Timberwolves – Page 84 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Timberwolves Not Pursuing Kevin McHale

Posted on December 9, 2015December 9, 2015 by David Shama

Quoting Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor in today’s column, and also Twins president Dave St. Peter.

Kevin McHale was fired as coach of the Rockets last month after leading the team to the NBA’s Western Conference Finals in the spring. McHale hasn’t announced his future plans but Minnesota basketball fans who watched him play for the Gophers and later hold both executive and coaching positions with the Wolves wonder if the Hibbing native might work again for Taylor.

The Wolves owner remains friends with McHale but the two haven’t spoken since he was let go in Houston. Taylor has no plans to pick up the telephone right now and call McHale who after his playing career with the Celtics was named one of the NBA’S 50 greatest players ever.

Taylor doesn’t want to send the wrong messages to his Timberwolves basketball employees including interim coach Sam Mitchell. “I’ve made a point of not doing it (calling McHale) just because I want to be careful,” Taylor said.

Glen Taylor (Photo courtesy of Timberwolves)

Mitchell, a former NBA Coach of the Year with the Raptors, has been told his status will be evaluated at season’s end. Taylor has no plans to change that timeline.

The Wolves haven’t made the playoffs since 2004 and last season their record was 16-66. This season the team is 8-12 heading into tonight’s home game against the Lakers. Taylor likes the talent and promise of a young roster whose core is built around a pair of 20-year-olds—second-season guard-forward Andrew Wiggins and rookie center Karl-Anthony Towns.

How will Taylor evaluate Mitchell at season’s end and decide about the veteran coach’s future? “We’ve never really put up goals exactly that I was going to measure him on, but I think what I would measure him on is seeing how far the team has progressed,” Taylor said.

The owner’s goal is to see his club eventually become an “elite team for quite some time.” Taylor isn’t overly concerned about seeing his team make the playoffs this season, although he would certainly welcome that achievement. He’s most interested in seeing how the players develop and how Mitchell contributes to their improvement.

Mitchell has shown a commitment to use young players and go deep into his bench, even at the expense of having veterans on the floor late in games. Sometimes that has not worked but Taylor is supportive. “I don’t get into that (who he plays),” Taylor said. “I want to win, he wants to win. I am not going to second-guess him.”

The late Flip Saunders rebuilt the Timberwolves roster in two years with savvy personnel moves. He and Taylor were close friends. The unexpected death of Saunders this fall dramatically changed the franchise’s leadership because he was the coach, top player personnel executive and part-time owner.

“When I see us play, and we do really well, it just breaks my heart that he’s not at least on the floor here watching them, rather than from heaven watching them, because he put so much effort into it and he was so enthused about what was going to happen,” Taylor said.

Tonight Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who has announced this will be his final NBA season, plays in Minneapolis for the last time. Taylor hopes to reach out to the 37-year-old superstar shooting guard who has secured a place among the NBA’s top players ever. What will Taylor say?

“Basically, thanks for sharing your career with us. We really appreciate the opportunity to watch somebody like you that worked so hard to do so well. All of us either got to either yell for you or against you, but either way we appreciated it. Something like that.”…

St. Peter said Rod Carew is improving by the week following his open heart surgery earlier this fall. He talks on a regular basis to the Twins legend who had a massive heart attack in September.

“His spirits are good,” St. Peter told Sports Headliners. “He’s been (buoyed) by the outpouring of support from a variety of people both inside and outside of baseball. He’s really enjoying spending time with family right now, and hopes to get back to his home in Orange County I think soon. (He) has not given up on coming to Minnesota at some point during this offseason but also may be coming to Fort Myers for spring training.”

Carew is convalescing in a private home in the San Diego area. He suffered his heart attack while on a golf course and twice was near death before medical professionals saved his life. “We’re lucky he’s still here,” St. Peter said.

Carew, 70, had thought he was in good health and was feeling well prior to his heart attack. “He didn’t see this one coming,” St. Peter said. “That’s part of his motivation toward really trying to get engaged with the American Heart Association to tell his story and ultimately build awareness of heart health, and get incremental checkups.”

