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Category: Timberwolves

Worth Noting

Posted on March 9, 2012March 9, 2012 by David Shama

 

The Timberwolves rank No. 13 in the Sports Illustrated website power poll of NBA teams.  That’s one spot better than Kevin McHale’s Rockets and two ahead of Kevin Garnett’s Celtics.

Wolvers general manager Dave Kahn doesn’t receive enough credit for his 2010 deal that brought guard Luke Ridnour to Minneapolis.  Without the consistent shooting of Ridnour, the Wolves would have only Kevin Love to include among dependable shooters.

It was six years ago this week that Kirby Puckett passed away at age 44.  He was a hero of Garnett’s.

Fox Sports North telecasts the Twins-Yankees game on Sunday, the third spring training telecast seen in Minneapolis-St. Paul this month.

The Twins received a no hit two inning start by Scott Baker on Tuesday against TampaBay. The 29-year-old right-hander has been with the Twins since 2005 and ranks No. 11 in career starts and wins.

Twins left-hander Brian Duensing, who has been a starter in the past, could be most valuable in spot duty out of the bullpen.  He held left-handed hitters to a .217 batting average last season.

TV play-by-play announcer Dick Bremer said on a Fox telecast Tuesday the Twins, who suffered through an extraordinary year of regular season injuries in 2011, were the only team in major league baseball last year to break camp with no players on the disabled list.

Former Gophers football player Lewis Garrison continues to make a name in college basketball officiating.  He will officiate the men’s Division II NCAA Regional Tournament in Denver this weekend.  He’s also one of six officials selected to work the men’s Division III Final Four in Salem,Virginia later this month.  Garrison officiated the men’s MIAC championship game between Gustavus and St. Thomas in late February.

At the request of Sports Headliners, Mr. Basketball chair Ken Lien provided his rankings of the best prep boys teams in 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A.  His top 10 in big school 4A are Hopkins, Eastview, Lakeview North, Osseo, Apple Valley, Duluth East, Woodbury, Roseville, Eden Prairie and Chanhassen.  Benilde-St. Margaret’s is No. 1 in 3A followed by Minneapolis Washburn, DeLaSalle, St. Paul Johnson, Waconia, Mankato East, Blake, Hill-Murray, Grand Rapids and Delano.

The top 10 in 2A are Braham, Perham, Redwood Valley, St. Peter, Pelican Rapids, Plainview-Elgin-Millville, Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, St. Cloud Cathedral, Fairmont and Montevideo.  Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa is No. 1 in 1A followed by Southwest MN Christian, Prairie Seeds Academy, Fair School, Dawson-Boyd, Lakeview Christian, Ellsworth, Browerville, Battle Lake and Maranatha Christian.

Lien said Cooper High sophomore forward Rashad Vaughn has scholarship offers from Baylor, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota and Texas.  Hopkins wing Zach Stahl has an offer from Hawaii and Northeastern while Edina junior point guard Graham Woodward has been offered by Augustana (South Dakota).

Among names possibly on the University of Minnesota’s review list for athletic director are Darrin Nelson, former Vikings running back and senior associate athletic director at Stanford, and Suzanne Sanregret, athletic director at Michigan Tech and one of the few females in the country holding that position.

The Vikings Miller Lite Draft Party starts at 4 p.m. and continues through the conclusion of the NFL draft’s first round on Thursday, April 26 at Mall of America Field.  Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.  More information is available on the Vikings website.

Mark Rosen’s new book, Best Seat in the House, will first be available on March 29 at the downtown Barnes & Noble store where the WCCO TV sportscaster will be signing books starting at noon.

Through games of March 5, former Gopher Phil Kessel was tied for third in NHL goals with 32.  He was fifth in points with a career high 68.  Other Gopher alumni with over 30 points in the NHL: Blake Wheeler, 54, Thomas Vanek, 47, Kyle Okposo, 33 and Nick Leddy, 31.

 

Comments Welcome

Wolves Owner: No Trade Deal Yet

Posted on March 7, 2012March 7, 2012 by David Shama

 

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners the Wolves could make a deal before the NBA trading deadline next week.  “I just might say 50-50 (odds).  We have no deal right now.  I do know teams are calling.”

Presumably the Wolves are most interested in acquiring an exceptional shooting small forward or big guard, or perhaps a draft choice allowing them to further improve their roster of talented young players.  The trading deadline is March 15.

Taylor said teams, including the Lakers, have asked about Wolves forward Michael Beasley, a starter in past seasons but not now.  Beasley might be the most likely player to be traded, although second year guard Wes Johnson, a disappointment so far including with his shooting, could be on a short list of candidates, too.

Do the Wolves have any untouchables on the roster?  “People ask about Ricky (Rubio) and Kevin (Love),” Taylor said.  “We’re not even going to talk to them (other teams).”

General manager David Kahn is presumably making and receiving a lot of calls from other clubs, but one deal that hasn’t been discussed involves his contract.  Kahn is in the last year of his three-year deal and Taylor wants him to continue with the organization.

The Wolves owner said he hasn’t even thought about when the two will discuss a new contract — likely after the season.  “I like David,” Taylor said.  “…He’s always out there exploring.  He lays out a lot of options (for Taylor).”

The Wolves might make the playoffs for the first time since 2004, but Taylor said neither Kahn nor first year head coach Rick Adelman has bonus clauses in their contracts for postseason results.

 

 

Comments Welcome

Wolves Make Right Impression

Posted on March 5, 2012March 5, 2012 by David Shama

 

Impressions of the Timberwolves with 28 games remaining in the strike-shortened NBA season:

This is the most entertaining pack of Wolves since Kevin Garnett, Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell were trying to put food on the table to feed their families in 2003-2004.  The 2012 Wolves, 19-19 so far after finishing 17-65 last year, are much improved with better personnel, team work and coaching.

You no longer have to risk being labeled the town idiot by predicting a playoff spot this spring.  The Wolves have pulled even with the average teams in the NBA and with 16 teams allowed to qualify for the playoffs Minnesota is a contender.

The club report card gives the best grades to All-Star forward Kevin Love, rookie point guard Ricky Rubio and coach Rick Adelman.  Love is so improved the last two seasons that the four-year player is included in any conversation about the league’s best power forwards.  Point guard, it’s often argued, is the most important position in basketball. The Wolves finally have a special talent playing the position in Rubio, a flashy talent with extraordinary vision and passing skills.  The NBA might be a players’ league but coaching still counts and first-year boss Adelman could be the best person ever directing the Wolves.

This team has an unexpected hero in center Nikola Pekovic.  After averaging 5.5 points during his rookie year last season, Pekovic has won the starting center job in 2012 with smarts, hustle, timely points and rebounds.  What he can’t do with his short arms and average height for a center (6-11) is become a defensive whiz in the lane.

Finding a shot-blocking, defensive center is what should be at the top of the front office’s to-do list.  A guy who can take the Wolves from being an okay defensive team to a better one (while helping Love with the rebounding) is needed to push Minnesota toward the elite group of NBA teams.

This Wolves team will improve a lot too if a shooting guard-forward like Wes Johnson or Martell Webster can fulfill their potential as outside shooters.  Johnson is only a second year player and youth is a huge part of the rationale why fans should be excited about this product.  Love is 23, Rubio, 21, Pekovic, 26, Johnson, 24, and rookie forward Derrick Williams, 20.

Better days are here…and ahead.

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