Timberwolves – Page 91 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Glen Taylor: ‘No Ill Will’ for Kevin Love

Posted on January 28, 2015January 28, 2015 by David Shama

Kevin Love will be greeted with boos when he and his Cavs teammates play the Timberwolves on Saturday at Target Center. The former NBA All-Star power forward will likely be heckled by some fans, while others will applaud his return to the arena where he played six seasons for the Wolves.

Love’s departure via trade last summer is a major setback for the Wolves who have the worst record in the NBA, 7-37. The team has played most of the season without four starters from last year including Love and injured regulars Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic and Ricky Rubio.

Glen Taylor said Love, a key contributor on the 2012 US Olympic team, forced a trade because he wanted to play for a winning team and the Wolves haven’t made the playoffs since 2004. But the Wolves owner holds no grudges against the 26-year-old Love, a rare NBA player who has career averages in double figures for scoring and rebounding.

Taylor told Sports Headliners earlier this month he plans to see Love on Saturday. “I am going to treat him like a friend,” Taylor said. “I have no ill will against Kevin at all.”

In January of 2012 the Wolves had an opportunity to give Love a maximum five-year contract but chose instead to negotiate a four-year deal that gave him an early opt out. If the longer agreement had been made Love likely would still be on the roster and perhaps could have been persuaded to eventually finish his career in Minneapolis.

The Wolves would have enhanced their relationship with Love by offering him a longer contract and more money. He proved on the court he was deserving of the max contract, finishing the 2011-2012 season with a then career high average of 26 points per game.

“Knowing what we know today and all that stuff, it was probably a mistake (the contract),” Taylor said. “It doesn’t bother me to say that was a mistake. It’s a decision that was made at that time and it turned out to be that Kevin really played well after that. I respect him and admire him for his work ethic and all the things that he has done. We’d have been better off having the longer term contract. …”

David Kahn was the franchise’s lead basketball decision maker when the Love four-year deal was negotiated and finalized. Kahn’s years with the Wolves have been much scrutinized and criticized beyond the Love saga. First round draft decisions that included passing on guard Steph Curry in 2009 and center DeMarcus Cousins in 2010 are among the most discussed. Curry, drafted by the Warriors, is fifth in the NBA in assists and 10th in scoring, while Cousins, playing for the Kings, is fourth in scoring and second in rebounding.

Curry was mentioned to Taylor, and he was asked if hiring Kahn, who had never led an NBA basketball department prior to his opportunity with the Wolves, was a mistake. “I don’t want to say that,” Taylor answered. “No matter who you hire they have to make some guesses. They’re going to be right some of the time and they’re going to be wrong some of the time.

“For me to say or anybody knew that Curry was going to be that good, I just think they didn’t know that. It turned out that we made mistakes, that’s for sure.”

Worth Noting

The Cavs, led by forward LeBron James, guard Kyrie Irving and Love, are in their first season together and learning to play as a unit. Among the NBA title favorites, the Cavs have struggled overall as shown by their 26-20 record but have won seven consecutive games.

Love, who is averaging 17.3 points and 10.3 rebounds with the Cavs, might be the best outlet passer in the NBA. Just ask former Timberwolves forward Corey Brewer who had a career high 48.1 field goal percentage last season, with many of his baskets coming on layups after catching long passes from Love.

The Gophers basketball team, 2-6 in the Big Ten and 13-8 overall, might have its best opportunity this season to earn a road win tonight at Penn State, 1-6 and 13-7. State College is historically one of the easiest places for Big Ten teams to win and since 2000 Minnesota is 8-4 at Penn State. The Gophers’ two conference wins were at home against Rutgers and Illinois.

Ross Travis, the former Chaska High School player, leads Penn State in rebounds per game at 6.9. The 6-7 senior forward has started 19 of 20 games and averages 4.8 points per game.

Condolences to the family and friends of Lu Vorpahl who died earlier this month at age 103. Lu was probably the oldest former Gophers football player prior to his death. The Minneapolis native was born June 30, 1911 and played football for the Gophers in the early 1930s. (See Sports Headliners’ June 30, 2014 feature about his remarkable life.)

