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Kahn Pursuing Caron Butler
6/21/2009 9:35 PM
Alec Schimke
Joe Weise
Kahn Pursuing Caron Butler
Wolves looking to fill their need at SF
Apparently David Kahn wasn't joking when he said he would be active on the phone lines. TimberwolvesPress has learned the Wolves are actively pursuing Washington Wizards Forward Caron Butler. This possible deal according to sources, is just one of the many deals the Wolves are currently considering before draft day. Just recently, RealGM posted a story linking the Timberwolves to the Wizards 5th overall pick. It could be possible that Wolves are trying to obtain Butler along with the 5th overall pick in exchange for some expiring contracts such as Mike Miller/Brian Cardinal and younger player like Randy Foye. If the 5th pick is not involved however, the Wizards would most likely just dump Butler for expiring contracts in order to free up some cap space for the 2010 offseason. Butler is due to make just under $9 million this season and his contract runs up after the 2010-11 season.
Possible trade options the Wolves have in obtaining Caron Butler
Mike Miller would have to be involved in any deal the Wolves make with the Wizards to obtain Butler. Both Butler and Miller almost have identical contracts except Miller's expires after this season making him very attractive to teams looking to free up cap space like the Wizards. Miller is also attractive because he can help out almost every team in the NBA with his ability to shoot. While Miller is no Caron Butler, he would still help keep the Wizards competitive over in the East for the 09/10 season. If the Wolves were to obtain the 5th pick, I think Randy Foye would be on his way out. The Wolves could then use the 5th and 6th picks to completely rebuild their backcourt. In a weak draft, the 5th pick does not do the Wizards much good as they are playoff team as is, injuries just killed them last year. It would make more sense for them to obtain a NBA proven guard like Foye rather than gamble on a rookie.
Scenario 1) With the Wizards 5th pick
Wizards trade F Caron Butler, G Jarvaris Crittenton and 5th overall pick
Timberwolves trade F Mike Miller, G Randy Foye and 18th overall pick
Scenario 2) Without the Wizards 5th pick
Wizards
Wizards trade F Caron Butler
Timberwolves trade F Mike Miller and 18th overall pick
What Kevin McHale Really Does On The Sidelines
4/12/09 5:00 PM CT
Alec Schimke
Alec Schimke
Wolves Weekly Comic
Wolves Hold Meeting: Bash My Email
enter
| First of all I don't report anything unless I have very good sources, like the OJ Mayo and Kevin Love trade, which we reported 2 hours before ESPN despite having several doubters all over the Internet. I would not put my credibility on the line for something I wasn't 100% sure on. As a journalist I feel that it is my duty to report what is being said by the PR staff at Target Center in regard to my complaint. In this case I have an inside source within the organization who reported to me yesterday that the PR staff held a meeting yet at Target Center during pre-game around 4:00 PM and essentially bashed my email in a very classless way. The meeting included three people, including PR guy Mike Cristaldi. Word gets around fast and some of the stuff that was said was pretty unprofessional coming from a PR department according to my source. I will leave most of the details out, but my source tells me it was pretty animated. My source told me that if it was truly an original idea on their end, then why did it require such defensive tones in a meeting? One person in the meeting argued that it was probably a coincidence that the ideas were the same. This comment I just laugh at. On the issue of my idea being of the same team and same player, one argued very defensively, who else am I supposed to promote on the team and that it is not even that original of an idea(referring to "glass cleaner"). My source told me that he wondered why they would use it then if they viewed it as not very original idea, but they still used it as a major marketing campaign. I thank my source for the inside info, it's nice to know that I have people in the organization backing me up. This just goes to show that right now, the entire Timberwolves organization is completely not on the same page. I would also like to say to the Timberwolves that I am not a "kid/guy" as referred to in the meeting, but I am a professional journalist, Alec Schimke, who runs a professional site and takes great pride in his work and puts a lot of effort into it. If you view my work as "second tier", and something you can dismiss, you are wrong. Alec Schimke |
Update On The Glass Cleaner Issue
4/5/09 4:52 PM CT
Alec Schimke
Alec Schimke
From JE Skeet Twitter Account
Wolves PR: "Our 3-person PR staff was developing [the Love glass cleaner comm.] months ago ... we were just alerted to the [fan's site]."
