 Briggs Stadium, Tigers and Red Sox), and then advising Twins hitters to focus less on launch angles and more on “situational hitting.”

Word is now retired Mikko Koivu could become a coach with the Finnish national team, and an ambassador for the Minnesota Wild.

In members-only meetings (no guests) the Twin Cities Dunkers will hear from Gophers basketball coach Ben Johnson Tuesday and Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck August 3.

It’s been more than two months since Dave Lee signed off as host of WCCO Radio’s early morning show, with no replacement announced yet. Did a broadcaster from public radio turn down the job? The station should promote news reporter Adam Carter to fill the vacancy. The nephew of former Gophers football captain Jim Carter, Adam is smart, articulate, interesting and personable.

Baseball fan and Murray’s owner Tim Murray will visit Globe Life Field in early August to watch the Texas Rangers. The club’s new home is the only MLB stadium Murray hasn’t experienced.

Bill Robertson’s first day as president and commissioner of the United States Hockey League is Monday. He will headquarter in the same Bloomington office he used as commissioner of the men’s WCHA.

Former Viking Matt Birk will be master of ceremonies of the Taste Fore The Tour fundraiser at Interlachen Country Club July 19. The celebrity attended event and related activities raise funds for Volunteers Enlisted to Help People, the large Twin Cities food panty. A Taste Fore The Tour celebrity recipe collection booklet features 25 recipes, including from Birk, Lou Nanne, Mark Parrish and top local chefs. Each booklet costs $30 and is enough for VEAP to feed one person for a month. More at TasteForeTheTour.com, or HungerRelatedEvents.org.

The Minute Men Amateur Athletic Foundation 2021 scholarship was awarded to Henry Sibley scholar-athlete Brandon Morris.

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Vikes Likely to Revise Hunter Contract

Posted on June 2, 2021June 2, 2021 by David Shama

Danielle Hunter is the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive MVP. His value to the club is comparable to quarterback Kirk Cousins and running back Dalvin Cook.

But unlike Cousins and Cook, Hunter’s contract prompts concern about him remaining in Minnesota. The 26-year-old edge rusher is among the NFL’s best at what he does, but his contract doesn’t compare with peers at the position.

Could Hunter be a no-show at mandatory Viking practices this summer? Maybe, but it’s a smart bet the franchise does a redo on the $72 million contract that binds him to Minnesota through 2023. Head coach Mike Zimmer said today he hasn’t heard from Hunter who is absent from this week’s voluntary team activities.

Ownership, led by Zygi and Mark Wilf, have shown a commitment to win and spend money in support of facilities and players. They are passionate fans who want a Super Bowl team and have invested in U.S. Bank Stadium and Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, while improving contracts of players like Cook and wide receiver Adam Thielen.

After missing last season with a neck injury, Hunter must show he is healthy and ready to resume peak performance. In 2018 and 2019 the former third round draft choice had consecutive seasons averaging 14.5 sacks. He established himself as a Pro Bowl quality pass rusher, with the promise of high production for many years.

Hunter’s edge rushing peers include seven players who have deals worth over $100 million. That’s per a July 20, 2020 SI.com story reporting on Joey Bosa’s $135 million new deal that came weeks after a $125 million contract for Myles Garrett. Hunter’s past performance exceeds players earning much more and he is more than a bargain—he’s a steal—with his current earnings.

NFL clubs are pushing their budgets on defensive ends because they can single handedly turn a game—or even a season—with a few crucial plays like sacking the quarterback or causing a fumble. In Hunter the Vikings have a talent who became the youngest player in NFL history to achieve 50 career sacks. He is also outstanding in defending the run.

The Wilfs aren’t likely to let a disgruntled Hunter force his way out of town. A revised and highly compensated new deal appears all but certain this year or next, unless an injury dictates otherwise.