A career.328 hitter, Carew played 19 seasons in the major leagues including 12 with the Twins. He won all seven of his American League batting championships in Minnesota. He is a special assistant to the Twins along with other franchise legends such as Kent Hrbek and Tony Oliva.

Miguel Sano (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins)

St. Peter said Miguel Sano, the 2015 Twins rookie sensation who hit 18 home runs in 279 at bats, is practicing in the outfield this fall while playing in the Dominican Winter League. In games, however, Sano is playing at third base, his longtime position. The Twins plan to have Sano play the outfield next season but St. Peter said the club sees Sano’s long-term position as third base.

The Twins had a surprise season in 2015, finishing with a winning record for the first time in four years. St. Peter likes the club’s core of players who led the team to an 83-79 record, and moves have been made to strengthen the roster this offseason. “We’re not afraid to make trades,” he said.

St. Peter said “ideally” the team wants to improve its bullpen. Starting pitching could be a trade target too, of course. While the Twins don’t want to “shake up” their roster after last season’s success, he said the club doesn’t have a “lot of untouchables” that would be excluded from trade talks.

St. Peter recently vacationed in London. He expects MLB games could be played in the U.K. as soon as next year or in 2017. Commissioner Rob Manfred has international ambitions for his sport and future games might also be played in Germany and Latin America.

Tickets went on sale yesterday for TwinsFest, scheduled January 29-31 at Target Field. St. Peter said most of the 40-man roster will attend the event. Fans can also meet top prospects Jose Berrios (pitcher) and Nick Gordon (shortstop) who aren’t part of the 40-man group. Tickets could sell out in advance and total attendance is projected at 15,000 to 17,000.

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Potential QB Battle in Oakland Intrigues

Posted on November 9, 2015November 9, 2015 by David Shama

If Teddy Bridgewater is recovered from a concussion and can play next Sunday in Oakland there will be an interesting matchup between two of the NFL’s promising young quarterbacks. Derek Carr, 24, was taken in the second round by the Raiders in 2014 while the Vikings selected Bridgewater, 22, in the first round of the same NFL Draft.

Teddy Bridgewater (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said this afternoon at his press conference that Bridgewater has passed his first concussion clearance test but as the week progresses it will be determined whether his quarterback is recovered from the blow he took in yesterday’s win over the Rams. “I think he’ll be good to go (Sunday),” Zimmer said.

Six NFL.com writers gave their opinions last month about top quarterback prospects 25 and younger. In addition to Carr and Bridgewater (he turns 23 tomorrow), the list included Blake Bortles, 23, Marcus Mariota, 21, and Jameis Winston, 21. In the October 20 article Bucky Brooks, Nate Burleson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders and Ike Taylor were asked to identify the quarterback they would choose to build a franchise around.

Four of the six chose Carr, with two others picking Bridgewater. “Derek Carr reminds me a little of Brett Favre,” Mariucci wrote. “He’s got a little grit to him and a certain toughness. He’s a natural-born leader and has all the intangibles. …”

“Teddy Bridgewater is my choice for a franchise quarterback,” Brooks wrote. “He’s the one with the most complete skill set, and he has the intelligence, confidence and leadership you look for in a young QB. From a physical standpoint, he can make all the throws at the short and intermediate range, but he can be a little spotty on deep throws. …”

Carr and Bridgewater had comparable seasons as rookies. Carr had more passing yards, 3,270, and touchdowns, 21, than any other first-year quarterback in 2014.

Bridgewater’s numbers were 2,919 yards and 14 TDs. Carr had a passer rating of 76.6 while Bridgewater’s number was 85.2.

Bridgewater was voted by fans as the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year. He started 12 games to Carr’s eight and had a slightly better passing completion percentage, 64.4 versus 58.1. The Vikings also had a 7-9 record while the Raiders were 3-12.

After week nine of this season Bridgewater is way behind Carr in stats including passer rating, 83.4 versus 104.3. Carr has 19 touchdown passes and only four interceptions while Bridgewater’s numbers are six and six. Carr has led an improving Raiders team that is playing .500 football at 4-4. The Vikings are a surprise team too with a 6-2 record.