Wolves PR: "Our 3-person PR staff was developing [the Love glass cleaner comm.] months ago ... we were just alerted to the [fan's site]."
| First of all I would like to give thanks to Skeets for doing some investigating for me and questioning the Timberwolves. He recently posted a link comparing the two concepts on his blog, “Ball Don’t Lie” on Yahoo! and I was thrilled to see that. I really appreciate that other people have noticed the similarities between the two concepts and have provided links to Skeets comment (thanks to T’Wolves Blog and Canis Hoopus). During my phone conversation with PR guy Mike Cristaldi, he told me that he had never seen my website, and that may be true. That was one of his big arguments on why the Timberwolves couldnt have possibly stolen the idea. However, I know for a fact that the Timberwolves had a position open this year called a 'Social Networking Position” where they specifically hired someone to monitor the web. Here is what the position’s description was a few months ago.. “This position will assist with updating official Minnesota Timberwolves & Lynx online social networking sites, as well as monitoring external online social activities (blogs, forums, message boards, etc.) Additionally, interns will provide daily reports on the buzz surrounding the Timberwolves to management.” via http://www.simplyhired.com/job-id/e7jd2lwb7g/social-networking-jobs/ I would bet that members of the Timberwolves organization were aware of my website as I have been an active member on several boards, have been linked on other Timberwolves websites and have been around since 2007. On top of that, the rumors that we have reported, have circulated around the web/radio, for example the Mayo/Love trade and the Randy Wittman firing. To say the entire organization was oblivious to my website would be a bit humorous. I’ve also applied to the Timberwolves for several positions, specifically a PR job with my website on my resume. What I find most important in the job description above, is that the intern is to report to “management.” Right there that tells me that if they see something interesting on a fan site, or message board, they are reporting to management. I would also like comment on Skeets recent Twitter feed which is quoted above. During my phone conversation, Mike Cristaldi never mentioned that they had been working on this concept for months ,but rather made it seem like they had just came up with it a few weeks ago. I find that comment interesting because I released the idea in January and they claim to have come up with it a few months ago. The timing seems to match up. Just thought that was noteworthy. Once again I would like to state that Mike Cristaldi denied any wrong doing and claimed it was his idea. Regardless of what he said, I still feel ripped off. He can say whatever he wants but I am entitled to my opinion and I know how professional sports teams operate and the marketing process does not involve just a few people, but involves a large group of people which includes interns. Also, this issue has nothing to do with Kevin Love and I do not in any way want it to be a distraction to him. He deserves to be a ROY candidate with the numbers he has produced. As a Wolves blogger, I have enjoyed covering him this season, as he as been one of the few bright spots on the team and in the couple times that I have met him has been nothing but classy to me and my site. On a side note, this whole ordeal has really allowed me to do some thinking on the team. I have never received not even the slightest kind remark from the team, regarding my site or specifically the ‘Glass Cleaner” idea. I always envisioned myself working for this team one day, because I have a passion for Timberwolves basketball. Now, I can’t even picture myself turning in another application to this organization. When looking back on things, I now understand why I enjoyed the team so much and that was because of Kevin Garnett. Kevin Garnett was the Timberwolves. He brought the passion and the excitement to this state. He was good enough to cover up for this franchises failure’s and HE was the reason fans came to the arena. The Timberwolves were truly a ONE man show when he played here. Now that he is gone, there is no one to lean on and the team is crumbling apart. I respect each and every player on this team because they represent this beautiful state of Minnesota and had no choice when coming to play here. I am grateful that they have given the effort that they have since KG has left and I can only imagine how hard it has been on them to consistently lose. Al Jefferson is going to be an All-Star in this league for many years and we have many great young players to help him out. We have some great basketball minds in Sichting, Cooper, Bickerstaff, Pickney on the sidelines and I feel bad for them that they have to be surrounded by a losing culture. I feel bad for the players here currently. I can honestly say with all the bad press surrounding this team, poor marketing campaigns, poor management, that this team is simply a joke and that our state/players/fans deserve better. Don Overbeck…are you serious? I remember Randy Wittman earlier calling out Britt Robson and bloggers in general earlier this season. It’s stuff like that that really ticks me off. I mentioned this a few weeks ago on my site but I will post this again. 1. “The Timberwolves simply need to clean house. No more employing "buddies", and no more moving around employees if they fail(McHale). Mr. Taylor, if someone was causing your company to lose its reputation, I doubt that you would just move that person to another area in the company. The business world does not work like that, if you piss off you customers, you are gone. The NBA is a business too and should be handled the same way as any company. Failure=Departure.” 2. Mr. Taylor…Do you not understand that your customers(fans) are extremely unhappy? What we want more than lowered ticket prices is an improved product(the team, the coaches, the front office. I'm pretty sure that the Wolves could give out free tickets and that still would not solve the attendance problem. No one in this area wants to watch this team right now and it will take a fresh/winning approach to get fans back in the arena. The Timberwolves can pretend to ignore blogs such as mine, but in reality we are just speaking the truth. At the end of the day we(bloggers) are fans, and my goal this entire time at TimberwolvesPress.com has been to voice the frustration that so many fans like myself feel. I know people where all we talk about when we run into each other is how this team is such a joke. I dont know if this team understands how big off a laughing stock they are, but now would be a good time to look themselves in the mirror and do a reality check. I will have more on this whole topic shortly as I have some other people who have information regarding this whole situation. I would love to hear your comments! Alec Schimke |
1/26/09 Wolves vs. Bulls Game Recap
Game 32- Minnesota Timberwolves 109 at Chicago Bulls 108 OT (15-27)
By Alec Schimke
1/26/09 1:30 pm
Sitting about 20 feet behind the hoop Sunday night at Target Center, I watched the ball roll around the rim in the final seconds of the game which seemed to take an eternity until the ball finally rolled away sealing a Timberwolves victory. How that basketball did not drop in for 2 points is beyond my belief as the ball was inches away from giving the Bulls a victory.
