David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Get Excited about Wolves…(But Not Too Much Yet)

Posted on December 16, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

No time of year excites fans more than the eve of a favorite team taking the field or court. By definition, fans live on hope and those who follow losing teams spend off-seasons convincing themselves and others that fortunes will improve.

The Timberwolves were 6-2 in exhibition games last year and then compiled a regular season 17-65 record. Because of the NBA labor dispute and the strike-shortened season to come, the Wolves will play only two preseason games with the first coming tomorrow night at home against the Milwaukee Bucks. The following advice is offered:

Don’t make judgments about the Wolves based on the opening preseason game or the next game on December 21, also against the Bucks but in Milwaukee.

The time to start sending opinions via emails, tweets and Facebook is after the first 10 games of the regular season. By then the Wolves will have played seven home games, three on the road and seen four of the best teams in the NBA.

The Wolves will play six of their first seven games at home including against the NBA champion Mavericks and the team Dallas beat for the league title last June, Miami. Also coming to Minneapolis is NBA title wannabe Oklahoma City and a fading but still exceptional San Antonio team.

Ten games will be enough to make solid judgments about the Wolves but not long enough to regard those opinions as anything but flexible. For those who want to be optimists, though, there’s reason to be in good spirits about the team right now.

No offense to Flip Saunders, but new coach Rick Adelman may prove to be the franchise’s best coach ever. The man has taken 16 teams in 20 seasons to the playoffs, and twice to the NBA Finals. Sometimes he’s had to coach up teams lacking experience and talent.

If you pay any attention to the Wolves — a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs in seven years — you know that qualifies this man to coach the team. And yet it’s not that his roster isn’t intriguing and doesn’t tease us with promise.

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Anticipation Begins with Ricky Rubio

Posted on December 16, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

The anticipation and mystery starts with 21-year-old Ricky Rubio. The rookie Spanish point guard could be an instant rock star here, early disappointment, or more likely both. Whatever the story, there will be excitement surrounding him perhaps matching or exceeding any rookie debut in franchise history.

Rubio is handsome, plays with flair and speaks broken English. His surprise passes could sometimes break a teammate’s nose. We can dream he’s another Pete Maravich while being prepared to settle for the second coming of Jason Williams.

While Rubio is maybe a rock star in waiting, this team has other age-26 and under personnel who could be a lot of fun to watch. Start with the NBA’s leading rebounder and All-Star forward, 21-year-old Kevin Love. This is a guy, by the way, who at least one local writer labeled mediocre during the preseason of Love’s rookie year. What did we tell you about preseason judgments?

In the Rubio mania, rookie forward Derrick Williams, 20, has received less attention than a No. 2 overall pick in the draft would expect. This kid is an explosive scorer and versatile player who will get a look by Adelman at both power and small forward. At Arizona his career field goal percentage was .586 percent (.511 on three point attempts). Word is his attitude is good, and how do you not like a guy that enjoys old-time TV including “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?”

Adelman said last week he wants to win now and that “potential” to win gets coaches fired. Wolves fans hope he coaches more production out of a talented trio who often show us both potential and disappointment. The threesome of forward Michael Beasley (22), center Darko Milicic (26) and guard Wes Johnson (24) can within moments both make fans stand and applaud, but also shake our heads with disapproval.

But, hey, that’s why Adelman and his staff have arrived on the scene. Their task is to make the league’s worst defensive team better, convince players to share the ball on offense, reduce turnovers and bust their tails every game. If that sounds like an ambitious to-do list, then you understand why early judgments are a no-no.

Ten games are a place to start with informed opinions. The 10 games after that will be even better. Best yet? At the end of the 66 game strike-shortened season.

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Worth Noting

Posted on December 16, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Christian Ponder threw three interceptions, with one returned for a touchdown last Sunday in a 34-28 loss to Detroit. For the season he has 11 interceptions and a lowly passer rating of 73.4. He also had a fumble in the Lions game leading to a touchdown.

It’s difficult to be patient with a rookie quarterback but reality is it requires time to develop efficiency. Four years ago in New Jersey Giants quarterback Eli Manning, then 26, was still learning the NFL game and threw four interceptions — including three returned for touchdowns — in a 41-17 loss to the Vikings. And Manning was in his third season as a full time starter. This season Manning might be headed for a career season and has a rating of 95.5, his best ever in the NFL.

Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin’s 38 receptions since week 10 of the NFL schedule (11/14/11) are the most in the league. His five touchdowns are second best in the NFL during that period.

With 200 career receptions, Harvin ranks third on the franchise’s all-time list for most catches by a wide receiver during the first three seasons.

The 2-11 Vikings have three remaining games on the schedule and will be underdogs in all of them. In franchise history three teams won three games in a season while the 1962 team had a worst ever 2-11-1 record.

The Vikings have chosen 30 prep football players for its All-State team and will recognize them at halftime of Sunday’s home game against New Orleans. Totino-Grace coach Jeff Ferguson has been selected Coach of the Year.

Unlike Rivals.com which lists the projected Gophers 2012 football recruiting class last in the Big Ten, Scout.com has Minnesota ahead of Nebraska and Illinois.

The Twins are sending an electronic holiday greetings card featuring “Gardy Claus.” Poke Gardy in the belly and he announces what he wants for Christmas including “Joe Mauer’s hair” and “lasik” surgery for umpires. Well done.

Minneapolis native and former Mr. Basketball Kevin Noreen, a redshirt freshman forward at West Virginia, is averaging 3.1 points for the Mountaineers. His brother Kyle Noreen is a freshman guard at Radford where he averages 1.7 points per game.

Mike Stehlik announced his resignation after 22 years of directing the women’s soccer program at Gustavus. He had an overall record of 223-137-30 in 22 seasons and ranks 35th in career victories in NCAA Division III women’s soccer.

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