The St. Thomas men’s basketball team plays Gustavus at home tonight. The Tommies’ only loss of the season was to the Gusties in St. Peter, 68-65 on December 3. UST, 15-1 overall and 10-1 in the MIAC, is ranked No. 2 in the country by D3hoops.com.

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman will be the guest speaker at the May 14 CORES luncheon. Bob Gustafson, from Grandma’s Marathon, will speak at the March 12 program. CORES luncheon programs are at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans. Information about both programs is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

The state of Minnesota has 203 Division I men’s hockey players, according to information provided by College Hockey, Inc. Michigan has 151 followed by Massachusetts, 112; New York, 81; and New Jersey and Pennsylvania with 52 each.

Minnesotans are 12.7% of all Division I men’s hockey players and 18.7% of the Americans playing. Conferences with the most Minnesota natives are the NCHC with 57, Big Ten 39, and WCHA, 34.

Former Gophers tennis coach David Geatz had his 58th birthday last Friday. Geatz, now head men’s coach at Pennsylvania, coached the Minnesota men’s team for 18 years and won five Big Ten titles.

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Wolves Lineup Age Matches Gophers

Posted on January 15, 2015January 15, 2015 by David Shama

When it comes to youth, the Big Ten’s Golden Gophers don’t necessarily have anything on the NBA’s Timberwolves. Consider this:

The Gophers starters usually are 21-year-old Joey King, 23-year-old Mo Walker, and three 22-year-olds—Andre Hollins, DeAndre Mathieu and Carlos Morris. Those five average 22 years of age. Key reserves are Charles Buggs, 21, and Elliott Eliason, 23.

Because of injuries and searching for productive players, the Timberwolves have used many starting combinations but nine times the opening lineup has been: Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins, both 19; Shabazz Muhammad, 22; Gorgui Dieng, 24; and Thad Young, 26. Again, average age is 22. Other young players on the roster include a pair of 21-year-olds, Anthony Bennett and Glenn Robinson III.

What to make of this?

Well, the Gophers “grey beards” haven’t collectively been able to make enough plays to prevent a 0-5 start in Big Ten games. But Minnesota has been competitive, losing two games by two points each, and two more by four and five point margins.

The Timberwolves have been a mess, losing 15 of their last 16 games while compiling a record of 6-31—flirting with the worst showing so far in the NBA. And what were the results with the youthful and inexperienced LaVine and Wiggins group? A winless 0-9.

The overall record is certainly no surprise since the Wolves have been playing most of the season without four starters from 2013-2014. All-Star Kevin Love has relocated to Cleveland while Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic and Ricky Rubio have missed most of the season with injuries.

Coach Flip Saunders has been left with a roster that isn’t ready to play consistently—never mind win games. The record so far leaves them well positioned for a high first round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, and the addition of more young talent to the roster.

It is somewhat surprising a team with as much experience as the Gophers has struggled to close out and win tight games. The Gophers not only have starters but bench players who have past Big Ten experience.

Hollins was a three-year starter coming into this season and his teammates aren’t exactly without game experience. Seniors Eliason and Walker averaged 21.5 and 18.5 minutes per game last season, while Mathieu, a junior college transfer at Minnesota in 2013-2014, averaged 30.2. King averaged 19 minutes per game two years ago at Drake and 22.4 minutes with Minnesota last season. Morris has the least major college experience but he is a junior college transfer, not a player just out of high school. Mathieu is a senior, while King and Morris are juniors.

After Tuesday night’s loss to Iowa, some Gophers were crying in the locker room. Disappointment has reached that level. Hollins said this 0-5 start is the most difficult period for the team since he became a Gopher.

Hollins is dating Gopher Rachel Banham, the preseason choice in women’s basketball for player of the year in the Big Ten. Her season ended in December when she tore an ACL. What message of encouragement has Hollins offered? “Stay strong. Come back stronger than ever.”

Hollins and the Gophers have 13 remaining Big Ten regular season games including Saturday at home against Rutgers. Hollins might offer his teammates the same advice he shared with his girlfriend.