This play reminded me of Jason Richardson's game winning attempt from the baseline about a week ago when the Wolves were playing the Suns. I for sure thought with the Wolves luck that J-Rich would nail that buzzer beater to give Suns the victory. We have seen games end like that so many times the last few seasons where the Wolves play so great only to see all that hard work end in a crushing defeat. Sunday night however, like the game against the Suns, somehow went in the Wolves favor proving once again that things are finally turning our way.
A lady behind me at the game instantly panicked after the Wolves gave the ball back to the Bulls for the final shot. "We lost," she said. I thought to myself, maybe that would have been the case a few weeks ago but something is different about this Wolves team in 2009. I had a gut feeling that the Wolves would somehow pull this one out in the final seconds like they did in Phoenix. Sure enough they did. Once again I was in shock though after the ball rolled of the rim giving us the victory. Did we really just win? Yes!
Folks, the Timberwolves are finishing in the 4th quarter, they are scoring, they are playing with intensity and most importantly they are WINNING.
The energy at Target Center Sunday night was abundant as Wolves fans are embracing this basketball team. It's funny how quick fans are willing to jump back on the bandwagon. This team still has a ways to go before they get the place full, but they are heading in the right direction. The fans in this state will continue to embrace this team if they continue to play like this. Yes we are the State of Hockey, but Minnesotans love basketball and that was evident Sunday night.
Game Thoughts
-Big Al (39 points) could not have put up a better game to prove that he is an all-star this season. I've never seen the guy dominate so much as a Timberwolf. Joakim Noah got worked down low all night long, I'm sure he had nightmares last night. Give Jefferson the ball on the right baseline and he is unstoppable. He is so good down low with his ability to get opponents off their feet with his pump fakes. He is very hard to read down low, you never know when his shot is going up. Big Al has really had some big games in the 4th quarter this season proving that he is franchise worthy. Tonight was no different, the Wolves don't win this game without Al's clutch play down low in the 4th.
-"The Glass Cleaner"(Kevin Love) keeps getting better and better. Love had 19 points on 8-11 shooting and 15 rebounds in 33 minutes of play. I dont know how Love sneaks some of those shots in the post with his poor vertical but they somehow find a way to go in. This was by far Love's best game this season and it's evident that he is improving every game. What do all you Love haters have to say now?
As much as I hate comparing these two, here are some stats for you Mayo lovers that may serve as a reality check....
Mayo last 5 games 17.2 points 3.2 rebounds 2.0 assists
Love last 5 games 12.2 points 10.2 rebounds 1.0 assists
The key point I'd like to make here is Love's improvement. Love has shown great improvement this season while Mayo's production seems to have leveled off. That is a good sign for Wolves fans as Love seems to be growing as a basketball player.
I've read several articles this season that go into great detail about the PER stats and those other stats that dont matter one bit between the two. Are you telling me we should be judging this trade on PER stats? No one should really be comparing these two guys at all, they are such different players and in such different situations that its nearly impossible to compare the two in terms of impact. Every basketball player knows that being a post player and being a perimeter player is a completely different game.
But because of the big trade on draft day, it is hard not to check the stats between the two. I'll set my record straight on the trade. The second the trade happened, I was upset. I wanted the Wolves to do the right thing for once that everyone agreed on, analysts, fans, etc. and that was selecting OJ Mayo. I dissected the trade for a few days and collected my thoughts and I have been a fan of the trade ever since. I have been careful to not jump to conclusions this season about who won and what not. How can you decide who won this trade 40 games in? You cant. If I were to pick the winner of the deal right now even as early as it is I'd pick the Wolves.
Why? The Timberwolves are a better team because of the deal. We have won more games than the Grizzlies have and while it may not be anything too special to say we have 4 more wins than they do, at the end of the day all that matters is winning. This is the only way the deal should be compared, by wins. Our team has shown improvement this season while their team continues to struggle to find its niche. Both teams made this deal because they thought it would better their team. Right now the Wolves are several steps ahead in terms of team chemistry than the Grizzlies. I wont ever compare this deal on stupid +/- ratings or PER, or whatever. Just give me the stat that matters, wins.
Who would I take on my team, OJ Mayo or Kevin Love?
