I'm an idiot (my wife would agree with that statement)...I continue to watch the NBA Draft every year thinking that this is the year my hometown team will turn the corner with some major moves that will jump start this franchise...it didn't happen last night...this is how it played out:
1. I can live with the Wesley Johnson pick at 4. I am not thrilled, because I don't believe he has much upside (already almost 23 years old) and his defense his questionable at best (since he primarily played in a zone all through college). However, he potentially fills a major void and he was the "experts" consensus pick for the Wolves. Off topic...but, I love the plaided pants worn by Johnson...probably the highlight of the night if you're a T'wolves fan.
2. Luke Babbitt slides all the way down to #16. We draft one of the best shooters in the draft and then ship his draft rights and Ryan Gomes to Portland for Martell Webster and...nothing else...not even a 2nd rounder...?? Portland GM Kevin Pritchard is already out the door (fired, but still handling draft night duties) and is still out-maneuvering David Kahn. In the end, it boils down to the Timberwolves sending two salaries for one in return...it's all about the bottom line, baby.
3. The Trevor Booker selection had me scared. Another power forward (looks like a Craig Smith/Gary Trent) who seemed to be a reach at that point in the draft. We eventually later traded his rights to Washington and a 2nd round pick for the 30th and 35th picks. Not a bad deal for the Wolves, but they once again get out of a higher slotted salary by moving lower in the draft. Saving money is what we do best on draft night.
4. With the newly acquired 30th pick (from Washington), the Wolves select Lazar Hayward from Marquette. We scout every nook and cranny in the world, but when it comes to the United States we apparently just scout the Big East schools to find talent.
5. With the 35th pick, they select Nemanja Bjelica from Serbia. He won't come over anytime soon which means he won't be on the Timberwolves' payroll...Glen approves this decision.
6. With their last pick of the night (46th), they select Paulao Prestes from Brazil. He'll continue to play elsewhere on somebody else's dime. Glen Taylor loves the pick.
Kahn kept referring to how this draft would help shape our roster and repeatedly bragged about having five picks in this draft. Well, the draft is over and we walked away with two players (Johnson & Hayward) that could maybe contribute next year. We gave one draft pick (Babbitt) away, along with the appealing contract (only partially guaranteed until June 30th) of Ryan Gomes for Martell Webster. The other two picks were foreign players that may or may not be assets down the road. The draft class overall was considered weak, but if that was the case we should've parlayed some of the extra picks this year into next year picks.
The off-season isn't complete yet, but it looks pretty daunting of a task to improve this teams record when looking at our own division, much less the rest of the Western Conference. Four out of the five teams in the Northwest Division had 50 or more victories (Denver 53, Utah 53, Portland 50, and Oklahoma City 50). Minnesota rounded out the division with a whopping 15 victories on the year. Does the additions of Johnson, Webster and Hayward even get us to 20 wins next year...?? I say no.
SBG
Friday, June 25, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
My Wish List for the Wolves...
The NBA Draft is only two days away and hopefully the Wolves can capitalize on some off-season moves/luck in the draft and free agency period to sway them in the right direction from here on out. Here is what I'd like to see from the squad (no particular order) in the off-season:
* Sign Darko - He was out of shape for the last portion of the year with us, but this guy knows how to play and he's still only 25 (just for some perspective...Wesley Johnson will be 23 shortly compared to Darko, who has been in the league now for eight years). He's not going to light up the boxscore on a regular basis, but he defends his position (especially, the high pick and roll/popular play for all teams) well and seems to fit in nicely in the Triangle Offense. The Wolves need to think out of the box when constructing this roster...especially, considering that free agency and the draft has given us next to nothing since the franchise's inception.
* Keep Love & Brewer - Corey Brewer should be a lock to be on the roster next year since the lack of perimeter defense & shooting on the current roster. However, Love has been mentioned in some trade rumors lately. I like him coming off the bench (but, still getting major minutes) as a rebounder and a big guy that can stretch the floor with his three point range on offense. The best part about these two is that they bring energy every night...that's hard to sustain when your ballclub is on the losing end more often than not.
