David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Timberwolves Notes

Posted on December 12, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

News, quotes and opinion from the Timberwolves pre-training camp opening news conference:

New coach Rick Adelman impressed with his no nonsense talk. He said last season’s 17-65 team played “horrendous” defense and that must change. As Houston’s coach, he recalled coaching against the Timberwolves in the final game of the 2010-11 season and seeing the league’s most generous defense.

“We (the Rockets) got whatever we wanted in our first option,” he said. “We never even had to go anywhere else.”

The 65-year-old Adelman has played and coached a lot of basketball. He plans to put a stop to the Wolves’ habit of giving up easy baskets including in transition defense.

He described the Wolves as a “pretty good offensive team” but negatives include leading the NBA in turnovers and not producing enough assists. He and his staff will preach changes on both offense and defense during a short training camp and two exhibition games leading up to the season opener at home on December 26 versus Oklahoma City.

“There’s a trust level in the way you play the game at both ends of the court that we’ve gotta ingrain in them (his players),” Adelman said. “We’ve gotta make them understand this is how we’re gonna play.”

Adelman wishes he had more veteran leadership on a team that could have five starters 25 and younger. He’s labeled forward Kevin Love, 23, as a team leader. Adelman said Love will have the ball in his hands more this season. “There’s no way he should average two or three assists per game,” the coach said.

Love said he grew emotionally over the summer, almost crying when recalling conversations with family that he declined to detail. He’s ready for leadership including being a “facilitator” in the offense and utilizing his superb court awareness. He’s also ready to “hopefully get this team going in crunch time.”

Assists will increase, too, with the arrival of point guard and passing whiz Ricky Rubio. Love broke up the press confidence when asked his impression of Rubio after scrimmaging with him: “I think he passed the sh.. out of it.”

Love reduced his weight after a summer in which he deliberately ate better. Gone is the baby fat and flab of the past. He looks like a different person and seems more mature.

While Love is a certain starter, Adelman will encourage competition for playing minutes. There will be no set starting team for early practices.

The Wolves will have 16 fewer games during the strike-shortened upcoming schedule to better last year’s 17 wins total. Take the bet the Wolves will do just that.

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Worth Noting

Posted on December 12, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Timberwolves rookie forward Derrick Williams talking about the competition for playing time including at power forward where several players like him are in the mix: “Even people on your team are enemies.”

The Wolves will play only two preseason games — at home against Milwaukee on December 17 and at Milwaukee on December 21— and both will be televised on FOX Sports North.

Vikings placekicker Ryan Longwell said his friend Brett Favre mentors nephew Dylan Favre, a college quarterback who has left Mississippi State. “When you have a resource like Brett Favre in the family tree, you should certainly use it,” Longwell said.

Longwell plans to work during the offseason with a PGA pro to improve his golf game and possibly qualify for the 2012 U.S. Open next June. He said his golf project won’t hurt preparations for football. He doesn’t kick during the offseason until a “couple weeks” before minicamp and training camp.

Vikings rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph: “Whenever the ball is in the air, I treat it as mine.”

Mankato West’s Phillip Nelson was selected as the Mr. Football winner yesterday. He passed for 35 touchdowns and threw for 20 this season. The Gophers recruit and all-state quarterback was also honored as Minnesota prep player of the year by the Associated Press and ESPN. The Mr. Football program is sponsored by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association and the Vikings.

Troy Gloster, who is a redshirt freshman linebacker at West Virginia, is the grandson of the late Sandy Stephens, the former Gophers All-American quarterback.

The 10-1 basketball Gophers play Central Michigan tomorrow night at Williams Arena. The Chippewas are 4-4 and lost their last game, 65-57 to Tennessee State. The team’s best player is guard Trey Zeigler who is averaging 17.8 points and 8.3 rebounds. Dad Ernie Zeigler is head coach.

Point guard Andre Hollins, who has an ankle injury, didn’t play in the Gophers win over Saint Peter’s on Saturday but Minnesota coach Tubby Smith said after the game he expects Hollins to be ready for tomorrow night.

Prep basketball authority Ken Lien emailed news that DeLaSalle sophomore Reid Travis has been offered a scholarship by Northwestern.

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Hennepin County to Emerge in Stadium Drama?

Posted on December 8, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Don’t be surprised if Hennepin County comes out with a plan regarding a proposed Vikings stadium within the next few weeks.

That’s the opinion of a knowledgeable stadium source who believes the county could team up with the state and the Vikings to fund a new football and entertainment facility downtown. Hennepin County, the state’s largest county, eventually emerged as the public entity making the Twins stadium possible, and now after years of debate regarding a new home for the Vikings the county might be ready to get involved with building a facility that will be home to not only football but also other sports and entertainment attractions, according to the source who spoke anonymously.

The multipurpose use of such a stadium fits particularly well with the proposed stadium sites at the Farmers Market and Linden Avenue near the Basilica of St. Mary. Both are near the existing downtown sports, entertainment and hospitality venues already in place. The sites are also ideally situated for freeway and public transportation (including projects in planning by the county).

Stadium sources said the Linden Avenue site near the Basilica of St. Mary may ultimately have an advantage over Farmers Market because “land assembly” is easier. The Linden Avenue site has fewer existing owners than Farmers Market.

Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak is an advocate for rebuilding on the Metrodome site because construction there is probably about $150 million or more less costly than at the two other downtown sites, or in Arden Hills. The Metrodome site, though, doesn’t have the same appeal to the county as the two other downtown sites, according to a source.

The Metrodome probably can’t stimulate sales tax revenues from nearby businesses like the Farmers Market and Linden Avenue sites. The latter two sites, unlike the dome area, already exist in an entertainment and commercial area that includes Target Field and has potential for redevelopment. “A Vikings stadium in those areas helps the county protect its investments in Target Field and transportation,” a source said.

And building at the Metrodome means the Vikings will have to play probably three years at TCF Bank Stadium where a source suggested the franchise may gross about $18 million per season less than at the dome. How to solve that financial challenge is a problem and a public subsidy seems likely not to be a solution.

Rybak wants to use tax revenues dedicated to the Convention Center to help fund a Vikings stadium. Further tax help from Hennepin County and a yet to be determined funding source from the state, along with a contribution from the Vikings, seems like a possible formula for building a facility costing over $1 billion.

Meanwhile Ramsey County remains interested in building the facility in Arden Hills, a site long backed by the Vikings. The funding picture there is perhaps even less clear than downtown, although potential gambling revenues could benefit building a facility anywhere in the metro.

The state legislature has started public hearings on the stadium issue but much needs to be determined including site selection. “I think it is all a long way from being done,” a source said this week.

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