No doubt Bridgewater’s priority for next Sunday is just to get on the filed. Then it’s helping the Vikings win another game but if he plays you can be sure fans and media will be comparing him with Carr.

Worth Noting

Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 125 yards yesterday in the Vikings win against the Rams, now leads the NFL in rushing with 758 yards.

It’s a sad legacy that former Vikings defensive players Wally Hilgenberg (2008 death), Orlando Thomas (2014) and Fred McNeill (several days ago) all died from ALS. Hilgenberg died at 66 years old, Thomas at 42 and McNeill was 63.

Although Gophers head coach Jerry Kill said he had seizures prior to the days before announcing his resignation last month, a Sports Headliners source wasn’t aware that any of the seizures were witnessed by his players. Another source said Kill and his wife Rebecca were in Florida last week.

Do a Google entry typing the name Tracy Claeys and among the first search words that come up is “wife.” Claeys, the Gophers interim head football coach who turns 47 on Christmas Day, is single.

A lot has been written about next year’s Gophers schedule with East Division powers Michigan and Ohio State going off the schedule, but what’s not noted much is the Big Ten will have each team playing nine conference games instead of eight and Minnesota will be on the road for five of them. East Division bottom feeders Maryland and Rutgers replace Michigan and Ohio State on Minnesota’s schedule.

The Gophers will play Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin on the road. Coming to Minneapolis will be Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue and Rutgers, plus home nonleague games with Colorado State, Indiana State and Oregon State.

St. Thomas (9-0, 7-0 MIAC) secured an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs and share of the conference championship by crushing Carleton (1-8, 0-7 MIAC) 80-3 last Saturday. Coach Glenn Caruso told Sports Headliners he doesn’t talk about wins and losses with his players, but instead emphasizes best effort and execution. That’s chapter-and-verse coaching philosophy from the approach of legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden.

Caruso is a Wooden admirer and refers to him as the “greatest coach of the last century”—a master teacher who understood human nature and motivation. Among Caruso’s favorite resources is Wooden’s classic book They Call Me Coach. “I’ve read it seven or eight times,” he said.

Caruso dialogues almost daily with St. Thomas men’s basketball coach John Tauer who has a doctorate degree in social psychology. He refers to Tauer as “one of the smartest men I know.” The two coaches live within 10 houses of each other in St. Paul. “I draw a lot of vision from our conversations,” Caruso said.

Despite fan speculation, there appears no possibility the Twins will ask first baseman Joe Mauer to become a catcher again. The club needs catching help and there is a logjam of players who can play first base, third base and the outfield. Manager Paul Molitor, talking on KFAN Radio with “The Common Man” and Mark Rosen last Wednesday, said he is interested in having slugger Miguel Sano do less designated hitting next season and instead play a position in the field, perhaps in the outfield.

While some preseason listings have placed several Big Ten teams in their top 25 rankings, the November 9 Sports Illustrated college basketball issue included only three league teams—No. 5 Maryland, No. 14 Indiana and No. 15 Michigan State. The ACC had four schools in the top six with No. 1 North Carolina, No. 4 Duke and No. 6 Virginia.

Ironically, coach Richard Pitino’s Gophers (2-0 in exhibition games) open their regular season at home on Friday night against UMKC, the program whose coaching staff included Andre McGee until he resigned late last month. McGee has been a focal point in allegations about a sex scandal involving the Louisville men’s basketball program where Pitino’s father Rick Pitino is head coach. The Kansas City, Missouri based school and team opens its schedule with a home exhibition game tonight against Hawaii Pacific.

The 3-2 Timberwolves, who play the Hawks in Atlanta tonight, are 3-0 in road games—the first time in 13 years the franchise has done that. The 2001-2002 team won its first four games of the season away from home. The Wolves didn’t win their third road game last season until January 13.

Wolves point guard Ricky Rubio is averaging 9.2 assists per game—second best in the NBA behind the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook at 10.9.