* Trade Al Jefferson - The train has already passed on getting maximum value in return for Al in a trade. However, I just think you need to move him to move him to let the rest of our roster develop. With Al on the squad, it will result in him dominating the ball on offense when he's on the court. If you sign Darko, hang on to Love and Pekovic comes over from overseas...where are the minutes going to come from for all these big guys?One of the better trades in Timberwolves history was sending J.R. Rider to Portland for Bill Curley, James "Hollywood" Robinson and a conditional 1st round pick. It wasn't what we got in return, it was just a matter of addition by subtraction.
* USE your draft picks - I understand that Glen Taylor has lost a lot of money the last few years due to the team's lack of success on the court. But, how can fans take this team/organization seriously when you've traded down (to pay less of a salary on the rookie scale: Mayo/Love and Roy/Foye) and/or you end up selling the pick away (Lawson & Chalmers) to get some extra cash from another team. This irritates me on multiple fronts:
1. The Timberwolves have sucked in their draft history...but, it's like the lottery...you can't win if you don't play.
2. The Minnesota Timberwolves are also not going to land an instant impact free agent...so, why not devote your resources on the draft and take a flier (even if it is a late first round pick) on a kid that could develop into a big contributor for our club?
3. I really don't even mind trading or giving away picks if they really feel it's the best decision at the time (however, I don't see the logic in any of the ones that they have made in the last few years)...but, once those names start getting attached to those picks (Roy, Mayo, Lawson, Chalmers) and you're actually trading the player's rights and not actually the pick itself...that's where you can have the fan base turn against you...because you've opened yourself up to constant criticism/comparing/critiquing when you're wheeling and dealing that late in the ballgame. If you deal the picks...deal them early, or at least if you deal them late when they may have more value...get something basketball related back instead of just cash for Glen Taylor's pocket.
* Get Long and Athletic in Draft - The most athletic guys on the rosters were Corey Brewer and Ryan Hollins. Corey Brewer was the only one that received steady minutes throughout the whole year. The team is probably stuck on whoever falls to them at the number four pick. But, later on in the draft they could get their hands on some tremendous athletes like: Jarvis Varnardo, Ekpe Udoh, Jordan Crawford, Xavier Henry, and/or Lance Stephenson. All are graded out to land in the middle of the first round or later.
SBG
* Sign Darko - He was out of shape for the last portion of the year with us, but this guy knows how to play and he's still only 25 (just for some perspective...Wesley Johnson will be 23 shortly compared to Darko, who has been in the league now for eight years). He's not going to light up the boxscore on a regular basis, but he defends his position (especially, the high pick and roll/popular play for all teams) well and seems to fit in nicely in the Triangle Offense. The Wolves need to think out of the box when constructing this roster...especially, considering that free agency and the draft has given us next to nothing since the franchise's inception.
* Keep Love & Brewer - Corey Brewer should be a lock to be on the roster next year since the lack of perimeter defense & shooting on the current roster. However, Love has been mentioned in some trade rumors lately. I like him coming off the bench (but, still getting major minutes) as a rebounder and a big guy that can stretch the floor with his three point range on offense. The best part about these two is that they bring energy every night...that's hard to sustain when your ballclub is on the losing end more often than not.
* Trade Al Jefferson - The train has already passed on getting maximum value in return for Al in a trade. However, I just think you need to move him to move him to let the rest of our roster develop. With Al on the squad, it will result in him dominating the ball on offense when he's on the court. If you sign Darko, hang on to Love and Pekovic comes over from overseas...where are the minutes going to come from for all these big guys?One of the better trades in Timberwolves history was sending J.R. Rider to Portland for Bill Curley, James "Hollywood" Robinson and a conditional 1st round pick. It wasn't what we got in return, it was just a matter of addition by subtraction.
* USE your draft picks - I understand that Glen Taylor has lost a lot of money the last few years due to the team's lack of success on the court. But, how can fans take this team/organization seriously when you've traded down (to pay less of a salary on the rookie scale: Mayo/Love and Roy/Foye) and/or you end up selling the pick away (Lawson & Chalmers) to get some extra cash from another team. This irritates me on multiple fronts:
1. The Timberwolves have sucked in their draft history...but, it's like the lottery...you can't win if you don't play.
2. The Minnesota Timberwolves are also not going to land an instant impact free agent...so, why not devote your resources on the draft and take a flier (even if it is a late first round pick) on a kid that could develop into a big contributor for our club?