Kevin Love and I'd do it without hesitation. Love is a "basketball player" and that is incredibly hard to find these days. He does the little things that hardcore basketball fans admire. You wont be able to find a player like Kevin Love and his ability to rebound as easy as you would be able to find a scorer like OJ Mayo. Mayo is a hell of a talent on the offensive end, he surely is not another Ben Gordon like some people think. This guy will be something special but in terms of who is the better basketball player, Love is miles ahead. If we want a scorer, we can find someone to score 20 points, but if we want to find someone who rebounds, especially on the offensive end as well as Love, that is much harder to find.
Who is winning the trade right now?
The Timberwolves. Too many people judge this trade on the hype OJ Mayo brings. Sure he is a fancy player who fans love but does he make his team better? That is still a question he has to answer in my mind. Kevin Love is a winner, plain and simple. Love's team is winning, Mayo's team is not. Love is doing more that just scoring, he is rebounding. Mayo is giving his team nothing other than scoring. Love is so efficient off the bench its scary. The impact he makes in limited minutes is something this league has not seen in years. This guy is grabbing 14,15, rebounds every other game in about 25 minutes and putting up double figures in scoring as well. The Timberwolves are also getting more production out of the other players in the deal than Memphis. Jaric, Walker, and Buckner have done little in Memphis. Mike Miller has been disappointing yet he still has helped the Wolves get a few wins. Cardinal has been huge in helping the Wolves create energy off the bench and Collins, well I guess he has just been here. At the end of the day all the jerseys sold and hype does not result in wins on the basketball court. The Timberwolves are a better team because of the trade and I'm not so certain the Grizzlies are.
Mike Miller, what is your opinion?
Love the guy as a person because he reps the Midwest in terms of ballin' but the guy has been incredibly hard to watch this season. I would love to seem him traded ASAP, no hard feelings, its just not working out here in Minnesota. Miller is not a bench player, he is a starter in this league but he is not gelling well with the starters on this team.
-I hate the +/- stat because it is vastly overrated but it is interesting to point out that the starters tonight all had negative ratings but everyone on the bench had + ratings. What does this tell us? Simple, our bench is playing damn good.
-Rodney Carney continues to demonstrate the abilities that Wolves fans have been wanting on this team for years. Carney is that guard that has us drooling during games because his athleticism is something we have not seen since......I cant even name a player to be honest. Put Carney on a open fastbreak and the entire building is on its feet. Tonight Carney had 13 points including several key 3-pointers that helped the Wolves shrink the Bulls lead.
-Remember when Randy Foye hit that game winning shot in his rookie season against the Bulls? His shot with 41 seconds looked very similar as he drove to the right and put up a runner off the glass. Foye has a lot of guts taking that shot after having a very rough game. That is one thing that Foye has really impressed me with, his willingness take the big shots even if he has been struggling in a game.
-There was quite a few Bulls fans in the crowd tonight and I actually probably should have selected my wardrobe a little better as I looked like a Bulls fan myself wearing a red Twins hat and red Phillies jersey. One thing the Wolves need to work on is selling Wolves apparel. This arena needs more Wolves jerseys to help create that home environment.
-I asked a Bulls fan if he would be willing to take Mike Miller. He responded no. Hey if New Jersey wants Miller this bad, lets give him to them. I don't know what the Nets are smoking but if they are this high on Miller lets do it!
By Alec Schimke
1/26/09 1:30 pm
Sitting about 20 feet behind the hoop Sunday night at Target Center, I watched the ball roll around the rim in the final seconds of the game which seemed to take an eternity until the ball finally rolled away sealing a Timberwolves victory. How that basketball did not drop in for 2 points is beyond my belief as the ball was inches away from giving the Bulls a victory. This play reminded me of Jason Richardson's game winning attempt from the baseline about a week ago when the Wolves were playing the Suns. I for sure thought with the Wolves luck that J-Rich would nail that buzzer beater to give Suns the victory. We have seen games end like that so many times the last few seasons where the Wolves play so great only to see all that hard work end in a crushing defeat. Sunday night however, like the game against the Suns, somehow went in the Wolves favor proving once again that things are finally turning our way.
A lady behind me at the game instantly panicked after the Wolves gave the ball back to the Bulls for the final shot. "We lost," she said. I thought to myself, maybe that would have been the case a few weeks ago but something is different about this Wolves team in 2009. I had a gut feeling that the Wolves would somehow pull this one out in the final seconds like they did in Phoenix. Sure enough they did. Once again I was in shock though after the ball rolled of the rim giving us the victory. Did we really just win? Yes!
Folks, the Timberwolves are finishing in the 4th quarter, they are scoring, they are playing with intensity and most importantly they are WINNING.
The energy at Target Center Sunday night was abundant as Wolves fans are embracing this basketball team. It's funny how quick fans are willing to jump back on the bandwagon. This team still has a ways to go before they get the place full, but they are heading in the right direction. The fans in this state will continue to embrace this team if they continue to play like this. Yes we are the State of Hockey, but Minnesotans love basketball and that was evident Sunday night.