Worth Noting

The current issue of Sports Illustrated offers a feature on Prince’s love of basketball including hosting a party after the 1994 NBA All-Star game in Minneapolis. At Paisley Park the flamboyant entertainer descended from the ceiling. “Something out of a movie,” Alonzo Mourning said in the article.

Target Center opened in 1990 and underwent extensive remodeling a few years ago but it doesn’t compare favorably with many of the “palaces” in the NBA. It could be potential new Minnesota Timberwolves owners will in a few years push for a new building, likely with the threat of relocating to another city.

In the late 1980s the Minnesota North Stars wanted about $11 million from the Minnesota Sports Facilities Commission to upgrade Met Center but it was a failed attempt. The franchise, under new ownership, relocated to Dallas in 1993. Long ago the Lakers left Minneapolis for Los Angeles because of lagging attendance and a facility issue.

Unruly fan behavior in the NBA has been making news of late. Anyone remember when what seemed like every Sunday in the 1960s someone threw a light bulb onto the floor at Boston Garden during national telecasts?

Gophers basketball coach Ben Johnson and staff remain in all-out recruiting mode to finalize next season’s roster that right now will struggle to compete in the Big Ten. Johnson is trying to shape a roster now and in future years with state of Minnesota players.

June and July are prime recruiting months for Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck and staff. Expect multiple verbal commits for the class of 2022 during the next several weeks. Minnesota’s class for next year, with five verbal commits, is currently ranked No. 35 nationally by 247Sports.

The Gophers’ subpar PAT and field goal kicking of last season will be much improved with the transfer of Kent State’s Matthew Trickett. As a sophomore in 2019 at Kent State he was first team All-MAC, and tied for the NCAA lead in field goals with 29. He had two game winning kicks. The Mid-American Conference cancelled its 2020 season due to the pandemic.

Congratulations to former Gopher defensive end Bob Stein who will be inducted into the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame December 7 in Las Vegas. Stein made All-American in 1967 and was a key contributor to Minnesota’s last Big Ten championship team. The St. Louis Park native was also an Academic All-American. University of Minnesota alum Mark Sheffert and the late Pat Fallon, the Minneapolis advertising whiz, advocated for Stein’s overdue recognition by the NFF.

With two PGA vice presidents of rules and competition retiring, it will be interesting to see how that could positively impact former Gopher and Viking Mark Dusbabek. The Faribault native has been a PGA rules official since 2006.

The St. Thomas team that rallied to win three games over the Memorial Day weekend and earned its way to the Division III Baseball World Series, plays an opening game against Adrian starting at 1:15 p.m. Friday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Minnesota United, whose regular season schedule started in April and continues into November, has a long break after playing last Saturday with the next match June 19.

The Twin Cities Dunkers, after months of Zoom meetings, resumes in-person breakfasts in July with likely upcoming programs to include Gophers football and the 3M Open.

No update yet on a new contract for Gophers baseball coach John Anderson (see Monday’s Sports Headliners).

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Glen Taylor Should Rethink Wolves Sale

Posted on May 12, 2021May 12, 2021 by David Shama

I called Glen Taylor Monday but haven’t heard back from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx owner. If I talk to him soon I will tell him not to sell his teams. Full disclosure here: I consider him a friend.

In early April came news Taylor was negotiating a sale to billionaire entrepreneur Marc Lore and baseball legend turned businessman Alex Rodriguez. Part of the story was a 30-day negotiating period would ensue to finalize details. The exact start date of the period isn’t known but it probably ends soon, if it hasn’t already expired. The best guess is the deal is still alive with NBA authorities meticulously looking at the potential new owners.

I hope the deal falls through because my opinion is that will benefit both the public and Taylor. It’s best that the NBA Timberwolves and WNBA Lynx have local ownership. Plus, Taylor might be positioned to have the pleasure of watching an exciting young Wolves team on the rise. He has experienced great success with the Lynx and that team continues to be an important part of the Minnesota sports menu.