The Wolves traded Love last summer and knew they would have to adjust without their All-Star power forward but the absence of Martin, Rubio and Pekovic due to injuries is as surprising as the Gophers 0-5 Big Ten start. Martin was counted on to replace some of Love’s scoring and be a prime option for clutch shots. Rubio’s performances early in the season before he was injured indicated he might be ready for his best year as a playmaker. Pekovic, when healthy, is among the NBA’s top low post scorers.

Pekovic, though, is fast gaining a reputation more for his run of injuries than his brute strength and low post scoring. He has only played in nine games this season. He missed 28 of the team’s final 38 games last season.

Pekovic reportedly accepted a five-year, $60 million contract from the Wolves before the 2013-2014 season. When Sports Headliners asked Glen Taylor about trading the 29-year-old, 295-pound center, the Wolves owner said: “At his salary, I wasn’t planning on trading him, but even if I was I don’t think I could be thinking about it now until he shows he’s a guy that can play consistently. Otherwise, he’s paid too much money.”

Taylor said fans are appreciative of the potential shown by young players like Wiggins but for now all the losing has put a dent in gameday ticket sales at Target Center. The Wolves rank last in attendance in the 30-team NBA, averaging 13,818 fans per game, according to Espn.com.

Taylor said the franchise may lose a “couple million dollars” this season but it is 2015-2016 that concerns him more financially. He wants to see the Wolves get their three veterans back in the lineup and play with the young talent. Win some games and show fans “the injuries were the reason that we didn’t win” while creating hope for the future. Positive momentum closing out this season can help retain and even grow the season ticket base for 2015-2016.

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Zimmer ‘Glad’ Teddy Playing as Rookie

Posted on December 15, 2014December 15, 2014 by David Shama

Mike Zimmer is now comfortable with the decision to make Teddy Bridgewater his starting quarterback. The Vikings coach has seen rookie quarterbacks “get the heck beat out of them” and the resulting damage to their careers.

When Zimmer lost veteran Matt Cassel to a season ending injury in September, he was concerned about exposing Bridgewater, his first year QB, to the learning curve and pressures of the NFL. “I know this guy’s got a chance to be the guy for a long, long time here, and what I was nervous about at the beginning of the year is I didn’t want to get him beat up,” Zimmer said. “I didn’t want to get him a bunch of bad outings where he didn’t have that confidence and that attitude (to be successful). …”

The Vikings have tried to create an environment where Bridgewater, despite his inexperience, can avoid trauma and progress positively. “I think in the long run his playing and going through all of these experiences, and getting a chance to play against Green Bay and Chicago and Detroit, will be a big factor for us in the future because he’s been through these things now,” Zimmer said. “It’s not new.”

Zimmer has seen Bridgewater learn from being on the field and is “glad” the 2014 first round draft choice is playing so soon. Bridgewater has quarterbacked the team to five wins and six losses. Yesterday he had interceptions on consecutive possessions in the first half and that changed the momentum of a Vikings lead but overall he made plays with his arm and legs. He completed 31 of 41 passes for 315 yards and one touchdown. He ran three times for 30 yards. Two of his last three games his passing rating has impressively been over 115.

Bridgewater has helped lead the Vikings, 6-8 overall, to comeback wins in previous weeks but couldn’t yesterday. The game ended with a 16-14 loss to the Lions when Vikings kicker Blair Walsh missed what would have been an NFL record field goal of 68 yards. Walsh said this afternoon he “lobbied” for the opportunity to try the kick.

Although it’s not reasonable to expect a record game winner, the last two weeks—by Walsh’s admission—have been “tough.” He missed a potential 56 yard game winner in regulation a week ago Sunday against the Jets before the Vikings scored a touchdown to win in overtime. He was one for three on field goals in that game and yesterday didn’t connect in three tries including a 26-yard attempt that was blocked.

“I don’t feel like I am hitting the ball poorly but the results say otherwise right now,” he said. “So it’s something I gotta get shored up and fixed.”

Trailing 16-14, the Vikings didn’t make enough productive offensive plays on their final drive—and really all game—to defeat the Lions, now 10-4 and tied with the Packers for first place in NFC North. But Zimmer did praise his rebuilt offensive line that is without three starters. “I thought they battled their rear ends off,” Zimmer said. “I think they competed. I thought they fought like crazy to give us the opportunity to get the ball in the right place.”