Game Thoughts
-Big Al (39 points) could not have put up a better game to prove that he is an all-star this season. I've never seen the guy dominate so much as a Timberwolf. Joakim Noah got worked down low all night long, I'm sure he had nightmares last night. Give Jefferson the ball on the right baseline and he is unstoppable. He is so good down low with his ability to get opponents off their feet with his pump fakes. He is very hard to read down low, you never know when his shot is going up. Big Al has really had some big games in the 4th quarter this season proving that he is franchise worthy. Tonight was no different, the Wolves don't win this game without Al's clutch play down low in the 4th.
-"The Glass Cleaner"(Kevin Love) keeps getting better and better. Love had 19 points on 8-11 shooting and 15 rebounds in 33 minutes of play. I dont know how Love sneaks some of those shots in the post with his poor vertical but they somehow find a way to go in. This was by far Love's best game this season and it's evident that he is improving every game. What do all you Love haters have to say now?
As much as I hate comparing these two, here are some stats for you Mayo lovers that may serve as a reality check....
Mayo last 5 games 17.2 points 3.2 rebounds 2.0 assists
Love last 5 games 12.2 points 10.2 rebounds 1.0 assists
The key point I'd like to make here is Love's improvement. Love has shown great improvement this season while Mayo's production seems to have leveled off. That is a good sign for Wolves fans as Love seems to be growing as a basketball player.
I've read several articles this season that go into great detail about the PER stats and those other stats that dont matter one bit between the two. Are you telling me we should be judging this trade on PER stats? No one should really be comparing these two guys at all, they are such different players and in such different situations that its nearly impossible to compare the two in terms of impact. Every basketball player knows that being a post player and being a perimeter player is a completely different game.
But because of the big trade on draft day, it is hard not to check the stats between the two. I'll set my record straight on the trade. The second the trade happened, I was upset. I wanted the Wolves to do the right thing for once that everyone agreed on, analysts, fans, etc. and that was selecting OJ Mayo. I dissected the trade for a few days and collected my thoughts and I have been a fan of the trade ever since. I have been careful to not jump to conclusions this season about who won and what not. How can you decide who won this trade 40 games in? You cant. If I were to pick the winner of the deal right now even as early as it is I'd pick the Wolves.
Why? The Timberwolves are a better team because of the deal. We have won more games than the Grizzlies have and while it may not be anything too special to say we have 4 more wins than they do, at the end of the day all that matters is winning. This is the only way the deal should be compared, by wins. Our team has shown improvement this season while their team continues to struggle to find its niche. Both teams made this deal because they thought it would better their team. Right now the Wolves are several steps ahead in terms of team chemistry than the Grizzlies. I wont ever compare this deal on stupid +/- ratings or PER, or whatever. Just give me the stat that matters, wins.
Who would I take on my team, OJ Mayo or Kevin Love?
Kevin Love and I'd do it without hesitation. Love is a "basketball player" and that is incredibly hard to find these days. He does the little things that hardcore basketball fans admire. You wont be able to find a player like Kevin Love and his ability to rebound as easy as you would be able to find a scorer like OJ Mayo. Mayo is a hell of a talent on the offensive end, he surely is not another Ben Gordon like some people think. This guy will be something special but in terms of who is the better basketball player, Love is miles ahead. If we want a scorer, we can find someone to score 20 points, but if we want to find someone who rebounds, especially on the offensive end as well as Love, that is much harder to find.
Who is winning the trade right now?
The Timberwolves. Too many people judge this trade on the hype OJ Mayo brings. Sure he is a fancy player who fans love but does he make his team better? That is still a question he has to answer in my mind. Kevin Love is a winner, plain and simple. Love's team is winning, Mayo's team is not. Love is doing more that just scoring, he is rebounding. Mayo is giving his team nothing other than scoring. Love is so efficient off the bench its scary. The impact he makes in limited minutes is something this league has not seen in years. This guy is grabbing 14,15, rebounds every other game in about 25 minutes and putting up double figures in scoring as well. The Timberwolves are also getting more production out of the other players in the deal than Memphis. Jaric, Walker, and Buckner have done little in Memphis. Mike Miller has been disappointing yet he still has helped the Wolves get a few wins. Cardinal has been huge in helping the Wolves create energy off the bench and Collins, well I guess he has just been here. At the end of the day all the jerseys sold and hype does not result in wins on the basketball court. The Timberwolves are a better team because of the trade and I'm not so certain the Grizzlies are.
Mike Miller, what is your opinion?
Love the guy as a person because he reps the Midwest in terms of ballin' but the guy has been incredibly hard to watch this season. I would love to seem him traded ASAP, no hard feelings, its just not working out here in Minnesota. Miller is not a bench player, he is a starter in this league but he is not gelling well with the starters on this team.