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Vikings QB Wins Praise for Work Ethic

Posted on November 4, 2015November 4, 2015 by David Shama

Adam Thielen knows about hard work. Major college football programs didn’t want him coming out of Detroit Lakes High School. All 32 NFL teams passed over him in the college draft. But Thielen signed as a free agent with the Vikings in 2013 and worked his way from the practice squad to a place where he’s a valuable sub at wide receiver.

While Thielen earns praise for his determination, he admires Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. “That’s one thing about Teddy, that he’s not afraid to work,” Thielen told Sports Headliners.

How impressive is Bridgewater’s work ethic? “I’ve never been around anybody else that works harder in the film room and on the field after practice,” Thielen said.

When asked what Bridgewater is like both on and off the field, Thielen said, “He’s the same guy everywhere. He’s pretty quiet, low key. He just gets the job done. He’s gonna outwork everybody he’s around and go about his business.”

Bridgewater did his job last Sunday against the Bears, helping the Vikings rally for 13 points in the fourth quarter. His big plays included a 40-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs and 37-yard pass to Charles Johnson that set up the winning field goal in the 23-20 victory.

“It’s something you want out of your quarterback, somebody that is going to lead you in the fourth quarter,” Thielen said. “That’s the NFL nowadays. You’re going to have to win games in the fourth quarter and it’s good to see a guy like that come in and just be poised and bring us down the field.”

Worth Noting

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer’s first year record was 7-9. So far this season he is 5-2, pushing his career head coaching record to one game over .500 at 12-11, but he’s not paying attention. “I don’t really think about that stuff yet,” he said. “We’ve got a long way to go. I would say we’re moving in the right direction. …”

Former Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton is helping lead a startup called Major League Football. The new spring football league will target franchises in towns that don’t have NFL teams.

The College Football Playoff (CFP) Group is expected to announce host cities for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 CFP National Championship Games today at a 1 p.m. press conference in Rosemont, Illinois. Minnesota is bidding to host the 2020 game at U.S. Bank Stadium.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the University of Minnesota announces this week that Tracy Claeys will have the interim tag removed from his title as Gophers football coach.

University president Eric Kaler didn’t know about Jerry Kill’s intent to resign and make an announcement until the night before. The Gophers coach announced his resignation at a news conference a week ago today.

Kaler wore maroon and gold striped pants in support of the Gophers at last Saturday night’s home game against Michigan. He was on the field at TCF Bank Stadium prior to game time.

The Gophers are likely to hold most of their verbal commits from high school recruits for awhile, although local defensive tackle JoJo Garcia has decommitted. It’s believed Garcia, a three-star player, regarded Kill as a father figure. Florida four-star wide receiver Dredrick Snelson could be a tenuous hold.

The Gophers missed a sellout for the first time this season with attendance of 50,709 last Saturday. The next home game, November 21 against Illinois, is likely to draw even a smaller crowd at the 52,525 seat capacity TCF Bank Stadium.

It looks like Mike Ellis, the Gophers executive associate athletics director on voluntary leave, won’t return to his position in the athletic department.

Rookie Karl-Anthony Towns, who is off to a fast start in three regular season games averaging a double-double in points and rebounds, is an unusually accurate free throw shooter for a 7-footer. In high school he made 82.2 percent of his free throws and in one season at Kentucky averaged 81.3 percent. Towns, who could be NBA rookie of the month for November, is making 88.0 percent of his free throws with the Wolves.

Tyus Jones, the Wolves rookie point guard from Apple Valley, hasn’t been in uniform for the team’s first three games, and might experience much of his NBA introduction this season in practices only. Jones, like other Wolves players, is living downtown.

Willard Ikola, the legendary former Edina High School hockey coach, will sign copies of his new autobiography on Saturday from 2:30 to 5 p.m. at General Sports in Minneapolis. The book, co-authored with Jim Hoey, is titled Ike: Minnesota Hockey Legend.

Patrick Mader, a Northfield author, has a new book called Minnesota Gold that details the accomplishments of 57 Minnesotans who competed in international sports including the Olympics. More at Patrickmader.com.

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