One replacement is Mike Harris who has taken over at right tackle for Phil Loadholt. Harris said the coaches gave his work yesterday the best evaluation he’s received this season. He thought his run blocking and physical play was evident against the Lions.

“My pass blocking was okay,” Harris said. “It‘s something I continue to work on with timing, with my punch.”

Worth Noting

When the Vikings prepare this week for the Dolphins, Minnesota defensive coordinator George Edwards will have knowledge of Miami’s personnel since he was that team’s linebackers coach last season.

Rookies Anthony Barr, Teddy Bridgewater and Jerick McKinnon have received more attention but the Vikings have other first-year players they like, too, including seventh round pick Shamar Stephen. A defensive tackle at 6-5, 310, Stephen was in on 10 tackles in the game against Carolina last month and he has become a starter replacing the injured Shariff Floyd.

Jerry Kill gave an answer that couldn’t resonate better with Gophers football fans when asked by L. Jon Wertheim in the December 1 issue of Sports Illustrated about the program’s long-term goal. “Our long-term goal is to continue to get better. Our mission is to win the Big Ten championship. It’s not easy to do, but that’s what our mission is.

“The next stage is, we haven’t been to the Rose Bowl—I get reminded every day—since (1962). So everybody wants to get that accomplished. The ultimate thing is to win it all. But we’ve got to take steps. We have to improve our operating facilities because in recruiting that’s what kids look at. …”

The Big Ten Conference has 10 teams in bowl games, a total that ties the league’s previous high set in 2011. A difference, though, is three years ago the conference had 12 teams and now has 14.

After bowl matchups were announced, odds-makers had all of the Big Ten teams as underdogs in the 10 games. Dating back to 2000, the conference is 38-62 in bowl games.

Bobby Bell ranks among the greatest Gophers football players ever. He was a two-time All-American tackle and 1962 Outland Trophy award winner. Yesterday he posted the following news on Facebook: “I went back the past seven months to the University of Minnesota after 52 years in order to complete my college degree. It feels so good to be a college graduate. …”

Dave Stead, executive director of the Minnesota State High School League, said he doesn’t have a final figure but he expects ticket sales revenue from the 2014 Prep Bowl to be down about 50 percent. Attendance and ticket revenues will significantly increase when the Prep Bowl leaves outdoor TCF Bank Stadium for the enclosed Vikings stadium in 2016. Stead said although the Prep Bowl normally is a profitable event, he’s not sure if it will be in 2014.

Timberwolves rookie Andrew Wiggins is on the cover of Mpls.St. Paul Magazine’s best of the year issue. The article on Wiggins, who last June was the first overall pick in the NBA Draft, discusses the 19-year-old’s life as a professional and living in a new community.

While Wiggins has been a regular starter, rookie guard Zach LaVine, also 19, has started just 11 games. But that is 10 more than at UCLA last season, and before the Timberwolves made him a first round choice.

A local pro hockey source said Thomas Vanek’s slow start scoring goals for the Wild can be explained by off-ice distractions including his transition back to Minnesota where he knows so many people. He predicted Vanek could be productive, though, by playoff time when things have settled down and the 30-year-old forward knows his teammates better. Vanek has only three goals in 28 games but does have 14 assists and is fourth on the team with 17 points.

The same source said the Wild have been looking for goalie help and doesn’t believe the team is committed to starter Darcy Kuemper. The franchise decision makers, though, are “solid” in their commitment to fourth season coach Mike Yeo and the players like him.

It wouldn’t be surprising if former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, who has been offered a role with Minnesota, ends up working for the Rangers, Astros or Mets. Gardenhire grew up in Oklahoma and the two Texas teams, the Rangers and Astros, provide proximity to home while the Mets were the team Gardenhire played for in the major leagues.

Former Gustavus Adolphus golf coach Whitey Skoog was recently inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame. Skoog, who retired in January of 1995 after 22 seasons, coached the Gusties to 17 MIAC titles and 12 NCAA Division III tournaments including second place finishes in 1990, 1991 and 1992. The former Gophers All-American basketball player also coached basketball at Gustavus after his NBA career with the Minneapolis Lakers.

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