-I hate the +/- stat because it is vastly overrated but it is interesting to point out that the starters tonight all had negative ratings but everyone on the bench had + ratings. What does this tell us? Simple, our bench is playing damn good.
-Rodney Carney continues to demonstrate the abilities that Wolves fans have been wanting on this team for years. Carney is that guard that has us drooling during games because his athleticism is something we have not seen since......I cant even name a player to be honest. Put Carney on a open fastbreak and the entire building is on its feet. Tonight Carney had 13 points including several key 3-pointers that helped the Wolves shrink the Bulls lead.
-Remember when Randy Foye hit that game winning shot in his rookie season against the Bulls? His shot with 41 seconds looked very similar as he drove to the right and put up a runner off the glass. Foye has a lot of guts taking that shot after having a very rough game. That is one thing that Foye has really impressed me with, his willingness take the big shots even if he has been struggling in a game.
-There was quite a few Bulls fans in the crowd tonight and I actually probably should have selected my wardrobe a little better as I looked like a Bulls fan myself wearing a red Twins hat and red Phillies jersey. One thing the Wolves need to work on is selling Wolves apparel. This arena needs more Wolves jerseys to help create that home environment.
-I asked a Bulls fan if he would be willing to take Mike Miller. He responded no. Hey if New Jersey wants Miller this bad, lets give him to them. I don't know what the Nets are smoking but if they are this high on Miller lets do it!
Wolves Getting Calls For Miller
1/23/09 Timberwolves Press is reporting that several teams have called the Timberwolves regarding the availability of Mike Miller. The Timberwolves have listened to several offers but they appear content with keeping the 8 year pro at the moment. We have been told that the Wolves will most likely wait until the trade deadline if they were to move Miller because that is when they expect to receive the best offers. As of right now the Nets seems to be the biggest player in a possible trade for Miller and would most likely send over an expiring contract and a draft pick.
1/19/09 Wolves at Clippers Preview
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Telfair
Collins
Foye
Gordon
Gomes
Thornton
Smith
Camby
Jefferson
Skinner
1/17/09 Wolves at Suns Recap
Game 38- Minnesota Timberwolves 105 at Phoenix Suns 103 (12-26)
By Alec Schimke
1/17/09 1:00 am
Before we get into the game, here were my keys to the game for the Wolves to beat the Suns that were listed in my game preview.
-Get to the free throw line 20+times (Attempted 19 free throws)
-Create turnovers (Suns had 13 turnovers, Wolves 9)
-Win the bench battle (Love 13 points and 14 rebounds, Carney 17 points)
-Big Al needs to bounce back after a rough game against Miami (Al had 22 points and 12 rebounds and hit several big shots)
-Control the boards (Outrebounded the Suns 50-43, Love had 7 offensive rebounds)
-Limit Nash and co. on the fastbreak (Nash had 6 points and 6 assists)
-Shoot 45% from the field (Shot 43.3%...close enough)
The Wolves checked off everyone of my goals tonight with about 95% accuracy, they did all the little things to beat a more talented team in the Suns.
It still is mind boggling to me that a team of Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, Amare Stoudemire, Shaquille O'Neal, Grant Hill and Leandro Barbosa is not winning more games. How much more talent do you need? In tonight's game, the Suns had the Wolves outmatched in practically every position. But this is the beauty of basketball, the most talented team does not necessarily win. In the end, the team that plays with the most confidence, chemistry and makes the little plays will get the win.
The Wolves looked like a long shot on the road versus the Suns but something is different about the 2009 Wolves. They are playing with passion and most importantly they are having fun out there on the court. Teams can easily overlook the Wolves like Suns did tonight. We have no size and no big names. But we have one thing the Suns don't have right now and that's chemistry. This team is clicking on all cylinders right now from the starters to the bench.
Another big thing for the Wolves lately has been consistency. That word has haunted this team the last two seasons. Guys like Foye, Telfair, Carney, Love, Cardinal have given the Wolves reliable play as of late which has taken a lot of pressure off of Big Al. These guys are coming in game after game and doing their thing whether it's shooting, rebounding or bringing toughness. Foye has established himself as the #2 guy on this team and he put on another "4th quarter Foye" performance tonight. Foye hit a ridiculous 21-foot fadaway jump-shot as the shot clock expired with 1:58 to give the Wolves 102-101 lead.
Love and Carney have officially become a duo off the bench combining for 30 points tonight and electrifying the team through offensive rebounds(Love) and dunks(Carney). It's too bad that Carney didn't get things going sooner because he would have been a shoe in for the dunk contest. Carney once again had a few dunks tonight that simply had me in awe. The way this guy flies to the rim reminds me a lot of young Dominique Williams. He just throws it down with absolute power. How jealous do you think McCants is right now that a guy that was sitting behind him at the start of the season is now getting all the attention at the guard position? Something tells me he may be the jealous type, just a guess based on his attitude. Don't forget about Brian Cardinal too. Cardinal may not put up a lot of numbers but his impact has been just as big. He has turned into a reliable player off the bench that simply just gives the Wolves good play.