The Mankato-based Taylor saved the Wolves franchise for Minnesota more than 25 years ago after the original owners more than flirted with relocation. Taylor is a lifelong Minnesotan who knows the importance of his franchises to the state’s culture and well being. Sorry, Lore and Rodriguez are outsiders whose long-term loyalties aren’t known.

Taylor has assured that Lore and Rodriguez won’t move the Wolves to another city. Is language saying the franchise can’t be relocated ironclad? In the world of litigation, is there such thing? If new owners eventually make a case that financially the franchise is unsustainable in this market, a judge might rule the team can be relocated—despite language to the contrary.

Taylor celebrated his 80th birthday last month. It’s understandable he would want to sell his teams. Without success his representatives have pursued local buyers for the teams, but with more time that could change. Future Minnesota ownership minimizes the likelihood of whispers or nightmares about the Wolves and Lynx relocating.

The improved on-court performance of late by the Wolves creates the possibility of a more attractive sales price in the near future. Lore and Rodriguez are rumored to be willing to pay $1.5 billion for the franchises. The Wolves were all but unwatchable earlier this season, losing most of their games and experiencing seven and nine-game losing streaks. With player disinterest in defense and a “me-first” approach on offense, the Wolves were an embarrassment.

From December 27 through March 3 Minnesota won a total of five games.

But the Wolves, with a 22-47 record this season, are 8-5 in their last 13 games and worth watching. There is developing talent on the roster, even star power in center Karl-Anthony Towns and rookie guard Anthony Edwards. This team has the look of a group coming together and teases followers that a failed franchise on the court for much of its existence could become a consistent playoff team within a year or two.

If that happens, ticket sales, merchandising, sponsorship and other revenue streams jump. This is a basketball market that neither the Timberwolves nor University of Minnesota have come close to pushing toward its potential in fan following and money making. Better days on the court for the Wolves will mean more cash flow for the owner and higher appreciation of the franchise value.

Taylor has witnessed so much miserable basketball with the Timberwolves, he deserves a run of at least a few seasons in the playoffs. He might have in place the best general manager and coach that have ever worked for him. The conclusive results aren’t in yet on Gersson Rosas and Chris Finch but there’s reason for optimism.

Rosas was hired two years ago and since then has acquired much more personnel that rates a thumbs up, not a scowl. Edwards, Malik Beasley, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt are young talents who are here because of Rosas. Veteran Ricky Rubio is another Rosas acquisition that has benefitted Minnesota.

Rosas fired coach Ryan Saunders earlier in the season and hired Finch who had worked as an assistant for Nick Nurse, Toronto’s talented head coach. Taking over during the season, without an offseason and training camp, is less than ideal but Finch has impressed. He has stepped into a losing culture, working for the first time with a core of young players and at least a couple of challenging egos, and shown them the X’s and O’s, built confidence and developed a willingness (at least sometimes) to play for each other.

At 51 and as a basketball lifer, Finch just might be the right combination of experience, smarts and disposition to get the most out of his roster for years to come. Certainly he is motivated to prove himself after many career stops and now having his first NBA head coaching job.

For me the NBA in Minneapolis is personal. I was on the Governor’s NBA Task Force in the 1980s that created interest in bringing a team to town. At that time I was also a promoter of successful NBA exhibition games at Met Center including with the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan. Those games encouraged Minneapolis businessmen Marv Wolfenson and Harvey Ratner to buy an NBA expansion team, paying $32.5 million to create the Timberwolves.

The NBA deserted the city after the 1959-1960 season when the Minneapolis Lakers relocated to Los Angeles. The Lakers won five world championships here. In three decades the Wolves have never played for an NBA championship and have missed the playoffs way more times than they qualified.

Maybe starting next year Minnesota can start a five-year run of postseason trips. NBA playoff basketball is appointment viewing—compelling entertainment on the court, with emotions pouring out from every corner of the arena. Glen, you deserve to see that as the Timberwolves owner. Put the sale off for awhile.

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