3. I really don't even mind trading or giving away picks if they really feel it's the best decision at the time (however, I don't see the logic in any of the ones that they have made in the last few years)...but, once those names start getting attached to those picks (Roy, Mayo, Lawson, Chalmers) and you're actually trading the player's rights and not actually the pick itself...that's where you can have the fan base turn against you...because you've opened yourself up to constant criticism/comparing/critiquing when you're wheeling and dealing that late in the ballgame. If you deal the picks...deal them early, or at least if you deal them late when they may have more value...get something basketball related back instead of just cash for Glen Taylor's pocket.
* Get Long and Athletic in Draft - The most athletic guys on the rosters were Corey Brewer and Ryan Hollins. Corey Brewer was the only one that received steady minutes throughout the whole year. The team is probably stuck on whoever falls to them at the number four pick. But, later on in the draft they could get their hands on some tremendous athletes like: Jarvis Varnardo, Ekpe Udoh, Jordan Crawford, Xavier Henry, and/or Lance Stephenson. All are graded out to land in the middle of the first round or later.
SBG
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Memorable Fashion Trends in Minnesota Sports
Carl Pavano's mustache has created quite a buzz (probably because we're boring people here in Minnesota)...along with his fashion statement, I've listed some others that we've encountered over the years while watching Minnesota sports:
1. Pavano's Mustache - Not exactly through the roof with creativity, but Carl Pavano was all but dead while "playing" in New York...this not only gives him a pulse, but a personality too.
2. Mitch Lee's shaved champaign glass in the side of his head - He came out with the new hairstyle after being acquitted of rape charges for all to see on the basketball court. Then followed that up with a similar sexual assault charge in Madison, WI. They don't grow 'em any dumber than this.
3. Mauer's Sideburns - Once again, not exactly an earth shattering trend...but, Gardy told me I had to chalk him up in the three hole.
4. Vikings' AFRO's - The receiving trio of Randy Moss, Kelly Campbell and Nate Burleson took out their braids and rocked the Afro's against the Chiefs in 2003.
5. Stanley Robert's "Thug Love" tattoo - Not exactly a fashion, more of a way of life in the jungle we call 'Sota.
6. Jared Allen's Mullet - It takes some balls to rock a mullet out in public. I attempted this back in my college years in 2001-02...and I couldn't do it...if I left the house, I always had to double team the mullet with a hat and a hooded sweatshirt, before I finally shaved it off. I salute you, Jared.
7. Kevin McHale's ugly sweaters - Does anything scream MINNESOTA more than men wearing multi-colored sweaters, with over the top geometric shape patterns on them? That alone could be the reason why free agents never wanted to come here to play...seizures gone wild.
8. Scott Erickson's low stirrups - No one in Minnesota was sporting the "wear the baseball pants low/showing no white socks through your stirrups" look before Scott Erickson arrived. I remember having to double or triple loop the bottom of my stirrups around my toes in order to make this work for my little league games...this would result in cutting off all blood circulation in my feet...but, it was all worth it.
9. Willie Burton's Mask - With a broken nose, Willie Burton had to sport a facial mask...not one of those high tech clear ones that appear to be really light...it was clunky looking, and had brown padding around it which made it resemble an old school hockey mask (which could of have also been a mask for a serial killer). His play did not suffer during this stretch either...in fact, it was probably his best stretch of basketball on the collegiate level.
10. Alex Burnett's bullpen backpack - This is kind of a low key one...but, I've noticed Burnett tote a backpack after games that is made out of some kind of brown fur (definitely animal related). You're not scoring any points with PETA.
11. Monson's sponsored sport coat - On several occasions during actual games, Dan Monson rocked a sport coat with an endorsement for Century 21...at least, you could have endorsed a product that basketball is somewhat affiliated with...and he wanted our basketball program to be taken seriously...??
12. Laettner's middle part/head band combo - The look just kind of fit the arrogant prick.
13. Childress' snowsuit - The images of Bud Grant patrolling the sidelines, wearing just a Vikings baseball cap and a light winter jacket in cold weather are long gone...our current coach bundles up like a three year old if the weather is below 30 degrees.
14. Marko Jaric's hair - Anyone that seems to put product into their hair before they play a game should not be acquired via draft or trade. Wally Szczerbiak almost defied all the odds and became the exception to the rule...but, in the end...he still failed.