Telfair outplayed Steve Nash tonight in almost every aspect of the game. That was a complete shocker to me. Something tells me that Nash is maybe getting worn out of being a Sun. Frankly I think he is sick and tired of the inconsistency this team has faced while he has been in a Suns uniform. With all the trade rumors surrounding him as of late, I think it's starting to affect his play as he is maybe thinking of playing for another team, especially the Raptors. Back to Telfair, this guy once again put up productive numbers as the starting points guard. The turnovers are still an issue but they are standing out less because Bassy is finally hitting his open shots. Bassy scored 6 points in a row for the Wolves in the 4th quarter to help them go from 81-83 to 87-84.
Al Jefferson, Craig Smith and Kevin Love...Outsized Down Low
These three guys proved a lot to me tonight by playing against a bigger and more experienced player in Shaquille O'Neal. All three of these guys were outsized against the Diesel but that did not slow them down from putting up huge numbers. Offensively, Big Al did work on Shaq in the block, Smith was everywhere and Love grabbed a few offensive boards over Shaq. Defensively, both Al and Love held their ground limiting Shaq to 22 points and Smith did a good job on Amare using his strength to cause problems. So if there was ever a question if these guys can play against bigger opponents...the answer is yes. For these three guys to play as well as they did tonight, it says a lot about their determination and confidence in their abilities.
I can't imagine what a shock it must be for Kevin Love to play against Shaq as I'm sure he has never had to guard someone so big in his life other than the other time he faced him this season. 6'8 260 versus 7'1 325 is quite a difference. 20 year old versus 36 year old is also quite a difference. Often times you forget about the age differences in the NBA. Here is a guy a year out of his teens guarding a grown man in one of the most difficult tasks that you could ask from an athlete. All I can say is what an incredible display of effort by the young rookie.
Craig Smith Quietly Good
Know who had the second most points tonight? Craig Smith. Smith put up a very encouraging performance with 18 points and 7 rebounds and was just impressive as Big Al and Love. I noted before the game that Smith would need to have a big game if the Wolves were to win because they need more scoring other than from Al and Foye. Smith answered the call tonight shooting 7-10 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line.
Kevin Love...New Nickname...."Glass"
I'm calling him "Glass" for now on because this guy is simply everywhere on the glass. I've never seen such an active rebounder on both sides of the ball from a rookie.
Things are finally going our way.....
I don't know about you but when J-Rich's 3-point shot went up with 1.6 seconds left I thought to myself, oh man here goes another crushing defeat. But when it clanked off the rim, I almost didn't believe it. Did the Timberwolves finally win a game when the other team had the last shot? Yes! It took me about a minute to settle in because I am so used to being crushed in the final minutes. Another sign things are turning around, we played the role of 4th quarter spoilers. We outscored the Suns 32-24 in the 4th quarter instead of being the ones getting outscored. We did not let a 11 points Suns lead get in our heads but instead we stayed focused and kept plugging on. Finally, you can't talk about things finally turning our way without mentioning Randy Foye's miracle shot as the shot clock ran out with 1:58 left. Last time I checked, other teams are supposed to be making shots like that against us. Way to go Randy, I'm sure you had every Suns fan with their hands in the air after that one.
By Alec Schimke
1/17/09 1:00 am
Before we get into the game, here were my keys to the game for the Wolves to beat the Suns that were listed in my game preview.
-Get to the free throw line 20+times (Attempted 19 free throws)
-Create turnovers (Suns had 13 turnovers, Wolves 9)
-Win the bench battle (Love 13 points and 14 rebounds, Carney 17 points)
-Big Al needs to bounce back after a rough game against Miami (Al had 22 points and 12 rebounds and hit several big shots)
-Control the boards (Outrebounded the Suns 50-43, Love had 7 offensive rebounds)
-Limit Nash and co. on the fastbreak (Nash had 6 points and 6 assists)
-Shoot 45% from the field (Shot 43.3%...close enough)
The Wolves checked off everyone of my goals tonight with about 95% accuracy, they did all the little things to beat a more talented team in the Suns.
"Outsized, Outmatched......Does Not Matter To The 2009 Wolves"
In case you missed this one, this team continued to play anti-Randy Wittman style of ball and in return, they continued their winning ways.It still is mind boggling to me that a team of Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, Amare Stoudemire, Shaquille O'Neal, Grant Hill and Leandro Barbosa is not winning more games. How much more talent do you need? In tonight's game, the Suns had the Wolves outmatched in practically every position. But this is the beauty of basketball, the most talented team does not necessarily win. In the end, the team that plays with the most confidence, chemistry and makes the little plays will get the win.
The Wolves looked like a long shot on the road versus the Suns but something is different about the 2009 Wolves. They are playing with passion and most importantly they are having fun out there on the court. Teams can easily overlook the Wolves like Suns did tonight. We have no size and no big names. But we have one thing the Suns don't have right now and that's chemistry. This team is clicking on all cylinders right now from the starters to the bench.
Another big thing for the Wolves lately has been consistency. That word has haunted this team the last two seasons. Guys like Foye, Telfair, Carney, Love, Cardinal have given the Wolves reliable play as of late which has taken a lot of pressure off of Big Al. These guys are coming in game after game and doing their thing whether it's shooting, rebounding or bringing toughness. Foye has established himself as the #2 guy on this team and he put on another "4th quarter Foye" performance tonight. Foye hit a ridiculous 21-foot fadaway jump-shot as the shot clock expired with 1:58 to give the Wolves 102-101 lead.
Love and Carney have officially become a duo off the bench combining for 30 points tonight and electrifying the team through offensive rebounds(Love) and dunks(Carney). It's too bad that Carney didn't get things going sooner because he would have been a shoe in for the dunk contest. Carney once again had a few dunks tonight that simply had me in awe. The way this guy flies to the rim reminds me a lot of young Dominique Williams. He just throws it down with absolute power. How jealous do you think McCants is right now that a guy that was sitting behind him at the start of the season is now getting all the attention at the guard position? Something tells me he may be the jealous type, just a guess based on his attitude. Don't forget about Brian Cardinal too. Cardinal may not put up a lot of numbers but his impact has been just as big. He has turned into a reliable player off the bench that simply just gives the Wolves good play.
 MVPKevin Love 13 points 14 rebounds 2 steals STAT OF THE GAME Nash limited to 6 points and 6 assists |
Telfair outplayed Steve Nash tonight in almost every aspect of the game. That was a complete shocker to me. Something tells me that Nash is maybe getting worn out of being a Sun. Frankly I think he is sick and tired of the inconsistency this team has faced while he has been in a Suns uniform. With all the trade rumors surrounding him as of late, I think it's starting to affect his play as he is maybe thinking of playing for another team, especially the Raptors. Back to Telfair, this guy once again put up productive numbers as the starting points guard. The turnovers are still an issue but they are standing out less because Bassy is finally hitting his open shots. Bassy scored 6 points in a row for the Wolves in the 4th quarter to help them go from 81-83 to 87-84.
Al Jefferson, Craig Smith and Kevin Love...Outsized Down Low
These three guys proved a lot to me tonight by playing against a bigger and more experienced player in Shaquille O'Neal. All three of these guys were outsized against the Diesel but that did not slow them down from putting up huge numbers. Offensively, Big Al did work on Shaq in the block, Smith was everywhere and Love grabbed a few offensive boards over Shaq. Defensively, both Al and Love held their ground limiting Shaq to 22 points and Smith did a good job on Amare using his strength to cause problems. So if there was ever a question if these guys can play against bigger opponents...the answer is yes. For these three guys to play as well as they did tonight, it says a lot about their determination and confidence in their abilities.
I can't imagine what a shock it must be for Kevin Love to play against Shaq as I'm sure he has never had to guard someone so big in his life other than the other time he faced him this season. 6'8 260 versus 7'1 325 is quite a difference. 20 year old versus 36 year old is also quite a difference. Often times you forget about the age differences in the NBA. Here is a guy a year out of his teens guarding a grown man in one of the most difficult tasks that you could ask from an athlete. All I can say is what an incredible display of effort by the young rookie.
Craig Smith Quietly Good
Know who had the second most points tonight? Craig Smith. Smith put up a very encouraging performance with 18 points and 7 rebounds and was just impressive as Big Al and Love. I noted before the game that Smith would need to have a big game if the Wolves were to win because they need more scoring other than from Al and Foye. Smith answered the call tonight shooting 7-10 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line.
Kevin Love...New Nickname...."Glass"
I'm calling him "Glass" for now on because this guy is simply everywhere on the glass. I've never seen such an active rebounder on both sides of the ball from a rookie.
Things are finally going our way.....
I don't know about you but when J-Rich's 3-point shot went up with 1.6 seconds left I thought to myself, oh man here goes another crushing defeat. But when it clanked off the rim, I almost didn't believe it. Did the Timberwolves finally win a game when the other team had the last shot? Yes! It took me about a minute to settle in because I am so used to being crushed in the final minutes. Another sign things are turning around, we played the role of 4th quarter spoilers. We outscored the Suns 32-24 in the 4th quarter instead of being the ones getting outscored. We did not let a 11 points Suns lead get in our heads but instead we stayed focused and kept plugging on. Finally, you can't talk about things finally turning our way without mentioning Randy Foye's miracle shot as the shot clock ran out with 1:58 left. Last time I checked, other teams are supposed to be making shots like that against us. Way to go Randy, I'm sure you had every Suns fan with their hands in the air after that one.