15. Favre...the Silver Fox - Not many people can pull off the "gray beard" look in professional sports...mainly, because no one remains relevant in the sporting world for that length of time.
SBG
1. Pavano's Mustache - Not exactly through the roof with creativity, but Carl Pavano was all but dead while "playing" in New York...this not only gives him a pulse, but a personality too.
2. Mitch Lee's shaved champaign glass in the side of his head - He came out with the new hairstyle after being acquitted of rape charges for all to see on the basketball court. Then followed that up with a similar sexual assault charge in Madison, WI. They don't grow 'em any dumber than this.
3. Mauer's Sideburns - Once again, not exactly an earth shattering trend...but, Gardy told me I had to chalk him up in the three hole.
4. Vikings' AFRO's - The receiving trio of Randy Moss, Kelly Campbell and Nate Burleson took out their braids and rocked the Afro's against the Chiefs in 2003.
5. Stanley Robert's "Thug Love" tattoo - Not exactly a fashion, more of a way of life in the jungle we call 'Sota.
6. Jared Allen's Mullet - It takes some balls to rock a mullet out in public. I attempted this back in my college years in 2001-02...and I couldn't do it...if I left the house, I always had to double team the mullet with a hat and a hooded sweatshirt, before I finally shaved it off. I salute you, Jared.
7. Kevin McHale's ugly sweaters - Does anything scream MINNESOTA more than men wearing multi-colored sweaters, with over the top geometric shape patterns on them? That alone could be the reason why free agents never wanted to come here to play...seizures gone wild.
8. Scott Erickson's low stirrups - No one in Minnesota was sporting the "wear the baseball pants low/showing no white socks through your stirrups" look before Scott Erickson arrived. I remember having to double or triple loop the bottom of my stirrups around my toes in order to make this work for my little league games...this would result in cutting off all blood circulation in my feet...but, it was all worth it.
9. Willie Burton's Mask - With a broken nose, Willie Burton had to sport a facial mask...not one of those high tech clear ones that appear to be really light...it was clunky looking, and had brown padding around it which made it resemble an old school hockey mask (which could of have also been a mask for a serial killer). His play did not suffer during this stretch either...in fact, it was probably his best stretch of basketball on the collegiate level.
10. Alex Burnett's bullpen backpack - This is kind of a low key one...but, I've noticed Burnett tote a backpack after games that is made out of some kind of brown fur (definitely animal related). You're not scoring any points with PETA.
11. Monson's sponsored sport coat - On several occasions during actual games, Dan Monson rocked a sport coat with an endorsement for Century 21...at least, you could have endorsed a product that basketball is somewhat affiliated with...and he wanted our basketball program to be taken seriously...??
12. Laettner's middle part/head band combo - The look just kind of fit the arrogant prick.
13. Childress' snowsuit - The images of Bud Grant patrolling the sidelines, wearing just a Vikings baseball cap and a light winter jacket in cold weather are long gone...our current coach bundles up like a three year old if the weather is below 30 degrees.
14. Marko Jaric's hair - Anyone that seems to put product into their hair before they play a game should not be acquired via draft or trade. Wally Szczerbiak almost defied all the odds and became the exception to the rule...but, in the end...he still failed.
15. Favre...the Silver Fox - Not many people can pull off the "gray beard" look in professional sports...mainly, because no one remains relevant in the sporting world for that length of time.
SBG
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Sports, Sports, Sports...
I'm going to broaden my scope a little bit to touch on some national stories as well...but, here's what's been on my radar in the sports world during the last week or so:
* Did you hear John Wooden died? You wouldn't believe this...but, Sid Hartman was a close personal friend of John Wooden.
* Stephen Strasburg strikes out 14 batters in seven innings of work with no walks. But, come on...Washington set this up perfectly for his first start to be against the lowly Pirates. It's a good confidence booster for a rookie making his MLB debut. Don't get me wrong...I think he'll still dominate, especially being in the National League...but, will he hold up healthwise, and how about mentally when he finally gets hit around a little bit.
* Got hooked on the NCAA Baseball Regionals (Fullerton Region) over the weekend, which also means I didn't get any sleep for four days. Four team - double elimination tournament...winner goes on to the Super Regionals. Gophers collapse coming out of the winner bracket and lose two straight to a tough Cal-State Fullerton team. A couple complaints about the coverage:
- Just because I'm watching ESPNU, doesn't mean that I'm a virgin to the game of baseball. Morgan Ensberg was horrible at doing the commentary. He spent more time on critiquing the "what if" plays that never happened than the plays that actually did take place. Please, just cover the game that we are watching. On the other hand, Morgan's play-by-play partner (Kutcher) was hilarious...although at times, he was encouraging Morgan's random tangents about nothing.
- They profile the Gophers' history and it lists that we've won 3 National Titles in baseball. Yet, we've never been to a "Super Regional" (which is another preliminary round before the actual College World Series). Is this what expansion is going to do to our NCAA sports...just create more stupid names for each level of accomplishment...if that's the case, I vote "NO" on everything expansion wise in any sport.
* I haven't told my wife, but I'm a closet soccer fan when the World Cup rolls around once every four years. I thoroughly enjoy the play/coverage...the only things I dislike are: the players flopping to extremes in order to draw the whistle and the reasoning that every four years an annoucer/TV personality will proclaim that, "U.S.A Soccer will really take off and grow after this year because of (enter a young promising player on the team)." No...it never happens...by the way, our 13 year old savior (Freddy Adu) that we found years ago (signed as a professional as a fourteen year old), is now 21 years old and is not good enough to make the squad.
* I'm rooting for the Lakers in the Finals. Mainly, because I'm done with Kevin Garnett. I'm so tired of him pounding on his chest and swearing f-bombs while running back on defense after he makes a shot in the 1st quarter...especially, now that he's just a complimentary player on the Boston squad. I used to love the "intensity" because half the players in the NBA are only there to go through the motions and collect their paycheck...but, his routine has gotten old quick now that's he on a different team.
SBG
* Did you hear John Wooden died? You wouldn't believe this...but, Sid Hartman was a close personal friend of John Wooden.
* Stephen Strasburg strikes out 14 batters in seven innings of work with no walks. But, come on...Washington set this up perfectly for his first start to be against the lowly Pirates. It's a good confidence booster for a rookie making his MLB debut. Don't get me wrong...I think he'll still dominate, especially being in the National League...but, will he hold up healthwise, and how about mentally when he finally gets hit around a little bit.
* Got hooked on the NCAA Baseball Regionals (Fullerton Region) over the weekend, which also means I didn't get any sleep for four days. Four team - double elimination tournament...winner goes on to the Super Regionals. Gophers collapse coming out of the winner bracket and lose two straight to a tough Cal-State Fullerton team. A couple complaints about the coverage:
- Just because I'm watching ESPNU, doesn't mean that I'm a virgin to the game of baseball. Morgan Ensberg was horrible at doing the commentary. He spent more time on critiquing the "what if" plays that never happened than the plays that actually did take place. Please, just cover the game that we are watching. On the other hand, Morgan's play-by-play partner (Kutcher) was hilarious...although at times, he was encouraging Morgan's random tangents about nothing.
- They profile the Gophers' history and it lists that we've won 3 National Titles in baseball. Yet, we've never been to a "Super Regional" (which is another preliminary round before the actual College World Series). Is this what expansion is going to do to our NCAA sports...just create more stupid names for each level of accomplishment...if that's the case, I vote "NO" on everything expansion wise in any sport.
* I haven't told my wife, but I'm a closet soccer fan when the World Cup rolls around once every four years. I thoroughly enjoy the play/coverage...the only things I dislike are: the players flopping to extremes in order to draw the whistle and the reasoning that every four years an annoucer/TV personality will proclaim that, "U.S.A Soccer will really take off and grow after this year because of (enter a young promising player on the team)." No...it never happens...by the way, our 13 year old savior (Freddy Adu) that we found years ago (signed as a professional as a fourteen year old), is now 21 years old and is not good enough to make the squad.
* I'm rooting for the Lakers in the Finals. Mainly, because I'm done with Kevin Garnett. I'm so tired of him pounding on his chest and swearing f-bombs while running back on defense after he makes a shot in the 1st quarter...especially, now that he's just a complimentary player on the Boston squad. I used to love the "intensity" because half the players in the NBA are only there to go through the motions and collect their paycheck...but, his routine has gotten old quick now that's he on a different team.
SBG
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